Two UWS Women Who Achieved Sports Stardom (Who’s That With Billie Jean King?)

By Michele Willens

Even if they can’t quickly recall her name, Upper West Siders know her face: from countless sporting events they’ve watched in the last several decades. On December 12, they can take neighborhood pride when Andrea Joyce is inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Joyce says she still thinks it’s a prank — “this was never on my radar” — but the truth is, it’s about time.

Joyce has lived on West 64th Street — ”I will never live anywhere else” — since arriving from Dallas in 1988, with her husband, newscaster Harry Smith. They expanded their apartment (neighbors included Madonna at one time), raised two sons, and hosted famous gatherings on their rooftop.

Born and raised in Michigan, Joyce had become a regular local news reporter in Dallas in the 80s, when, one night, she was asked to substitute for the absent sports anchor. She wowed everyone — mostly by finding out where inaccessible athletes were staying. The gig stuck. It may seem difficult to imagine now, but when Joyce first showed up in locker rooms, on fields, and at athletic events, there was rarely another female there.

“I have that imposter complex,” she told me as we sat at one of her faves, Blue Bottle, on Amsterdam Avenue. “I’m waiting for the day they’ll find me out. I still have a hard time taking a compliment and, let’s face it, I’ve never been the story,” she says.

Now 69, Joyce has come to believe that “sports is news.” She has covered lots of the big stories in that world. Like the year Pete Sampras somehow won a match at the U.S. Open, despite puking his way through it. Who was the only reporter who waited him out till two in the morning? Yep. And Steffi Graff never spoke to the media, but Joyce found out where she was signing autographs one time, and got her mic out in time. Even difficult and controversial figures, like NBA stars Shaq O’Neill and Allen Iverson, grew to stop and give her some time. Basically, her motto became “I never left!”

Joyce will be heading to Paris to cover her 17th Olympics. “Andrea is the heart and face of the Olympics,” says Molly Solomon, NBC’s executive in charge of the Games. “Not only the audiences, but the athletes love and trust her. Her curiosity has never abated. This award is totally deserving.”

Primarily, Joyce is associated with skating and gymnastics, but she also covers the U.S. Open and was the only one to get Billie Jean King (a Joyce fan) to sit down for a long interview in September.  Also an Upper West Sider, King has been greatly supportive of Joyce, who recalls, “When I first met her, Billie Jean gave me two bits of advice: ‘Don’t wear black. And the most important thing is developing relationships.’”

Joyce’s love of the Upper West has never abated: “I Love Central Park and Lincoln Center the most,” she says. “We are sandwiched between the two. I’m in the park at least twice a day with [dog] Maizie, I still jog on the horse path, and meet friends for walks. The park seems to ‘tame’ the city, but I also love the constant motion and vibe of the West Side. I never feel alone or lonely.”

Says the person who knows her best— Harry Smith—“This honor is both exciting and appropriate. She makes the remarkable seem routine. That’s what the great ones do.”

Joyce has a Young Readers book coming out next year called “Legends of Gymnastics.” As for the memoir we are hoping she will one day write, she admits she has a title ready. It’s something Tom Landry said, when the famous manager opened the Dallas Cowboys locker room door once and yelled, “Men—she’s coming in!”

Subscribe to WSR’s free email newsletter here.