Last Night's Winner: Michael David Barrett

In sports, everyone is a winner—some people just win better than others. Like Michael David Barrett, Erin Andrews's peeper, who was sentenced yesterday to two-and-a-half years in prison and life as another triple-named American villain.

Maybe some J.D. out there (or, that failing, an ESPN.com commenter) can explain this to me. U.S. District Judge Manuel Real said the 30 months was the maximum he could've imposed, though a quick glance at the federal sentencing table would suggest that Barrett's term actually falls toward the low end. (Stalking carries a base offense level of 18, i.e. 27-33 months, though the fact that Barrett chased Andrews all across the Marriotts of America probably should've taken it up a couple of ticks). In any case, Andrews is not pleased:

"I'm at the angry stage right now," the ESPN reporter and upcoming contestant on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" said outside court.

"I'm mad. Thirty months is not enough."

[...]

She blasted Barrett for claiming he should get leniency because he's paying for his guilty plea with public humiliation and spoke searingly in court about her own fear and suffering.

"Let's talk about public humiliation, Mr. Barrett," Andrews said. "I'm living public humiliation. The picture on the Internet is mine, it's not his."

She said she's being "revictimized every single day," complaining that a recent Glamour magazine interview reprinted an image from Barrett's video.

"This will never be over for me, and in return I never want it to be over for you," she said as Barrett avoided her gaze.

"Because of him I fear for my life," she continued. "Every time I check into a hotel room, I fear he's in the closet. Every time I come home alone, I'm waiting for him to jump out from behind a door."

She said if Barrett were truly remorseful, he would disclose to authorities the identities of the 16 other anonymous women found on his homemade videos.

"Instead, he's waiting for us all to figure it out. That doesn't sound like remorse at all," she said.

"You are a sexual predator. You are a sexual deviant. I don't feel safe with you on the loose. They should lock you up and throw away the key."

That, I'm certain, would not be in line with federal sentencing guidelines.

So now this whole sordid affair is more or less over. Michael David Barrett will now be peeped upon by federal prison guards. Erin Andrews can continue her transition from sideline accessory to cha-cha-cha superstar. And America has learned its lesson about fame in the internet era and about its culture of objectification, and no one will ever get naked again, the end.

ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews' anger as her stalker is sentenced: '30 months is not enough' [New York Daily News]