We Deserve Better

     Too often, people find my choices of favorite players to be perplexing.  While people loved them their dominant stars like the Michael Jordans, the Lebron James and the Kobe Bryants, I rooted for players like Chris Mullin, Hakeen Olajuwon and David Robinson.  Was I just intent on being different for different's sake?  "No," I always explain.  It's just that while people look for flashy moves, achievements and dominance, I look for character and class.  This past weekend only served to reinforce my standards of people worth emulating.

In a bizarre ending to an otherwise entertaining match, Kim 
Cjlisters defeated Serena Williams 6-4, 7-5, with match point being won on a point penalty on Williams for "conduct unbecoming."  Called for a foot fault on her second serve at 15-30, Williams, clearly incensed, brought her head down and after a moment's pause, proceeded to verbally accosting the line umpire.  While the line umpire claimed that Williams told her she could kill her, Serena has denied this.  What was clearly confirmed, though, was that the defending U.S. Open Champion told her she could, "ram this ball down" her throat.  Williams was then rightfully penalized a point (since she was already warned for breaking her racket in the first set) and since it was match point, Cjlisters was declared the winner.

     Now that, ladies and gentlemen, confirms why I made a good choice of not admiring Serena Williams despite her numerous singles and doubles titles.  Prior to this ludicrous display, Serena was already iffy, character wise.  After all, she was one of those athletes who, "never lost."  In all her years as a player, she never gave credit to the players who defeated her.  It was always, "I played poorly," or "I was hurting," or the worst of all, "I gave the game away."  "Loss-less" athletes like that have never fared well in my book because it is in being a gracious loser where you can see the true measure and character of an athlete.  While many Serena defenders could defend her aloofness and pride before, they can no longer deny what Serena is now.  WIlliams showed everyone, believers and haters alike, that she is a sore loser with short temper.

      Wrong call or not, stupid call or not, hot head or not, a true professional athlete should never attack a line umpire or referee in the manner in which she did.  Admittedly, when I coach basketball, I find myself complaining incessantly to the referees, but I cannot and will not attack them personally like that.  Threatening to ram a ball down one's throat while pointing a racket menacingly are actions straight out of a cartoon villain's playbook.  Williams is a multiple time grand slam champion, a player numerous kids idolize.  No matter how hot headed she claims to be, she has the duty to act way better than that.  Even if she claims to not want that responsibility, it comes with trophies and the endorsements, Serena.  She should have been a bigger person than that. 

She should have taken the poor call in stride, played the heck out of the next point and try to mount a comeback.  For all the power strokes and power serves that Williams has mastered, she has never learned the most basic move that all great athletes across all sports have mastered.  Showing class.

      Soon, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) will mount an investigation on the incident and Williams is expected to pay a fine.  Fines, though, are poor ways to punish boorish behavior like this.  A suspension would send a sterner message to Serena and to all the kids watching that while professional athletes are treated like gods to be idolized, they have the responsibility to know and act better.  Williams should be given some suspension time to rethink her actions, perhaps giving her enough time to move herself to finally act with better character.  After all, as sports fans, we deserve better that what she showed.     

photos courtesy of news.yahoo.com