Michelle Beisner Dragged into Erin Andrews Controversy by Columnist Jason Whitlock

Kansas City Star and FoxSports.com columnist Jason Whitlock has managed to drag Michelle Beisner and the website Deadspin - along with the issue of race - into the ongoing Erin Andrews peephole video controversy. According to Sidelinehottie.com, Michelle Beisner is a former Denver Broncos cheerleader who later became a sports reporter with the NFL Network. You can see a picture of Michelle Beisner by clicking the link at the bottom of this article

Jason Whitlock believes that the influential website Deadspin is largely responsible for popularizing and perpetuating the Erin Andrews peephole controversy because it posted a link to the website hosting the Erin Andrews peephole video (it has since been taken down). Whitlock points out that until Deadspin mentioned it, the Erin Andrews peephole video had been virtually ignored.

Whether this is true or not is highly debatable, but it does demonstrate in no uncertain terms that Whitlock has some issues with Deadspin.

Jason Whitlock contends that back in 2007, Deadspin invaded Michelle Beisner's and sportscaster Stuart Scott's privacy and that it was just as egregious as what has happened to Erin Andrews.

What allegedly happened is that at a Super Bowl party, Deadspin editor AJ Daulerio caught a glimpse of a text message that Stuart Scott sent Michelle Beisner that read, "Lemme know."

Daulerio interpreted this to mean that Stuart Scott was trying to set up a booty call (in other words, according to Daulierio, Scott was trying to confirm whether or not Michelle Beisner was going to meet up with him for a sexual encounter) with Michelle Beisner.

Daulerio posted his observation on Deadspin without regard for Michelle Beisner's and Stuart Scott's privacy (at the time, incidentally, Stuart Scott was married).

Whitlock correctly points out that Michelle Beisner did not receive nearly the same amount of sympathy that Erin Andrews is receiving. Whitlock also claims, though, that this was because Michelle Beisner, who is white, was allegedly dating a black man at the time - namely Stuart Scott.

The problem with Whitlock's assessment is that the two cases cannot be compared. Simply put, what has happened to Erin Andrews is infinitely worse than what happened to Michelle Beisner and Stuart Scott. It is not worthy of the same amount of outrage and disgust. Moreover, "Lemme know" could refer to a million things other than a sexual rendezvous. It is hardly incriminating evidence.

But there is another problem with Whitlock's piece. He claims to be a writer who offers "context and reasonable perspective," but then refers to Erin Andrews as a "sideline Barbie doll."

How could this term not be considered blatantly sexist?

Sources:

Who's to Blame for Erin Andrews' Scandal, Fox Sports

NFL Network's Michelle Beisner, sidelinehotties.com