Apology Not Necessary - Why Serena was Right to Go Off on Linesperson

Recently inducted NBA Hall of Fame basketball legend Michael Jordan is at the free throw line with his Chicago Bulls down 101-100 with one second remaining in the seventh game of the NBA Championship and he's shooting the second of two free throws in order to tie the game and keep the Bulls alive, at least into overtime.

However, just nanoseconds before Jordan releases the ball, one of his teammates steps into the free throw lane area - and one of the game's three referees calls for a lane violation, giving possession of the ball - and the outcome of the championship series - to the other team.

Needless to say, no referee in his right mind would make such a call - and would rightly be vilified - if he did have the audacity (and lack of common sense) to make such a bone-headed call.

And before I go any further, let me just say that Jordan's reaction to such a call would have almost assuredly been an incredulous, profanity-laced tirade that would have been overlooked in the aftermath of the ensuing brouhaha that would have taken place, either on court or in the press conference that followed the game.

Which is why I wrote this column defending Sony Ericsson WTA Tour superstar Serena Williams, a player that I have taken to task on more than one occasion, particularly in my 'You Go Girl: Why Chris Evert Is Right On The Mark' column back in 2006.

First and foremost, let me say that Williams has never been an 'explosive personality' type of player throughout her entire career (and neither has sister Venus) a fact I attribute to the upbringing and coaching of father Richard, who I suspect, told both of his now-famous daughters, all about the different kinds of adversity they would face playing a sport that has traditionally not been very welcoming of people of color and features a major discrepancy in the percentages of race to this day.

With that said, I am going on record to say that the national backlash that Williams has received for her profanity-laced tirade at a linesperson during her U.S. Open semifinal loss to eventual-champion Kim Clijsters, has been way over the top - and undeserved - for a player that has been a mostly-gracious champion throughout her career.

As a matter of fact, I'll go one step further, by saying that Williams has been wronged in this matter more than anyone else and should not have to apologize to anyone for her on-court actions that day.

Williams was fined $10,000 for her outburst, an insane amount of money for having a reaction that most any player would have had at such a tension-filled moment, let alone the absolutely ludicrous $500 fine for breaking her own racket, an act that I see performed by tennis players on both tour on an almost routine basis.

Now, were Williams a regular 'problem-child' type of player that routinely pulled embarrassing on-court stunts, I certainly wouldn't be defending her here. But the fact of the matter is that Williams has been a fine ambassador for her sport (okay, most of the time) and will go down in history as just the second African-American female to win a grand slam championship and one of the sport's all-time great players.

Another very important factor figured into my decision to defend Williams and that is the fact that the call the unnamed linesperson made against Williams that day was wrong!

It's one thing for an athlete to 'act a fool' when they are in the wrong, but it's an entirely different matter when the referee or linesperson, in this case, was totally wrong.

Again, imagine the outrage if an NBA referee made the aforementioned call against Jordan - and video replays showed that the official in that case was clearly wrong as is the case in the Williams scenario, where replays clearly showed she never foot-faulted as she was called for.

All I'm saying is that I find it pretty amazing that Williams faces such national backlash while the unnamed linesperson goes on about her business as though nothing ever happened, when at the very least, she should receive a fine, suspension - an re-training on how to properly judge certain calls, particularly foot-faults.

Another point I want to make is that this year's U.S. Open featured some of the worst tennis officiating that I have seen at any tennis tournament in recent memory, Grand Slam event or not - and may of the linespersons and chair umpires that worked this year's tournament, either need to be re-trained or replaced.

In addition to one chair umpire foolishly telling ATP Tour World No. 1 Roger Federer to 'be quiet' prompting Federer to say "No no no, come on. I wasn't allowed to challenge after two seconds and the guy takes like 10 [seconds]. How can you allow that stuff to happen? Do you have any rules in there? Stop showing me the hand, OK? Don't tell me to be quiet, OK? When I wanna talk I'll talk. I don't give a s*** what he said, I'm just saying he waited too long ..."

Again, the officiating at this year's U.S. Open, was lackluster at best and closer to atrocious if you ask me.

And now there's an ongoing 'investigation' into the Williams incident with the world's No.2-ranked player possibly facing more fines or a suspension. Hogwash I say. If the WTA wants to get it right, they'll drop the Williams investigation and call the matter closed.

I also loved the way Williams handled the situation in the aftermath of the spectacle, admitting that her actions were a bit inappropriate, but not apologizing to anyone in the same breath.

"I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately and it's not the way to act - win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport in any manner," Williams said. "I like to lead by example. We all learn from experiences both good and bad. I will learn and grow from this and be a better person as a result."

Before closing out this column, I also want to ask one question.

Where was all the national outrage when Williams was the target of a racist heckler at the Sony Ericsson Open two years ago?

Williams, who was heckled throughout nearly an entire third-round match against Lucie Safarova, back in March of 2007, had to complain to the chair umpire that day in order to have the heckler, now identified as Donald Winton, in order to have him removed despite the fact that everyone sitting near Winton that day, along with WTA tour officials who were stationed at that end of the court, likely heard every disgusting word that Winton espoused.

"The guy said, 'Hit the net like a N-word would'," Williams told reporters. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. I had to do a double take. I think I hit a double fault at that point.

"Who says these things outside of first grade. At a professional venue you don't do that. It was shocking, I couldn't believe he would stoop to that level."

That day, Williams said she had tried to ignore the verbal battering she was taking - until the taunts became racist.

"I really should have said something sooner," Williams added. "Even the people out there were pointing to who he was.

"The guy was saying things that shouldn't have been said. It was derogatory. Then every time I missed a shot or serve, he would say, 'That's the way to do it. It was outrageous. I couldn't believe what he said."

I find it very hypocritical that the very same people that are calling for Williams' head on a silver platter for her U.S. Open tirade, had absolutely nothing to say two years ago when Williams was maliciously verbally attacked.

If the WTA Tour wants to do the right thing as far as Williams' current situation is concerned, then they will drop the matter entirely, wisely realizing that further penalizing a player that has helped make the tour become as popular as it is these days, would serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever.

Sources

CNN.com (Reuters)

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/03/27/tennis.sony.women/index.html

shortnews.comSony Ericsson WTA Tour

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=61311

WTA Tour

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/page/Home/0,,12781,00.html