The debate over whether or not the allegations against Peyton Manning recently brought back to light deserve the coverage they’re getting rages on, but if the reaction by some in the media is any indication, it’s bringing to light just how much of an issue gender continues to play in the world of sports.
Factual or not, the allegations drive home the reality that many women face in the predominantly-male world of college & pro sports. While the world is slowly changing, there’s still a lot of catching up to be done by some men who are just used to things being a certain way.
Detroit Sports 1051 radio host Matt Dery was discussing the accusations on Monday and as he was trying to play the role of devil’s advocate for both sides, he noted that based on photographs of accuser Jamie Naughright that have made the rounds, she might’ve just had this coming.
“But then there is another part of me that goes have you seen this Jamie Naughright? They have shown pictures of her. She looks a little loose … The pictures of her … she looks like maybe she was …. not asking for that … no, no, no … the pictures they’ve put out on her make her look like she is one of the guys, fun, fun-loving, little bit sexy looking …. but the pictures they’ve put out of her showing off her goodies as well…”
Dery is basing this opinion on the handful of Naughright photos that have been making the rounds and show her…posing for the camera? Sitting in a chair? Furthermore, there’s no reason to think the photos are tied to anything related to Peyton Manning or the case. They look like the kind of photos someone might take for their Instagram feed or Facebook profile picture.
It’s the equivilent of seeing a woman on the street wearing a skirt, whistling at her, and not understanding why she’s not flattered, as if she put on the skirt because she wanted to impress you. If she “looks a little loose” or seems to be “showing off her goodies,” that has more to do with the way Dery views women than it does with anything Naughright is doing.
Per Detroit Sports Rag, this is nothing new for Dery, who once asked his audience to determine if ESPN’s Michelle Beadle was “hot or not” and seems to have a penchant for posing for pics with women.
Realizing his poor judgement, Dery tried to walk back his comments later on in the program and ended up stepping right back into it.
“My comments earlier about the pictures they put out of her looking loose …. that doesn’t make it right. I am not saying that’s right. I brought it up because maybe, just maybe…there are those in the mainstream media that want to portray her that way.
Good job, good effort.
A quick Google search shows that only one person in the mainstream media (which being a sports radio host would qualify you to be) has referred to her as “looking loose.”: Matt Dery.
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