Serena Apoligies To Linesperson

[sureshs]

I agree with you about the partially apology because otherwise she would be in trouble with a severe suspension, lawsuit etc... I'm sure her intelligent agent told her the procedures within the next couple of days and what to do kind of stuff.

Now whether the call was wrong or not will never be justified since the evidence is not good enough proof of that. It's just soo sad that the greatest WTA player of the last decade is also the most despicable of them all.

I bet she is being advised by a lawyer. If I were the lineswoman (and thankfully I am not LOL I wouldn't make such wrong calls), I would be suing her for trauma. Serena has deep pockets (not in her skirt) and a settlement would fetch me a cool $200K at least. I would claim that I am unable to sleep at night out of fear, that my main income source of being a lineswoman has been compromised due to publicity and my trauma, and I have also become afraid of all tennis players.

 

[sureshs]

Everything so far is a PR stint. It would do Serena good if she seeked out the lineswoman and apologize face to big face and keep what transpires on the meeting to themselves.

It doesn't work that way any more, due to lawsuits. Reaching out to her has to be done thru lawyers. Things are not simple any more.

The first time someone rear-ended me, the guy called and wanted to talk to me and I did. Later, I was told never to do that but only get the insurance companies to talk.

I am willing to bet my KPS88 that the lineswoman has a lawyer who is covertly in talks with the Williams camp right now.

 

[Rabbit]

Sad that your thread was deleted.

Your standards of judgement must be much higher than mine. I saw it on TV and heard a tennis legend say it was a wrong call. What were your standards? At least name the insider sources. Surely you are not a person who reads other's minds and jumps to conclusions? You must have not only seen Nadal do it, you must also have analyzed the chemical composition before your inflammatory thread. So please tell us how you knew about Nadal's doping.

Wow! When losing an argument, always change the subject.

And when you're really losing an argument, make a personal attack too.

You have and continue to lower the standards of any thread you participate in.

You know good and well I've addressed the Nadal issue before. You like to bring it up because you think it's some kind of trump card.

Truth is, the rumor combined with Nadal's more than strange behavior combined with a miracle cure for tendonitis were and are worthy of discussion. You want to talk further about this, start a thread. Don't derail this because you made some stupid remarks that you can't back up.

 

[Henry Kaspar]

Is this topic still going on. Amazing.

Today's NYT has a picture with McEnroe kicking a camera (held by a camera man) in 1985, on court. Strangely, he is beloved today.

 

[Rabbit]

Strangely, he is beloved today.

Let's not go to extremes here. Last time McEnroe was in Memphis, he was booed in more than one match.

 

[sureshs]

Another thing that surprises me is that though Serena hate threads have been popping up all over the place even when she was just playing, there are no Justin Gimelstob threads any more. That guy almost encouraged sexual assault against Anna Kournikova and made disgusting remarks, yet all he did was to apologize and then too, he refused to talk in person to Anna. Yet he has been handsomely rewarded by getting great commentating gigs and is a staple at WTT and charity events. Not only that, recently another commentator said he is one of the best in tunnel interviews. He is a friend of Agassi, Roddick, Davenport, Nadal and Federer, and remains on the ATP Player's Council. However, I don't see Gimelstob hate threads showing up here whenever he is on TV.

Unlike Nadal's doping, there are actual transcripts detailing what exactly he said.

 

[sureshs]

Wow! When losing an argument, always change the subject.

And when you're really losing an argument, make a personal attack too.

You have and continue to lower the standards of any thread you participate in.

You know good and well I've addressed the Nadal issue before. You like to bring it up because you think it's some kind of trump card.

Truth is, the rumor combined with Nadal's more than strange behavior combined with a miracle cure for tendonitis were and are worthy of discussion. You want to talk further about this, start a thread. Don't derail this because you made some stupid remarks that you can't back up.

Insider sources are not good enough, as you don't believe the tennis insider JMac who saw the call from the booth. So you must have many more details of the doping. A blood report maybe?

 

[sureshs]

Are you Asian? I ask because if you are, your comment may come from particular insight or experience or knowledge.

Believe me, there are plenty. One of the most blatant was when a realtor (Asian) from a household-name realty company was showing me some homes in Houston. She said I am not supposed to legally tell you this, but this is the service I provide you free of charge, between the two of us. She drove me thru many neighborhoods, telling me "here are Blacks, stay away" and "this is a Hispanic street, you don't want to buy here." There were other incidents too. Including an old guy who had never been outside his country before, landed up at the airport, and told me to be careful about my car because N*gros will steal it.

 

[EP1998]

She doesn't seem to know about humility or compassion. She should be made to do some community work so she can learn to be humble. I for one will not forget what she did. Even John Mac made me cringe back then; but this is much much worse.

She actually does a ton of charity work. She just doesnt talk about it that much.

 

[Rabbit]

Believe me, there are plenty. One of the most blatant was when a realtor (Asian) from a household-name realty company was showing me some homes in Houston. She said I am not supposed to legally tell you this, but this is the service I provide you free of charge, between the two of us. She drove me thru many neighborhoods, telling me "here are Blacks, stay away" and "this is a Hispanic street, you don't want to buy here." There were other incidents too. Including an old guy who had never been outside his country before, landed up at the airport, and told me to be careful about my car because N*gros will steal it.

And still you don't answer Keifers' question....

 

[dukemunson]

Believe me, there are plenty. One of the most blatant was when a realtor (Asian) from a household-name realty company was showing me some homes in Houston. She said I am not supposed to legally tell you this, but this is the service I provide you free of charge, between the two of us. She drove me thru many neighborhoods, telling me "here are Blacks, stay away" and "this is a Hispanic street, you don't want to buy here." There were other incidents too. Including an old guy who had never been outside his country before, landed up at the airport, and told me to be careful about my car because N*gros will steal it.

You are routinely and consistently ridiculous...

 

[Mkie7]

Hey guys....

"I would like to ammend my statements because my previous statements did not work and had not worked to defuse the situation. I don't really mean it but I am gonna apologize just because my PR team thought I have no choice and there is too much pressure to do so."

... so I am gonna be crafty with my words and talk about my family tragedies as well to gain sympathy. People will believe me because most of them are so naive to see what kinda person I really am. They will forget all my previous behaviors on court and at press conferences....

so here goes... I apologize to the lines person (with no remorse of coz)... to the fans and Kim. C ( how dare you beat me ... not gonna give you the pleasure of beating me without a drama to tarnish it) for my on court outburst. I am just an emotional person and I take my job seriously". ....

Guess we'll see if this bull spit works. ... What's next.. maybe some PR stunts like non profit tennis workshops, Kid activities?

 

[sureshs]

She actually does a ton of charity work. She just doesnt talk about it that much.

Both the sisters are on the McDonalds tour for children or something like that. But then, it has almost become mandatory for any famous athlete to do something with a charity. It is a public relations shield. Federer, Nadal, Roddick, Agassi, Henin are all doing it.

 

[Rabbit]

Insider sources are not good enough,

I really don't care what you think is good enough. Your thought processes are certainly flawed enough as evidenced by your posts.

as you don't believe the tennis insider JMac who saw the call from the booth.

The same John McEnroe who:

• said Nadal wears a shoe 1 1/2 sizes too small? (Wrong)
• calls Luxilon synthetic string? (Wrong)
• calls all polyester strings Luxilon? (Wrong)

finally, seeing the call from a booth a 100 feet or more away from the line and probably not even on line with the baseline is hardly a qualification or comparison for someone sitting on the line

 

[sureshs]

I really don't care what you think is good enough. Your thought processes are certainly flawed enough as evidenced by your posts.



The same John McEnroe who:

• said Nadal wears a shoe 1 1/2 sizes too small? (Wrong)
• calls Luxilon synthetic string? (Wrong)
• calls all polyester strings Luxilon? (Wrong)

finally, seeing the call from a booth a 100 feet or more away from the line and probably not even on line with the baseline is hardly a qualification or comparison for someone sitting on the line

Yeah Luxilon is not a synthetic string but a natural string made from plants grown in Luxembourg. What he means is it is not natural gut.

And I too saw the replay.

Come up with something better, which you failed to do in that thread.

 

[Henry Kaspar]

The same John McEnroe who:

• said Nadal wears a shoe 1 1/2 sizes too small? (Wrong)
• calls Luxilon synthetic string? (Wrong)
• calls all polyester strings Luxilon? (Wrong)

With all due respect, but how does this -- even remotely -- relate to the topic?

 

[sureshs]

With all due respect, but how does this -- even remotely -- relate to the topic?

It doesn't.

 

[pmerk34]

I really don't care what you think is good enough. Your thought processes are certainly flawed enough as evidenced by your posts.



The same John McEnroe who:

• said Nadal wears a shoe 1 1/2 sizes too small? (Wrong)
• calls Luxilon synthetic string? (Wrong)
• calls all polyester strings Luxilon? (Wrong)

finally, seeing the call from a booth a 100 feet or more away from the line and probably not even on line with the baseline is hardly a qualification or comparison for someone sitting on the line

So what is the trust about Nadal shoes since you seem concerned about it.

Luxilon is not natural gut. So it can be called synthetic. Is that a big deal?

Are all bandages you put on a cut a Band Aid brand? Luxilon has become synonym for polyester strings

 

[EP1998]

Both the sisters are on the McDonalds tour for children or something like that. But then, it has almost become mandatory for any famous athlete to do something with a charity. It is a public relations shield. Federer, Nadal, Roddick, Agassi, Henin are all doing it.

Yes there is that but I've heard from two different people in the industry about how much she does that is much lower profile.

 

[Rabbit]

With all due respect, but how does this -- even remotely -- relate to the topic?

sureshs uses McEnroe as the end all expert on the foot fault call in his argument. My reply is simply that McEnroe has been wrong in the past and continues to be, shall we say, human?

So what is the trust about Nadal shoes since you seem concerned about it.

Luxilon is not natural gut. So it can be called synthetic. Is that a big deal?

Are all bandages you put on a cut a Band Aid brand? Luxilon has become synonym for polyester strings

See above.

McEnroe was the "source" for the story about Nadal wearing shoes way too small. Tennis magazine corrected this after one of their folks read these boards.

McEnroe refers to polyester as synthetic gut. I realize full well that it is synthetic in nature and it's a small detail, but one that gear heads have noted.

 

[Shangri La]

Why is no one asking whether the lineswoman was racist? It was clearly not a foot fault, as shown by the replay and by JMac's remarks at that time. Why was she so eager to call it? And why did she pretend that Serena's remarks, which is the way many people talk in private or in humor about shoving something somewhere, was about killing her? She sure seemed to be very eager and ready with complaints, almost as if she had planned to bait Serena.

This is not the first time this has happened to the sisters. Some years ago, a female chair umpire advised one of their opponents to challenge a call.

People seem to always talk about racism as a Black and White issue. But Asians can be very racist as well.

Only people of your level will ask this type of question. Now, will you answer the question directed at you, where are you from?

 

[JankovicFan]

Accepting an apology suggests that her behavior was rational and somewhere within normal boundary lines, yet regrettable. Under the circumstances, I would be more impressed with a statement that she had agreed to see a psychiatrist. It is scary to think that some might suggest Serena's was within the boundaries of normal behavior and that an apology would fix it. As we have seen, few but maybe her fans believe a word of it, and Serena includes enough hints of reluctance to rob it of credibility.

I would focus particular attention on Serena's second approach to the lines woman. That is what scared me, indicating Serena was possibly out of control and dangerous. I can't speak for anyone else, but the lines woman certainly took off in a hurry. In the conference with Serena, the lines woman stood behind the other officials like a scared puppy. You can bet there have been hearings involving all the officials, with every attempt made to get the facts right. Only then can there be a righteous penalty ruling.

Serena should have been defaulted, and it may yet be ruled that way. In the moment, the decision was based on Serena lying about or not owning what she actually said to the lines woman. It was pretty unbelievable until heard on recordings and sworn to by spectators. A good case has been made that the match being over anyway is hardly the same thing as a default penalty.

I expect the default decision was already made (in her favor) when Serena was allowed to play doubles. Unless there is a plea of "given time for further consideration", I don't think she will be suspended, because it will make that doubles decision look bogus. That only covers ITF and USTA jurisdictions, however. WTA may want none of it and may have a different take on what the consequences beyond the tournament should be. I am speculating but cannot believe this is over.

 

[Azzurri]

^ Completely bereft of even rudimentary sense. The wheels are off and just rolling down the road to nonsenseville.



Of course you would say this. You do not believe racism to be a moral cancer, so you will downplay Hewitt's unforgivabe tirade, while trying to pump mere anger in the moment, which is not a constant. Racism is a constant--a hardline, hard wired system of beliefs, not some "in the moment" but unusual psychological collapse. Because it is not, Hewitt instantly leaping to racist conclusions only illustrates the colossal level of ingrained hatred he carried within him, sending a significantly stronger message to the world about his nature (and the PTB for side-stepping it) than short-lived anger anyone can express.

you act like a Hispanic person or Asian can't be racist? Racism is not a white against black...but you seem to be moronic so in your world it is. wake up, this issue has nothing to do with Serena's skin color.

Odd, I was actually softening to her just a bit...a tiny little bit. Oh well.

 

[Azzurri]

I'm sure there is a woman out there somewhere that will read, Azzurri's post and say, "he is racist towards women".

but I am...truly I am.:twisted:

 

[Azzurri]

I did not say the lineswoman was upto something. I asked: why is nobody even mentioning the possibility? I watched the incident twice. I don't believe that someone who is used to being around pro players doesn't know how they talk. The lineswoman seemed to be have a built-in fear of Serena. Maybe it was her relative size, I don't know. We should start from the starting point: a wrong call at a crucial moment in the match. How much of it was incompetence and how much was it a desire to make Clijsters win as soon as possible? Probably, 100% and 0%, but I don't know.

again...no sense. but I agree with the bolded part.

 

[Azzurri]

Really? I watched the match and did not see an angle that showed that. Certainly there was no angle as good as the linesperson had on the call. Serena herself said she had been called for footfaulting the entire tournament. Serena herself said "maybe I was footfaulting".

And yet you would imply the lineswoman was racist? Hello?



Because it's her job? You see when you call the baseline, you have to make the call.

What makes you think she was eager? I thought she was fairly routine about it. Your choice of wording is prejudicial to say the least. It's prejudicial in support of an assumption; a false one at that.



Pretend? So the incident never happened? Serena didn't make the remarks?



Serena was neither in private or being humorous.





Does that clear it up for you? Serena didn't intend for the ball once shoved down the throat to feed her...and Serena said as much herself. It was so bad, that Serena would not repeat what she said in her press conference. Williams knew she'd crossed the line.



It is the duty of a linesperson to report violations. They are told that. It is called doing their job.

Watch the tape. The linesperson, while taking the abuse, looks over to the chair. I believe she was waived over by the chair.

Agassi was defaulted from the Sybase a number of years ago for comments made to a linesperson. He said something, the linesperson got up and reported it. When the linesperson came back, Agassi said something else and the linesperson made another trip. Agassi was defaulted.



This is the single most ridiculous statement, even for you, that I've seen yet.




Umpires routinely advise players to challenge. In the mens' finals, the chair was freely telling either player that the ball was clearly out, or that they could/should challenge. To suggest that this is somehow racially motivated behavior on the part of the chair is again, ridiculous and disingenuous.



I think is your most telling comment.

Rabbit, I appluad you for trying to make sense of this guy's reasoning...I assume you now have a massive headache.

 

[Azzurri]

Is this topic still going on. Amazing.

Today's NYT has a picture with McEnroe kicking a camera (held by a camera man) in 1985, on court. Strangely, he is beloved today.

not as much as you think. the guy is a huge jerk and people have tired of his act.

 

[Azzurri]

Another thing that surprises me is that though Serena hate threads have been popping up all over the place even when she was just playing, there are no Justin Gimelstob threads any more. That guy almost encouraged sexual assault against Anna Kournikova and made disgusting remarks, yet all he did was to apologize and then too, he refused to talk in person to Anna. Yet he has been handsomely rewarded by getting great commentating gigs and is a staple at WTT and charity events. Not only that, recently another commentator said he is one of the best in tunnel interviews. He is a friend of Agassi, Roddick, Davenport, Nadal and Federer, and remains on the ATP Player's Council. However, I don't see Gimelstob hate threads showing up here whenever he is on TV.

Unlike Nadal's doping, there are actual transcripts detailing what exactly he said.

look here Simple Jack, its obvious. JG is no where near the celebrity of Serena. The guy is a hack as far as a tennis player. why would JG get the same press in this forum when he gets little in the real world. wow, i can't believe your thoght process as genuine any longer.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dUGXtiMNqk&feature=related

The actual incident, Blake isn't even brought into the discussion and he doesn't point at Blake either. Before he says the "look at him and tell me what the similarity is" he says that it's only happening on one end of the court. Far too inconclusive to classify it as a racist tirade or something worse than threatening to...well that one's self explanatory.

Let's take a look at your reasnoning here:

Before he says the "look at him and tell me what the similarity is" Far too inconclusive to classify it as a racist tirade

With that rant, Hewitt was not pointing out gender, hairstyle, clothing style, political affiliation, sexual preference, eating habits, entertainment tastes, childhood experiences, tennis success, or anything else other than race.

Logically, any serious observation can easily conclude (as in the instant conclusions observers made that day as it occured) Hewitt was not talking about any of the aforementioned catagories I posted, as each would be irrelevant as a reaonable basis for the point he tried to make.

This was recognized on the spot when it happened. So, do not sink into the toilet of moral/intellectual bankruptcy championed by others by rewriting history, and the impact such an act hs--considering the history of such a destructive mindset.

 

[pmerk34]

not as much as you think. the guy is a huge jerk and people have tired of his act.

There are a lot of people on this board who dislike Mac but claim he's beloved by everyone else.

 

[Rabbit]

Rabbit, I appluad you for trying to make sense of this guy's reasoning...I assume you now have a massive headache.

Thanks and yes. sureshs is one of the few posters who lowers the level of any discussion he gets involved in.

And still he won't answer the simple question....

 

[tommytom11]

It does nothing to change my opinion of her. I've never liked the way she has carried herself, and the outburst this weekend only solidified my opinion. The apology is meaningless.

She ought to send Kanye West a 'thanks for bailing me out' card for taking a lot of heat off of her.

bravo! she isn't sorry at all.

 

[Azzurri]

I respect your posts but the replays show nothing clearly that's for sure.

She did this little twist just prior to the toss. that is when her foot touched the line...do I think it was a bit harsh to call it, yes. But it was clear she touched the line (to me and many others).

 

[Azzurri]

Thanks and yes. sureshs is one of the few posters who lowers the level of any discussion he gets involved in.

And still he won't answer the simple question....

I just love it when he brings up Justin Gimelstob. Sureshs must have been spurned by JG in the past. I just can't think of one logical reason for his constant reprise of JG's attitude towards some women.

 

[pmerk34]

She did this little twist just prior to the toss. that is when her foot touched the line...do I think it was a bit harsh to call it, yes. But it was clear she touched the line (to me and many others).

It was bizarre to call it IMO. I think Clijsters thought it was a horseshit call too

 

[Lionheart392]

It was bizarre to call it IMO. I think Clijsters thought it was a horseshit call too

I think poor Kimmy was thinking more that Serena's horseshit behaviour had denied her her moment of glory

 

[film1]

Does she mean for this?
http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=8ece5185-893b-49ce-8084-2a505bde14e8


My guess is her lawyers told her what to say to say it fast to try and avoid getting her big rear end in hot h20 from perhaps,
intentional infliction of emotional distress.

 

[Fay]

Way too little too late .... I think she was pressured to do this and it is not from here heart. Just my humble O.

 

[Breaker]

Let's take a look at your reasnoning here:



With that rant, Hewitt was not pointing out gender, hairstyle, clothing style, political affiliation, sexual preference, eating habits, entertainment tastes, childhood experiences, tennis success, or anything else other than race.

Logically, any serious observation can easily conclude (as in the instant conclusions observers made that day as it occured) Hewitt was not talking about any of the aforementioned catagories I posted, as each would be irrelevant as a reaonable basis for the point he tried to make.

This was recognized on the spot when it happened. So, do not sink into the toilet of moral/intellectual bankruptcy championed by others by rewriting history, and the impact such an act hs--considering the history of such a destructive mindset.

My point is that it could be classified as simply pointing out that it was the same linesman on that side calling the footfaults as he never mentioned race or even referred to Blake in any way through gestures. This is why he wasn't punished, his comments were too vague. Also he said what he had to say to the chair umpire.

There is nothing vague about directly threatening a lineswoman.

 

[rommil]

It doesn't work that way any more, due to lawsuits. Reaching out to her has to be done thru lawyers. Things are not simple any more.

The first time someone rear-ended me, the guy called and wanted to talk to me and I did. Later, I was told never to do that but only get the insurance companies to talk.

I am willing to bet my KPS88 that the lineswoman has a lawyer who is covertly in talks with the Williams camp right now.

Regardless of what's going on behind it, it's still the honorable thing to do if one is really truly apologetic.
You could be wrong on the part that the lineswoman hired a lawyer. Maybe a lawyer contacted her to make a case out of it. Or maybe she just don't want to pursue it any further. Not all people in America are like that you know.

 

[Rabbit]

obviously my point went wayyyy over your head.

Careful....there's a headache in your future...take it from one who knows.

She did this little twist just prior to the toss. that is when her foot touched the line...do I think it was a bit harsh to call it, yes. But it was clear she touched the line (to me and many others).

Yes, those pesky rules...

I think they should get rid of the service line calls too. I mean what the hell, if you get it close that's all that should count. And the sidelines? Why not use the doubles alley? I mean two sets of lines is confusing.

IMO, the officiating in tennis has been, is, and will continue to be horrible. Some rules are enforced while others are not.

Nadal consistently gets more than the alotted 20 seconds between points. He uses delay tactics and stalls in what can only be summed up as gamesmanship. And the rules are not enforced. Djokovic is just as bad and why not? They let Nadal get away with it.

Sharapova and her new wanna-be are the two worst about shrieking every time they hit the ball which is clearly approaching the level of a hinderance. Nothing is done.

Another great example was Kiefer at the Australian Open playing Clement. A point at net and Keifer clearly tries to distract the on-coming Frenchman doing what the players do when they are conceding the point. Problem was, Clement missed...the chair didn't award the point. Keifer went as far as to throw his racquet in this case and still the chair didn't enforce the rules.

Players are allowed to get a consensus from their box, the umpire, and anyone else they choose before they challenge a call. The rules say the challenge must be immediate. I thought Federer was well within his rights to complain about DelPo and the amount of time he was taking to challenge.

Either there are rules, or there are not.

It was bizarre to call it IMO. I think Clijsters thought it was a horseshit call too

The players have always hate the footfault call. Ilie Nastase once, after being called for a footfault, sat down on court, took off his shoes and threw them to the linesmen. The bewildered umpire asked Nastase what in the world he was doing. Nastase replied..."He call me for footfault, I think he wants my shoes".

Several have used Nastase as a reference point for Williams' behavior. I'll take Nastase's reaction any day.

Regardless of what's going on behind it, it's still the honorable thing to do if one is really truly apologetic.
You could be wrong on the part that the lineswoman hired a lawyer. Maybe a lawyer contacted her to make a case out of it. Or maybe she just don't want to pursue it any further. Not all people in America are like that you know.

Agreed. If Williams were to be genuinely sorry and perform an act of contrition, it would probably do more to stave off a lawsuit than anything else ever could. It would also be more in her favor with the powers that be in tennis. Her current demeanor, however, is just begging to be slapped with suspension. Because, if they don't correct it now and set an example, things will only get worse on court.

 

[Azzurri]

It was bizarre to call it IMO. I think Clijsters thought it was a horseshit call too

no arguement here, I agree with you. It was a "tiky-tac" foul and should not be called at that point in the match. In big games, refs allow the players to play the game (except for the SteeleSeahwak Super Bowl...refs took that game from the 'Hawks).

 

[Azzurri]

Careful....there's a headache in your future...take it from one who knows.



Yes, those pesky rules...

I think they should get rid of the service line calls too. I mean what the hell, if you get it close that's all that should count. And the sidelines? Why not use the doubles alley? I mean two sets of lines is confusing.

IMO, the officiating in tennis has been, is, and will continue to be horrible. Some rules are enforced while others are not.

Nadal consistently gets more than the alotted 20 seconds between points. He uses delay tactics and stalls in what can only be summed up as gamesmanship. And the rules are not enforced. Djokovic is just as bad and why not? They let Nadal get away with it.

Sharapova and her new wanna-be are the two worst about shrieking every time they hit the ball which is clearly approaching the level of a hinderance. Nothing is done.

Another great example was Kiefer at the Australian Open playing Clement. A point at net and Keifer clearly tries to distract the on-coming Frenchman doing what the players do when they are conceding the point. Problem was, Clement missed...the chair didn't award the point. Keifer went as far as to throw his racquet in this case and still the chair didn't enforce the rules.

Players are allowed to get a consensus from their box, the umpire, and anyone else they choose before they challenge a call. The rules say the challenge must be immediate. I thought Federer was well within his rights to complain about DelPo and the amount of time he was taking to challenge.

Either there are rules, or there are not.



The players have always hate the footfault call. Ilie Nastase once, after being called for a footfault, sat down on court, took off his shoes and threw them to the linesmen. The bewildered umpire asked Nastase what in the world he was doing. Nastase replied..."He call me for footfault, I think he wants my shoes".

Several have used Nastase as a reference point for Williams' behavior. I'll take Nastase's reaction any day.



Agreed. If Williams were to be genuinely sorry and perform an act of contrition, it would probably do more to stave off a lawsuit than anything else ever could. It would also be more in her favor with the powers that be in tennis. Her current demeanor, however, is just begging to be slapped with suspension. Because, if they don't correct it now and set an example, things will only get worse on court.

Good point on the "enforcement" of the rules. That is a major problem in this sport. I could understand any player getting upset, but the issue is HOW the rules are enforced. I don't see why a player can't touch the line. Going over it should be a penalty. But Williams plays her little games with all that screaming..so whatever.

 

[Rabbit]

Good point on the "enforcement" of the rules. That is a major problem in this sport. I could understand any player getting upset, but the issue is HOW the rules are enforced. I don't see why a player can't touch the line. Going over it should be a penalty. But Williams plays her little games with all that screaming..so whatever.

BTW, my daughter signed a scholarship to play soccer in college....she got a yellow card last game for "giving the ref attitude". She didn't use any foul language (any she'd admit to), but had to leave the game for a touch.

In the boys game, there were 3 red cards issued.

 

[drakulie]

^^^you should petition the schools to force them to change the rules.

I believe, the posters here who are complaining about the call, and asking for a change in the rule, are the same ones we see out at our local parks, and "make up rules as they go along". You know, the same posters who start threads here on TW complaining they played an opponent (who is a pusher), and kept hooking them on close line calls, which is why they lost.

 

[Rabbit]

^^^you should petition the schools to force them to change the rules.

Well, we are considering legal action against the school, the ref, and most importantly the other team who caused her to have a snippy attitude in the first place. We figure we'll sue and out of the 3 of them, we should get enough money for her to retire at 20.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

My point is that it could be classified as simply pointing out that it was the same linesman on that side calling the footfaults as he never mentioned race or even referred to Blake in any way through gestures. This is why he wasn't punished, his comments were too vague. Also he said what he had to say to the chair umpire.

If it was vague, both Blake and Hewitt would not recieved questions about it in their respective press conferences later that day, and there would be no reference to this incident as being racist to this day.

There is nothing vague about directly threatening a lineswoman.

In the many times this must be repeated, there was no intent, proven or otherwise, hence the lack of legal action from any of the alleged "victims" in this incident. Any future, 11th hour decision to charge SW with anything (after more than enough time to act) will only appear as a cash grab against a celebrity, which i'm sure many a defense attorney would love to dissect and blow away like so much dust.

 

[dukemunson]

It was a "tiky-tac" foul and should not be called at that point in the match. In big games, refs allow the players to play the game (except for the SteeleSeahwak Super Bowl...refs took that game from the 'Hawks).

The examples that are being used from football and basketball make no sense. This isn't an interprative ruling like a touch foul or a pass interference call...this is a strict and easily defined rule. Everyone is annoyed when "ticky-tac" calls change the outcome of games in the NBA and NFL, but only on interpretive calls, not definitive rules. If a player steps out of bounds, even by a quarter of an inch, it's out no matter what the score is. If a reciever only get's one foot in bounds at the end of the game...it's still incomplete. Any example of ticky-tac fouls and penalties are obsolete and worthless in this case as they are examples of umpire thoughts and guesses...not actual rules.

 

[35ft6]

LOL...on the soap box. Give me a break. who are you kidding. friends (true friends) are people you accept for whatever faults they have. Not talking about being buddies with Hitler, but if a buddy made a silly comment like Hewitt its just that, SILLY. You must have world class friends..the best of the best. I assume they give all their money to the poor, never curse, read instead of watch TV, etc, etc, etc...the perfect person. Again, you are completely full of crap.

True friends? My friends are my friends because of their character, because I enjoy being around them. As I learn more about them, their friendship status is subject to change. Judging people for their actions and character, you should try it sometime.

 

[35ft6]

i also agree that the race card is being overplayed here...

It was inevitable. But I'd like to point out that it sure wasn't Serena who brought it up.