Locker room privacy ??

[Mr. WEO]

an open locker room is how we are able to do our jobs and provide as much insight to the public as we possibly can. it's the given-and-take at a players' locker -- after practice or after a game -- where the best stuff is said, and the best observations made. this is also a place where reporters are allowed to interact with players, joke with them, chat them up about other topics, see if they're limping, angry, sad or happy. this is where a lot of the personal relationships are built.

i can see how some might think a separate media area will work. it won't.

players have numerous areas they can hang out in that are out of bounds to reporters. however, NFL players are required under league rules to make themselves accessible to the media on Wednesdays and after games. and that requirement on Wednesday is half-an-hour or so. that's where the separate media area doesn't work. a player is most comfortable at his locker. it would be inconvenient for them to have to hang around a separate room for that period of time.

 

my 2 cents.

 

jw

The best stuff? It's usually all standard cliches they give, win or lose. There's no need to have reporters there when players are changing.

[truth on hold]

The best stuff? It's usually all standard cliches they give, win or lose. There's no need to have reporters there when players are changing.

Yeah really, thats a tired old chiche in and of itself that the best interviews happen at the locker. Maybe way back in the day of the 1950's Yankees or something, but seems to me the overwhelming majority of quotable stuff today comes from interviews at the podium, live TV or radio.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Joe_the_6_pack

[BRH]

Oh, brother. I don't even need to answer that, but I'll just say that there is a huge difference, and I mean HUGE, between rape and some cat calls in a locker room (of which the reporter herself did not even hear).

I don't disagree with that. Okay, are you now saying verbal harassment is okay if the person is inappropriately dressed?

 

seems to me the overwhelming majority of quotable stuff today comes from interviews at the podium, live TV or radio.

I suspect what JW is talking about is the non-quotable stuff, the on-background stuff that helps the reporter place things in proper context. None of that stuff is available at the podium or on live TV/radio (unless you're talking to Clinton Portis, that is).

[truth on hold]

 

I suspect what JW is talking about is the non-quotable stuff, the on-background stuff that helps the reporter place things in proper context. None of that stuff is available at the podium or on live TV/radio (unless you're talking to Clinton Portis, that is).

I call BS on that too. In a crowded locker room with everyone there, players arent going to be calling people out.

[Rob's House]

Oh, brother. I don't even need to answer that, but I'll just say that there is a huge difference, and I mean HUGE, between rape and some cat calls in a locker room (of which the reporter herself did not even hear).

+1

 

And BRH, you're a fool for making the comparison.

 

And as far as the Clinton Portis bit. God forbid a man say that a woman surrounded by 53 naked athletes is likely to be attracted to at least one of them. Is speaking the undeniable God's honest truth really a scandal? They should have saved this one for a slow news weeek.

 

And as a man with a daughter, I think the femenized she-men that want to coddle and make excuses for the Andrea Kremers and ??? Sainzs of the world do women a grave injustice. If my daughter's chosen career puts her in a room of 53 naked athletes on a regular basis, I say she either needs to learn how to play the game, find a new career path or fight for a new forum for access. A lot of strong women (not the insecure pathetic women with a chip on their shoulder that have to inform everyone of what a "strong woman" they are) can handle a room of guys like that with no problem at all. That's part of the gig. If you're not quick witted and able to effectively work that kind of room, you don't belong in it.

 

The world doesn't stop and start at your convenience, even if you're a female sports reporter.

[SwampD]

I don't disagree with that. Okay, are you now saying verbal harassment is okay if the person is inappropriately dressed?

 

It's never okay, but this mock indignation and shock about it is pathetic. That reporter puts her sexuality right out there for everyone to see, for the sole purpose of getting attention (if all she wanted was answers to questions about sports, then why not just wear a burka)? She then cannot get upset when she actually receives that attention (in a locker room of all places).

[Delete This Account]

The best stuff? It's usually all standard cliches they give, win or lose. There's no need to have reporters there when players are changing.

thanks once again Mr. Happy for having a true insight into how we, as reporters, do our jobs. the next time you have an issue in your line of profession, please feel free to contact me so that i can offer up my extensive knowledge on that front in a quid pro quo.

 

jw

Edited September 15, 2010 by john wawrow

[CodeMonkey]

Two days ago nobody knew the name Ines Sainz. This skank is getting exactly what she wanted. Good for her.

They were talking about this on TV this morning. The reporter herself did not raise this issue, has not, and will not file any charges. It was some association of women sports writers causing the stink. They had some uptight B word spokesperson for the organization mouthing off on that show.

 

As an athlete you are taught how to handle the situation in general and female reporters in particular once you reach the college level. But these guys are not that bright and are raised in this "locker room mentality" so this kind of behavior, although wrong, is bound to happen.

 

I do have to say though that I think reporters in the locker room are unnecessary. If a reporter absolutely needs a cliche sound-byte catch the player walking out to his/her car or wherever. I understand why it is allowed, it saves the reporter time not having to wait for the interview. And it saves the players the hassle of maybe having to hang out in a media room after a game (probably not a big deal for football for example with 1 game a week, but could be a big hassle for hockey players for example who are often catching a flight to another city immediately after a game).

Edited September 15, 2010 by CodeMonkey

[akm0404]

I personally think its very weird that reporters are in there talking to guys with their penises literally hanging out. I suppose professional athletes are more or less required to display their genitals due to the nature of their jobs, but that doesn't make it any less strange to me.

 

It seems like there should be some way for reporters to get the access that they want, while the players don't need to parade around in front of dozens of people (women included) with their balls swinging around.

 

That's just me though. Can't say we should be surprised that there would be issues that arise out of this type of environment.

[Delete This Account]

It's never okay, but this mock indignation and shock about it is pathetic. That reporter puts her sexuality right out there for everyone to see, for the sole purpose of getting attention (if all she wanted was answers to questions about sports, then why not just wear a burka)? She then cannot get upset when she actually receives that attention (in a locker room of all places).

in fear of libeling cavemen, i will not make any comparisons, though neanderthal does seem to come to mind. ... a burka. oh my god. so what you're suggesting is that good-looking reporters should disfigure themselves? ummm, but please, continue digging this deep hole of ignorance.

 

jw

[BRH]

And BRH, you're a fool for making the comparison.

Nice.

 

That reporter puts her sexuality right out there for everyone to see, for the sole purpose of getting attention

In other words, she asked for it?

[DaGimp]

i don't understand why anybody would WANT to be in the dressing room? get what u need before or after. either there are a lot of homo/lesbo reporters or they want to feel like they are an athlete.

[CodeMonkey]

I personally think its very weird that reporters are in there talking to guys with their penises literally hanging out. I suppose professional athletes are more or less required to display their genitals due to the nature of their jobs, but that doesn't make it any less strange to me.

The athletes are told beforehand when the reporters are coming in (at least that's how it was back in the day) and they are supposed to be "decent" when they come in. But some simply don't care and will walk back to their lockers sans towel if they feel like it.

 

having reporters, particularly female ones, in the locker room is very weird at first. But like anything else you get used to it.

[BRH]

I call BS on that too. In a crowded locker room with everyone there, players arent going to be calling people out.

You're right. Instead they'll call people out at the podium on national television.

[truth on hold]

Nice.

 

 

In other words, she asked for it?

first of all she wasn't raped and no one touched her.

 

but when someone shows up dressed like she does and flirts around a bunch of naked guys, yeah she most certainly did encourage some razzing

[billsfreak]

Clinton Portis "she's gonna want somebody" :

 

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/09/clinton-portis-on-women-reporters-in-locker-room-shes-gonna-want-somebody/1

 

NFL Scolds Portis:

 

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/09/nfl-clinton-portis-comments-about-women-reporters-were-inappropriate-and-offensive/1

 

 

i think the locker room should be CLOSED to ALL reporters...men and women.

 

there should be media access in a seperate area.

I have always thought something was wrong with women being allowed in a men's locker room while men are walking around naked, which in my opinion is taking "Women's Lib/Rights" too far. I am all for women being able to do just about anything that a man can do, if they can physically do it, it isn't right that the men have no privacy. I do not in anyway excuse what the Jets' players said or done and they are at fault as long as the female media member's are allowed in the locker room, but there are never any men in ladies locker rooms, especially when nudity is present-double standard? Now, I don't think men should be in ladies locker rooms, as I don't think women should be in men's locker rooms. There are plenty of opportunities for females to get interviews without talking to a guy with his junk hanging out. Like someone else said here, the majority of the female reporters are quite attractive, and this one in particular, is a model,and may I say is smoking hot, which only adds to the chances of something undesireable happening, after all these are human beings of the male species in the locker room. Picture yourself, about 22 years old, with a lady that looks like that, with a body like that, dressing like she does (she is a model and her main genre of reporting is not sports) and she looks down even by mistake and sees your manhood, the majority of young men are going to get a stiff proposition for her, if you know what I mean-now is that offending her? Just to put it out there, from what I have heard on the radio, this reporter isn't suing anyone, and she didn't even report it, she found out the next morning on TV about the whole incident. Just imagine if men reporters were allowed into the ladies lockerroom after say a WNBA or NCAA women's championship where there was nudity-every time the reporter glanced below the neckline a harassment charge would be brought against him.

Edited September 15, 2010 by billsfreak

[truth on hold]

You're right. Instead they'll call people out at the podium on national television.

happens all the time, and on radio and tv interviews too

[papazoid]

here's an excerp:

 

Most reporters give athletes the common courtesy of at least getting boxers on before an interview, but not always.

 

During one preseason game in 2007, I watched six reporters (mostly female) rush Tony Romo before he had even begun toweling off. He made them (rightfully) wait until he had pants on.

 

What was the urgent topic every single one of those reporters wanted to ask about?

 

His relationship with Carrie Underwood of course!

 

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/461069-ines-sainz-not-a-victim-but-new-york-jets-players-not-innocent-either

[Lori]

You knew I'd have something to say about this, right? But it might not be what you're expecting...

 

Obvious lack of professionalism on both sides here.

 

First, as JW notes: at certain times, NFL locker rooms are designated as open to the media. That's a league rule. So is their equal-access policy, established in the early 1980s -- in other words, well before the Lisa Olson incident which made me a Patriots-hater for life.

 

Next, for those of you asking about women's high-level sports, the answer is yes: the WNBA has the same rules as the NBA, and the women's basketball Final Four and World Cup soccer also have locker-room availability for both male and female reporters. Obviously, those standards change in most amateur sports. (Read: younger athletes.) Many colleges set up separate interview rooms -- believe that's what St. Bonaventure's basketball team does, though JW can correct me if I'm wrong -- and I think we all agree that NONE of us belong in any high school locker room.

 

I see the Killion column has already been linked. She makes some valid points, but don't be fooled into thinking Sainz has the unconditional support of female sportswriters everywhere. As a friend e-mailed me with some disdain, "Every time something like this happens to someone like her, it makes the job harder for the rest of us."

 

Here's an insightful take from Jemele Hill: The Jets, Ines Sainz and sharing blame

 

I agree with most of her conclusions. As I told her, my only quibble regarded her disappointment with the Association for Women in Sports Media. (Disclosure: I'm a member. Not sure if Jemele is -- don't see her name in my copy of the directory -- and I can pretty much guarantee that Sainz is not.) As much as I dislike Sainz's pose-and-flirt brand of "journalism," the fact remains that the Jets did give her a press pass -- "the most important thing she wore," tweeted ESPNNewYork's Jane McManus, who has covered the Jets for several years -- which more or less forced AWSM's hand. Much like the ACLU on free-speech issues, we can only defend it for all if "all" includes people whose speech makes us feel like punching them in the nose.

 

The official AWSM response by president Amy Moritz: Equal access supported by law

 

In light of the ongoing media coverage of the New York Jets’ alleged harassment of a female reporter in their locker room, the Association for Women in Sports Media would like to emphasize that equal access to the locker room is supported by law, and several court cases support this dating back to 1977.

 

Decades ago, professional sports leagues decided that the majority of media interviews, central to reporters’ jobs, were to be conducted in the locker room. These policies make the locker room a functioning workplace. Once a media member is credentialed by a sports organization, the organization is bound to give that reporter, regardless of gender, the same access to the locker room afforded to other media members.

 

Legal precedent was set at the 1977 World Series when then-Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn denied Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke locker-room access. Her employer, Time Inc., filed a lawsuit and a U.S. federal judge ruled that male and female reporters should have equal access to the locker room.

 

As for the NFL specifically, in 1979 the Fort Myers-News Press threatened a lawsuit against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to gain locker-room access for Buccaneers beat writer Michele Himmelberg. The Buccaneers eventually opened the locker room to all media. Two years later, the Sacramento Bee prevailed in a lawsuit against the San Francisco 49ers, who then opened their locker room to Himmelberg and all female reporters. By 1985, the NFL and other professional sports leagues had established league-wide policies ensuring equal access for all reporters.

 

AWSM also would like to emphasize that equal access to the locker room for male reporters covering women’s teams is the norm. The WNBA, for instance, has an equal-access locker room policy as does the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

 

AWSM continues to monitor issues regarding locker-room access and is committed to helping create and maintain a work environment that is free of harassment and hostility.

 

One more thought: Clinton Portis is an idiot. Would he also like to extend that "inspecting packages" theory to male reporters, and ask everyone who enters the locker room with a notepad/recorder whether they're straight or gay?

From Dan Wetzel, one of the best columnists going right now: Portis voices misguided ugliness in NFL culture

 

Portis has since issued a statement of apology, but the damage is done and the insight into his thinking is clear. It’s like any other public figure who unleashes a blatant stereotypical attack only to find remorse when the fallout hits.

 

Portis is a clown. This was ignorant. This was pathetic. This was insulting, both to the many professional women covering the league and Portis’ peers, most of who are far more enlightened and compassionate than him.

 

Those are the guys, the silent majority of the locker room, that need to stand up, say enough is enough and prove they can offer leadership on something more than third-and-one.

 

<snip>

 

It’s time the classier players and coaches of the league stop allowing themselves to be dragged into the mud by the morons.

 

Clinton Portis, too much a meathead to comprehend anything, thinks all those reporters just want to check out his package and then decide if he’s worth getting with.

 

He clearly knows nothing about women. Here’s hoping one of his teammates starts teaching him about how to be a man.

[SwampD]

in fear of libeling cavemen, i will not make any comparisons, though neanderthal does seem to come to mind. ... a burka. oh my god. so what you're suggesting is that good-looking reporters should disfigure themselves? ummm, but please, continue digging this deep hole of ignorance.

 

jw

What a surprise. A reporter took one comment out of many and blew it out of proportion, and proving my point as well. I used the burka because it was the absolute other extreme. How reporters carry themselves does make a difference, and to think that she doesn't know that the way she carries herself will elicit these responses is a little naive.