(Sainz, being treated with the greatest respect by the Cardinals’ Steve Breaston)
Hard for me to recall the last time any NFL team save for Dallas had generated so many column inches over non-football matters before a down had been played. I’m writing of course, about the New York Jets, whose Super Bowl aspirations and efforts to christen their half of the Nu Meadowlands tonight are slightly sullied by the claims of TV Azteca’s Ines Sainz. From the New York Daily News’ Kevin Armstrong and Dave Goldiner :
Sainz, 32, a former Miss Universe contestant, complained she was bombarded with catcalls and boorish antics at the Jets’ New Jersey training facility to the extent she wanted to “cover my ears.”
“I’m dying of embarrassment!” Sainz tweeted in Spanish.
Goodell immediately ordered an investigation into the “troubling” allegations, which were addressed in a team meeting Sunday night.
Sainz went to the Jets’ Florham Park practice field Saturday to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez. But while waiting for Sanchez, she was blitzed with reprehensible behavior.
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.
Nose tackle Kris Jenkins shouted: “Don’t let her act like she doesn’t know English. She speaks English.”
I’m gonna take the wildest of guesses that around some segment of the spurts sports blogosphere, Sainz’ rep as something less than a burgeoning Bob Ley is gonna be used as justification for such treatment. It’s no justification at all, of course, but coming on the heels of the Jets’s handling of Boobgate, one could just as easily conclude there’s an institution-wide attitude of not-giving-shit about civilized behavior.