SportsNation Blog Archives
Serena Williams
We're going to talk about civility. And if you don't like it, you can take that keyboard and shove it ... sorry, we got a little worked up.
Kanye West and Rep. Joe Wilson have made civility a hot topic in recent days, but the sports world can be plenty uncivil all on its own, thank you very much. Serena Williams went off on a lines person at the U.S. Open, Roger Federer dropped in a few choice words of his own in the men's final and Bills returner Leodis McKelvin found his lawn vandalized in the wake of a costly turnover against the Patriots Monday. Pouring a beer on Shane Victorino seems almost quaint.
Next on the agenda? Tennessee's visit to Florida, with almost 90 percent of voters convinced Urban Meyer will make the most of any opportunity to run up the score against Lane Kiffin. Would Meyer be adding to the list of wrongs or striking a blow for civility if he did?
- SportsNation blogger JMSuarez15, a school teacher, says athletes like Leodis McKelvin accept a degree of incivility when they sign for big money -- much more money than any teacher makes. And if McKelvin doesn't like it, he shouldn't fumble.
“Wow! I realize that emotions can make people do regretful things, but to vandalize someone's property over a GAME is over the line. Football players are human too, and they have families and children. Maybe McKelvin deserves to be booed but not this. If you bet money on the game and lost and you're pissed enough to vandalize people's property over it, then maybe you shouldn't be betting on games. I have had my share of meltdowns over football(lol I'm a Jets fan!), but I would never take it that far.
” -- Jesse111080
“Here it comes Tennessee. Here it comes. After all that trash talk by your head coach, you are now going to have to stand up and get punched in the face. This game was going to be a beat down before all of this happened but Kiffin gave the Gators one thing they didn't need in the first place, motivation. Say what you want, hope for all you're worth, pray all night. It won't mater on Saturday. When the Gators are beating you by 40 in the 4th quarter, the football is going to be thrown into the end zone over and over with the score climbing higher and higher. And while it's happening just rememeber one thing, you asked for it.
” -- ottomason
After nearly two days of uproar over what she said, and then what she didn't say about what she said, Serena Williams apologized Monday. She also played for a Grand Slam doubles title with her sister, but hey, why let tennis get in the way?
Williams' apology, posted on her Web site, was for the outburst she directed at a U.S. Open line judge following a dubious foot fault call late in Saturday's semifinal.
But did Williams need to apologize?
Arguing for the defense, SportsNation blogger bballa71137:
- "Ultimately, as we are seeing too much in sports nowadays, we see officials trying to take the match into their own hands. At big parts of the match, they try to get too cute with their calls and end up making a bad call and ruining the match for everyone. Did the line judge cost Serena the match? No. Serena was getting outplayed and very likely would have lost anyway. But what the line judge did do was cause Serena a chance to force a second set tiebreak and a chance to turn the match around. And that is why I think the judge, not Serena, is at fault here." -- Read the full post.
Arguing for the prosecution, SportsNation blogger SlideLikeRose:
- "The fact that Serena refused to even acknowledge that her behavior was crude and offensive to everybody else in the arena and apologize for it made the whole thing even more juvenile. The judge obviously knew the unsportsmanlike penalty would end the match. She had simply heard one f-word too many. Good for the judges. They got the call right and didn't put up with the garbage that ensued." -- Read the full post.
“Only apologized because the last statement didn't have one and she was called out on it.
” -- tennisboygr
“If Serena holds serve, the match was far from over. But, oh well.
” -- ZEEKERINI
It's a bad year to be a Russian woman or a man named Andy at the U.S. Open. Unfortunately, since Andy Murray's surprising fourth-round loss eliminated the last of either category, that maxim doesn't offer much insight on what's to come in the Big Apple. Luckily, SportsNation bloggers like bball4life578 are here to assist with predictions.
"The Cinderella story continued for the US teenage sensation in Oudin as she took out Nadia Petrova after in 3 sets after a horrible first set. Wozniacki did the same against Svetlana Kuznetsova the other night, so something's got to give. Watching Wozniacki, her second serve is very weak and she'll have to go against a crowd which will be 100 percent behind Oudin as well as a feisty opponent in Oudin. Count me in as a believer in Oudin. I think her Cinderella story continues into the finals." -- Read the full post.
Oudin's match is Wedneday's headliner, but it's not the only Open story. Rafael Nadal lost the first set of his fourth-round match but survived (with a fist pump that has Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle wondering if you think he's surpassed Tiger Woods on at least that count -- watch it here). And after fans in the stands backed Kim Clijsters against Venus Williams, will the comeback mom be the crowd favorite against Serena Williams?
- Phenomenon check? Only one in five voters plans to watch Oudin's quarterfinal.
- 48 percent of SN says neither Murray nor Dinara Safina will ever win a Grand Slam title.
- Chat: Live from the U.S. Open with Bonnie Ford and Greg Garber, 4 ET.
- Vote: Are you rooting for Serena Williams or Kim Clijsters in their semifinal?
“Kim Clijsters is BACK and she WILL BE THE 2009 OPEN CHAMP (hopefully against Oudin)..I would love to see Melanie win it all though, but I am not keeping my hopes up on her yet.. But Kim will beat Serena and take it all.
” -- 49erlakeshow
“Oudin has the potential to make it to the final, but the winner will be either Serena or Kim.
” -- fx772k1
Just as SportsNation predicted, a Williams sister has won the Wimbledon final. The only problem is that you picked the wrong sister. It was Serena Williams this time, not Venus, who snagged her third Wimbledon title in straight sets.
What did you think of the women's final? Were you shocked by the poor finals performance by Venus? Is Serena once again the most dominant player in the game? Discuss your thoughts below.
“Anyone who's ever played anything competitively against a sibling knows they don't throw the game. I would NEVER let my sister win on purpose. Heck, I don't even let my wife win anything; she has to earn it.
” -- fatjedi19
“I heart Venus, but Serena is easy to root for 'cause no one competes better under pressure than she does. Great tournament for Venus as she decimated the faux-No. 1 in the semis. And, Serena has rightfully reasserted herself as the best player in the game.
” -- brooklyn1006
There will be no weather delays for the finals this weekend at Wimbledon. The Williams sisters raise the roof on Saturday, and Andy Roddick tries to rain on Roger Federer's march toward slam win No. 15 Sunday.
Women's final: SportsNation gives Venus slight edge
Men's final: Two-thirds of SportsNation favors Federer
Vote: Wimbledon Finals
Adi (Toronto)
Hi, Greg. 16 of last 17 slams, 21 consecutive slam semis, 20 total slam finals, what is left for Roger to conquer? How does he stay motivated? Do any of the Andys really have a chance?
Greg Garber
This is the question going forward, Adi. I think Fed's struggles last year, physically and mentally, actually motivated him to get better. That, and losing three Grand Slam finals to Rafael Nadal in a span of eight months. Pete Sampras admitted recently that he had a tough time getting up for the Cincinnatis of the world, but he was always fired up for the Slams. I think Roger will be like that, too.
Ray Gordon Reid (San Jose)
Greg Garber
Ray: The sisters are 10-all in their WTA career matches and have split their four previous Wimbledon matches. I'll take Venus in this one. She's going for three straight at All England and her sixth overall. Full transcript.
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