Within hours of saying that female reporters in NFL locker rooms “get to go and look at 53 men’s packages,” Redskins running back Clinton Portis issued a formal apology.
“I was wrong to make the comments I did, and I apologize,” Portis said in a statement issued by the team. “I respect the job that all reporters do. It is a tough job and we all have to work and act in a professional manner. I understand and support the team on these issues.”
Redskins spokesman Tony Wyllie said, “The Washington Redskins have a clear and unambiguous policy about being professional on these issues and we will take the necessary steps to remind everyone about it.”
Portis made the comments after he was asked about Ines Sainz, the TV Azteca reporter who may have been mistreated at a Jets practice last week. Although Portis said he didn’t know the details of the situation regarding Sainz, he questioned whether it was appropriate for women to be in an NFL locker room. The NFL, however, has a longstanding policy of allowing female reporters the same access that male reporters get, and that policy is not going away.