Earlier this week, the French Open banned tennis player Maxime Hamou from Roland Garros over an incident on live TV when he attempted to kiss Eurosport journalist, Maly Thomas, against her will.
Other sports have had similar incidents in regards to the treatment of women.
1) Suzy Kolber
The ESPN sideline reporter interviewed Joe Namath during a nationally televised football game back in 2003. Ms Kolber asked questions about the game, but Mr.Namath seemed to have zero interest. He responded "I want to kiss you”, and leant in.
In fairness to Ms Kolber, she played the whole situation very well and just took no notice. Almost 15 years after the incident, the iconic quarterback is still something of an internet punchline.
Joe Namath wants to kiss ESPN's Suzy Kolber by jbFromNYC
2) Erin Andrews
Googling “Erin Andrews harassment” returns at least six separate incidents.
The most serious occurred when Ms Andrews, a Fox Sports broadcaster, was filmed in her hotel room through a peephole. Her stalker was eventually convicted in 2010 and given a 27-month prison sentence.
Ms Andrews has also been harassed on the job. Most recently, the hip-hop artist 50 Cent gave her an awkward kiss as she was reporting from a NASCAR event. (Ms Andrews later tried to defuse the situation and said, “It was my fault!” in an interview.)
3) Ines Sainz
This was the case when a Mexican TV journalist sparked debate about work appropriate conduct for female reporters.
In 2010, Ms Sainz was harassed by players and coaches at a New York Jets practice. According to reports, she was subjected to catcalls and heckling in the Jets’ locker room, and while on the field, a coach hurled passes in her direction so that players could get close to her. The Jets’ owner made an apology to Ms. Sainz, which she accepted.
Not everyone was quick to defend her, including female reporters. Jemele Hill, an ESPN.com columnist, said she had “a hard time feeling sympathetic” for someone whose conduct “insults some women” in sports reporting. Ms Hill referenced an episode from a Super Bowl media day, when Ms Sainz “went around touching players’ biceps as part of what she called a ‘strongest arm’ competition.”
Then there are Ms Sainz’s fashion choices. “A quick Google search turns up numerous images of Sainz standing on a football field in clothing that seems better suited for a nightclub,” Ms Hill wrote.
Regardless, Ms Hill noted that Ms Sainz never deserved to be harassed, no matter how she dresses.
4) Lisa Olson
Ms Olson was reporting on the New England Patriots in 1990 when she was sexually harassed in the locker room.
During the incident, Ms Olson said a group of naked players crowded around her to make inappropriate gestures in an aggressive manner. She described their actions as a “premeditated mind rape.”
The Patriots went on the offensive, saying that the Boston Herald should never have assigned a female reporter in the first place.
Ms Olson settled a lawsuit against the Patriots, but the ensuing torment – including abusive phone calls, death threats and slashed tires – was enough to derail her efforts to report on two other Boston teams. The Herald eventually transferred her to Australia.
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