A Daily Wire column published this week accuses sports media of selective outrage over violence against women, arguing that the same journalists who expressed horror at a fake AI-generated video of Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian slapping broadcaster Holly Rowe have remained silent about real violence against female athletes.
The column, written by Karen Crouse, draws a sharp contrast between the rapid condemnation of a digitally fabricated clip and the muted response to allegations of domestic violence against high-profile athletes, as well as the inclusion of boxers with disputed gender eligibility in women’s competitions.
The AI Video Controversy
At the center of the controversy is an AI-generated video depicting Sarkisian striking Rowe. The clip prompted widespread backlash after Arch Manning, the Texas quarterback, was asked if he had seen the edit and laughed while answering. Manning later apologized for his comment and directly to Rowe in an Instagram post.
Crouse describes the reaction from sports media as “pearl-clutching” over a “witless” video, noting that one woman in sports media called the reaction of men laughing “so, so gross.” Yet, Crouse argues, that same outrage was absent when real violence occurred.
Olympic Boxing and Real Violence
Crouse points to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Algerian boxer Imane Khelif struck Italian opponent Angela Carini so hard that Carini withdrew after 46 seconds. Khelif, who Crouse writes confirmed having the male chromosome in a 2026 interview with L’Equipe, had previously been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association for possessing “competitive advantages over other female competitors.”
Despite that red flag, Crouse writes, the sports media largely championed Khelif and expressed no sympathy for Carini, who was “coerced into apologizing” for refusing the post-bout handshake. Khelif has not competed in a World Boxing-sanctioned event since the organization announced mandatory sex testing in 2025.
“When I speak of the hypocrisy of the media ecosystem that considers me a turncoat, this is what I am talking about: women in sports media being offended by puerile men at a press conference, but championing, if only through their deafening silence or what is left unsaid in their reporting, the pummeling of women athletes,” Crouse writes.
Domestic Violence Allegations Ignored
The column also highlights the cases of tennis player Alexander Zverev, who has been twice accused of domestic violence by former partners, and Minnesota Vikings running back Josh Jacobs, who pleaded no contest last week to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property involving an ex-girlfriend. Jacobs did not play in the Vikings’ victory over the Green Bay Packers, but Crouse notes that the media’s focus quickly returned to the field.
She cites a social media post from sports commentator Clay Travis, who asked, “What are we doing?” in response to the backlash over Manning laughing at the AI video, noting that Jacobs was criticized less for the video of him knocking down his girlfriend than Manning was for laughing.
Crouse argues that the media ecosystem has narrowed its lens to the point where “common sense is demonized and misplaced empathy is exalted.” Trivial transgressions are treated as apocalyptic, she writes, while the erosion of 50 years of gains made by women athletes under Title IX is cheered.
A Broader Pattern
The column also references a Good Good Golf advertisement featuring a man shoving a woman, which led to careers being “wiped clean” by outrage. Crouse suggests that the outrage over that ad and the AI video is selective, as the media ignores real violence when it comes from athletes on the field.
“The media ecosystem can’t trumpet the trivial and trivialize the profound without all of us ultimately paying a terrible price,” Crouse concludes.
The column reflects a growing debate over how sports media handles allegations of violence against women, particularly when the accused are high-profile athletes or when the violence occurs in the context of competitive sports. Crouse’s argument challenges the media’s priorities, suggesting that outrage is applied inconsistently depending on the political and social narratives at play.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/sports-media-has-selective-outrage-over-violence-against-women-real-and-fake