I tend to think Nichols and Taylor are both solid. Yes they're women and yes Taylor is black - pretty insulting to suggest they wouldn't have got the job if they weren't tho.

The resume point was more figurative than literal, altho I'm sure there are interviews, I'm sure there's more formal processes the closer you get to Taylor's starting point, for example, at IMG Academy covering Georgia basketball, and I'm not at all sure why you're quoting "hiring company." Are ESPN and IMG and everything in between not companies that hire ppl? Apologies if you prefer a different phrase. Honestly when you tack on the second half of your reply it sounds like you're mostly interested in discrediting the work put in by both of Nichols and Taylor and those like them. I don't even disagree about the personality/branding characterizations but that's work, too.