US Open Tennis Controversy

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GTS
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Re: US Open Tennis Controversy

Postby GTS » September 17th, 2018, 3:10 pm

I agree that there seems to be a double standard in how people react to Serena as compare to John McEnroe. Watch John in the video below and imagine if Serena had done the exact same things as him. NewModelArmy would you still say "everybody is a victim in this country, even the perpetrators!" when talking about John in the 1980's? He is clearly acting like a victim.

Then again, maybe we all see our personal worldviews in something that is just two people hitting a ball around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xea1KKEgOco

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: US Open Tennis Controversy

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 17th, 2018, 9:55 pm

I think we need to remember that McEnroe played 30 years ago before they had replay technology. I bet the refs were blowing line calls left and right. It was a different time.

And despite what you've heard in the media, McEnroe was penalized for most of those outbursts and actually tossed out of a tournament or two.

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C64_Critic
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Re: US Open Tennis Controversy

Postby C64_Critic » September 21st, 2018, 11:39 am

bluenote wrote:I don't think she was a bad sport. It was a championship match, and you're getting bad calls against you. Sport is very emotional. You see outbursts like that in all sports. When you play at that level, emotions sometimes get the better of you. Does anyone remember McEnroe???? Andy Murray? Jimmy Connors??

I don't believe there was any sexism though, but I do believe it was bad officiating. He made the coaches penalty call, and that is hardly ever called. Also, she called him a thief and that resulted in another penalty. Really? A thief??? Tennis players (yes, mostly men) have called refs A LOT worse and have said pretty nasty things and would only get a warning. I really think the ref (just like athletes) had an off game.


I didn't see the match, nor do I typically watch tennis, and when I initially heard the reports about this I was more than prepared to believe Serena got jobbed by the ref. Having read up on a it a bit and hearing more, it sounds like this is nothing more than yet ANOTHER temper tantrum by Serena at a U.S. Open... when she's losing, naturally (ref her ridiculous outbursts in 2004, 2009, and 2011). I have yet to hear anyone with any actual tennis knowledge claim that she was getting any 'bad calls'. The closest anyone seems to be able to come is "Well, he could have warned her first..." or "Well, yeah, it's against the rule for coaches to send signals in from the stands, but most of the time judges ignore that or issue a warning first." These are completely bogus claims. In any sport participants are going to occasionally get non-calls or get away with something, but that doesn't mean the rule doesn't exist. It's like speeding; I might drive 70mph 80% of the time and have no issue, but once in a while I may get pulled over - I don't scream at the cop that he pulled me over because 'usually' I'm not?!

I think it's also interesting that Serena... in attempt to avoid having to simply say "I was getting beat, I was emotional, I was in the wrong, and I apologize" like she should have, tried to play the sexism card (and continues to). Yet in her previous run-ins at the U.S. Open, she personally berated FEMALE judges who were just doing their job, calling them terrible names and insulting them personally.

Yeah, McEnroe and Connor and others have acted like jerks, but they were called out for acting like jerks and penalized... not venerated by idiots claiming they were in right.


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