I'm used to Rut being wrong, so I must have been on auto-pilot.

Sorry, Rut. ;)

Sure...an athlete that the public would care about even less. There's only a handful of recognizable names in tennis...and you guessed it, the Williams sisters are two of them. Heck, part of the reason this is such a story is the fact that the public cares about the Williams sisters.

Any relation to the Williams sisters? :p

Shut up! :cool:

I agree with APG.

I don't recall making this a poll...

2k fine for someone making more then 12 million, is the same as fining someone who makes 50k a year 8 bucks.

Either you are ok with this behaviour and need to let her rant, or you have to send a message to your athletes that they behaviour is unacceptable. If you are going to make insignificant gestures do not expect anything to change. if you don't expect it to change spend your time worried about something else.

LOL! Like anybody watches tennis! :D

Don't you have a Canadian football ruling that absolutely no one but you gives a damn about?

LOL!!! Thanks for the laugh.

Name two other tennis players and spell them by name without looking? I will be waiting. Because the American public at least do not give a damn about Tennis. No one talks about it on discussion sports boards. Actually this was probably the most attention that tournament got because I could not tell you who she played or won the damn thing.

Peace

Exactly. $2k out of $12M is likely thought of as "money well spent" because she got to make a point for so little of a fine.

Then, what's this?

It's a big world out there, Rut. The later rounds of the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and French Open are still picked up by either NBC or CBS. Someone in America must be watching.

Anyway, Bob wondered aloud what we can learn from this. I've learned that we have it easy, compared to some officials. Most of us wouldn't tolerate this kind of talk from athletes toward us, and we'd handle it immediately. Certainly, though, it's a different world. We get paid significantly less than this official, whose payment is partially dependent upon the television ratings her tournament receives.

Should it matter, though? Shouldn't name-calling like this toward an official always be immediately punishable within the contest? This official did nothing to squash Serena's sililoquy. Should she have taken a firmer stance?

Wasnt' Borg known for his stoic nature on the court? I don't remember him ever throwing a tantrum. Also, professional sports, expecially an idividual sport like tennis, is all about the players. That's where the money is. Obviously they'll get away with much more.

No. different sports have different standards and operating procedures.

Take any more to the tennis forum.

No such animal, boss. Not in this realm. (That's why I prefixed the topic with "OT.")

Not yet. :D