Filed under: Sports Business and Media
A Mexican television reporter, who was the subject of catcalls and leering in the New York Jets' locker room, has sharply criticized the group of female sportswriters and broadcasters who went to bat on her behalf.In a column with E! Universal titled "My September 11 in New York," Ines Sainz lashed out at the Association of Women in Sports Media, writing "why such a well-respected organization acted so impulsively." (Ed. Note: the title referred to the date of the alleged incident, not of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.) Sainz added that she was "shaken" by how the event was covered, adding finally that the media's treatment of the matter "set back the woman's rights movement by at least 50 years."
Sainz, who works for TV Azteca, had reportedly gone to the Jets' practice facility two Saturdays ago, to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez. While she stood on the sidelines of a practice field waiting for practice to end, members of the Jets secondary, with coaches Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman participating, ran close to Sainz, coming close to making contact with her.
Later, in the locker room, Sainz was the subject of catcalls from some of the players. When one reporter attempted to come to Sainz's defense, defensive lineman Kris Jenkins declared, "This is our locker room." The NFL and the Jets investigated the matter, and league commissioner Roger Goodell, while not fining the Jets organization, coaches or players, criticized the conduct and directed the team to pay for media training sessions for the entire league.
Sainz has given conflicting statements since the issue came to light. She initially indicated on her Twitter account that she was embarrassed by what had happened,. However, in subsequent appearances on various media platforms, Sainz has said that she was not bothered by either the practice incident or the locker room conduct.
Meanwhile, AWSM immediately sprang to Sainz's defense, calling on the NFL to reaffirm 25-year-old policies that guarantee female media members access to NFL locker rooms. In the process, some NFL players, most notably Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis and Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, have sharply questioned the need for women to have access to NFL locker rooms.
FanHouse TV's Chris Harry talks with CBS lead NFL analyst Phil Simms about the Jets' victory over the Patriots as well as their seemingly constant battles with adversity. Click to watch:
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