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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

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|NEXT STORY »

OPINION

Upset by Andrews Vid, Ladies? Stop Watching Sports

By Harry Kimball| Posted Jul 28, 09 2:50 PM CDT|

(Newser) – The Erin Andrews video scandal is just another sick symptom of “male sports culture,” Bonnie Erbe writes in US News & World Report, but the fairer sex does have recourse. “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,” Erbe writes. “And it is, nothing but bad.” Erbe is not totally out to lunch. “I am well aware this suggestion is the stuff of fantasy.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Erin Andrews. (AP Photo)

Commentator Erin Andrews of ESPN. (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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. - Bonnie Erbe

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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19 comments

VIEWING:

youngblood
Jul 28, 09 3:26 PM CDT

She does NOT understand being a Sports Fan, I wonder why?! Reply

IN RESPONSE:

prowlerzee
Jul 28, 09 9:55 PM CDT

Who needs the matrix? Spectator sports is the opiate that has sucked the last brain cell out of the average American. Even worse are the shows which endlessly obsess over every aspect of every team and every game. It would be the stuff of fantasy if the slack-jawed morons sitting on their fat asses watching this poison learned something about art or democracy instead. Or if they like sports so much, at the very least go take a walk. But actually I guess they like to lose themselves, their lives and our country in the fantasy of watching steroid fratboys spitting tobacco and piling on one another while the squeaky voice announcers squeal about each play.

-1

| 0 minutes ago

keybored
Jul 28, 09 3:32 PM CDT

As a female, I find this article ridiculous! How does our enjoying sports facilitate the disgusting perverts who took this illegal video??? Give me a break. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

BJR
Jul 28, 09 4:21 PM CDT

Extremely well put!!!

IN RESPONSE:

prowlerzee
Jul 28, 09 10:16 PM CDT

Instead of being "bored" you could start to educate yourself on the fratboy mentality of spectator sports and how it is tied to the rape culture and war culture of patriarchy. It would be nice if you BRIDEZILLAs would do something besides titter and catfight over puffy white dresses and maybe lead the way for the next generation instead of snap your chewing gum and say ewwwwwwwww every time a feminist hands you half a clue.

-2

IN RESPONSE:

prowlerzee
Jul 28, 09 10:19 PM CDT

You can start by calling yourself a woman instead of "a female." It's dumbfounding how low the bridezilla generation has sunk.

-4

IN RESPONSE:

keybored
Jul 29, 09 3:07 AM CDT

@prowlerzee : I have to say while I find many comments here offensive and nasty, I am shocked by yours. You tell me to educate myself, yet instead of responding to my post with an educated comment your lower yourself to calling me names. Generalizing about who I am and labeling me "bridezilla" when you have NO idea about me or what I'm like just shows your ignorance. And as far as calling myself a "female" instead of a woman -- it is now 2009 and as a woman/female/girl/lady, I can call myself whatever the heck I want. The sad thing is that had you responded without such a nasty vitriol, perhaps we could have had a civilized discussion about this issue.

| 0 minutes ago

Reader60610265
Jul 28, 09 3:38 PM CDT

Oh women under stand the sports persona. And believe me they can be just as crude or vicious as any male.Sometimes even worse Reply

| 0 minutes ago

KoalaJohnson
Jul 28, 09 3:39 PM CDT

What about the women who actually do enjoy watching NFL and NBA games? Are they to be considered enemies of their gender for watching supposedly "all-bad" pro sports? Encourage their sons? How 'bout their daughters? Seems like this article assumes women don't like sports period, and is rather blatantly sexist in its own right. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Nwambe
Jul 28, 09 3:51 PM CDT

Didn't FloJo take steroids? Marion Jones, too? If women stopped watching sports, wouldn't women stop taking part in sports? Women like Annika Sorenstam, Martina Navratilova, Silken Laumann, and my personal favourite female athlete, Hayley Wickenheiser? Come on, MORE women need to watch and take part in sports so they can STOP this kind of perverse shit. I haven't, nor do I intend to watch the Erin Andrews video, and yet because I'm a male I get tarred with the 'sick symptom' brush, it just screams victimization-by-martyrhood. Ridiculous. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

sysco9
Jul 28, 09 4:14 PM CDT

This article just pushed feminism a step backwards. Good job lady Reply

IN RESPONSE:

prowlerzee
Jul 28, 09 10:01 PM CDT

Don't worry your little underhung member about feminism. Bonnie has the right idea, she just hasn't gone far enough. We have sperm banks, and now even artificial sperm. We can reset humanity any time we like. Without the fratboys and misogynistic pigs and the entire toxic patriarchy that has the entire world embroiled in war and human trafficking.

-3

IN RESPONSE:

Nwambe
Jul 28, 09 10:17 PM CDT

Er... You're aware that women are complicit in many scandals of power, right? Margaret Thatcher? Benazir Bhutto? Gloria Macapagal Arroyo... The list goes on.

IN RESPONSE:

prowlerzee
Jul 28, 09 10:28 PM CDT

Oh yeah, the list goes on. Nice try, Nwambe. Men never cease to whimper and play the victim when called out on their murderous ways. Every day men slaughter their wives and entire families in jealous rages, and it's not even news. And if it's pointed out, the hysterical men trip over themselves to squeal how women "beat men and kill children, too." Yeah, that "list" goes on and on, too, huh? A woman here and there held up to distract from the fact that it's men out there beating and raping and beheading en mass. Ohhhhhh, but some women *like* to drape themselves and should be "free" to do so. Yeah, that's why they were out in the streets in Iran, because they wanted to be "free" to be forced to wear drapes. That's why Neda was shot as an example. I've got your list right here, buddy.

-1

| 0 minutes ago

stacysaw
Jul 28, 09 5:36 PM CDT

or just stick to college sports. there's a veneer of good wholesome fun that comes with the mega-business of the ncaa. drunk frat boys are gross and disrepectful, but they're manageable for the most part. and, you can enjoy erin andrews - fully clothed and fully respectable doing her job - every week! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

teachingazteca
Jul 28, 09 9:08 PM CDT

Sports=Morals? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Since when does participation in sports indicate your personal beliefs or moral aptitude? Wow, what an obvious attempt at causing controversy.... I would love to show this guy what a girl who loves sports can do to him in a cage! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

teachingazteca
Jul 28, 09 9:10 PM CDT

OOps, OMG a GIRL wrote those comments from the article? I had to reread it and I am shocked- geez, girls, you can't play and now you shouldn't watch because it encouragesw them to act bad. HOW STUPID. Can I show HER in the cage? I'm not a pro and I would still enjoy it! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

ruserious
Jul 29, 09 8:51 AM CDT

Done. I don't watch sports. I'm already participating. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

nevets
Jul 29, 09 9:11 AM CDT

It's funny to watch the author of this piece get indignant about some sort of degradation of women while in the same breath doing the same thing to men. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 19 comments »

television • sports • ESPN • video • male • scandal • professional • Erin Andrews

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