Excerpt from Jason Whitlock.
What other explanation is there for the attack on Jenn Sterger? She’s done nothing wrong. Nothing. Even if she participated in the selling of the e-mails, voice mails and pictures to Deadspin -- which Deadspin claims she did not -- she has acted appropriately.
Sterger is not like the Tiger Woods groupies who willingly slept with the married golfer and then squealed so they could cash in.
Sterger, if you believe the allegations, was a victim of harassment. An older, married man made repeated, unwanted and offensive advances toward her. A full-time Jets employee, in an attempt to make the team’s star quarterback happy, gave Favre her contact information.
This is sexual harassment. She’s in her mid 20s, trying to get a foot in the door with the Jets. One of the most important players in the NFL allegedly used all of his leverage in an attempt to bed her.
Why are people upset that she would turn Favre’s harassment into a winning hand for herself? Why is there a pointless debate about whether she was a “reporter” or “game-day host” for the Jets?
She’s a human being. If she sold popcorn for the Jets, Favre’s conduct would still be inappropriate.
If we find out she slept with Favre or led him on, I’ll reverse my position and lump her with the sleazy opportunists who exploited the Tiger situation.
As of right now, I hope she capitalizes in every way possible. I hope she’s on Oprah’s couch Tuesday and on Leno and Letterman later in the week.
If you read my column regularly (or know me personally), you know I struggle combating my own sexist impulses. I can sexually objectify women with the best of them. My thoughts are not pure. Neither are all of my actions. I’m glad I’ve never been as rich and famous as Brett Favre. I might make the same mistakes he’s accused of making.
One mistake I won’t make is pretending that sexual harassment is an issue we can afford to ignore. It’s real and pervasive. It’s damaging and unfair.
In the past few days, I’ve heard male media members I like and respect suggest that it is not our duty as journalists to investigate and analyze the merits of the allegations leveled against Favre.
Wow. We’ve gotten so comfortable in the big house that we’ve lost sight of who we are as journalists. We now want to pick and choose when we stand against clear acts of unfairness. We want to unethically protect a male-dominated environment that favors us.
Today is going to be a trip. A bunch of sexist pigs are going to hold an all-day seminar explaining how we can move beyond this isolated incidence of alleged sexism and get back to football.
ESPN has wanted no part of this story. They're obligated to report on it once the league confirms they're looking into it. I would say the coverage has been very light considering how much ESPN loves all things Favre. Even more surprising since it adds another story line to the game that's on their network this week. I have to wonder how different their coverage would look if it was, say, Randy Moss being accused of the same thing. #4 seems to have a lot of friends at ESPN.
