Where Does Ines Sainz Fit On the Sports Reporter Spectrum?

by Joel Keller,

The dust-up between TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz and the New York Jets, where Sainz claimed there were some joking around and inappropriate remarks directed at her, yet again brings up the subject of what exactly the job of a TV sports reporter should entail.

Sports isn't news. In fact, sports has often been referred to as the "toy department" of various news organizations because of its relative uimportance compared to wars, famines, and natural disasters.

So there's always been a debate on whether those reporting it on television, especially the women who are doing it for a living, should act as serious, professional journalists or if they can play up the entertainment factors of their jobs. That may mean they can emphasize on their looks or have a shtick or do something that would make a big-time news correspondent like Lara Logan or Chuck Todd look foolish.

Where does Sainz fit on this spectrum? After the jump, I'll break down the different types of TV sports reporters into categories, and we'll try to figure out where she stands. We'll keep this list to sideline reporters and correspondents who interact with teams on a regular basis.

Serious Journalists
Examples: Chris Myers (FOX), Kim Jones (YES Network), Michele Tafoya (ESPN), Suzy Kolber (ESPN), Pam Oliver (FOX), Lesley Visser (CBS), Bonnie Bernstein (ESPN, pictured), Ken Rosenthal (FOX), Jay Glazer (FOX), Heidi Watney (NESN)

These are sideline reporters and correspondents who treat their job seriously. Yes, in many cases, they may be attractive, and sometimes the players they cover may act a little weird around them (Derek Jeter seems to flirt with Jones whenever they talk, for instance). But, for the most part, these people are there to report what they can report and feed that information back to their viewers.

Signs of the "serious journalist" are attire that would be appropriate in an office, questions that are actually probing and go beyond banal stuff like "Coach, what do you think the keys are to the second half?", and a propensity to break news and give inside information, just like their print brethren.

Entertainers who Think They're Serious JournalistsExamples: Jim Gray (Westwood One), Erin Andrews (ESPN, pictured), Jenn Brown (ESPN)

Reporters in this category think they're hard-nosed reporters, but their bodies of work make us think otherwise. In the case of Gray, he slipped from the "Serious Journalist" category for taking himself way too seriously. His position was tenuous after he grilled Pete Rose about gambling on baseball at the 1999 All-Star Game, holding onto the line of questioning like an angry puppy on a slipper. But Gray's excruciating questioning of LeBron James during the basketball star's signing announcement special permanently shifted Gray from "Reporter" to "Entertainer."

Then there are folks like Andrews. She wants to be treated with respect as an experienced reporter, but at the same time makes questionable on-the-job clothing decisions, does sexy layouts for GQ, and -- this one's the kicker -- goes on 'Dancing with the Stars.' Any one of those might indicate that you're less than serious about the journalistic aspects of your job, but all three? That makes you an entertainer in my book.

Pure EntertainersExamples: Jillian Reynolds (FOX), Craig Sager (Turner, pictured in the pink blazer), Jenn Sterger (Versus), Ahmad Rashad (NBA TV), Tony Siragusa (FOX)

These folks know why they were hired. They have that certain something; they're there for their personality -- or in the case of Sterger, other assets -- and they play those assets up to the hilt. Sager is the chummy guy who wears silly sports coats. Reynolds is the drinking buddy who gets in your face at the bar when her team scores. Siragusa is the former lineman who owns a string of bars and has a regular-guy personality. They don't try to break news or impart info; they're there to be personalities, and that's just fine with them.

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So where does Sainz fit into this spectrum? Well, at first glance, she'd seem to be in the second category. She's been going on various morning news shows to talk about the incident with the Jets, emphasizing the fact that, while she didn't feel harassed, their antics did make her feel uncomfortable.

But, when you take a look at the body of her work -- she's shown up on Super Bowl media day to measure the biceps of the players, for instance -- she skews more as an entertainer than anything else. She calls herself the "hottest sports reporter in Mexico." The photos on her Twitter page and website don't exactly scream "serious journalist." Even the "conservative" outfits she wore to Jets training camp, last night's Jets-Ravens game and her round of appearances this morning were only conservative relative to what she's worn in the past.

So she's not really a journalist. That's OK. Not everyone reporting on sports has to be serious. And no matter what, the members of the Jets who made her uncomfortable -- especially coach Ryan -- should have acted more professionally; the woman has a job to do and should be allowed to do it.

But Sainz needs to own up to her own image and career path and stop pretending she should be taken any more seriously than Craig Sager. Because, to be honest, even Sager is closer to a journalist than Sainz is.

• Tags: craig sager, erin andrews, ines sainz, jenn brown, kim jones, sports reporters