2009: The Year Of Erin Andrews

For better or worse, 2009 has largely been the year of Erin Andrews. Sure, some guy named Tiger came along and took all the headlines late in the year, and there have been bigger stories throughout 2009, but EA dominated the headlines like no sports media figure has in a long time.

I say for better because she had some great moments and her adoration among fans has grown exponentially. I say for worse for obvious reasons.

Let's take a look at Erin's eventful 2009.

Playboy's Sexiest Sportscaster

Erin Andrews started off 2009 on the right foot. In February she was voted Playboy's sexiest sportscaster for the second year running.

Even with stiff competition, she bulldozed the results so that it wasn't even close. There may be other sportscasters out there who model or do their best to be the next Erin Andrews, but there's nothing as good as the original.

Is there any doubt about a three-peat this year?

Hit By A Foul Ball

Back in July, the sports world held their collective breath when Erin Andrews was hit by an errant foul ball during a baseball game. Apparently she suffered a pretty bad bruise on her shin, but the word was that she was okay.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. The incident even inspired me to do a slideshow on Erin Andrews' Greatest Hits.

The ESPY Dress

Yowza. When she showed up at the ESPYs wearing this dress, any doubt that Erin Andrews is one of the most gorgeous women in sports was quickly destroyed.

Not only is she the cute girl next door who can talk sports with you, but she showed that she has a sexy, fashionable side to her.

The Video

Then suddenly, after Erin's year hit a peak with that ESPY dress, things went downhill in a hurry.

A video, that apparently had been on the internet since the beginning of the year, was leaked showing a video of Andrews naked in her hotel room, shot through a peep hole.

It was about as sick as you can get. As much as we admire Erin Andrews' beauty, that went too far by about 100 times.

The 911 Call

Anyone theorizing that Erin Andrews had leaked this tape herself to get more attention or popularity was proven wrong when a audibly freaked out Andrews called 911 after the paparazzi was camped outside of her house.

There was a point where she broke down in tears and just seemed overwhelmed by the whole thing. You can listen to the call here.

The GQ Photo Shoot

A month or so later, GQ came out with a magazine article with a photoshoot that Erin did before the video happened.

It wasn't quite what I was expecting when I heard "dirty GQ photoshoot with Erin Andrews," but it was a good representation of her attitude towards her looks and personality.

The shoot also came out around the time that Andrews went back to work, which seemed fitting considering her return to the public.

Went On Oprah

In an effort to put this whole craziness behind her, Erin went on Oprah to talk about the incident with the video.

She said that the whole thing was a nightmare and described her feelings when she found out exactly what had happened.

This also marked the only time I've been even remotely interested in watching Oprah.

The Creepy Peeper Gets A Face

In the middle of December, Erin Andrews finally met her peeper, Michael David Barrett, face to face.

The man pled guilty to taping Andrews on several different occasions and tried to sell the tapes. Though he expressed regret for his actions, that wasn't enough for EA, who said that he should never "see the light of day."

Finishing Off 2009

Erin Andrews finished off her 2009 at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, where she watched Nebraska kick the ever-loving snot out of Arizona 33-0.

Looking as good as ever, it seems like EA has gotten her confidence back or was at least in the process of it. Either way, it's good to see her back on the sidelines and making blowout bowl games just a little bit more watchable.

Looking Ahead To 2010

College football may be close to being over, but we still have college basketball, and don't forget the College World Series.

There is plenty to look forward to with our favorite reporter.

With 2009 being a difficult year for Ms. Andrews, I'm hoping that 2010 will be much kinder to the Sideline Princess.