Monday, September 20, 2010

What's Your Opinion

So, TV Azteca reporter, Ines Sainz, has been in the headlines lately regarding harassment in the NY Jets locker room. I'd like you to read some of the following articles and watch some of the following videos and give me your opinion. One key point in the whole debate is whether Sainz should have expected the football players to make the rude comments they did given the way she dresses when attending practices. Read the following link describing the incident. It includes what Sainz calls a typical outfit she wears to practice.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/12/ines-sainz-azteca-jets_n_713843.html

Some have commented that she should expect such things when she dresses that way. Here are some comments made backing that opinion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/brian-baldinger-ines-sainz_n_719745.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/17/jenn-sterger-ines-sainz_n_719960.html

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/09/rush-limbaugh-ines-sainz-bootylicious/1

Yet some argue that regardless of her dress, Sainz does not deserve to be treated without respect in the locker room. For an example, watch the following.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201009190010

So what is your opinion on all this? Who was to blame for the incident? Should Sainz have to dress more modestly at practices? Or were the football players out of line?



30 comments:

Megan said...

I believe there was wrong doing on both sides in this incident. During my under-graduate coursework, I was taught to always dress professionally. My professors even went as far as talking about how short or long your hair should be or how short or long your fingernails should be. Along with dressing professionally, I was also taught to act professionally.

Ines Sainz was not dressed appropriately for her job. Why in the world would she have worn skin tight jeans that hugged every asset from her waist down? Her shirt was just as tight and provocative as the jeans were. Her attire was definitely not professional or in good taste for her job.

The football players were absolutely out of line with their cat calls, whistles, and other obscene calls. They as well as Sainz were at work. When working, people regardless of their profession should act a little more professional. Instead of acting as role models for today's society, these NFL players acted like male chauvinist pigs.

Although Sainz was dressed a little on the slutty side, she still did not deserve the treatment that you received. Just because she was dressed provocatively, doesn't give these players the right to act like they did.

Both sides should be reprimanded!!!

Megan

Taylor Lang said...

This all comes down to being proactive and mindful of your surroundings when dressing for work. There are many attractive women in big business and the sports industry, but at the end of the day it comes down to good judgment and professional dress on the reporters part. The pants Mrs. Sainz was wearing that day were way to tight and inappropriate for her surroundings. No one would go into a corporate setting wearing something like that for fear of a professional dress code infraction on your employee file. She should know that wearing jeans like that and walking into a professional football teams locker room after practice would pose a likely threat for harassment.

I agree with Rush Limbaugh when he states that Ines Sainz knows what she is doing to attract men. Furthermore, he pokes fun at the situation when he says that the New York Jets were merely “celebrating her body” just as Ines Sainz does everyday when she dresses like that. The lesson to be learned here is to dress appropriately for your surroundings regardless of the job that is to be preformed.

Renita Moore said...

Ines Sainz first of all is an attractive woman, so why does she feel the need to show all her curves. That is a sign of insecurities on her end.The football players are men, so they were definitely out on the look out. Do you really blame them? I feel that Sainz should have dressed more appropriately. Frankly, is she prowling for a husband? She should be banned from the locker room and the field.
I am a strong believer of women rights. I believe that if a woman has the shape, she just does. I feel that Sainz took things a bit far, and they just treated her as if she was a stripper on a pole. They gave her the attention that she was longing for. They treated her as if she was a gold digger scouting for rich athletes. When a woman has it in the right places, it has a tendency of showing up regardless. In the future, she needs to dress more modestly.

David said...

I am probably going to end up agreeing with the majority of the population on this one. Both sides are wrong. The attire is out of line but the actions are definitely not justifiable. I find the weighing in by so many pundits interesting in that there is so much to be reported on and yet famous personalities are using their political capital in this manner.
Ines was dressed for a casual day out with friends and not in front of the worlds most talented football athletes. I agree that this doesn't justify the actions and comments of the team. This is really a sitting on the fence response and it is truly how I feel. Both parties are wrong and should be held accountable. My question is: Is she still dressing that provactively? In this case, did two wrongs eventually make a right?

David Tuyo
dlt174

Unknown said...

I was always taught to dress professionally for my jobs. Like how to wear my hair, what kind of cloths to wear and alway have a good personality. I believe Inez was not dressed appropriately for the job. Why would she have worn those tight cloths in the first place. The football player were wrong for acting that way.

I believe if a woman has a nice shape , she just does. That didn't give them the right to treat her that way. When a woman got it she just got.

Daniel said...

I feel that the players are facing to much scrutiny in this situation. I just do not understand how people feel that the locker room is any place for the opposite sex in any circumstance. Ines Sainz definitely is showing more skin than is appropriate in any professional circumstance. Right or wrong if you dress like this you will get alot of attention. This is being blown way out of proportion, no one touched her or even made explicit remarks.

Another thing is she does not even feel that she was harassed. A third party filed the complaint. I saw her on the Today show and she even says that this is being blown out of proportion. I believe that athletes having to deal with media period in the locker room, much less the opposite sex, is a violation of privacy. When you are at the gym, do you want someone coming to interview you in the locker room.

Daniel Ray

Cperkins said...

I am a woman who loves sports. My dream job would be in PR for a Nascar or baseball team. With that being the case, I took an internship my senior year of undergrad with a summer collegiate baseball team. These are by no means professionals, yet, however several MLB players have played for this team. I am also friends with some Minor League Hockey players and NASCAR officials and crew members.

I started out with that to tell you that the guys on any of these team NEVER treated me with anything more than respect. I did watch them treat other girls with a whole lot less respect. The difference, I demanded respect.

I believe in equal rights for women, but they have to carry themselves with the carriage to demand those rights. When you dress less professional around a group of guys in their territory, you should be prepared for what they are going to bring. If she doesn't like it, she should dress better or choose a different field. She has self proclaimed that she is the "Hottest" sports anchor/reporter in Mexico. With that she is opening herself up to scrutiny of her looks. She made herself into a piece of meat before she walked into the wolves lair.

Carolyn Perkins

jessimpson said...

When I look for "Ines Sainz" images on Google, I find a very beautiful woman in very revealing attire. There is not one descent picture of her available. Sex appeals to men and I believe that Sainz dresses that way to get the interview that she wants. Apparently, it worked. Now after catcalls and flirty unprofessional behavior from the Jets, activists come out to fight and others have to defend the players. Sainz knew what she was doing, and the Jets did, too. Now we have to listen to this for the next year or so.

Brian Baldinger said that she should not have been taken through the locker room to conduct an interview with Mark Sanchez. I agree with Baldinger and would go further and not let her step foot inside another locker room with the players. Just like Jenn Sterger commented that men are not allowed into women's locker rooms, so women should not be allowed in men's. These men are half-naked or more. Did anyone think of this? She is watching these men shower and dress. Who allowed that? Men as well as women need to be protected from sexual harassment.
Jessica Simpson

Jorge Gavidia said...

I agree with all of the points that Christine Brennan makes in the CNN video. Cheerleaders at sporting events aren't exactly dressed conservatively either but people would likely frown upon harassing a cheerleader right away. Inez Sainz was not dressed appropriately but that is no excuse for the team's behavior.

As Brennan pointed out, the team chooses who is given credentials. If the NFL or TV Azteca feel that Inez Sainz is not properly dressed for her job then the issue should be brought to her attention in a professional manner by her superiors. In the end, the actions of the players were wrong.

Anonymous said...

Although the Jets players should conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, I believe that Ines Sainz was completely asking for it by dressing that way. There is absolutely no need to wear skin tight clothing; she is already a beautiful woman but she needs to dress professionally. I think she brings it upon her self to be "harassed" by the players. Guys are guys and they love women..that's something that you have to accept and if you can't accept that, then don't wear such revealing clothing.

Also, I agree with Jenn Sterger in that women shouldn't even be allowed in the dressing room/locker room anyway. I understand as a reporter, she needs to get information from them, but she can wait until a more appropriate time to ask questions.

Women that dress the way Sainz does should not be allowed to report; she's beautiful, and that's what people want, but it's unprofessional to wear such attire. If she dressed nice, people would view and respect her more and she probably wouldn't be "harassed."

Most of the time, women that wear things like Sainz does are looking for attention..she got what she asked for!

Unknown said...

I can sum this up in one word "ridiculous". Ines Sainz did not file a complaint and I cannot find any statement she has made that indicates she was offended in way. The protesting group should stay out of this situation and mind their own business. Sainz should be thankful (and appears to be) that she is beautiful and that grown men were making fools of themselves to attract her attention.
I fully support women's rights and personally enjoy seeing the attractive ladies reporting men's sports (although their reporting skills are sometimes lacking). The media seems to be attempting to force women into high profile reporting jobs involving male dominated sports. Strangely enough, most of the women I know that watch sports dislike the attractive female reporters much more than the men. Like me, I believe that most men enjoy the scenery more than the reporting.
In my opinion, Sainz was a success; she is an attractive female, dressed in a particular fashion that would attract attention, and it worked! If she were to file a complaint, I may have a different viewpoint; but then the blame would be more focused on her attire and enticement.

Robert
(rap201)

Melissa Laster said...

I believe that Sainz, the coach and the players are all to blame for this incident. They all crossed the line in some form. Sainz is a female and she knows that the way females dress can attract men. After looking at the picture of what she was wearing one day I think she put herself in this position. I don’t think she should be allowed in the locker room or even on the field dressed that way. If I put on an outfit like that it would be either to try and get some guys attention or to show off my body, which if my body looks good then it will catch some guy’s attention anyway. I also think that the coach and the football players could have handled themselves better. Even if they thought she looked good they should know better than to act the way they did. I do believe that Sainz should dress more modestly and I also believe that the football players were out of line.

Paula said...

When working in a professional setting one should dress the part. In today's society, the first impression of you is a lasting one. I work in a professional setting and I'm expected to wear clothing that is presentable to the public because I'm represnting the organization that pays my bills.
While Ms. Sainz may've been comfortable with her dress(it was truly unprofessional). I believe that she caused this confusion or brought it upon herself by bringing attention to herself. I wonder what kind of dress code if any this company has in place?

I wouldn't want to be in her shoes talking to undressed men in a locker room. Did she set out to get more than an interview? Perphaps, but at what cost. Somethings aren't worth the degradation and her dress was inappropriate. She brought this on herself, somethings should be left to the imagination.

It's my belief that when you carry yourself in a respectful way then you gain respect. I also feel that Ms. Sainz should seek counseling because she's lacking or is insecure about herself.

Paula Gaylor

Hunter Boerner said...

I agree with the majority of our classmates that both parties are to blame.

Ines Sainz can clearly tell she turns heads by the things she wears. I think she wants the attention because why else would she wear what she wears if she didn’t want attention? Erin Andrews is on the sidelines at many different sporting events and always looks professional and appropriate. I have never heard a story of her getting treated wrongly besides someone who invaded her personal space at her hotel. I also think that the media tends to blow stories up, and in this case I think that is the situation.

On the other hand, the players should treat women in a respectable manner whether in the locker room or on the field. I also disagree with letting reporters into locker rooms. An athlete should stay out on the field, and if they do go into the locker room, leave them alone.

Jeremy D. said...

I watch ESPN on a daily basis, so I am very familiar with the Ines Sainz, New York Jets situation. It is not until now that I have all the facts at hand though. I see both sides of this story. On one hand Ms. Sainz feels offended that she received such unprofessional behavior in the workplace. On the other hand some Jets players, along with other NFL stars feel as though Ms. Sianz brought the treatment upon herself by dressing so provocatively.

In my opinion I feel as though both parties are right in some degree. No, Ms. Sainz should not have to deal with such behavior on her job. No one should. But yes, Ms. Sainz should be mindful of what she wears to these practices and inside NFL locker rooms. I saw the typical outfit she wears to work on a daily basis and I see why this type of behavior happened. Although I don’t condone it, as a guy myself, I know how we are. I know it doesn’t sound fair, but its genetics. I truly believe we are programmed to act stupid around a beautiful woman. So while this type of behavior should not be excused, Ms. Sainz should also be mindful of her surroundings and tone it down.

Yureka Lawrence said...

I would like to start by saying that it is amazing to me how quickly things can be blown out of control. The Jets as well as Ines Sainz are atb fought.It is not in my nature to play the middle field so I will voice my opinion at the end. The Jets, these are suppose to be adult men right? Have you not learn anything from other athlete harassment cases? I believe the NFL was more than right by making the entire league go through training. Ines Sainz was in the wrong as well. If you are going to have a professional job, you will have to dress the part. Common sense tells me that if I am doing a interview and there is a chance I will have to go into a locker room full of men to dress accordingly. Im pretty sure her instinct told her that as well?
Despite her lack in judgement and common sense I am taking Ines side on this. In one of the articles that talked about the Jets giving Ines credentials to interview and report. If you believed that she was so inappropriate why did you allow her the credentials to be there. The Jets did not have a problem then so dont bash her sense your players have put their foot in their mouths.

LHipp said...

I think there’s plenty of blame on all sides. Sainz should dress professionally, and the team should be adults and control themselves. Female sports reporters have had an especially difficult fight to gain access to the locker room interviews their male counterparts get. They still face challenges from fans and others who believe women should simply hold pom pons and shake on the sideline, not analyze a spread offense. Sainz’s actions set back the progress women sports reporters have made. And while women are now free to wear pants and go without pantyhose, you still need to have a little commonsense and decorum.

However, I do not believe a risqué outfit automatically means you should be harassed – just as wearing a short skirt doesn’t mean a rape victim was asking for it. I find it hard to believe men just can’t control themselves around a pretty woman and must blurt out sexual innuendos. On the other hand, we as a society, don’t expect much from our athletes. We praise them for their self-control and rehabilitation when they stop trolling for strippers or fighting dogs. We really haven’t set a high bar.

john ray said...

Firstly, men in whatever setting should respect woman and not treat them like a piece of meet. The Jets team was wrong for their actions.

Secondly, woman do not belong in a men's locker room. Men are not allowed in a woman's locker room and there is no reason that a reporter can not conduct the interview outside of the locker room. 52 nude men in a room is not where an interview should be conducted.

Third, a reporter is at work when at a football facility. Appropriate work attire is required, and tight jeans and low cut shirt is not appropriate. If the men should act professionally so should the reporters, male or female. Ines was not dressed appropriately to conduct any interview. I believe her intention was to get attention and make a large story out of something.

--John Ray

Unknown said...

If we lived in a perfect world there would have been no problems in the way Ines Sainz was dressed while she attended the New York Jet practice, but the truth is we don’t live in a perfect world so anything can happen. We cannot be responsible for the way other people act, but we can be responsible for our actions. The choices Ines Sainz made on what she was wearing lead to this problem. It was defiantly not the right choice of dress to wear to a NFL practice, much less to wear in the dressing room. She must take the responsibility for setting the stage for this incident to play out.
Ines Saniz poor judgment in what she was wearing is no excuse for the actions of the New York Jets player. This did not give the player the right to disrespect Ines Saniz. These are grown men and most of them probably have daughters. I wonder how they would feel if a group of football players were making these same remarks to their daughters. The coaches and owner need to stress to the player on how to conduct themselves professionally in the present of everyone regardless of the gender. Those players who refuse to comply should be held accountable.
Elizabeth Wade

bkp36 said...

I followed this story when it first broke. Sainz told one report she didn't even notice until another female reporter pointed it out to her. That makes me feel the guys were being rude guys but nothing she hasn't dealt with before. Professionals dress for success. Was she successful? Sainz is the only person other than her employer that can answer that question. Do I personally feel she should dress more professionally? Yes! Should the guys act more like adults instead of high school boys? Absolutely!

I think the training is a positive step. However, I disagree that this issue set professional women back 50 years. Sainz is well known for dressing this way and she has been successful in her country. That doesn't make it right but it is what it is. Rush needs is mouth washed out with soap more than anyone!!!! What a pig!

bpaganelli

Anonymous said...

I think this story was blown way out of proportion.
Like the majority of the class, I think both Sainz and the football players were to blame for this incident. Sainz should know better than to dress the way she did. The video with Brennan says that the Jets were not treating this as a professional place of work environment; however, Sainz was not dressed like a professional either.
The actions by the players and coach were very juvenile and childlike. I do think that women in sports journalism should be aware that this is something that could happen while on the job. I do not think women should just act as if this is a perfect world and sexual harassment never happens. I think that if Sainz was working at another job with the majority of her colleges were men and she dressed the same way, the same exact thing would happen. To avoid this situation she should dress less provocative.
I think the bottom line is that no one was acting like a professional.

Ruth Robison

Henry and Susanne said...

I personally believe that this story shows that sometimtes our efforts as a society to have equality of the sexes can backfire. Regardless of what Ms. Sainz was wearing, I honestly don't think it's wise for a woman to enter a men's locker room period. I mean...come on! A men's locker room is probably one of the crudest places on the face of the earth. Men learn at a very early age that this is one of the last places that it is completely appropriate to 1) talk about women, 2) walk around naked in public, and 3) to play pranks and make fun of people. This is that way it always has been and the way it always will be. So, what exactly would a female reporter expect?

I realize that this might be an unpopular view. No, I typically don't endorse belittling women in any way. I think that the comments and reactions from the players were not what I'd call "Gentlemanly" conduct. I just think that it is a little bit ridiculous to expect the dynamics of a men's locker room to change in this situation.

emdaco said...

I feel as if the reporter is overacting, yes she deserves respect but she should also take into consideration that job she has. By no means am I putting her on the level of a stripper or saying she deserves to be treated badly, but when working in that atmosphere coming into their world and turf such as a male locker rude one needs to have tough skin. She should also dress more professional, in clothing one would take her serious as an educated reported. I really believe this was not that she was so emotionally offended versus looking for a quick pay check.
As to determining who is in the right or wrong I feel both parties should take corrective steps. The team’s managers should not let females dressed that provocatively into a testosterone fueled locker room. They need to know professional athletes majority of the time, feel they can act and say as the please, even when in the wrong. As in effort to protect the team, they need to limit the number of potentially sexual harassment cases. On the other hand Sainz, knew what she was doing she was not dressed like going to church and knew the atmosphere was definitely not the typical workplace cubicle.
Bottom line, if really a sports newscaster and spends large amounts of time revolving around sports and interacting with men, I am sure although maybe not directed to her she has heard much worse. She needs to drop the pity act, dress more professional and then see if they are in fact truly harassing her.

emdaco said...

I feel as if the reporter is overacting, yes she deserves respect but she should also take into consideration that job she has. By no means am I putting her on the level of a stripper or saying she deserves to be treated badly, but when working in that atmosphere coming into their world and turf such as a male locker rude one needs to have tough skin. She should also dress more professional, in clothing one would take her serious as an educated reported. I really believe this was not that she was so emotionally offended versus looking for a quick pay check.
As to determining who is in the right or wrong I feel both parties should take corrective steps. The team’s managers should not let females dressed that provocatively into a testosterone fueled locker room. They need to know professional athletes majority of the time, feel they can act and say as the please, even when in the wrong. As in effort to protect the team, they need to limit the number of potentially sexual harassment cases. On the other hand Sainz, knew what she was doing she was not dressed like going to church and knew the atmosphere was definitely not the typical workplace cubicle.
Bottom line, if really a sports newscaster and spends large amounts of time revolving around sports and interacting with men, I am sure although maybe not directed to her she has heard much worse. She needs to drop the pity act, dress more professional and then see if they are in fact truly harassing her.

Emily Conroy

emdaco said...

I feel as if the reporter is overacting, yes she deserves respect but she should also take into consideration that job she has. By no means am I putting her on the level of a stripper or saying she deserves to be treated badly, but when working in that atmosphere coming into their world and turf such as a male locker rude one needs to have tough skin. She should also dress more professional, in clothing one would take her serious as an educated reported. I really believe this was not that she was so emotionally offended versus looking for a quick pay check.
As to determining who is in the right or wrong I feel both parties should take corrective steps. The team’s managers should not let females dressed that provocatively into a testosterone fueled locker room. They need to know professional athletes majority of the time, feel they can act and say as the please, even when in the wrong. As in effort to protect the team, they need to limit the number of potentially sexual harassment cases. On the other hand Sainz, knew what she was doing she was not dressed like going to church and knew the atmosphere was definitely not the typical workplace cubicle.
Bottom line, if really a sports newscaster and spends large amounts of time revolving around sports and interacting with men, I am sure although maybe not directed to her she has heard much worse. She needs to drop the pity act, dress more professional and then see if they are in fact truly harassing her.

Emily Conroy

Nick said...

Is it ever appropriate for unwelcome comments, especially sexual in nature. Absolutely not. But my question is, were they unwelcome? Sainz herself said she was not offended by the comments made. The New York Jets, NFL and other media members made this a story. The Jets and NFL were probably covering their own rear ends.

The problem that I have with the media members making a big stink out of this, is the Telemundo advertisers her as “the sexiest reporter in sports.” Sainz also dresses more sexy and looks more attractive then the common sports reporter. When you promote yourself as a sex symbol, I don’t think it should be shocking when sexual comments are made in your direction.

Nick Abernathy

Rebecca G. said...

I believe that the football players were out of line in this situation however I think Sainz should've expected the players to act how they did. No offense guys, but it's rare in my experience (construction industry) that you get that much testosterone in one place and there isn't some inappropriate behavior/comments when a woman comes in.

With all of that being said, I do believe she needs to dress more appropriately for her job. I believe that the players need a refresher in appropriate behavior just much as she needs a refresher in appropriate dress. I think both parties were at fault in this situation.

Rebecca Grimes

Unknown said...

At the time this story was first aired, I wondered why this incident was being reported as newsworthy. Frankly, I still don’t understand it. I believe that this is just another episode of the media taking a minor incident and escalating it to major proportions. If Ms. Sainz felt she had been subjected to sexual harassment, she had avenues to pursue her complaint without creating a major media blitz. She has repeatedly said that she was not offended although she did say she was uncomfortable. I am sure that most women and some men entering a locker room filled with semi-clad athletes who have just completed a major sports event would feel uncomfortable. However, this is something she probably accepts as part of her duties as a reporter.

In my opinion, what was really wrong with this incident was the comments that came after the incident became part of the news. The comments by the athletes and others about how Ms. Santz was dressed, her desire for attention, and those stating that women should not be allowed in the locker rooms were all inappropriate and should not have occurred. The athletes who made these remarks have apologized and admitted they were wrong. That should put an end to this intrigue.

clp said...

The media is to blame for this incident. Ines Sainz has said repeatedly that she did not feel harassed and the NFL has apologized if anything inappropriate did occur. The NFL is also hosting sensitivity classes for the athletes and coaches. Sainz was not dressed professionally, but I have seen women wear far more provocative clothes than tight jeans and a tight shirt. The behavior of the football players also seems unprofessional, but throwing footballs at journalist seems more ridiculous than hateful.

In my opinion the best solution to prevent future misunderstandings would be that reporters of any sex should not be allowed in the locker rooms. I don’t understand why journalists are in the locker room to begin with. After participating in a physically intensive sport, I would imagine that the athletes would appreciate a little time to shower and change clothes before being bombarded by the media. Having interviews on the sidelines or other areas of the stadium would be far more professional and circumvent issues of fairness in both access and treatment of the media members.

Codi Phillips

clp said...

The media is to blame for this incident. Ines Sainz has said repeatedly that she did not feel harassed and the NFL has apologized if anything inappropriate did occur. The NFL is also hosting sensitivity classes for the athletes and coaches. Sainz was not dressed professionally, but I have seen women wear far more provocative clothes than tight jeans and a tight shirt. The behavior of the football players also seems unprofessional, but throwing footballs at journalist seems more ridiculous than hateful.

In my opinion the best solution to prevent future misunderstandings would be that reporters of any sex should not be allowed in the locker rooms. I don’t understand why journalists are in the locker room to begin with. After participating in a physically intensive sport, I would imagine that the athletes would appreciate a little time to shower and change clothes before being bombarded by the media. Having interviews on the sidelines or other areas of the stadium would be far more professional and circumvent issues of fairness in both access and treatment of the media members.

Codi Phillips