BlogHer - tennis - Comments

Love Serena!

Megan Smith — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:47 -0600

I love Serena, always have. In spite of her meltdown at the US Open, which she rightfully got raked over the coals for she's an amazing tennis talent, and a extremely well rounded person.

Good for her.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

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We'll Have To Agree to Disagree

Megan Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:15:51 -0500

I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree, but that's okay 'cause if you're a tennis fan, you're fine by me.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

Twitter:@MeganSmith

Agreed, Kanye exhibited poor manners

Sarah — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:40:01 -0500

Serena Williams lost her temper. What Kanye did was terrible manners and completely out of line. He had no business on that stage at all and interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech just to say that someone else was better than her was a real dick move.

That being said, now her speech and name will live on in trivia games for years.

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I agree those guys all did

ebyrdstarr — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:53:48 -0500

I agree those guys all did bad things. Having seen most of those guys in their moments, my gut reaction as a tennis fan is that Serena's display was the worst one I've ever seen. I am not singling her out because she's the woman; my view is simply that she was more threatening than I have ever seen. Except, perhaps, for the Agassi ball thing. And I still think Agassi got off way too light for that. But Agassi getting off to light for that is no reason to let Serena off lightly, either. Were I Potentate of the US Open, she would not have played doubles today.

As I said, Jimmy Connors was suspended. Jeff Tarango (and how glad am I that someone else remembers that crazy?) got defaulted at least once. John McEnroe was fined on multiple occasions. I never rooted for any of those guys and hated the way they brought shame on themselves with their on-court behavior. And this was not the first incident in Serena's career. It was just by far the worst.

I guess I just object to the idea that we're somehow blowing this one out of proportion.

Preaching to the Choir

No One Should "Overlook" Her Behavior

Megan Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:10:03 -0500

No one, and I do mean no one, should "overlook" Serena's behavior. She was totally in the wrong and deserves whatever penalties tennis dishes out. Having said that, I agree with what Filip Bondy said in today's New York Daily News:

Jimmy Connors wagged his finger with violent intent in the face of many officials. Long after he had reformed his image, in 2001, Andre Agassi whacked a 120mph serve at a Wimbledon lineswoman during a semifinal match and questioned her sex life. And let's not even get started with John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase or Jeff Tarango.

And those guys did that kind of stuff, all the time. Not just once in a ten year career.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

Twitter:@MeganSmith

The PMS line is just wrong,

ebyrdstarr — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:20:28 -0500

The PMS line is just wrong, but I'm also not really happy with the comparisons with John Mc, Jimmy C, Lleyton Hewitt, etc., as if we should just somehow overlook Serena's appalling behavior. I saw lots of tirades by John McEnroe which made me cringe, think he should be fined, etc. (On more than one occasion, he was fined.) But I honestly do not recall ever seeing him act at all as threatening as Serena did on Saturday. There is a difference between throwing a major temper tantrum with yelling and berating and cussing and the physically threatening behavior Serena exhibited. To the extent that any tennis player ever took a beef to a line judge in that manner, I would consistently say the behavior should receive a default, a fine, and a suspension. Jimmy C. did behave in a similar fashion once at Lipton in 1986. For that, he was fined $20,000 and suspended from the tour for 10 weeks. He was also defaulted from the match he was playing, and not just because it happened to be match point anyway.

Preaching to the Choir

They call that irony

Sarah — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:50:28 -0500

Not that we don't all have tantrums. I just try to have mine in private.

I guess it really helps that I work form home.

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she was just featured in a

pookielocks — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:48:08 -0500

she was just featured in a PEOPLE magazine article a couple weeks back about how grown-up she is, etc.

www.shebecameabutterfly.net and www.msmodern.com and www.taking-back-control.com

Kanye West has no manners.

Flightkeeper — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:10:24 -0500

His situations is different altogether. I don't know if he was high, drunk, or what but his behavior was disgusting. Even if you thought Beyonce had the better video, he shouldn't have gone up there to humiliate Taylor Swift, who was the rightful winner.

I'm with you, I'm sick of people who probably ran off their mothers by their poor behavior and were then raised by pigs.

(My blogs are http://flightkeeper.blogspot.com and http://cutefuncool.blogspot.com)

Lots of this going around this week

Erin White — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:01:47 -0500

Joe Wilson, Serena Williams, Kanye West... you know, I'm really not down with this "behave badly now, apologize later" stuff. Not saying people aren't entitled to their opinions or freedom of speech, but there's a time and a place for it. And it's not during a POTUS speech before a joint session, or during someone's award show acceptance speech or in the middle of the US Open. I'm starting to think people are doing it on purpose.

Erin

My Mobile Adventures *~*~* - Mobile/photo blog | @BellTinkR

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Great post

paulag01 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:16:59 -0500

Great post Sarah - and thanks for the updates Megan. Indeed Twitter + Timing = Sweet Spot.

She was totally wrong for losing her cool and saying something to the judge. Would've been better off randomly swearing at no one (haven't we all done that!). Yet it does seem interesting how McEnroe could go postal in every match and it was a-ok in some ways as part of his persona.

Of course in the end.. as Serena said herself, we all learn from our not so proud moments and mistakes. Let's hope this lesson benefits her going forward..

Paula Gregorowicz
The Paula G Company

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I feel exactly the same way

Sarah — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:04:46 -0500

It makes me nuts too, and I am medicated for PMDD. It just seems somehow belittling.

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Sarah and the Goon Squad
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I've Been Saying That To People All Weekend

Megan Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:42:18 -0500

Serena was wrong, dead wrong.

But excuse me, anybody hear of John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Lleyton Hewitt, and even the revered tennis, elderstatesman now, Andre Agassi?

All these guys have acted just as bad on court and much more often throughout there careers. Let's just keep our perspective here.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

Twitter:@MeganSmith

It's Something, Ain't It?

Megan Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:38:30 -0500

I'm also sure it's no coincidence that she's an hour away from taking the court with Venus to play the women's doubles final. Timing and Twitter: a winning combination.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

Twitter:@MeganSmith

UGH on PMS

TW — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:33:57 -0500

I hate when women's emotions are blamed on PMS. It is demeaning and ridiculous. John McEnroe did this sort of thing constantly. It received penalties and headlines but it seems that there is more scrutiny on Serena for this...just because "ladies don't act like that." growl.

~TW

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