Here we go, Richard Williams pulls the race card out !

[ROYC75]

Can you believe this ? :eek:


http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=ap-wta-richardwilliamsremarks&prov=ap&type=lgns

NDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP)—WTA head Larry Scott said Thursday that he strongly disagrees with comments made by Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, regarding racism on the women’s tour.

Saying he was disappointed by Williams’ recent remarks during an interview in India, Scott said in a statement: “The Tour has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to racism, and I have previously let Mr. Williams know that he should let me know if he ever had evidence of racist comments or acts in women’s professional tennis.”

While his daughters were playing earlier this month in Bangladore, India, where Venus reached the quarterfinals and Serena won the title, Williams told the Deccan Herald, “Well, I’m black and I’m prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be.”

He said the media treated his daughters unfairly, that it was “the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the world,” and that if he were Serena and Venus, he would have quit playing.

“But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they (the media) will claim this is great,” he said.

Scott said, “Champions like Chris Evert and Tracy Austin have done so much to help build women’s tennis to where it is today, and it is regrettable that anyone would criticize them in this manner.”

The Williams sisters haven’t played at Indian Wells since 2001. They were booed after Venus pulled out of a semifinal match against her sister, citing knee tendinitis. Serena went on to win the title, but was booed during and after the championship match.

[Rausch]

I'm going to have to pull my "just don't care" card here.

That family is a clear ****ing mess.

[bowener]

“But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they (the media) will claim this is great,” he said.


I guess his take on racism is to fight fire with fire? Racism:Racism, that doesnt seem to fix the 'problem' he is having though.

[SBK]

Next up he'll be campaigning for Obama. (I kid, I kid.)

This guy is a friggin moron.

[mikey23545]

Can you believe this ? :eek:


http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=ap-wta-richardwilliamsremarks&prov=ap&type=lgns



While his daughters were playing earlier this month in Bangladore, India, where Venus reached the quarterfinals and Serena won the title, Williams told the Deccan Herald, “Well, I’m black and I’m prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be.”

He said the media treated his daughters unfairly, that it was “the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the world,” and that if he were Serena and Venus, he would have quit playing.

“<b>But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they (the media) will claim this is great,</b>” he said.



Wow.

[Baby Lee]

I always remember this question when there's no reason to raise it, but since it's tangentially relevant, I'll ask it now hoping for a real honest historical answer.

Why in the hell is the Billy-Jean King match so 'groundbreaking?' It's not like it's Martina Navratalova -vs- Jimmy Connors, or Bjorn Borg. So far as I can see it was a match up of a couple of over-the-hill lardasses fuffering around on a lazy Saturday. Not exactly clash of the titans. Were Riggs and King the top of the heap in Tennis for that time, were either of them ever top of the heap?

[Braincase]

I always remember this question when there's no reason to raise it, but since it's tangentially relevant, I'll ask it now hoping for a real honest historical answer.

Why in the hell is the Billy-Jean King match so 'groundbreaking?' It's not like it's Martina Navratalova -vs- Jimmy Connors, or Bjorn Borg. So far as I can see it was a match up of a couple of over-the-hill lardasses fuffering around on a lazy Saturday. Not exactly clash of the titans. Were Riggs and King the top of the heap in Tennis for that time, were either of them ever top of the heap?

It was a manufactured event capitalizing on the context of the day. The Equal Rights Amendment was a hot topic, as was Rowe v. Wade, and the NOW had some pull. Bobby Riggs was playing the part o the chauvinist pig, which seemed a pretty natural role for him, and Billy Jean King was starting the downward slide of her career as a tennis champion playing closeted lesbian that earned a whole lot less playing the same game that the boys played. Tennis was one of the first sports to start equalizing payouts (I think the men still get more), but the differential is still there IIRC.

BTW, Bobby Riggs got his ass kicked.

[Baby Lee]

It was a manufactured event capitalizing on the context of the day. The Equal Rights Amendment was a hot topic, as was Rowe v. Wade, and the NOW had some pull. Bobby Riggs was playing the part o the chauvinist pig, which seemed a pretty natural role for him, and Billy Jean King was starting the downward slide of her career as a tennis champion playing closeted lesbian that earned a whole lot less playing the same game that the boys played. Tennis was one of the first sports to start equalizing payouts (I think the men still get more), but the differential is still there IIRC.

BTW, Bobby Riggs got his ass kicked.

So, am I not so far off in comparing this more with Andy Kaufmann wrestling women from the audience than the Gettysburg Address?

[CoMoChief]

This is where I come in and ask Richard Williams to go pick me some bananas from the tree.


Seriously though, it's 2008, not 1968. It's time to move on. The media has hyped up those 2 players to the point they are world wide superstars, and have been that way since they stepped onto the pro tour.

[BigVE]

Calling Al Sharpton! Calling Al Sharpton!

[OnTheWarpath15]

Interesting that one of the biggest racists involved in sports is crying racism.

The media has given the Williams sisters MORE attention than they deserve, IMO.

If Richard is pissed that some of that attention has been negative, then he should shut his mouth, because HE draws most of it.

[MIAdragon]

Calling Al Sharpton! Calling Al Sharpton!


O god I would cut that mas heart out with a spoon if I had the chance.

[whoman69]

It was a manufactured event capitalizing on the context of the day. The Equal Rights Amendment was a hot topic, as was Rowe v. Wade, and the NOW had some pull. Bobby Riggs was playing the part o the chauvinist pig, which seemed a pretty natural role for him, and Billy Jean King was starting the downward slide of her career as a tennis champion playing closeted lesbian that earned a whole lot less playing the same game that the boys played. Tennis was one of the first sports to start equalizing payouts (I think the men still get more), but the differential is still there IIRC.

BTW, Bobby Riggs got his ass kicked.
To set the record straight, Billie Jean King was still one of the top women's players in the world at the time, even though she was 30 years old. The previous year she had won three of the four grand slam events. King was the #1 player in the world for 1972, 1974 and 1975 with this match being set in 1973. The leadup to this match probably cost her the #1 ranking for that year. She did manage to win Wimbledon in 1973, the year of the match.
Many forget the match that had lead up to this. A few years earlier Riggs had beaten Margaret Court, at the time the #1 woman's player in the world. Bobby Riggs was in his 50's at the time. I don't believe he had been active in professional tennis for more than 20 years. Riggs was a hustler and self promoter. Granted he was still a champion, but the national champion for those 50 and older should not be set up as a fair comparison for one of the top women's players of the time.
It was set up as some battle of the sexes to prove women could be the equal of men. If they had Jimmy Connors playing ex-girlfriend Chris Evert it might have proved something. Evert was married to another tennis pro by this time who was not even in the top 20 and she had admitted he could kick her butt in a straight up match very easily.
Does anyone doubt that any of the top 20 men could beat the best woman's player in the world in straight sets, most likely losing only a few games, maybe even 6-0?

[whoman69]

Henin vs Federer, anyone want to take bets?

[alanm]

It was a manufactured event capitalizing on the context of the day. The Equal Rights Amendment was a hot topic, as was Rowe v. Wade, and the NOW had some pull. Bobby Riggs was playing the part o the chauvinist pig, which seemed a pretty natural role for him, and Billy Jean King was starting the downward slide of her career as a tennis champion playing closeted lesbian that earned a whole lot less playing the same game that the boys played. Tennis was one of the first sports to start equalizing payouts (I think the men still get more), but the differential is still there IIRC.

BTW, Bobby Riggs got his ass kicked.Bobby Riggs was also 102 yrs old.:D

[whoman69]

If the WTA does indeed have a zero tolerance policy for racism, shouldn't Williams have been censured? 18 grand slam singles titles and Chris Evert is white trash who could not hit the ball? If he's mad that Venus and Serena are not getting the endorsements that Sharapova is getting then he needs to look no further than their own decisions. For quite a while they seemed more interested in fashion and modeling than in tennis. Venus has a face only a father could love while Serena is more muscular than most men on the tour. Though I have no proof, from the looks of their squarish jaws both have been on steroids and this can directly link to their numerous injuries through the recent years.

[pikesome]

If the WTA does indeed have a zero tolerance policy for racism, shouldn't Williams have been censured? If he's mad that Venus and Serena are not getting the endorsements that Sharapova is getting then he needs to look no further than their own decisions. For quite a while they seemed more interested in fashion and modeling than in tennis. Venus has a face only a father could love while Serena is more muscular than most men on the tour. Though I have no proof, from the looks of their squarish jaws both have been on steroids and this can directly link to their numerous injuries through the recent years.

I don't know if Sharapova et all is pleasant to work with or not but I think it's safe to safe the Williams camp might be a bit difficult. That could easily have a bearing too.

[Iowanian]

He's right.

I'll never be able to identify with the burden of being a multi-millionaire for playing tennis or having 2 daughters who can.


wait....do they have lessons for that in iowania? I'd love to be complaining about our mistreatment like this in a couple of decades.

The real discrimination is that tennis doesn't have weight classes, and his 2 clydesdales are matched up vs 110lb shetland ponies.

[pikesome]

The real discrimination is that tennis doesn't have weight classes, and his 2 clydesdales are matched up vs 110lb shetland ponies.

ROFL