July 28, 2009

Where is Selena Roberts when you need her?

Sometimes writers should just take their pens (or computers) and shove it into their mouth. Look at this wonderful paragraph of blabber that was highlighted on Deadspin from US News and World Reports.

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

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. - Bonnie Erbe

Listen, in college - where people learn things - we were told that when writing an opinion piece make sure you have some sort of evidence to back up your claims. However, this professional journalist just seems to think that pro sports is the (1) objectification of women and (2) an evil culture. Since she has a column, might as well throw it on a page with no justification whatsoever.

And let me be the first to mirror the thoughts of my journalism professor at EWU, Bill Stimson, in saying "Why? Where is the objective evidence that you can back your opinion up with?"

Print media is doing so poorly now, writers feel to urge to write up something sensational, regardless of its actually validity. The Erin Andrews scandal was a couple of pervs with some cameras and bad intentions - not a bi-product of the pro sports culture. Why? Because those are the simple facts of the incident.

If anything, sports is a reflection of our culture on a whole, not it's own little segmented world. Going above your skis and assuming that this isolated incident of invaded privacy should be linked with the ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF PRO SPORTS ... is dumb.

This is just another case of a writer trying to make a name for themselves by being outlandish and ridiculous. We'll see her on Around the Horn in a few weeks.

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