Erin Andrews and Sports Culture

What happened to Erin Andrews is due to our overall culture, not just sports culture ["Erin Andrews Peephole Video Scandal Shows Pro Sports Culture is Nothing But Bad," usnews.com]. You cannot place blame on professional and college sports for the perversion of one guy. The sick part is there is a market for this type of exploitation and complete invasion of privacy. This is a societal flaw. We are constantly using women as sex symbols. You see this in ads, commercials, the music industry, the fashion industry, etc. I think team sports have many more positives then any of those industries. At least sports can teach kids and adults valuable life lessons like teamwork.

Comment by Lisa of NV

What about all the charity functions that pro athletes support with the money they receive as a result of being a pro athlete? Do you think these athletes would be doing the charity events if it wasn't because they were so well-paid? I think this is one the many positives that come out of professional sports. I don't think professional sports are the cause of this man's perverted actions. I think it speaks about American culture/society in general. This could have easily happened to any beautiful actress/singer/newscaster or normal citizen. That is what makes it so shocking and terrible to think about. To pigeon-hole this problem as a direct result of professional sports is both irresponsible and ignorant.

Comment by Tim Konopka of PA

Amen. Our sports culture teaches the "brute" side of chivalry, nothing more. It's entertaining for what it is, but that's all it is. It shouldn't be glorified except as a gladiator profession. How mixed up is our society, that the gladiators are millionaires?

Comment by Dan of IL

I think most men would agree that what happened was bad. I don't care to see the video or photos because it's just not right. To say women shouldn't attend sporting events is just as bad. A lot of women like sports just like men do. Some sick peeping tom has nothing to do with sports and is a character flaw in the person. You hear of the few athletes doing wrong but you never hear of the thousands of athletes that are doing it right. Sports teach hard work, sportsmanship, rules and consequences, teamwork, and builds social skills. It's like saying cooking is bad because deep fried foods are harmful. Most food isn't deep fried, buddy.

Comment by Taurus of DC

And what, exactly, is wrong with "win or be shamed?" Our country was founded on the principles of competition, and we continue to thrive to this day because of the laws and culture that promote it. Playing a sport as a youth teaches you the dedication and effort it takes to succeed and the lessons we learn as children are applicable outside of the ballpark. Sure, as parents sometimes we take games too seriously and parents push their kids too far, but the benefits of experiencing competition far outweigh the negative aspects.

Comment by Joe of PA

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