There have been some disturbing developments in the NFL recently. To speak in detail, the players are resentful of the culture of media reporters entering locker rooms right after games and practice. Why? A former Baltimore WR provided an alarming statement regarding the latest NFLPA plea. Torrey Smith detailed the “awkward” demeanor of certain male reporters, terming them “Straight meat watchers”. As absurd as it might sound, the problem seems to fall in line with what Paul George has experienced in his 14 years in the league.

Similar to the NFL, the NBA too allows reporters access to team lockers 10 minutes after games. For the media, it allows them to get players’ immediate perspectives and spontaneous feelings about the game. But for the players, that locker room is sacred. “Our locker room is our safe place,” George details. Not only is there a chance of their schemes and strategies getting leaked, but for the players, 10 minutes isn’t sufficient to get themselves ready for such interviews.

“I would say majority of the locker room they are naked. Like we are in towels, we are naked like where we just got out of the shower you know then you have these reporters in there and they not staring at a wall,” the Sixers forward said. In regard to Smith’s ludicrous claims, George shared a story about a reporter in Washington that players felt did the same.

“There was an incident, even way back in my time in the NBA, where guys would talk about this situation. There was a reporter in Washington that would stare at dudes’ meat,” George explained on his Podcast P.

Thinking about it, there doesn’t seem anything wrong with reporters being inside the locker room. The key issue seems more related to the separation between the time the games end and their access timing. 10  minutes is far too little for teams to manage their lockers. Furthermore, it curbs players from having game-related discussions. The fear is an ‘overblown’ story that could possibly interfere with the sanctity of the locker rooms.

The NFL seems to have kept this in mind.

How the NFL and the players have responded so far

To be clear, reporters having access to the locker rooms doesn’t seem to be the issue. Bengals’ Union Rep, Ted Karras spoke briefly about the issue. Apart from the team exercising their “right” to conduct player interviews outside the locker, he also expanded on the exact worry of players.

“Now, this doesn’t bar you from the locker room. We can’t do that. But what we want to do is get cameras off guys in private moments in our locker room,” the Bengals linesman explained. Its seeds grow from the instances when the cameras caught players naked around the locker room. Even though unintentional, it’s far from appropriate considering the locker room is essentially the players’ den.

However, it’s recently come to attention that NFL teams can barricade the locker room if they feel so. An alternative is for players to request reporters to hold their interviews outside of the locker. Regulations are in place for the same and were brought to the front by the Pro Football Writers of America. “NFL players asking to speak outside the locker room has always been part of the league’s media access policy,” they said in a statement.

With the issue at its peak, NFL teams and players will likely make use of this facility to prevent any further uncomfortable moments. However, if leagues still feel locker room interviews are necessary, it’s of paramount importance to increase the time provided to the players to unwind and be camera-ready, rather than towels or worse.

What do you think about the recently arisen problem? Let us know your views in the comments below.