NFL Investigating Alleged Harassment of Female Reporter by Jets

League looking into team’s treatment of Ines Sainz

The National Football League is investigating alleged harassment of Inés Sainz, a female television reporter for a Mexican television station, by the New York Jets football team.

Sainz, a former Miss Universe contestant, attended the Jets' practice on Saturday as a credentialed reporter to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez — and was reportedly subjected to catcalls and juvenile stunts while waiting for practice to end.

According to the Daily News, “players and coaches seemed to intentionally overthrow passes in her direction, whistled at her, openly ogled her and blocked her path as she attempted to walk away.

“Linebacker Jason Taylor reportedly volunteered for the passing drill in hopes of getting near Sainz. Defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman fueled the antics, tossing pigskins in Sainz's direction.”

Sainz later wrote on Twitter that she was “dying of embarrassment,” adding: "I am in the locker room of the Jets waiting for Mark Sanchez while trying not to look anywhere!"

"We've had contact with the team multiple times,” a spokesperson for NFL commission Roger Goodell said in a statement, “and are moving very aggressively to establish the facts.”

Some observers claimed Sainz, who works for TV Azteca, was dressed too provocatively for a football practice. "Jeans and a white button-up blouse [are] in no way inappropriate," she fired back, while posting a photo [right] of her outfit on Twitter.

The incident comes 20 years after an infamous locker room incident involving the harassment of Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson by the New England Patriots.

In that 1990 case, several players “purposely displayed [themselves] to her in a suggestive way.” The team was subsequently fined $50,000.

Erin Andrews, ESPN's star sideline reporter, was the victim of a peephole stalker in 2009 while covering college football games for the network.

Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped while undressing in her hotel room by Michael David Barrett, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison in March.

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