I guess I'm in a very small minority: Serena Williams

[DisneyMom81]

The Williams sisters are hated by many in the tennis world. There's a lot of ugly old skoolers still hanging around. They're strong, outspoken women that don't put up with unfair treatment, that's enough to make them hated in the tennis world. And I was not inferring race, people just don't like their attitude...

I am certainly not privy to any inside info in the tennis world. I am a fan of good tennis.

I'm just not sure what - in this particular case - the "unfair treatment" was??

I agree with pozey. A foot fault is a foot fault - simple as that. If the officials have NOT been calling them in the past, well then they should have been! Yes, a lot of people don't like the William sisters (mostly Serena) - I have to admit, I don't really like her, and it has nothing to do with the color of her skin. I always loved Malavia Washington, James Blake.... there was one other girl back in the mid-late 90's that always seemed so sweet - didn't do to well at singles, and I think still plays doubles, but I can't remember her name. Renee maybe... anyway, no matter what happens, when your on the tennis court, and there are 10000000 eyes watching you, you don't do what she did. Get upset, talk to the head judge about it (never the line judge) and see if you can get something done about it. Threatening someones life is never OK - especially if there are millions of people around to hear it!!!!!

 

[sunnyday123]

What was the "hidden agenda"? That maybe before the tournament began, in the official's meeting, the director of officials said "Okay, we are letting players get away with too many foot faults. If you see a foot fault, call it."

It was a PR stunt funded by the tennis ball company.....

 

[pozey]

It was a PR stunt funded by the tennis ball company.....

 

[gonzo76]

I think I am in the minority here but I think they were too easy on Serena. She was penalized almost nothing. She received 350,000 for reaching the Semifinals. I would have defaulted her from the women's double final.

It is well known that you don't call Foot fault when the match is on the line. You let the players play. That being said, what she did was wrong. It is not and never has been acceptable behavior in Tennis.

Players have been Defaulted for much less.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I think I am in the minority here but I think they were too easy on Serena. She was penalized almost nothing. She received 350,000 for reaching the Semifinals. I would have defaulted her from the women's double final.

It is well known that you don't call Foot fault when the match is on the line. You let the players play. That being said, what she did was wrong. It is not and never has been acceptable behavior in Tennis.

Players have been Defaulted for much less.

My boyfriend feels the same way. We talked about it when he came over this morning (he actually didn't know what she had done but I explained it to him.) He said "like that punishment did a lot of good....she still went on and won the Doubles with her sister."

 

[pozey]

It is well known that you don't call Foot fault when the match is on the line. You let the players play.

I don't agree with this....the "don't call a foul/penaly/whatever late in the game" thinking.

A foul is a foul, a penalty is a penalty.....doesn't matter the sport, doesn't matter the time of the game.

Are you saying that if a ball is just barely out, don't call it out...just let them play?

 

[sbell111]

The Williams sisters are hated by many in the tennis world. There's a lot of ugly old skoolers still hanging around. They're strong, outspoken women that don't put up with unfair treatment, that's enough to make them hated in the tennis world. And I was not inferring race, people just don't like their attitude...

I certainly don't care for her attitude. It's unsportsmanlike and crass.

 

[sbell111]

I don't agree with this....the "don't call a foul/penaly/whatever late in the game" thinking.

A foul is a foul, a penalty is a penalty.....doesn't matter the sport, doesn't matter the time of the game.

Are you saying that if a ball is just barely out, don't call it out...just let them play?

We shouldn't even keep score. Declare everyone a winner.

 

[DisneyMom81]

We shouldn't even keep score. Declare everyone a winner.

Well if thats the case, I'm entering!!!!! Even if you lose in the first round, you get something like $30,000!!!! I'll take that!

 

[gonzo76]

I don't agree with this....the "don't call a foul/penaly/whatever late in the game" thinking.

A foul is a foul, a penalty is a penalty.....doesn't matter the sport, doesn't matter the time of the game.

Are you saying that if a ball is just barely out, don't call it out...just let them play?

You can agree with this or not but it's the truth. In the playoffs refs don't call petty fouls. Its a unspoken rule. Foot fault is a petty foul when it's 15-30 and you are serving a second serve to stay in the match.

Like I said you can agree or not but its the way it's done. I didn't say it was right just said that the way it is. Ask any tennis player they will tell you the samething.

 

[pozey]

You can agree with this or not but it's the truth. In the playoffs refs don't call petty fouls. Its a unspoken rule. Foot fault is a petty foul when it's 15-30 and you are serving a second serve to stay in the match.

Like I said you can agree or not but its the way it's done. I didn't say it was right just said that the way it is. Ask any tennis player they will tell you the samething.

I wasn't disagreeing that is an unwritten rule....I was disagreeing with the whole "don't call petty fouls" unwritten rules.

I've played sports my entire life. I understand these unwritten rules. I just don't agree with them.

If it's a foul in the first minute of the first quarter, then it's a foul in the last 30 seconds of the 4th quarter.

If it is a foot fault in the first game of the first set, it's a foot fault at 15-30 in the 2nd set.

It's giving one opponent an advantage over the other.

Yes, I understand a foot fault is a minor violation...but it's a violation nonetheless.

 

[gonzo76]

I wasn't disagreeing that is an unwritten rule....I was disagreeing with the whole "don't call petty fouls" unwritten rules.

I've played sports my entire life. I understand these unwritten rules. I just don't agree with them.

If it's a foul in the first minute of the first quarter, then it's a foul in the last 30 seconds of the 4th quarter.

If it is a foot fault in the first game of the first set, it's a foot fault at 15-30 in the 2nd set.

It's giving one opponent an advantage over the other.

Yes, I understand a foot fault is a minor violation...but it's a violation nonetheless.

Sorry. I misunderstood what you were saying.

 

[Doctor P]

I wasn't disagreeing that is an unwritten rule....I was disagreeing with the whole "don't call petty fouls" unwritten rules.

I've played sports my entire life. I understand these unwritten rules. I just don't agree with them.

If it's a foul in the first minute of the first quarter, then it's a foul in the last 30 seconds of the 4th quarter.

If it is a foot fault in the first game of the first set, it's a foot fault at 15-30 in the 2nd set.

It's giving one opponent an advantage over the other.

Yes, I understand a foot fault is a minor violation...but it's a violation nonetheless.

This is only a defense if the foot fault is being called consistently and regularly. Either call it or don't call it--or only call it when it's egregious. The tennis establishment set themselves up for criticism as soon as the unwritten rule took hold. But, if it's an unwritten rule it's extremely poor officiating to pick and choose when you are going to call it and when you are going to ignore it. I find it hard to believe that this official didn't see a single foot fault before that point in the match (for both players). The call seems really fishy as a result, just as a traveling call in the last two minutes would seem fishy from an NBA referee who hadn't made a traveling call all night before that time.

 

[pozey]

This is only a defense if the foot fault is being called consistently and regularly. Either call it or don't call it--or only call it when it's egregious. The tennis establishment set themselves up for criticism as soon as the unwritten rule took hold. But, if it's an unwritten rule it's extremely poor officiating to pick and choose when you are going to call it and when you are going to ignore it. I find it hard to believe that this official didn't see a single foot fault before that point in the match (for both players). The call seems really fishy as a result, just as a traveling call in the last two minutes would seem fishy from an NBA referee who hadn't made a traveling call all night before that time.

I agree completely with this. Officials should be consistant in their calls. In all sports.

But one thing I don't thing....I don't think it was "fishy". I just think she called it as she saw it. It just came at an inopportune time.

 

[Andy B]

You can agree with this or not but it's the truth. In the playoffs refs don't call petty fouls. Its a unspoken rule. Foot fault is a petty foul when it's 15-30 and you are serving a second serve to stay in the match.

Like I said you can agree or not but its the way it's done. I didn't say it was right just said that the way it is. Ask any tennis player they will tell you the samething.

You seem to be saying that US sport Playoff rules apply in Tennis, I suggest it may not be as common as you think, but most of us cannot just ask a tennis player like you seem to be able to.

 

[1stluvispooh]

Ok here is my 2 cents. Serena was out of line. Not because she "lost it" as she likes to say but they way she lost it. Every other word out of her mouth was a expletive! If you go back and watch John McEnroe's tirades they start with "You can not be serous" and most of them not 1 expletive is said. Now I'm not saying that he never used a curse word because he did. Is she being judged harder than her male counterparts well yes. Quite frankly people don't want to hear a woman curse like a sailor! What worse for me is that she didn't apologizes for 36 hours and then when she did it was because she is promoting her new book. Give me a break we all know the only reason she is doing it now is because her PR person said if you want people to buy your book you'd better applogize.

 

[gonzo76]

You seem to be saying that US sport Playoff rules apply in Tennis, I suggest it may not be as common as you think, but most of us cannot just ask a tennis player like you seem to be able to.

All I was saying was it is commonly known that Refs are more lenient when it comes to smaller faults, fouls, and penalties when in the playoffs, semifinals. Whatever sport you want to pick. I don't think I am making any big news here.

And the last part , I have no clue what you are even saying.