I’ll keep this brief since it’s way off-topic for me here.

I feel terrible for Erin Andrews. She has been working for years to establish herself as a reporter. She doesn’t do photo shoots or anything to emphasize the obvious. ESPN uses her wherever and whenever possible because Erin means ratings and pageviews. She and other women have fought to establish themselves in a male dominated arena where it’s tacitly acceptable to make crude comments and the like. The fight for respectability has got to be like walking up the down escalator.

The reason for my choosing to comment is that I was lucky enough to meet her last year at the All Star Game Fan Fest.

My boys and I were walking past one of the sponsor’s booths and Erin was being escorted in.” We stopped and took pictures with her before the line and the madness began.” She could not have been nicer to me or my boys, getting to their eye level to talk and laugh.” Before I took my picture with her, I wished her luck with the clowns that were sure to follow. She smiled and said she was used to it. Then she sheepishly handed us these “cards” with her picture on one side and her credentials on the other. She was embarrassed to do it and she said as much. “I have to hand out these silly things“, I think she said. You could tell she wasn’t comfortable with it. I thanked her and dove out of there before the riot ensued.

I know she’s used to the catcalls and the constant barrage of pictures taken of her without her knowing, but at least those were in public. No expectations of privacy exist while patrolling the sidelines in a football or baseball stadium or in a basketball arena. In your hotel room, however…

What happened to her is a crime and those guilty need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.