A young sports journalist soon learns the toughest hits occur off the field.

Fresh out of journalism school, Blake Kirk lands her dream job as a reporter for her hometown pro football team--the job sure to propel her to the sidelines on network television. But from the first day, double standards and old-school entitlement smack her with the intensity of a defensive line.

Blake's boss, Johnny, keeps her sidelined with rules that make it hard for her to do her job. He blocks her from interviewing players in the locker room even though other journalists have access. He encourages her to go with coworkers to "bond," knowing full well they're taking her to a strip club. Worse still, Johnny may be the one leaving notes on her desk about how great she looks in pants.

Hit after hit, Blake forges on, determined to prove her worth to the team and her journalism peers. But in a world filled with boozy exploits and overblown egos, Blake finds her moral compass wavering after a celebrity tryst. Can Blake realign her professional priorities and expose Johnny's bullying before her dream job does her in?

​Brooke Bentley is a former television anchor and award-winning sports reporter who graduated from the University of Southern California with a master's in journalism. Through Sideline Confidential, she gives us a glimpse into the challenges women professionals face in the male-dominated world of pro sports.