KAREN’S RANT: SERENA WILLIAMS RANT

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SERENA WILLIAMS: TERRIBLE SPORT, AND KIND-OF SCARY, AS WELL

Last month, in the semi-finals of the US Open, Serena Williams put on one of the worst displays of bad sportsmanship (actually, the BEST example of total lack of sportsmanship) I’ve ever had the misfortune to see. (Don’t just take my word for it–Google away.)

Knowing that I’m a major tennis fan who watches literally every second of US Open coverage, a lot of people got in touch with me for my opinion of Serena’s behavior. The reason that it’s taken me so long to post my thoughts on the subject, in addition to still being in shock that someone could act like she did, is that my criticism of her when I wrote the first draft was perhaps a tad too harsh to print. So, having a month to ruminate on the topic, I still feel exactly the same, but have figured out how to word it without risking Serena coming after ME!!!

 Serena Williams screaming at lineswoman at US Open 2009.  Photo credit: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images.


Serena Williams screaming at the poor lineswoman at the US Open 2009. Photo credit: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images.

First, the incident deets: I’m sure you all know about it by now, but in case you don’t, the short version is that when a lineswoman called a foot fault against Serena, which would have given her opponent, Kim Clijsters, the most beloved woman on the tour, match point, Serena went berserk, screaming at, and threatening, the lineswoman, while shaking her racquet at her in a pretty aggressive manner. [I think I just set a record for number of commas in one sentence!]

As if anyone with a modicum of class didn’t already know, the incident proved to the general public that Serena is not only a bad sport, but a prevaricator (she vehemently denied saying what the audio proved that she did,) and someone who thinks she’s above the rules.

The poor threatened lineswoman would have a good case if she decided to press charges. I recently asked a big Los Angeles criminal attorney what constitutes a legal threat, and he said that what’s necessary for it to be considered a threat is for the perpetrator to state what she’s going to do and how. I think that “I’m going to shove this *** ball down your *** throat” fits the criteria to a tee. (I’m pretty sure having that done to a person would cause serious damage, if not death by suffocation. Ergo, threat.)

To make matters worse, Serena not only DIDN’T apologize, but when asked in her press conference if she thought she should, she replied, “For what?” She truly thinks that she’s above everyone and that she still has many fans! Amazing!!! (And don’t even get me started on how ungracious she’s been all year about Dinara Safina, the World #1, when Serena feels that, despite not playing, or doing poorly, in the non-major tournaments all year, she’s the real #1!)

We can all only hope that, along with not being allowed to compete on the WTA tour for awhile, (it was pointed-out many a time on TV that the consequences in other sports would have been dire), her recently-released book fails miserably. Who would want to read anything she has to say anyhow?

But my guess is that Oprah will have her on, she’ll snarkily mea culpa, but, of course, in the words of her public relations team, and everyone will move on because, for reasons I’m loathe to list here, no one wants to rock the Williams family’s boat.

I’ve never been a fan of Mary Carillo, except for her intelligence, which is a breath of fresh air in the sportscasting community, (I used to record all the commentators’ grammar and pronunciation errors to publish later, but I ran out of paper!!!,) but I really respect her now for calling it like it is and saying how inappropriate it is to have let Serena play the doubles at the same tournament, after her frightening display.

The worst part is Serena’s snideness. At the press conference, she didn’t apologize; then the next day, she released a statement of UN-apology, actually thanking her fans for sticking by her in her hard time; and the day after that, she released a tepid one that looked to be written for her by her PR team. And I used to think that Venus was the worse of the two tennis-playing sisters! Serena’s behavior makes Venus’ seem like that of Mother Theresa!!!

Adding to the debacle is the trying-to-make-it-start-being-better of the embarrassed tennis commentators. When Cliff Drysdale read the second statement on Monday morning before the self-entitled sisters were erroneously (in my opinion) allowed to take the court for their doubles match, he said, “You couldn’t hope for a more sincere or deep apology than that.” Is he joking??? It was neither sincere nor deep! Nor, actually, an apology! It was clearly coerced and smug.

And, on top of that, the sisters kept their opponents, who were the number one seeds, waiting to take the court. (The lower seed, which they are, is supposed to walk out first, but these two keep everyone waiting on them because they feel they should have the star spot at all times.)

And, adding to her bad rep, Serena had the gall to show up at the (equally classless) MTV Video Awards the night before playing the doubles final, to make fun of the foot fault that started it the all!

If there’s a tennis God, I’m begging him or her to please come up with some appropriate way for the sport to punish this more-than-shameful behavior. I’ll take Terrell Owens’ antics over Serena’s shenanigans any day.

 

 
 
 

 

 

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