Bonnie Erbe

Erin Andrews Peephole Video Scandal Shows Pro Sports Culture is Nothing But Bad

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July 28, 2009 RSS Feed Print
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By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Everybody knows by now about the Erin Andrews incident—in which the model-gorgeous ESPN reporter was videotaped in the nude, allegedly through a keyhole in the door to her hotel room. Stills from the video were published by The New York Post, among other media outlets. Some online news outlets even ran pieces of the video.

ESPN then banned New York Post sports reporters from its TV shows. The story exploded anew after that, with a second round of echo-chamber effect in the blogosphere. Everyone has an opinion. That's the Wild West we today call the blogosphere. There have even been suggestions by little-known bloggers Andrews arranged to make the video as a publicity stunt.

I agree with Seattle Times staff columnist Jerry Brewer, whose article is entitled, "Erin Andrews nude video is a sick crime; when will men grow up?"

The Andrews incident has largely been labeled an Internet scandal (blame it on the blogs, huh?), but really, it's a sports culture scandal. It's about men being men at their worst. It's about the false notion that it's OK to be intolerable and horny and barbaric because it's all part of the guy sports experience. It's our right, right?

I wish women would stop propping up men's sports. If women didn't attend NFL games or NBA games, or even watch them on TV to help drive up ratings, they would be doing more to stop men from behaving badly than they could ever do otherwise. If they encouraged their sons to play sports instead of paying to watch other people play baseball or football or basketball or soccer, they would be sending the message that athleticism is good, but pro sports culture is bad. And it is, nothing but bad.

I am well aware this suggestion is the stuff of fantasy. That said, I never have understood why women participate in male sports culture, and then turn around and criticize it when something bad emanates from it. It's a waste of time, pure and simple.

 

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shadddanfo of AR 3:18PM October 24, 2009

The bottom line as I see it is that this woman is a feminist. She has an agenda. She probably feels very badly for Erin and this is her opportunity to say that all male sporting activity is bad. It makes them animals. It breeds this kind of behavior. Her underlying thesis is that we should boycott sports and make them suffer financially. Bring it all to an end. Sports teaches nothing good. Thats crap. I've supported my kids through baseball and wrestling and will continue to support them because of what it teaches...team work, team spirit, conduct, how to win and lose etc. I became aware of this scandal very late, yesterday as a matter of fact. This woman will never see the end of this. Thankfully, as one commenter stated on another blog, the video links are loaded with enough malware to kill a horse. This will bring an end to the search for her video, but the damage is done. The perv who did this should be, if convicted, forced to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. She will have to put up with it that long, why shouldn't he.

GAK in Florida of FL 10:08AM September 16, 2009

Thomas Jefferson is Ridiculous.

It's a double standard to assume that women shouldn't "prop"-up men's sports and instead stay home and solve men's sexual desires by raising their "sons". That's insulting to both genders.

A woman professional has the right to report the news: when she is intelligent, understanding of the game like other professionals in her field, and is lucky enough to be good looking...attracting both genders to the sport, to the franchise, to her her station...she should be respected as a professional.

What happened to Erin Andrews has nothing to do with the sports culture in which she works, it simply has to do with a crazy sexual deviant who deserves to go to jail. That's it. It wasn't because of "Male Sports" that this event happened, it's because some crazy stalker...or maybe some stupid kid with a college crush...was sick enough to invade her privacy.

Thomas IS Lame and Sexist of CO 4:03PM September 05, 2009

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

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