Serena the un-serene
Although I don’t follow tennis as closely as I used to, I certainly heard and read about the big brouhaha at the US Open involving Serena’s being penalized by an umpire, and ultimately losing in the finals to relative newcomer Naomi Osaka:
Williams was handed the third game penalty for verbal abuse, after calling the umpire Ramos a ‘thief’ and demanding that he issue an apology.
The interaction came after he issued a warning for a code violation relating to receiving coaching, which is prohibited in Grand Slam matches.
Williams insists she did not know her coach was giving her instructions, saying she had “never cheated in her life”.
“I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose. I’m just letting you know,” she said in protest to Ramos’ decision.
In frustration during the changeover, Williams smashed her racquet, earning another code violation and a one-point deduction.
“You’re attacking my character. Yes you are. You owe me an apology,” she said.
“You will never, ever, ever be on another court of mine as long as you live. You are the liar.
“When are you going to give me my apology. You owe me an apology. Say it. Say you’re sorry. … And you stole a point from me. You’re a thief, too!”
Williams claimed the discretion [in penalizing her a game at that point, which is when she was already down in the second set] used by umpire Ramos was sexist…
“There’s a lot of men out here that have said a lot of things, but because they’re men that (punishment) doesn’t happen to them … Because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me? That is not right.”
After the game, Williams said Ramos had never deducted a game from a male tennis player for calling him a thief…
“I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff,” she said.
“For me it blows my mind…This is outrageous.”
All kinds of stuff—like the right to be abusive and infantile when things don’t go her way.
And it’s probably true that Ramos never deducted a game from a male tennis player for calling him a thief because (a) that actually wasn’t why he penalized Serena a game, either—it was because that was the third strike after a warning and a point deduction; and (b) I doubt any male player—or female player for that matter—has used that particular accusation against Ramos before; and (c) that wasn’t all Williams had said to Ramos to get the game deduction, as you can see from the article.
Williams subsequently has been lauded by many people as a brave role model, which tells you a lot about the standards of modern sportsmanship (sportswomanship?).
As for the current rules:
ALL theee code violations were warranted under the rules.
Clear coaching. Warning
Clear cracked racket. Point
Clear unsporting conduct questioning the integrity of the chair umpire by calling him a “thief”. Game
Solid officiating by Carlos https://t.co/R2NrK0NeRR
— Richard Ings (@ringsau) September 8, 2018
Men have certainly been disciplined harshly in tennis for misbehavior. A Russian man was thrown out of a 2016 tournament, certainly a much harsher penalty than losing a game, for this:
Daniil Medvedev, 20, was immediately disqualified from the Savannah Challenger – a competition that forms part of the ATP World Tour – on Thursday, after he “questioned the impartiality of the umpire, based on her race.”
Medvedev was playing Donald Young, a 26-year-old American, in the second round match.
Young is currently ranked 84th in the world, while Medvedev is 260th.
The Russian was losing 3-1 in the first set but, as he looked to regain his momentum, the umpire, Sandy French, called his forehand wide.
While he was walking back to the baseline, he uttered under his breath: “I know that you are friends. I am sure about it.”
Note that Medvedev (not to be confused with the Russian Prime Minister) was muttering under his breath, and the only reason his remarks were heard is that microphones picked them up. This, as far as I can tell, was his single violation in the entire match. Both French, the umpire, and Young, Medvedev’s opponent, are black, and it was assumed (although not actually stated by Medvedev) that the Russian player was referring to race being the reason they “are friends.”
This was the result:
And at the end of the game, tournament supervisor Keith Crossland was called to the court by Ms French to discuss Medvedev’s behavior. After a lengthy discussion with Medvedev, Mr Crossland walked over to Ms French in the umpire’s chair and appeared to give his consent for the match to be handed to Young through an unsportsmanlike default against Medvedev.
Ms French announced the news to the crowd, who had no idea what was going on.
“Unsportsmanlike conduct. Default Medvedev,” she told the crowd through her chair umpire microphone. “Game. Set. Match. Young. 4-1. Default.”
And then there are fines such as this one that occurred in 2017 (and note the reappearance of Medvedev):
Tournament officials have handed out the second highest recorded financial penalty in Wimbledon’s history, imposing a $15,000 (£11,500) fine on Bernard Tomic for “unsportsmanlike conduct”.
It came after the Australian admitted in a post-match Press conference that he had faked an injury during his straight-sets loss to the German Mischa Zverev in the first round, and that he was “bored” with Wimbledon.
And Daniil Medvedev was handed three individual fines totalling $14,500 (£11,200) – the third highest amount since records began in 1991 – for unsportsmanlike conduct, when he threw coins at the umpire’s chair…
These people were all men, when last I heard. And insulting umpires seems to be a big part of what is considered actionable in tennis.
And then there was this guy in 2016:
Nick Kyrgios was banned for eight weeks by the ATP World Tour after his latest instance of bad behavior at the Shanghai Masters, where he failed to “give best efforts” and barely tried at times during his match. The men’s tour urged the combustible Australian to consult a sports psychologist.
In a statement on Monday, the ATP said the talented 21-year-old was found to have committed the major offense of “Conduct Contrary to the Integrity of the Game.”
Kyrgios was fined an additional $25,000 to the $16,500 he picked up on site in Shanghai and is suspended for eight tournament weeks, though that can be reduced to three weeks providing he “enters a plan of care under the direction of a sports psychologist, or an equivalent plan approved by the ATP.”
A guy. Banned for not trying hard enough.
Ilie Nastase, otherwise known as “Nasty,” was legendary for bad behavior back when I was following tennis closely. I witnessed some of his shenanigans in person at the US Open, although not this one:
Flicking off the let-chord judge’s hat, refusing to leave his seat when the chair umpire called time, constant complaints, it truly was a debacle.
Eventually, after repeated warnings, point penalties, game penalties and code violations, veteran umpire Frank Hammond had to award the match to McEnroe while the American was leading the fourth set 3-1.
The crowd had hoped for an old-versus-new showdown between two of the game’s most enigmatic characters and almost rioted when they did not get what they wanted.
Thrown out of his match at the US Open, which is much worse than being penalized a game, which is what happened to Serena.
And then of course there was bad boy John McEnroe. You can see his record here.
McEnroe was thrown out of the Australian Open (which is a Grand Slam tournament) in 1990:
Under the old rules, disqualification was a four-step process: warning, point penalty, game penalty, default. Under the new rules, it was to be a three-step process: warning, point penalty, default…
Under those rules, Serena would have been defaulted rather than merely lost a game. She’s lucky the rules seem to have gone back to dictating a four-step process again, rather than a three-step one. She got to step three on that four-step process.
Here’s what happened to McEnroe in 1990, under those older, three-step rules:
Armstrong was in the chair and he gave McEnroe his initial warning early in the third set when McEnroe glared at a lineswoman after a questionable call and bounced the ball upward on his racket strings in front of her.
Armstrong later gave McEnroe a point penalty for racket abuse after he threw and cracked his racket in the sixth game of the fourth set, when he was up two sets to one…
McEnroe argued his case and called for the Grand Slam chief of supervisors, Ken Farrar, who soon arrived on court with Bellinger.
After failing to change any minds, McEnroe turned away from the chair in the direction of the baseline, muttering an expletive in a comment that has no place in a family newspaper.
“I don’t know how well people even heard it, because it was sort of under my breath anyway, but he heard it,” McEnroe said of Farrar. “And maybe the umpire heard it, and then that was all she wrote.”
McEnroe braced himself for the game penalty (he later said he wasn’t aware of the rule change that dictated a loss of the match for a third violation, rather than a mere game penalty), but instead it was a match penalty. Today, McEnroe views his default as the price he had to pay after years of favorable treatment.
And here’s a piece about the latest from Serena, by the umpire who gave McEnroe a game penalty in 1987 that cost McEnroe a set at the US Open:
Even four decades of distinguished professional umpiring experience would not have prepared Ramos fully for what was about to happen. I should know, as the memories and scars of my own welcome-to-the-job match are fresh even more than 30 years later.
It happened at the 1987 US Open. I was the chair umpire for the fourth-round stadium court match between John McEnroe and Slobodan Zivojinovic where I issued a warning, point penalty and a game penalty against McEnroe.
The game penalty, for a string of obscenities directed at me, came at 4-5, costing McEnroe the set and making the match one set all…
Note again that progression: warning, point penalty, game penalty, just like what happened to Serena at the hands of Ramos.
The article continues [emphasis mine]:
The point penalty was triggered when Williams destroyed her racquet on the court after having her serve broken. Apart from the bad look for the sport of a player violently breaking a racquet on court, it is also dangerous to on-court officials, ball persons and front-row spectators as shards go flying.
All players know that destroying a racquet on the court is a mandatory code violation.
The game penalty was triggered after Williams, in a lengthy tirade, loudly accused the umpire of being a “thief” stealing points from her. Ramos let the tirade slide, showing great composure until Williams accused him of cheating.
All players know that publicly attacking the honesty of the umpire is going to result in an immediate code violation.
Ramos made absolutely the correct calls as a chair umpire in each of these three incidents.
I’ve read tons of online comments about this. Some consider Serena a martyr. Others think she’s a whining complainer. I’m in the latter camp. I’m sick and tired of people blaming “isms” for everything negative that happens to them, even when their own bad behavior has caused it. Yes, umpiring is not an exact science. Yes, it’s a judgment call. But respect the rules and act respectful towards the umps. Isn’t that one of the first rules of sport, for everyone?
Serena Williams is a great great tennis player, one of the greatest. Her fighting spirit is one of many reasons she’s attained such heights in her sport. She’s been greatly rewarded for it, too, rewards she deserves.
But role model? Sadly, this sort of abusive behavior and ex post facto blaming is what passes for a role model these days.
She’s 36. It’s a reasonable wager that she’s carefully avoided triggering her father’s wrath during the course of her life, but she got just what she wanted unleashing hers on all and sundry in venues outside the family circle. Incentives matter.
This is blowing up in Melbourne because of Mark Knight’s cartoon of the Serena tantrum, discussed here in the LA Times.
Serena is a member of an intersectionally doubly protected class, and a celeb. This may or may not have been a causal factor for her tantrum, but it sure is a
factor in the hysteria over the cartoon.
Serena is not a martyr and she was clearly bullying to get her way in narcissitic fashion. I had flashbacks of my ex-wife. 🙂
I watched a debate between Anthony Brian Logan and a person who favored Serena and one of the things I learned is that Naomi Osaka had beaten Serena earlier this year.
I’ll put this here.
https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1039903464883511297
Terrible.
Yet another selfish infant who thinks that membership in a protected demographic is not only a free pass to break all the rules/laws she wants, but that any attempt to enforce said rules/laws against her is inherently sexist/racist/something-ist.
I’ve had it with these brats. As long as the penalty is appropriate for the infraction, I shed not one tear.
She is so good – so often often overpowering – that she is almost always in control of her matches. These blow ups happen when she’s not.
I see it as her way to find an excuse – because she can’t face the fact that it’s not her in control of the match. It’s something that goes on in her own head to try to not lose her confidence, which you can not afford to do at that highest level.
I’m surprised that she got as far as she has with this defense mechanism – which I have seen from her more than once – but it goes to show just how good of a player she is that she is still one of the best, if not the best, woman player of all time.
I think many great players have worked through this, or similar, destructive behaviors and have learned to hold on and grind it out when that control slips.
She’s 36. Margaret Smith Court retired at 35. Billie Jean King retired at 39. Chris Evert retired at 35. Evonne Goolagong retired at 32. Steffi Graf retired at 30. She was seeded 17th in this tournament.
Ratchet girl broke her racquet.
At best, Serena was being a “whining complainer”, with extra credit for bringing her daughter into the argument, and playing the victim card despite being, no doubt, the wealthiest woman athlete in the world.
But I see something worse in her conduct this time: she was losing the match at the time of all this, and I fear she was using this incident to distract and disrupt her opponent’s game. This cynicism is even worse than the disrespect (I hate that word) she showed to the officials and the tournament. This cynicism is the same reason that Jimmy Connors was worse than McEnroe back in the day — I never got the sense that McEnroe was trying to disrupt his opponent, but Connors did that as a habit, IMO.
The sour grapes reaction that detracted from Ms. Osaka’s victory is just icing on the cake.
“‘There’s a lot of men out here that have said a lot of things, but because they’re men that (punishment) doesn’t happen to them … Because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me? That is not right.’
After the game, Williams said Ramos had never deducted a game from a male tennis player for calling him a thief…
‘I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff,’ she said.”
Maybe some woman can womansplain this to me. I’m thinking that maybe my anticipation of a coherent thought is merely an artifact of my wrongthink produced by generations of cisgendered christofascist Six Sigma from-the-sea buzzword buzzword buzzword white supremacist patriarchy. Or, maybe not and this should make some sort of sense.
And I’m actually a fan of the Williams sisters.
I saw Billie Jean King last night complaining how unfair things are for women–they don’t even have enough woman coaches.
TommyJay,
That lets the complainers add the race card to this.
Who gives a s**t about people bouncing a ball over a net? Or taking knees? Athletes have beome the most pampered, overpaid people in the world. If you want to watch sports , go to a Little League game.
Best commentary by far on the incident, Neo. Thanks especially for the excerpts from and link to the Richard Ings. commentary.
I remember going to my first PGA event, and thinking “what a jerk!” when one of the tour mavericks buried the blade of his club in the soft fairway turf after an unsatisfactory shot, instead of handing it back to his caddie. It’s been years since I attended a tournament, but It seems from what I see on television that professional golf may be the only sport remaining in which the competitors behave better than the spectators.
‘Roid rage…. and a clear case of
RPS: Race Privilege Syndrome
and
Pleading her belly….. “I’m a mother!”
In tennis, referring to previous games or matches or tournaments is beside the point. The rules are for the game in which you are playing. That’s it. Break enough of them in the match you are playing and it’s, well, game. set. match.
The dishonorable and emotional, screaming loudly about honor and impartiality.
It’s difficult to find any sympathy for the lives, not merely the behaviors, of people who act like feral animals one half the time, and prima donnas the other.
I was a big fan of tennis, having played a reasonable amount informally as a kid. Back then you were honor bound to be polite and call faults on yourself.
I enjoyed watching it too until watching it inevitably involved watching Connors and McEnroe, men you would probably be tempted to beat to death if you encountered them after they scratched your car in a parking lot, and you could manage to goad them into initiating an assault.
There has been a lot of great tennis played in the ensuing decades of course, and I have witnessed a bit of it; but the habit so broken, never reasserted itself.
That said, there are lots of people who strongly disagree with me, and believe that the playing field is a “special place” of exemption, and that emotions and behaviors out of place in civil society should receive dispensation there. Because … all part of the show, emotions run and stakes are high, excellence excuses, and … something or other …
But from my viewpoint, being a cheat and a horse’s ass there, is merely characterological evidence of what one is at his moral core.
And as to the Roid Rage thesis there’s this:
” Serena has faced allegations of drug use throughout her career and for good reason.
1– It was alleged that she managed to evade drug testers (for OC) entirely for two years in 2010 and 2011. She covered up failed ICs by citing phantom injuries. She also famously locked herself in a panic room and called 911 when an out-of-competition tester called on her in October 2011. She never provided a sample afterwards and the tennis authorities did not answer why.
2 Serena was one of the players (including Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsey Davenport) who protested against the WTA’s new drug testing rules in 2000 which led to the cancellation of WTA’s off-season testing program too. She has protested vociferously against any attempts made by the WTA/ITF to make testing more rigorous and stringent. She once reportedly declared that “women don’t need to be tested because women don’t take steroids”. She also raised similar objections before the 2004 Olympics in Athens until the WTA gave in. However, the IOC did not and Williams ended up withdrawing from the games citing “terrorism fears” in Greece!
3 A number of critics have pointed to Serena’s body and muscle size to allege use of steroids. However, it is not the best indicator in my opinion. Many black (and non-black) athletes are muscular and it is unfair to brand someone a doper on the basis of looks.
4 A stronger and more incriminating pointer was the pulmonary embolism and hematoma that Williams suffered in March 2011. Since embolisms and DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) are often associated with sedentary lifestyles, it is surprising when healthy athletes develop the condition. However, it is not rare and there is enough evidence to suggest a link between anabolic steroid use and embolisms in athletes. In fact, anabolic steroid use is one of the biggest risk factors for the condition. Some body builders will also agree that hematomas often occur while injecting steroids.
5 Another factor is Serena’s playing schedule. She takes an awful amount of time off during the year, playing only a few tournaments other than the Grand Slams. Many have questioned how it is possible for a player to win and dominate the game the way Serena does, while not playing it actively through the year. Is she super-human or does she need the time-off for her “juicing cycle”?
6 Over the years, Serena has exhibited unpleasant and bizarre on-court behavior that may be attributed to “roid rage” – a“mysterious illness” that caused her to forfeit a Wimbledon doubles match due to poor co-ordination, death threats that she aimed at a line judge during a 2009 US Open semifinal, breaking racquets, a tirade against an umpire during the 2011 US Open final etc.”
https://www.quora.com/Is-Serena-Williams-on-steroids
I enjoyed watching it too until watching it inevitably involved watching Connors and McEnroe, men you would probably be tempted to beat to death if you encountered them after they scratched your car in a parking lot, and you could manage to goad them into initiating an assault.
I’d have said Nastase and McEnroe. Connors was a notch or two lower on the a**hole scale. Interestingly, Connors has managed to stay married to the same person for nearly 40 years.
Remember when prominent athletes were expected to act as role models for impressionable youth?
Forget “Where has Joe DiMaggio gone?” It’s “Stan the Man” who set the gold standard in athelete role models. Even Barack Obama had to admit Musial to be “an icon untarnished, a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your children to emulate.”
“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration of others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners… is more significant than is a riot.” R. A. Heinlein
For those who want to see role models for sportsmanship these days, I suggest watching men’s tennis. The “big three” of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are as gracious and classy as any competitors, past or present.
” If you want to watch sports , go to a Little League game.” Maybe not:
https://www.facebook.com/youreoffside/videos/1026696764177270/
As a youth soccer ref, I can tell you that sort of behavior also is infecting youth sports.
I have read that there is a discussion about umpires refusing to work her matches.
I have seen professional golfers call penalties on themselves. Ann Althouse says it is because TV would show it but I don’t think so.
My two sports are golf and sailing. Both are gentlemanly and ladylike. There are not as many top notch women sailors but one famous woman skipper raced back in the 40s and 50s. She was a famous sailor but the story is hard to come by.
More about her sailing.
A biography is elusive. She must have had something to do with Stonehill College.
McEnroe… we are now equal…
My two sports are golf and sailing. Both are gentlemanly and ladylike.
which is why someone is now held for manslaughter recently for gentlemanly throwing his club…
Golfer throws his club on the ground in anger causing broken piece to hit spectator in the head during tour in Oregon
Sailing? Gentlemanly and Ladylike?
Crazy Brawl Breaks Out Amongst Friends On Luxury Sailboat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa_Valw_ceM
[and its NOT a sailboat]
Crash and Burn Week #4: Male Sailors Fighting at Leeward Mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_M1LmErccE
[why does the lady laugh?]
and for fun…
Battle between Götheborg and Shtandart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11GUii0MKvM
“I have seen professional golfers call penalties on themselves. Ann Althouse says it is because TV would show it but I don’t think so.” Mike
Your suspicion is correct. Golf has long had a rule that golfers must call a penalty upon themselves.
My favorite story illustrating it involved Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina;
Comparing De Vicenzo’s reaction to a simple mistake “What a stupid I am!” to Williams ranting attempt to virtue signal makes clear just how pathetic is her lack of character. Exceeded in deplorableness only by those who support her misbehavior.
I am with Serena on this. I hate it when umpires interject themselves into games–particularly in championship games. The criterion should have been no-harm–no-foul. Many witnesses said Serena was not looking at her coach when Ramos called the foul. Talk about chicken-shite.
It seems to me that the tennis powers that be wanted to grease the game for the young upstart so Ramos was instructed to call something to rattle Serena if she looked like she was getting into the game. And that is exactly what happened.
On another level I am fascinated by how this is playing out–so to speak. The sports world is dominated by Leftists so I am surprised Ramos the male-white referee has held out against the minority female in this time of #metoo. I say give it a few more days. Maybe Nike will include Serena in their Kapernick propaganda LOL?
skeptic,
rules are rules. Without rules there is anarchy. The criteria was set LONG ago.
When Ramos (admittedly) coached – it was only a warning.
After that, Serena is responsible for her behavior. Liberals can’t be responsible for their behavior though – isn’t that right?
I don’t think the sports world will cave due to a tantrum. Then watch the tantrums come fast and swift 🙂 two year olds learn that.
once women took men out of the thing, and everyone gets a trophy and so on and so on…
this was/is the (predicted and suppressed) result…
good sportsmanship?
hell no…
not when they cry “everything is political”
and title IX, etc…
and cheating for the cause is just an easier way to win
good sportsmanship is basically how men made things fair
[cause if not, well, they can literally kill each other. cheating is the one thing that makes good people willing to kill… dont believe me, then take some time to read the lefts rhetoric on how people get successful and or races, and how its always one side must be cheating otherwise it would be what?]
and masculinity is toxic
and as it grew, it alienated more of the great sports playing people who could not or would not play in such a milieu covered in bullshit whip cream and fake cherry on top
University bans ‘sportsmanship’, ‘mankind’ and ‘forefathers’ to make language inclusive
Cardiff Metropolitan University, formerly South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education, has advised that language should be “gender-neutral” and students should avoid using their “cultural background” to make their choice of words.
It says that the terms “forefathers”, “mankind” and “sportsmanship” should be not be used, as part of efforts to “embrace cultural diversity” through language.
Instead, students should say “ancestors”, “humanity” and “sense of fair play”.
tons of stuff like this
and we wonder why the kids want to enter a different
reality in electronic devices where THAT stuff doesn’t exist (yet)?
[but they are working on controlling that, poor boys, now there are no women that want them and the women are freezing eggs, saving them for some odd alien wave of able men who will want an old woman with a dowry of young eggs]
you should see how they are working on improving it now so that they can fix this stuff
actually, one only has to compare the boy scouts and the girl scouts
but do it fast, since now there isn’t any boy scouts any more…
wait till the next generation AFTER serena gets its turn
IF there are sports left..
think the future is a more rational amicable socially able self controlled sports person?
skeptic wrote with disdain, “It seems to me that the tennis powers that be wanted to grease the game for the young upstart”
Nice to make accusations huh? 🙂 Easy for people who operate with no consequences. Casually lob things like this.
Anyways, Naomi Osaka beat Serena earlier in the year. Serena is responsible for her actions. It went on and on and on. One day people learn or they don’t. Will you learn?
skeptic:
The rule is about the coach, not the player. Coaching is the offense, and her coach later admitted he was coaching her.
Nor does it matter. Players need to be able to keep their cool even if they think something unfair happened.
What’s more Ramos issued a warning for the coaching violation, which would have meant absolutely zero had not Williams followed it up with a major tantrum, smashing her racquet and then insulting Ramos in a really nasty way.
By the way, smashing a racquet is supposed to be mandatory code deduction. But it’s one of Serena’s favorite habits. This compilation was made in 2015 and of course does not include the most recent racquet destruction. Nor is it an exhaustive list. I don’t know whether she was penalized for these, but my guess is that she was for some or even many of them, but the penalties didn’t matter much or at all because they were just a first violation or a second one, unlike the recent one which was a second violation followed by a third:
Plenty of men are penalized for smashing racquets, too:
You may think the rules should be relaxed. Fine. But that’s not the point. The point is that these are the current rules, and a player needs to follow them. If not, take the penalties like an adult. Instead, Serena blew off the rules (rules are for the little people), had a tantrum, and then blamed sexism for her own behavior and the application of rules that have been applied many times before to men.
You still with Serena on this?
Just a rhetorical question for Serena; Let’s for a minute say that all her claims were correct; was throwing a tantrum in the middle of the game the proper way to address the issues?
charles:
I’m not sure what you mean by “all her claims.”
The tantrum she threw consisted of (a) the broken racquet, and (b) insulting the umpire. Those were code violations 2 (point deduction) and 3 (game deduction). The only ruling she disagreed with that preceded that was the coaching violation that resulted in a warning. So that would have been her only claim to disagree with, prior to her tantrum.
Sailing? Gentlemanly and Ladylike?
Crazy Brawl Breaks Out Amongst Friends On Luxury Sailboat
That was hardly a sailboat.
I will admit that day racing is more likely to involve such hijinks, especially in light air when the crew does not have enough to do.
My sport was more distance racing , like Transpac or Mexican races, which I sent a lot of time doing
I agree with Neo that Serena was out of line and the umpire ruled correctly.
The other thing that really bothered me was the crowd booing the winner. She beat Serena to win the U.S. Open at age 20. She was leading before Serena’s misbehavior and point and game penalties. She won! Do I blame New Yorkers, tennis fans in general, or some other group for their unacceptable behavior?
Do I blame New Yorkers, tennis fans in general, or some other group for their unacceptable behavior?
People who pay $1000 a seat to watch tennis.
“There’s a lot of men out here that have said a lot of things, but because they’re men that (punishment) doesn’t happen to them … Because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me?”
Obvious solution: Serena should do a reverse Caitlyn Jenner. Then she can add transgender “rights” to the list of “rights” she’s fighting for.
There was a lot invested in hyping Serena all through the US Open. A viewer could not escape her even during matches by the men, as I counted at least three separate commercials starring Serena, promoting no discernible product other than glorification of the star.
Serena fully deserves all the punishment she receives — and, as possibly the greatest female tennis player since WW II, also deserves the attention and game admiration she has been receiving.
I’m wondering how many tournaments, or particularly Grand Slam tournaments, have included players breaking their rackets without penalty? Not just throwing them, tho that might be an interesting distinction.
I’m also wondering how many verbal abuses of an umpire have been accepted with no punishment. I suspect it’s not too many, and far more have been punished, tho also likely not all of them.
The refs should be tighter on the rules and punishing the “bad guys” (boys or girls), so that all of those who abuse rackets or umpires go thru the 4 step process.
And I think 4 steps is the right sequence, with a game penalty before a match penalty.
Serena, probably a Dem, another sore loser.
(Lombardi: Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.)
There’s a sport optimal balance between being a good loser and sore loser. Williams, in this case, was unbalanced. (Just like Trump acts? sort of.) I usually think/ project that those who are upset at their performance, and showing it to the umpire, are mostly upset at themselves and just “showing it”. I don’t excuse it merely for thinking this is true — and if not admitted later, with an apology to the one wrongly insulted, then it might even not be true.
Probably in most parts of life, being a good loser is more important for most folk — but leads to a bit less winning, in achievement. Yet better relationships.
and, as possibly the greatest female tennis player since WW II,
To those who’ve forgotten Margaret Smith Court. (Who wasn’t juicing, btw).
subtext – “I am the star. This sport was created to serve me. I filled this stadium and am the reason that people are watching this worldwide, not you Mr. Judge, not her (glances at opponent). How dare you. How about it, ladies? Solidarity. I am your role model.”
And it seems to be working. Is this the world I grew up in? Not to my recollection. Where will this kind of culture lead us? Look to the source of that culture, and we will see our future.
Glad to be old.
Serena has always been a poor loser. In the early days she would sometimes feign a limp if she started to lose.
When she lost, her after-match interviews were always about how she was injured or otherwise affected. She could never admit to being outplayed.
She’s going to have a tough retirement.
Neo says: “Still with Serena?”
Yes. What about my point that the game is about the players–not the umpires? When the umpires interject themselves so they are the story then they are wrong.
And I am not alone in thinking Serena got a raw deal and was obviously being baited by Ramos:
“Billie Jean King says Serena Williams was wronged by sexism and ‘an archaic rule’ at US Open” CBSSports.com
Stephen Curry says Serena Williams handled US Open blowup with ‘grace and class’ Stephen Curry is the latest to throw support behind Serena Williams after the US Open’s controversial women’s final, …
“Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka deserved better than 2018’s sexist U.S. Open.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/serena-williams-naomi-osaka-deserved-better-2018-s-sexist-u-ncna908531
Rules and law – rational rules, applied equally, with due process – make civilization possible. Attempts to undermine the rule of law are attempts to undermine civilization and should be treated accordingly.
Sadly, most people who are most in favor of undoing the rule of law would be those least able to handle what they’re trying to create.
skeptic so cleverly wrote (not), “the game is about the players–not the umpires?”.
Yes, the game is about the players both playing and following the rules.
You almost had us.
Skeptic: “Stephen Curry says Serena Williams handled US Open blowup with ‘grace and class’”
Really? On what planet, exactly?
My would-be tennis career ended in my teens, but if I had broken a racquet and then bitched out an umpire – you know, because the rest of the world is in the wrong, not me, wah!!!!! – my parents would’ve disowned me. It was a temper tantrum, at about the 5-year-old maturity level. It cannot be defended. At best, having committed it, she should’ve come out with sincere remorse, something to the effect of: “I can’t take back what I did, but I am very sorry that I did it. Congratulations to my opponent on a match well played. To my fans, thank you for standing by me, and I promise to you that in the future, I’ll work to be the person that deserves your support.” Remind me – is that how she handled her blowup?
skeptic:
Your argument makes no sense.
You write “When the umpires interject themselves so they are the story then they are wrong.”
This umpire gave Serena a warning for a coaching violation. These are the rules. Umpires are there to enforce rules, not to cater to prima donnas. Umpires who refuse to make controversial calls that ruffle feathers should be fired, because they are not doing their job. Umpires are there to make the calls. Some of those calls will be controversial. That’s an umpire’s job.
Or maybe you think there shouldn’t be umpires in sport?
The only reason that warning—which was basically irrelevant, except as a warning about future behavior—turned into a brouhaha was Serena’s actions in response: her tantrum that resulted in the broken racquet and the stream of invective at the umpire.
Those actions of Serena’s were why she lost the point (the broken racquet violation, mandatory penalty) and the invective (the game awarded to her opponent). It was Serena who caused the controversy, not the umpire.
It’s certainly a valid question as to whether coaching should be a code violation. So, have that discussion. A tantrum is not a discussion.
And I could not care less—literally, could not care less—what Billie Jean King says on the subject.
She has an anger management problem, which, in diversity terms, is triggered by Asian/Asian-American women and the audacity of people of lower social status (say, “deplorables”) to deny her privilege.
n.n.:
Osaka is half black. Her father is Haitian.
Mike K — I used to work race committee for a lot of races, many of which were world class. For the most part, if there was an idiot who violated Rule 2, it was the local guy with more money than brains, and sailing skill.
“Serena” had her little tantrum on purpose. She was losing and no doubt realized she would not be able to pull off a comeback win. The tantrum benefited her in several ways:
(1) it stirred up her fan base and all the media, social and otherwise, giving her more publicity, always good for an entertainer.
(2) it threw shadow on Osaka, who played beautifully against her, deprecating her opponent, always a satisfying result for a bully.
(3) it bolstered her victim-cred with the victim-centric culture which she serves, raising her status by her increased victimhood.
(4) who knows? She might get the next Nike contract!
Outstanding post Neo. A handful of agenda minded parrots just repeated the presumed truth of how women can’t get away with what men get away with. Thanks for hunting down the details.
Neo writes: “This umpire gave Serena a warning for a coaching violation. These are the rules. Umpires are there to enforce rules, not to cater to prima donnas. Umpires who refuse to make controversial calls that ruffle feathers should be fired, because they are not doing their job. Umpires are there to make the calls. Some of those calls will be controversial. That’s an umpire’s job.”
Umpires have discretion else any game would bog down when they call every infraction.
Let me give an example: A few years ago my San Francisco 49ers were playing IIRC Baltimore in the Super Bowl. It was the last play of the game and the Niners were on the 5 yard line going for a game winning touchdown. During the play a Baltimore defensive back practically draped himself over the Niner wide receiver. It was a no-call and San Francisco lost the game.
I was, of course, outraged but in retrospect it was the right call. As I have stated several times the game should be about the players. If an infraction had been called there would have been a do-over and essentially the officials would have decided the Super Bowl game.
You may disagree Neo but with your approach every game would be decided by the officials and that is not what the fans are paying to see. Ramos had discretion and calling a ticky-tacky foul when a coach in the audience makes a gesture is surely in his discretion to ignore.
This was during the Super Bowl of tennis and by throwing Serena off her game, that is what he did. That is what tells me the fix was in and the tennis powers-that-be wanted a new face for women’s tennis.
Neo writes further “And I could not care less—literally, could not care less—what Billie Jean King says on the subject.”
LOL Maybe so but I bet during the 70’s you were rooting for her during her game of the century with that MCP Bobby Riggs.
“All players know that publicly attacking the honesty of the umpire is going to result in an immediate code violation.”
Baseball players and their managers know they can argue with an umpire about a lot of things but if they argue calls on balls & strikes, they’ll be immediately ejected. After the game they may complain about the call but they don’t complain about the ejection.
I’ve never been a fan of arbitrary authority, but those are the rules. Williams, like many high performers, seems to think the rules don’t apply to her. While she played poorly in the match, she brilliantly played victimology politics afterwards.
skeptic without logic wrote, “every infraction”
That racket was stone cold busted. everyone saw it.
skeptic with less logic refers to football…..and the 4
forty whiners.
skeptic without chronology wrote, “and by throwing Serena off her game”
She was already losing and lost to naomi in an earlier game.
Employ logic and chronology and move from the bay area. Personal responsibility is key for Serena.
“…Umpires have discretion else any game would bog down when they call every infraction…”
This is an insane statement. You can’t even get away with this in a Little League or high school football game. Let alone at the U.S. open which is broadcast around the world. Try getting away with brushing off angry parents for ignoring “infractions” by spouting off about how you were just exercising your “discretion.” When you have hundreds, thousands, or millions of witnesses to the grotesque foul.
BTW, it was Naomi Osaka, not the umpire, who threw Serena Williams off her game. She outplayed her.
“Serena Williams is a great great tennis player, one of the greatest. “
No.
This conversation happened a few months ago when a female sportscaster said that, and a male, McEnroe maybe, said she might be top 600 on the men’s tour. Another commented that once he had plaid tennis and had never been good enough to be internationally ranked. He regularly sparred with a woman who was consistently ranked in the top 20. She NEVER took a set from him, ever. That authors opinion was that not only would Serena not break the top 1000 men, she would not ever even break eggs on the men’s circuit.
When world class women’s soccer teams need a really good tune up they find a good middle school boys team, or maybe a 9th grade team of boys. We have Mens Olympics and Women’s Olympics for a reason.
We need to respect the fact that men, in general, and women, in general, have different strengths and weaknesses.