There are a lot of unfair fights in sports. Super Bowl XX, in which the Bears held the Patriots to just six total yards, was an unfair fight. Unranked Appalachian State vs. No. 5 Michigan in football was an unfair fight ... Oh wait, bad example, sorry Michigan fans. But these all pale in comparison to the fight that almost happened at the 2009 U.S. Open.
In one corner you have Serena "Schwarzenegger" Williams sporting an intimidating jet-black sleeveless outfit that would make a sumo wrestler run for cover. John Isner, the guy who beat Andy Roddick this year, recently said that you would have to go as low as 800 in the men's ATP rankings to find someone who might lose to the top women's tennis player in a match. Pretty ballsy move by Isner. I'd like to see him try to get away with a remotely similar comment on this campus.
Anyway, I have no idea if he's right, but based on some of the scrawny physiques of a couple of guys in the Open this year, I think you wouldn't have to go too far to find someone who Williams could beat up. I worked at the Open this year, so I got to see her up close a couple of times. Trust me, she's jacked.
In the other corner you have a line judge, who is maybe five feet tall on a good day. She was certainly was not looking too fierce with her thick glasses, and truthfully could not have looked more innocent. Think Milton-from-Office-Space innocent.
Williams was playing Kim Clijsters in the semifinals and the match was one point away from a Clijsters victory. Williams missed on her first serve and was called for a foot fault on her second. I watched different versions of this clip on YouTube a couple of times, so I saw it with two different TV stations broadcasting it, and thus different sets of commentators. When the foot fault was called, to Williams' credit, both commentators were shocked and didn't think it was an appropriate call to make at such a decisive moment.
We all know iffy calls are part of every sport, and you have to live with them and move on. Williams however, chose to not let this one go. She started yelling and shaking her racquet at the line judge, apparently saying, "I will shove this ball down your f*cking throat."
Probably not the smartest move. I know it was in the heat of the moment, but it's not as if it was Williams' first time in the limelight. Williams' words would likely make it into the hall of fame of famous sports quotes, ranking somewhere just below Jason Kidd's famous, "We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees," and just above Dennis Green's "The Bears are who we thought they were."
Anyway, after hearing this, the line judge scurried over to report this to the head official. After some back and forth between the judges, Williams and USTA officials, the final outcome was to penalize Williams a point, which ended up being match point. Williams shook Clijisters hand and immediately left the court.
In the post-game interview she said she had "no regrets," and did not apologize for her actions.
The next day, when John McEnroe asked her if she wanted to say anything to the U.S. Open crowd, she again declined to apologize. Days passed before she offered an apology, saying then that she just wanted to give the linesperson a hug.
Shockingly, the linesperson declined to accept.
It's pretty amazing how dumb athletes can be sometimes. The initial outburst was stupid, but maybe forgivable, as it was clearly not a serious threat, and Williams had been struggling all day. Even declining to apologize in the immediate postgame conference is understandable. Williams is known for having a temper, but she's never done anything this bad, so maybe people could look the other way. But when given the chance to apologize to the fans and linesperson the next day, Williams choose to say nothing, which, in my opinion, is inexcusable.
Lots of professional athletes, not just Williams, appear to sometimes forget how they make a living. Without fans, professional sports wouldn't exist. Neither would any of the endorsement deals. By declining to apologize, Williams was basically saying "F*ck you" to all the fans, who probably would have cheered wildly had she apologized.
Obviously this doesn't apply to a vast majority of professional athletes. Most appear to greatly appreciate their fans, and realize that is why they exist. But Williams is not alone
Redskins linebacker Robert Henson pulled a Serena this week after he became upset when home fans booed the Redskins. He tweeted, "Who are you to say you know what's best for the team, and you work 9 to 5 at Mcdonalds."
Hey buddy, if it wasn't for those 9 to 5 workers at McDonalds being Redskins fans, you wouldn't have a job. Actually, your team has played two games, and you haven't even seen a minute of playing time. If somehow you do finally get in, I hope you like the reception you get from your fans.
