Jeff Pearlman Mercilessly Ripped Erin Andrews, Called Her the Kardashian of Televised Sports

Jeff Pearlman, the former Sports Illustrated writer who will forever be linked to John Rocker, has decided to weigh in on L’Affair Sherman, but he’s shifting the conversation away from the Seattle cornerback, and to Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews. Pearlman took to his blog and eviscerated Andrews, saying she reacted like a “deer in headlights” during the live interview, and proceeded to compare her to Alex Rodriguez (?) before he got to the Yankees. Yeah, I’m confused, too:

"Here’s the problem, if you’re Fox: Erin Andrews makes a ton of money for someone who’s not especially good at her job. There are now—in her wake—dozens of similarly blonde, similarly pretty, similarly perky reporters working the TV sports circuit. They’re younger than Erin Andrews, fresher than Erin Andrews, probably even more talented than Erin Andrews. Before long (if it hasn’t already happened), Fox will realize it surrendered a ton of dough for a ballplayer who did her best work at ESPN, just as ARod did his best work in Seattle. Her prime was 2008. "

Pearlman, the author of several well-regarded books, was all over the place, dissecting her looks, fuming about her salary and net worth, and saying she’s no Jim Gray.

"See, surface beauty only travels so far before people demand something more to stay tuned. Sports fans, ultimately, want insight and professionalism and high-caliber questions. They want follow-up reporting."

Well, no, not really. The sect of professional sportswriters who think their job is as important as that of a foreign war correspondent wants hard-hitting follow-up questions.

The rest of us watch sports – it’s called the toy section for a reason – for fun. We’re not hypercritical of the actions of sideline reporters who are negligent in their responsibility to DEMAND ANSWERS when the person they’re speaking to morphs into a rabid werewolf. If this had happened before DVR and instant YouTube highlights, everyone would’ve missed the alleged unprofessionalism like Pearlman says he did the first time around.

"She was born pretty, she was a college athlete, she speaks well and she likes sports. If someone wants to pay her huge amounts of money for that, well, so be it. She’s the Kardashian of televised sports—and being a Kardashian has worked out pretty well for the actual Kardashians. The problem comes when something like the Richard Sherman situation arises, and Fox’s sideline star looks overwhelmed and out of her league and lost."

Andrews asked a question. Sherman screamed, shocking the 59 million people watching at home. Andrews asked a follow-up. Sherman answered with another torrent of anger toward Crabtree. Fox cut the interview. And we’re crushing Erin Andrews for this? [via Jeff Pearlman]