Mailbag: The Battle Between Media & Players Over NFL Locker Rooms Is Complicated; Retired Player Talks Vicodin

This week's All That and a Bag of NFL Mail features a perhaps troubling tale from former offensive tackle Jake Long and his need for drugs to get ready for games, plus a stunning statistic about Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

But we start with commentary on my story about the NFL Players Association wanting reporters out of NFL locker room while doing interviews:

No Males In Female Locker Rooms

Q. Great story, Armando. I’d sum it up like this, does the WNBA allow male reporters with or without cameras in their locker rooms after games when players may be nude or otherwise in a state of undress?  My educated guess is heck no.

It’s an antiquated and quite frankly gross practice for your profession. Interview these men and women outside their sacred space, please. Who wants to smell a stinky player or look at their private parts unless they’re pervs anyway? There are media rooms where the teams do their postgame pressers and that should be it.   

I guess the Jerry Joneses of the world can still otherwise loiter in the locker room because they own it and can joke about male appendages, but let’s keep John and Joan Q. Reporter the heck out of the locker room, por favor.

—Robert Alexander

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 12: Justin Smith #94 of the San Francisco 49ers is interviewed by the media in the locker room following the game against the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on January 12, 2012 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Packers 45-31. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

Women In Male Locker Rooms

A. Well, Robert that was one question and your opinion, so allow me an answer and my opinion.

This locker room issue is a two-pronged problem for some players and both are about the right to privacy:

One is about a right to privacy over their bodies.

The other is about a right to privacy over information – such as what they might have stowed in their lockers or what locker room conversation among teammates might be overheard.

Players believe there should be a "sanctity" over their locker room space.

And the new policy addresses privacy concerns on all fronts to a degree.

Players who have concerns about being naked in front of non-teammates and cameras have some recourse by conducting interviews outside the locker room. 

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 31: Christian McCaffrey #23, Brandon Aiyuk #11, George Kittle #85 and Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate in the locker room after the game against the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field on December 31, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. The 49ers defeated the Commanders 27-10. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

It's Not Really Equal Access

Players with concerns about not being able to banter with teammates in the locker room equally have some limited protection.

But it's not perfect, in the players' eyes. Reporters will still be in the locker rooms.

And that means some players will eventually want more protection. The truth is the NFLPA last year asked to have reporters removed from the locker room altogether and that was denied by the NFL.

And now let's address the issue everyone brings up relative to this move by the NFLPA: Females in male locker rooms.

For decades, I've heard from some NFL players – and even a couple of their wives – that they aren't happy being naked in the locker room with any outsiders, but particularly, with women in the locker room.

And these players are doubly unhappy when shots of them naked gets out into the public because some interviews inadvertently capture those images on video.

This issue is unique to male professional sports because women's sports – the WNBA, and tennis, for example – do not allow any reporters in locker rooms. That's what NFL players want to get to.

The NFL long ago decided for the sake of equity to allow both male and female reporters into male locker rooms. Other leagues, striving for that same equity, allow no reporters in locker rooms. 

The NFL model, which is what we're discussing, has created some uncomfortable athletes. So now the NFLPA is trying to change course. It's asking players to abide by  a new approach as a means of addressing age-old complaints.

It's not going to resolve the issues fully to the players' liking. But they believe it helps.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 5: Offensive tackle Jake Long #77 of the St. Louis Rams blocks linebacker Trent Cole #58 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter on October 5, 2014 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Jake Long Unfiltered On Podcast

Q. Unreal what Jake Long just shared. Entire episode is juicy, but 38:09 is mind-blowing.

– Eric Berman

A. My readers are amazing because they provide viewpoints and nuggets I sometimes miss.

Eric is talking about the latest edition of the InTrench'd podcast, starring former NFL offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo.

Coach Guge has coached for the Jets, Giants, Dolphins, Patriots, Colts and a number of college teams. At one point, he was with the Dolphins when Jake Long was that team's No. 1 overall pick of the 2008 draft.

And Long was good for a while, but his carer was cut short because he required about two dozen surgeries. So coach Guge got him talking about what medications it would take to get him on the field for game day.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - NOVEMBER 11: Jake Long #71  of the Miami Dolphins plays against the Tennessee Titans at Sun Life Stadium on November 11, 2012 in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Titans defeated the Dolphins 37-3.  (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Jake Long's Game Day Journey

"Man, yeah, it was a lot," Long said. "At one point, I couldn't play without Vicodin. My third year, when I had my big knee surgery, I'd get to the game early in the training room. My knee would swell up so big during the week that I couldn't bend it and move. 

"And so, it was like clockwork. They'd take the same amount every week. They took 120 CCs of fluid out of my knee. I'd do a B-12 shot, a Toradol shot, a Vicodin, and a Redline."

Redline is an energy drink that has been discontinued after the company was sued.

"During practice I'd get my ankles taped every single day, and I'd say, ‘Yup, I need one,’ and I'd get a Vicodin next to me on the table," Long said. "After the game I'd get a bag of four or five. Or I'd go up to them and tell them, 'I need a biscuit – those were the Vicodin 10s where everything went away.

"Yes, I took a lot of it. And in order to play, I got to a point where I couldn't play without it."

Stunning.

LONDON, ENG - OCTOBER 06: Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) before the professional NFL football game between the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings on October 6, 2024 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Van Ginkel More TDs Than A WR Corps

Q. Mando, quick fact about [Minnesota Vikings linebacker] Andrew Van Ginkel:

He has more touchdowns than all the Dolphins wide receivers.

– Robert Ilardi

A. Wait, that cannot be right. Let me look.

Van Ginkel has two touchdowns on two Pick Six interceptions. Miami's wide receivers have caught one touchdown pass. according to their website.

Lordy.