Anyone following the Serena Williams / John McEnroe thing?

[op2]

Someone was interviewing McEnroe. McEnroe said Serena Williams is the best female tennis player in the world. The interviewer asked why he qualified it by saying "female." McEnroe elaborated and said Serena would be #700 in the world if she played with the men, etc.

Now it's become this big deal. Note that McEnroe wasn't going around yelling about how men are better than women at tennis or how it's not fair that Serena Williams gets so much attention when a lot of unknown men players are better than her.

This is an example of PC run amok, albeit an innocuous example. Why is it a big deal to speak an obvious truth in a polite manner? Why must we pretend women and men are the same when it comes to tennis when the fact that we have separate tours for women and men itself says they're not the same?

Again, McEnroe wasn't being douche-y about this in the slightest. Why has this become a big deal?

 

[Boomboom521]

Someone was interviewing McEnroe. McEnroe said Serena Williams is the best female tennis player in the world. The interviewer asked why he qualified it by saying "female." McEnroe elaborated and said Serena would be #700 in the world if she played with the men, etc.

Now it's become this big deal. Note that McEnroe wasn't going around yelling about how men are better than women at tennis or how it's not fair that Serena Williams gets so much attention when a lot of unknown men players are better than her.

This is an example of PC run amok, albeit an innocuous example. Why is it a big deal to speak an obvious truth in a polite manner? Why must we pretend women and men are the same when it comes to tennis when the fact that we have separate tours for women and men itself says they're not the same?

Again, McEnroe wasn't being douche-y about this in the slightest. Why has this become a big deal?

It's been a while since I was into tennis, but is he accurate with that statement? Serena is crazy strong and crazy good.

 

[WVUBRU]

Mac made this into an issue by comparing her to men and making a backhanded compliment that is a very sensitive subject. You have to be smarter when making public statements. He should have said the obvious which is Serena is great and it has been a pleasure to watch her career and then stfu. It isn't pc, it is being smart.

 

[op2]

It's been a while since I was into tennis, but is he accurate with that statement? Serena is crazy strong and crazy good.

I don't have a feel for how Serena would rank with the men so I don't know if the 700 number was too high or too low or just right. But the genesis of the number wasn't McEnroe just spouting off about Serena not being as good as the top men but rather it was in interviewer asking McEnroe said Serena was the best female tennis player instead of just the best tennis player. That is the person IMO that should be catching grief for asking a totally ridiculous question and trying to stir stuff up.

 

[op2]

Mac made this into an issue by comparing her to men and making a backhanded compliment that is a very sensitive subject. You have to be smarter when making public statements. He should have said the obvious which is Serena is great and it has been a pleasure to watch her career and then stfu. It isn't pc, it is being smart.

McEnroe says that about Serena all the time. He doesn't badmouth her. The problem started when he called her "the best female tennis player" and caught grief for it.

 

[PriddyBoy]

They will probably play. She will beat his old *** and we all learn a lesson that was never really there. They both make millions on the hyped up match. King vs Riggs II

Amendment: Some lessons can be learned, including there's a sucker born every minute and a fool and his money are soon parted.

 

[countryroads89_rivals]

Mac made this into an issue by comparing her to men and making a backhanded compliment that is a very sensitive subject. You have to be smarter when making public statements. He should have said the obvious which is Serena is great and it has been a pleasure to watch her career and then stfu. It isn't pc, it is being smart.

THIS^^^^^.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

Mac made this into an issue by comparing her to men and making a backhanded compliment that is a very sensitive subject. You have to be smarter when making public statements. He should have said the obvious which is Serena is great and it has been a pleasure to watch her career and then stfu. It isn't pc, it is being smart.

It doesn't make what he said less true. Mac hasn't exactly been known to embrace the path most easily traveled.

I don't know who the #1 male tennis player in the world is, but I'd pay to watch it. Another solution would be to get rid of women's leagues and let them compete against men straight up.

I'd bet Serena's fine *** would be top 50 though.

 

[bornaneer]

McEnroe says that about Serena all the time. He doesn't badmouth her. The problem started when he called her "the best female tennis player" and caught grief for it.

Some people just want to stir it up. McEnroe has always had high praise for Serena Now the PC police have their knives out. Guess what.....Mac doesn't give two ***** about being PC.

 

[bornaneer]

I'd bet Serena's fine *** would be top 50 though.

No way......she might be able to hang with some of the men for two sets........but men play three sets. Thats probably why Mac ranked her where he did.

 

[RichardPeterJohnson]

It doesn't make what he said less true. Mac hasn't exactly been known to embrace the path most easily traveled.

I don't know who the #1 male tennis player in the world is, but I'd pay to watch it. Another solution would be to get rid of women's leagues and let them compete against men straight up.

I'd bet Serena's fine *** would be top 50 though.

No way she'd be top 50. Serve speed. Foot speed. Wingspan. Strength. There are a few hundred men better than her easily. Hard to compare tennis to golf but I'd bet the odds of a woman competely favorably against a man are better at golf. And we all saw what happened to Anika when she tried to compete against men and she was in the prime of her career. She set the LPGA scoring record for the season that she played in the men's even and couldn't make the cut. Mac may be a douchebag but he's right on this.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

No way she'd be top 50. Serve speed. Foot speed. Wingspan. Strength. There are a few hundred men better than her easily. Hard to compare tennis to golf but I'd bet the odds of a woman competely favorably against a man are better at golf. And we all saw what happened to Anika when she tried to compete against men and she was in the prime of her career. She set the LPGA scoring record for the season that she played in the men's even and couldn't make the cut. Mac may be a douchebag but he's right on this.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

No way she'd be top 50. Serve speed. Foot speed. Wingspan. Strength. There are a few hundred men better than her easily. Hard to compare tennis to golf but I'd bet the odds of a woman competely favorably against a man are better at golf. And we all saw what happened to Anika when she tried to compete against men and she was in the prime of her career. She set the LPGA scoring record for the season that she played in the men's even and couldn't make the cut. Mac may be a douchebag but he's right on this.

I trust that's correct, I have no idea though.

 

[op2]

Here's it the audio to the original interview. It's on the right hand side of the page. The relevant part starts at 6:16 although you can listen to some before that if you think it helps. But they're talking about something completely different before that (why more Americans don't play tennis). McEnroe isn't being provocative. The interviewer asks in a sincere voice why the qualifier "female" is used for Serena, as if there is real doubt about whether it's necessary.

 

[bornaneer]

No way she'd be top 50. Serve speed. Foot speed. Wingspan. Strength. There are a few hundred men better than her easily. Hard to compare tennis to golf but I'd bet the odds of a woman competely favorably against a man are better at golf. And we all saw what happened to Anika when she tried to compete against men and she was in the prime of her career. She set the LPGA scoring record for the season that she played in the men's even and couldn't make the cut. Mac may be a douchebag but he's right on this.

I don't agree with most of what you say..........but when I do it's a bigly ***** deal.......I agree with your comments on this one.