In the film “The Replacements,” wide receiver Clifford Franklin scores a game-winning touchdown. Afterwards, a reporter chases him down in the locker room for a post-game interview, which turned into an opportunity for Franklin to hit on her.
| Source: dipity.com |
Sound familiar?
According to reports, Ines Sainz, a reporter for TV Azteca, was treated improperly by New York Jets players and coaches while attending their practice, waiting to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sainz described the experience as “uncomfortable.”
But as the days go by, more and more details emerge from the situation, and we are left only to question how valid Sainz’s account of the story is, and if perhaps we are to take her words with a grain of salt.
Sainz said that the Jets’ secondary coach, according to reports, was tossing passes in her direction so players could get closer to her – something completely out of line. The behavior worsened when she entered the locker room, where some players began to make sexual inferences.
But don’t be too quick to judge the Jets players just yet. Jane McManus, an ESPN New York reporter, has been covering the Jets for years. So why doesn’t this immature, perverted group of athletes attack McManus like this?
| source: espn.com |
For one, McManus chooses to take a more professional approach at work each day. After all, I haven’t seen McManus as the top story for Men’s Health recently? And no – I tried, but I couldn’t find too many Google images of her. But Sainz, on the other hand – that’s a different story.
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| Source: menshealth.com |
In the first amendment – you know, that piece of paper that tells us what freedoms we’re granted as citizens of the United States – if you didn’t know, it gives us the right to freedom of expression. So, if Sainz wants to wear her belly shirt to an NFL game or practice – be my guest. She has the right to. Just don’t expect much of a change for the after party.
Regardless of attire, Sainz presents herself as a professional reporter. She’s a journalist simply gunning for a great lead. She’s a cutthroat writer looking to make a name for her work.
Not so fast.
Last year, during the Super Bowl, you would have found Sainz riding high during media day – on the shoulders of the Indianapolis Colts players. And if you were quick enough, you’d catch her measuring the biceps of NFL stars in her personal “strongest arm” contest – typical for a reporter, right?
With that in mind, maybe it’s not the Jets who are to blame here. Sainz, with a strong reputation to uphold, could easily have given the wrong idea to the players, who may have thought it was their lucky day – maybe even their own chance at entering the strongest arm contest.
But despite what the players thought, or the message Sainz was sending, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis was surely out of bounds. On a weekly radio session, Portis said, in my own interpretation, that a woman in an NFL locker room with 53 athletes is definitely going to get turned on.
Apparently Portis isn’t too familiar with Christine Brennan, current USA Today columnist and former Redskins reporter.
Brennan, who really paved the way for women in sports journalism, never “got her interest sparked” by 53 male football athletes – I guess she was the exception when Portis claimed: “I don’t know what kind of woman won’t.”
Portis was completely out of line when he made those comments, and he immediately apologized after the NFL responded to the news. It’s always good to make light of a situation like this, but talking about male genitalia and female reporters trying to get jiggy with it – maybe think twice, Clinton.
