Pictured L to R: Erin Andrews & John Brennan.Editor’s Note: The following article is by Orange::44 Correspondent John Brennan, someone loyal blog readers will recognize as being my partner for several podcasts both in Syracuse and at several away games. Brennan, a 2003 graduate of Syracuse University and a 2006 Syracuse Law graduate, is well versed in Syracuse Athletics, the law, and the career of one Erin Andrews. Due to her recent video stardom he was inspired to recount his personal story with her and the issues surrounding her current situation. Enjoy!
With less than a week before the New York State bar exam, Brian is busy cramming as much information into his head as possible. I know, because I was doing the exact same thing three years ago. Right now, Brian has more legal knowledge than I do. A week or two from now, he will have forgotten most of it and be down to my level. This is how the world works. But at any rate, I figured now would be as good a time as any to earn points toward my “correspondent” tag, so please enjoy this article.
One of the bigger sports world stories of the past several days has been the Erin Andrews nude video that has surfaced on many nefarious internet sites. While not truly a sports story (which is why ESPN is not covering the developments) let’s face it: none of us would know who Erin Andrews is without sports. I’m actually close, personal friends with Erin, so this story obviously got my attention.
OK, so that’s not true, but let me share with you my experience with Erin Andrews. It was February 18, 2006 and College Gameday was visiting the Carrier Dome for Syracuse vs. Louisville. As this was my third year of law school and I had exhausted my travel eligibility with the Sour Sitrus Society, I had season tickets in the student section. EA was providing sideline coverage for the game, and after the Orangemen beat the Cardinals 79-66, several SU students poured down to the courtside to snag a picture with her. I, too, wanted my picture with EA before heading down to celebrate at Faegan’s. When I saw my opportunity, I approached EA and said “Hi Erin, it’s my birthday today and I was wondering if I could get a picture with you.” She politely replied “You don’t have to lie, you can have a picture.” But I wasn’t lying, I tried explaining; it really was my birthday and I would have proved it. But by that time we were already posing for the picture. I thanked her and proceeded down the Hill to Faegan’s where I had quite a few and posed for a picture in the keg room. But that’s another story.
Needless to say, I’ve had nothing but respect and admiration for EA. Of course there’s the obvious attraction, but she’s seemingly at every major sporting event, and overall, she really knows her stuff. She’s not just a pretty face smiling for the camera and shoving a microphone in an athlete’s face asking how many overtimes the baseball game will have. She genuinely knows the sports, the rules, the athletes, and looks good bringing us the updates. Which of course makes her such a wanted commodity on ESPN, and what keeps guys like me tuning in every chance we get.
Now before you think I’m a stalker, let’s back up the train a bit. Fan, yes; stalker, no. And the last thing I want to see is someone get exploited when they don’t deserve it. Let’s be honest, there are celebrities who seem to make it their job to accidentally flash the cameras days after having pepperonis sewn onto her recently inflated breasts (Tara Reid), to forget to wear underwear but broadcast that to the world while stepping out of the car (Britney, Lindsay, etc.), to make a sex tape with their boyfriend/husband that gets “leaked” to the internet (Paris Hilton, etc.). When that happens, I don’t feel too bad for the celebrity. They’ve made it their business to “put themselves out there,” as it were, and often times it resurrects careers. Part of the Hollywood glamour. But this EA thing is different. From what I understand, this is a video of EA in her hotel room. She’s not in public, she’s not around paparazzi, she’s not the victim of a wardrobe malfunction. But she is the victim of an invasion of her privacy.
Trickery should not be the method used for the public to be able to see EA in her own skin. I mean, how difficult would it be for EA’s people to call Hef’s people, set up a shoot, and have her appear in the Septober double issue of Playboy? OK, the time for that one’s probably come and gone, but combining November-December or January-February just won’t work. Point is, she’s in demand, and if she wants to do a nude shoot, she can certainly do it on her own terms and be paid handsomely for it.
But she has chosen not to do so. Is it a moral thing? A professional thing? An “I don’t need to yet” thing? Who cares! If anyone out there really needs their fix, they can watch the Naked News and just pretend it’s her. But the fact is that she has chosen to not put herself out there in the same way other celebrities have, and we as the viewing public need to respect that.
Not to mention that surreptitiously videotaping someone in the privacy of their hotel room is very illegal and very tort-worthy. But I guess people don’t think about that when it comes to sex.
I don’t mean to get all high-horse on this blog, but I think that in this situation, respecting EA’s privacy is just the right thing to do. And when (if) she decides to take it off and show the public, it should be on her own terms. I’ll make sure to renew my subscription.
With less than a week before the New York State bar exam, Brian is busy cramming as much information into his head as possible. I know, because I was doing the exact same thing three years ago. Right now, Brian has more legal knowledge than I do. A week or two from now, he will have forgotten most of it and be down to my level. This is how the world works. But at any rate, I figured now would be as good a time as any to earn points toward my “correspondent” tag, so please enjoy this article.
One of the bigger sports world stories of the past several days has been the Erin Andrews nude video that has surfaced on many nefarious internet sites. While not truly a sports story (which is why ESPN is not covering the developments) let’s face it: none of us would know who Erin Andrews is without sports. I’m actually close, personal friends with Erin, so this story obviously got my attention.
OK, so that’s not true, but let me share with you my experience with Erin Andrews. It was February 18, 2006 and College Gameday was visiting the Carrier Dome for Syracuse vs. Louisville. As this was my third year of law school and I had exhausted my travel eligibility with the Sour Sitrus Society, I had season tickets in the student section. EA was providing sideline coverage for the game, and after the Orangemen beat the Cardinals 79-66, several SU students poured down to the courtside to snag a picture with her. I, too, wanted my picture with EA before heading down to celebrate at Faegan’s. When I saw my opportunity, I approached EA and said “Hi Erin, it’s my birthday today and I was wondering if I could get a picture with you.” She politely replied “You don’t have to lie, you can have a picture.” But I wasn’t lying, I tried explaining; it really was my birthday and I would have proved it. But by that time we were already posing for the picture. I thanked her and proceeded down the Hill to Faegan’s where I had quite a few and posed for a picture in the keg room. But that’s another story.
Needless to say, I’ve had nothing but respect and admiration for EA. Of course there’s the obvious attraction, but she’s seemingly at every major sporting event, and overall, she really knows her stuff. She’s not just a pretty face smiling for the camera and shoving a microphone in an athlete’s face asking how many overtimes the baseball game will have. She genuinely knows the sports, the rules, the athletes, and looks good bringing us the updates. Which of course makes her such a wanted commodity on ESPN, and what keeps guys like me tuning in every chance we get.
Now before you think I’m a stalker, let’s back up the train a bit. Fan, yes; stalker, no. And the last thing I want to see is someone get exploited when they don’t deserve it. Let’s be honest, there are celebrities who seem to make it their job to accidentally flash the cameras days after having pepperonis sewn onto her recently inflated breasts (Tara Reid), to forget to wear underwear but broadcast that to the world while stepping out of the car (Britney, Lindsay, etc.), to make a sex tape with their boyfriend/husband that gets “leaked” to the internet (Paris Hilton, etc.). When that happens, I don’t feel too bad for the celebrity. They’ve made it their business to “put themselves out there,” as it were, and often times it resurrects careers. Part of the Hollywood glamour. But this EA thing is different. From what I understand, this is a video of EA in her hotel room. She’s not in public, she’s not around paparazzi, she’s not the victim of a wardrobe malfunction. But she is the victim of an invasion of her privacy.
Trickery should not be the method used for the public to be able to see EA in her own skin. I mean, how difficult would it be for EA’s people to call Hef’s people, set up a shoot, and have her appear in the Septober double issue of Playboy? OK, the time for that one’s probably come and gone, but combining November-December or January-February just won’t work. Point is, she’s in demand, and if she wants to do a nude shoot, she can certainly do it on her own terms and be paid handsomely for it.
But she has chosen not to do so. Is it a moral thing? A professional thing? An “I don’t need to yet” thing? Who cares! If anyone out there really needs their fix, they can watch the Naked News and just pretend it’s her. But the fact is that she has chosen to not put herself out there in the same way other celebrities have, and we as the viewing public need to respect that.
Not to mention that surreptitiously videotaping someone in the privacy of their hotel room is very illegal and very tort-worthy. But I guess people don’t think about that when it comes to sex.
I don’t mean to get all high-horse on this blog, but I think that in this situation, respecting EA’s privacy is just the right thing to do. And when (if) she decides to take it off and show the public, it should be on her own terms. I’ll make sure to renew my subscription.
Labels: Breaking The Law, ESPN
Thanks for clarifying with the photo caption. I got confused at first, haha.