Player Interactions

According to Paul Farhi of the Washington Post, sideline reporters - along with the rest of the media obviously; journalists etc. - have gained a much more personal reltionship with with the professionals that they study so passionately. Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times says that since 1996 there has been a "drastic" increase in terms of female sportcasters doing locker room interviews with male players. I wish there were a number I could put to express how large this influx was, because let me tell you...it was big. According to the ASA, a majority of Lesley Visser's pre and post game interviews were done on the field or in the tunnel, but hardly ever had she interviewed in locker rooms before the late 1990's.

This recent GQ Magazine photo shoot shows Erin Andrews covered in mud, but in a locker room with other muddy football players. The ad obviously has sexual undertones, but more importantly to my work, it shows how comfortable her presence is in the locker room, and can also show how she can be 'just another one of the guys'.

A 2008 survey by the ASA asked players in the NFL if they had given any female reporter their cell phone numbers.
The results found that roughly 56% of NFL starting players have given their number to at least one female news reporter for informational purposes.
While the statistic does not blow my mind, I must realize that there are a lot of starters in the NFL...
What does this prove?:
This at least indicates that women reporters in general are developing closer and more personal connections with players in order to make them feel like friends. What could be the reason for this decrease in player privacy?
Perhaps it's the influx of young, attractive female sideline reporters giving the stars all the attention they so desire.

Another thought that came to mind was that these more tightly knit relationships are causing some male fans or co-workers to grow TOO comfortable around the women on the fields.
Take a look at this video of Hall of Fame Quarterback Joe Namath as he essentially sexually harasses ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kolber. (Just click this text to reach the video link)Where is the respect in that...who cares that he was supposedly drunk.

So what are with these trends of more locker room interviews, closer reporter/player relationships, and increasing disrespect towards the female sideline reporter trying to tell me?

I feel the end is drawing near,
Blog Master Nilsen