Erin Andrews and the Cubs locker room: Discuss

<i>If Chris Berman felt his biceps, as someone noted earlier, no one even notices.</i>

Wanna bet?

 

True dat.

 

Not if they're wearing leather.

 

Did someone say "leather"?

 

Can we do the same when you're petulant in other ways?

 

No; I was quite precise.

 

I have mixed feelings about this one. I have worked in TV sports for 15 years, 10 on-air.

I have also seen her "work a room."

First of all, the dress is not appropriate for the job. It's short, low-cut and an animal print. Pick one of those and I think she's okay, but all 3? The truth is, she has been getting more and more revealing with her choices. Why? As someone who's "been there," I can tell you it's probably a mistake done out of insecurity. I made a mistake like that once or twice. I wore a sheer-ish top that when the light shined on it... well, NOT GOOD. Thank God it was to cover a high school game. When I was covering MLB, NFL, etc... honestly, I mostly wore a suit or the equivalent. For a hot day, I might have worn a short-sleeved lighter suit-type jacket with knee-length skirt. You get to a point where you just don't need the headache.

But this is an important point:

(Responding to something hondo and Pack of Gauchos posted several pages back...)

You'd think players would "cozy up" to an attractive woman and give her good info, soundbites, etc. Not the case. What happens is this: They are a little suspicious.

I remember saying to my photog after a blah night of interviews post- playoff game, "I got a bunch of crap. Do you think these guys have any respect for me?"

This is a photog who I had been thru the wars with, and he tells it like it is. He said, "The thing that helps is the ring." He was talking about my wedding ring. In other words, the whole reason I got any respect at all was because the ring told everybody I was there to do a job, not find a husband.

As for the column, as a journalist, I have always loved stories that lift the curtain. I have done those myself, and they are some of the ones I'm most proud of. Maybe I was sent to do a story on X, and I decided to report on what was really happening or being talked about. Perhaps he didn't go about it in the right way, but he lifted the curtain and broke the taboo.

On the other hand, this could really hurt her. He could bring down her career. I wonder if that's what he intended? I wonder if he realizes how much he could damage her. Sports television is a small fraternity. If her stock goes down because of this, she could have trouble finding work again on a national stage. (Then again, there's always FOX.)

Look, when she was hired, I believe she was dating or had dated an NHL player. I'm not gossiping, do a Nexis, this is a matter of public record. I'm pretty sure she was not "vetted" in this regard. It's just not a good direction to go in, IMO. That said, I think she proved herself early on. Now somebody needs to take her aside and tell her to think about Sam Ryan and how she handles herself.

 

a dude putting his hand on another dude's thigh? that's just creepy.

 

Speak for yourself.

 

You make a lot of good points. I'll take issue with one:

I don't think that column will damage her career at all, and I don't think that was Nadel's intent. It certainly won't hurt her standing at ESPN. As far as other work, someone noted earlier that Meredith Vieira's embarrassing behavior in an MLB environment didn't preclude her getting the "Today" job.

This situation doesn't even come close to the level of Vieira's lousy judgment. It's not even in the same ballpark.

I maintain that Nadel was writing about an odd scene that unfolded when a "celebrity" reporter showed up to cover the Cubs, and their reactions to having a high profile person in the clubhouse.

 

Wait, I just realized Susan Slusser. Female beat writer, covers baseball, has quirky friends.
Ohmigod, she's the real-life "My Boys!"

 

Yep. Seen it.

And Luggy ... great post.