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CBS/ September 16, 2010, 5:02 PM

Ines Sainz Clothing to Blame for Jets' Conduct?

Allegations that female Mexican TV reporter Ines Sainz was treated improperly in the New York Jets' locker room last Saturday have ignited a nationwide debate over how women should be treated in the male-dominated world of professional sports.

Sainz: Others Balked at Jets' Behavior, Not Me
Ines Sainz: NFL Investigates Jets

CBS News National Correspondent Jeff Glor noted Wednesday that Washington Redskins runningback Clinton Portis added fuel to the fire Tuesday when he called a Washington, D.C. radio show to give his opinion on women reporting in men's locker rooms.

Portis said, "You sit in the locker room with 53 guys, and all of the sudden you see a nice woman in the locker room, I think men are gonna tend to turn and look and want to say something to that woman."

The National Football League (NFL) admonished Portis in a statement, saying: "The comments are clearly inappropriate, offensive and have no place in the NFL."

Portis later apologized.

On "The Early Show," Tara Sullivan, a sports columnist for The Record, a New Jersey newspaper, and Lauren Streib, a reporter for The Daily Beast website, discussed issues surrounding Sainz's attire and the way women of the press are treated in men's locker rooms.

Streib said it's about dressing appropriately.

"I personally have never been in an locker room, but in newsrooms, when you're in interviews with sources, you have to dress the part. I think when it becomes distracting, and I don't want to blame her and I, you know, I'm not personally involved in the situation, but when it becomes distracting, then you question, 'Is she dressed appropriately?"'

Sainz wore a white, form-fitting collared shirt and blue jeans for her locker room interview with quarterback Mark Sanchez.

"Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill asked whether the Mexican TV channel Sainz works for and its standards may be different and play a part here.

Sullivan said, "I think there is a cultural distinction here. I think in the way these stations operate and it fell to the Jets when it got a request for media credentials from this reporter from this station, they could have done investigation and found out this is nothing new from the station, not the only reporter who maybe acts that way or dresses or chooses to dress in certain ways. So I think, once they gave her, though, that credential, their players are now responsible to treat her with respect."

As for the media storm surrounding her treatment, Streib said it probably wouldn't be as big a deal if she weren't as beautiful as she is.

Sullivan disagreed, saying, "It's an issue for me. I work in locker rooms often. The incidents on the practice field and the way the Jets players were interacting with her, I thought, was inappropriate, in making her a target of things, hooting and hollering. To me, maybe she only had to come in once every six months and it blow up and there will be attention, but I'm in there every day and, if there is an indication that that's how Jets players or across the NFL -- when you listen to Portis's comments -- that indication of underlying resentment is an issue, and to me that's the primary issue."

The Jets are currently under investigation by the NFL. So far, Sainz says has no intention of filing any charges.
She said on "The Early Show" Tuesday, "I really believe in what NFL decide(s). Because, they called on Sunday and I made a full declaration of the act -- like a witness. And they take very seriously, and I really believe that they find that they need to punish someone, they are going to do it. And if they find if it's not necessary, I really trust in what they say."



For more of the back-and-forth between Sullivan and Streib, click on the video below.

Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved.
256 Comments Add a Comment
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gilfloresc says:
Well, if your pants tight and takes them more qualified than you give, Ines Sainz is not working for U.S. television, then tell us what the rules for clothing in the united states sports programs. Definitely question the reporter by the way I dress makes a retrograde mentality.
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23811malone says:
Funny how it always becomes 'man hate' when you don't have a reasonable answer...
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23811malone says:
Finally...a voice of reason.
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nfl-pro says:
The bottom line is that the NFL considers the 1hr locker room session as professional office time.

She was dressed casual like other male reporters there. The players are allowed to think whatever they want about the clothing she was wearing or how attractive they think she is. What's not appropriate is to comment lewdly on it in a professional setting. If you can't do it in any professional office across this country without the risk of getting fired then the same standards should apply to professional athletes at work.

The "pro" players are wrong and should apologize for not having the composure to keep their inappropriate thoughts to themselves!
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sfld-nupe replies:
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Dude what planet are you from? If this is seen as professional office time, than she should be dressed in a manner which approximates what people would wear in a business casual setting. I am a Sr. Executive in a large healthcare firm. We observe Friday's as a business casual day which means lots of collared sport-shirts, slacks and khaki's. It would NOT be appropriate for a female office worker to wear the skin-tight stretch jeans and low-cut blouse this reporter wore.
I agree...if this is "office-hour", she should have dressed like it (not like she was attending a rock-concert).
PatriotMike2 replies:
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Casual?? Her attire was "casual" if she worked for a porn producer!! As for 23811malone, take your man-hate somewhere else.
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multi007 says:
she's dressed like a hooker and expected not to be treated like one? This is the age old story where hot woman dresses like a **** and gets offended or shocked when man treats her like a ****. If you dont want to be raped after clubbing, then dont dress like a hooker.
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trishieg2003 says:
She got what she wanted.....attention. I'm sick of women like her. It makes it bad for other women who have actually been sexually harassed. If you are going to be on the sidelines as a professional, then dress professionally!
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mb91764 says:
She got what she wanted 15 min of fame.Next she be on the cover of Playboy magazine,then it be the talk shows,and last but not least Dance with the stars.Espn will most likely hire her too.She has no business in a man locker room,can I go into a ladies locker room.Enough with the double standard here,we may have the same mindsbut our bodys are differnt,look in the mirror.Oh ,I can hear it now, all the equal rights crap.Ladies if you would quit using your body for a advertisment for everone to see,then stuuf like this would not happen.How can she be uncomfortble around 50 men but has pix possted to show off her body to millions.Please all you womenif you don't want the cat-calls,stares,and attension,cover up a little more.I like to look too,but let just image what it looks like not see it in public.Let stop with the tank-tops that can hardly contain what you have,lately its is in over kill.We can't say anything about a different culture,our women dress like tramps.Modest is the key word,or maybe you don't want to be a good role model for our little girls,because they need all the help we can give them.Just look at there idols,brittany s.,lindsey lohen,miley cryus,Lady Gaga.etc.Then its a cold hard fact that sex appeal is big money inthis nation.I'm a prune by no standard,just tired of the sex,sex,sex everwhere I go these days.I have a little girl,and Idon't want her growing up thinking her body is all that count in life
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slunged says:
To all you attention seekers out there. Quit complaining and wear a burqa if you don't want the attention.
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TheHawaiianGecko says:
I watched Inez in an interview with Jon Stewart a couple of days ago. She was claiming amazement over the viral spreading of this topic after she posted something on 'Twitter'.

Her exact comment was: "I can't believe all of this is happening because of my tweater!"

You could see the blood on Jon Scott's chin from biting his lower lip to keep from bursting with laughter.
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23811malone says:
You guys say you don't understand women? Try understanding men! They appear to want nothing else in this world than to have women be more sexual, more interested in sex, and more interested in having sex with them; then when a woman dresses in what is considered a sexually attractive way, they heap abuse on her! Worse yet, they justify verbal or physical abuse on the unbelievably shallow basis of not approving of her clothing choices. Why not have some appreciation and admiration for the beautiful woman standing in your midst attempting to conduct interviews with you; she committed no crime. Talk about wanting to have your cake and abuse it too...
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desert_stars66 replies:
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OOOOOO I sorry I nearly nodded off. And your point being what?
PatriotMike2 replies:
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Oh do grow up!! You don't wear a see-thru shirt into a men's locker room and expect men not to look. If you dress in a sexually attractive way, expect sexual comments and stares. This is not abuse and even if it were, it was INVITED. Grow up and accept that if you unbutton your shirt halfway down and go into a men's locker room, there will be stares and comments. If you can't handle it, stay the hell out.

no, we don't understand how women like you can justify another woman dressing like a $2 hooker and complaining because guys stared. We'd do the same thing to a nice steak and it doesn't complain.
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