or Notes From a Cranky Old Man
by Bill Ribas
There’s a reason most high level sports performers don’t worry about the consequences of their actions: rarely, if ever, are the penalties not worth the effort. Our latest buffoon slash criminal is Serena Williams, she the Amazonian tennis player, who recently berated a line judge so badly that she cost herself the Open championship. Was she guilty as charged? On the tape you can hear her screaming, “I’m going to take this motherf&%$@#*# ball and jam it down your throat,” only moments later to exclaim to higher ups that she didn’t say she was going to kill the judge, that’s not what she said your honor. But when you cross a line, as she did, and as her feet did, you cross a line.
The horror of all this is she was fined $10,000, taking a sizeable chunk out of her $350,000 purse. How she will afford those garish costumes she wears on the court is beyond me. But that incredible amount of withholding from her paycheck will most certainly change her attitude, will it not? Dear reader, if you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can let you have for a song.
Sports personalities, well, top tier players at least, for whatever reason, always seem to skirt the law. Remember that rapist on the Los Angeles Lakers? Did he do jail time or not? I can’t remember. Or that football lad who killed someone while driving drunk, didn’t he just get a 30 day stay in the pokey?
The funny thing is, we are now accustomed to casting judgment as soon as something comes across the wire. Witness the wire report of Shawne Merriman, who was accused of assaulting Tila Tequila. At first thought, you think, ah, another steroid rage gone bad, what a horrible person, how could he have done that, poor girl. Yet a few days later, it looks like his story was right, he didn’t whack her, and it’s all good. This attitude wouldn’t fly back in the days of white Broncos blasting down the Interstate.
Although at this point, it doesn’t really matter if the person is guilty or innocent – odds are once the press blows over, the story will fade, and as long as the individual performs, it’s a clean slate sort of deal. Kobe and the Lakers enough proof for you?
While nowadays sports programs in schools overshadow educational prowess, should we really look toward sports performers as role models? That is to say, for every Cal Ripken out there who is a real role model, how many Donte Stallworths or Marshawn Lynchs will you find? If you take a second to troll through this site https://www.pixcetera.com/news/athletes-in-trouble-with-the-law/24615 , which catalogs quite a bit of recent rogues, you start to wonder, given the smaller set of professional athletes and the higher return of criminal actions, just what is going on?
It’s not merely that Serena threatened an umpire that’s at stake here; the fact that she allowed herself to do so shows a wanton disrespect for the rules, and for those who enforce them. I mean, if you’re going to work as hard as you can to play a sport, you do so within the framework of that sport, i.e., you don’t cheat, you don’t bend the rules, you garner respect because of what you can do. On Monday Night Football, while commenting on the old school uniforms, both players and officials, Jon Gruden made a crack toward the refs, not wanting to give them too many props. But officials today have become like babysitters for uber rich families – paid next to nothing compared to the players they enforce, subject to bratty humiliation from the same, and constantly made fun of. This year in baseball, for example, the calls have been horrific, yet nevertheless, they are the calls, and like them or not, they stand. It’s painful to see Joe Girardi get thrown out of a game for arguing strikes when his team is already in first place, and the game itself is inconsequential. What does he hope to establish?
What’s the alternative here? No refs? Imagine a game like that. If you’ve ever watched kids argue while playing outside, you understand the need for order. I guess what I’m trying to get at here is, while umps may make bad calls, if you’re a player, live with it and move on. They are only human, as you are, but you’ll never see them complain. As for athletes and lawbreaking, it’s a logical extension. Top players don’t get told ‘no’ too often, so why should a set of laws adhere to them? Why not holler at the ref? Give the kids something to emulate. You can see it as early as little league games, with 7 year olds more aggressive as they talk on the field, or in the stands at school soccer games, as parents scream from the sidelines at the officials. Take the focus off the fun of the game, and blame the ref. Couldn’t possibly be the fault of the player, could it?
And in the real world, would this behavior fly? Imagine handing in a spreadsheet to your boss, who asks for corrections. Would you unload on him as Williams did, unleashing invective because you don’t think you deserve it? Would the wrong font or a typo demand that you holler at your boss that, “I’m going to jam this motherf&@^@%# spreadsheet down your throat!” and expect respect in return? If you like the view from the trailer park window, by all means go ahead. Unless your name is Williams or Bryant, though, I’d suggest keeping it quiet.
To top it off, Dear Serena dispels the incident in her post-match conference by questioning how the judge could have been afraid of her. I think she made mention that she has never been in a fight. Like that mattered while Serena walked toward the official gesturing with her racket as a potential weapon.
Unfortunately Women’s Tennis can’t afford to suspend one of its main attractions – but Serena should be suspended for the rest of the season. For all the excitement Melanie Oudin created – Serena Williams destroyed it in about 30 seconds.
How ironic is the fact that a football player who shot HIMSELF in the leg and basically being an idiot – gets 2 years in jail. But a guy who was drunk and behind the wheel – actually killed another human being – and got 20 days in jail. Would the average citizen get the same consideration?
Mary Cirillo did not hide her opinion about the Serena incident. She said the fine was a joke, and that the USTA should consider further action.
Well, I didn’t hear that, but the fine was (and is) a joke. The question is though, what do you do for a bratty prima donna (guy or girl) that would make them rethink what they’ve done? Withhold the purse? Bigger fine? Donate purse to charity? Perhaps better, give the purse to the umpire who had to endure the tirade. I think the larger problem is the mentality of the athlete, and how are you going to change that? Make Serena one of those netside ballgirls? Have her work the concession stand selling hot dogs?
I know one thing for sure – if I was the line judge I sure would have dropped some nuggeets in my shorts. She scares me when she is not dropping f-bombs and threatening to widen my esophagus with a tennis ball.
Enjoyed the post Bill.