Cries of Racism in Women's Tennis

[Warka]

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

Women’s tour CEO Larry Scott reacts to Richard Williams’ remarks on racism

Mar 20, 2008

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- 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.

[Flint Steel]

Yeah and so what? Tennis isn't racist enough. Is rap racist? Do we have to babysit the coons in everything we do?

[il ragno]

The full interview.

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Mar132008/sportscene2008031257015.asp

People in the tennis world are prejudiced

R Satya

Just like his daughters Venus and Serena, Richard Williams is a familiar figure at most tennis centres across the world.

While his daughters make headlines with their brand of tennis, father Williams does so with his statements. Unafraid to speak his mind, Williams, who was in the Garden City last week for the Bangalore Open, spoke to Deccan Herald on Venus and Serena's early years and about a life beyond the baseline. Excerpts:

Growing up, did Venus and Serena rebel against playing tennis?
No, I don't think so, but I wanted Venus to start running track by the time she was nine years old. She wanted to keep on playing tennis. Serena will always do what Venus does. No matter what Venus does in tennis everyday, Serena will do what Venus does.

Did they have interests other than tennis in their formative years?
Yeah, they had lots of interests. Education, playing games, reading all kind of books… They were lot of other things they were really, really interested in.

Did they excel in any other sports?
I think both of them would have been great golfers. They used to hit golf balls when they were small. They didn't have a handicap, they didn't play that good. But you could see their strokes and their techniques were there.

How were they as kids?
We didn't have any problems with Venus and Serena when they were kids, because they always had interests in things that they wanted to do. If they couldn't find one I found one for them. I strongly believe that family is the greatest institution that a human being can have. They were institutionalised to do things and learn to do other things other than tennis.

Did you have a back-up plan for them?
I knew they were going to be good anyway. I certainly did. Venus wanted to be an anthropologist and Serena wanted to be a veterinarian. They loved education so much to this day.

The two never did well at the same time, especially in the Grand Slams, what was the problem?
I think it might have been the media. I think it might have been the players in the media. When my girls win, they always said they won too much. When they didn't win, something was wrong with them. I think this is the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the world. If I was them I would have quit. They made enough money, they have enough money. When Venus plays or Serena plays, they draw more people than anyone in the world. It doesn't matter if they are No 1 or No 301, they always draw people. If someone else was No 1, it was good for tennis, if it was Blacks, it was not. I think it was ridiculous what they did to my two girls.

How did it affect you and your family?
It didn't affect us. We were trained for something like that. Tennis is a prejudice game. Well, I'm Black and I'm prejudiced, very prejudiced. I'll be always prejudiced as the White man. The White man hated me all my life and I hate him. That's no secret. I'm not even an American, it just so happens that I was born in America. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don't think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be. But if you get some little White no good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert who cannot hit the ball, they will claim this is great.

What's your opinion on the depth in women's tennis?
I haven't seen the best players yet. The best players are in the ghetto here in India and in the ghetto in Compton. Those kids don't get a chance. If you could teach them tennis, maybe in ten years you will see real tennis players. If you give the ghetto players the opportunities, you see better tennis players, better soccer players and you will see the best of the best.
I don't think no one is interested in poor people. Everyone likes you to say something nice, why don't we all do something nice. And if we do that, we will have something going.

Your daughters have been plagued by injuries in recent times. Do you think they can reclaim the No 1 spot?
I think they are No 1 right now as far as I'm concerned. They have always been No 1 before they were No 1 to me. I think they can easily be No 1 in women's tennis. They have speed, they have power. Right now, they are more interested in learning to develop more businesses. There were taught that there is a life behind the baseline. If you look at most of your tennis players when they are finished playing tennis, where are they going? Look at (John) McEnroe, (Martina) Navratilova, Vijay Amritraj, look at all of them. All their lives they have been in sports, where are they now? Do you want that for your child? You go spend 20 years playing tennis and another 20 years announcing tennis, that is 40 years of your life, you mean, you never learnt anything else!? My daughters are not that way, they'll never be that way either. My daughters go to college. They own businesses and run businesses. So when they are out of tennis, they will keep on making tons and tons and millions and millions. There (pointing to Venus), I'm not looking at a tennis player, that's a business lady. And she understands it.

How long do you see them playing tennis?
They will quit when they get ready. I don't see it. Doubt to see it. Whenever it is, it'll be their decision.

[RuneX2]

Female tennis is prejudiced alright. Against ugly people. And the problem with Venus and Serena is that they’re really buttfucking ugly. Top professional sports is more entertainment than sport. It doesn’t matter how well they play, nobody wants to see them. You have to choose between spending two hours with Maria Sharapova or Anna Kournikova and Venus or Serena Williams, which would you go for? Not a hard choice at all. Anyway for a family which is making millions on millions of dollars while zipping around the world as celebrities they sure whine a lot.

This:
http://sports.vgreets.com/Tennis/photos/Venus_Williams/Venus_Williams3.jpg

or her:
http://images.askmen.com/galleries/model/maria-sharapova/pictures/maria-sharapova-picture-2.jpg

[Flint Steel]

You have to choose between spending two hours with Maria Sharapova or Anna Kournikova and Venus or Serena Williams, which would you go for?

:rofl:

I have got the answer to this dilemma. How about a Tennis Chamionships of African Origin? The TCAO?

[il ragno]

http://sports.vgreets.com/Tennis/photos/Venus_Williams/Venus_Williams3.jpg

You could go spelunking in those nostrils!

[Count Eustace II]

TNB. Complain about racism even though your daughters have made millions of dollars in tennis. Williams, Sr is an asshole.

[Vissario]

Female tennis is prejudiced alright. Against ugly people. And the problem with Venus and Serena is that they’re really buttfucking ugly. Top professional sports is more entertainment than sport. It doesn’t matter how well they play, nobody wants to see them. You have to choose between spending two hours with Maria Sharapova or Anna Kournikova and Venus or Serena Williams, which would you go for? Not a hard choice at all. Anyway for a family which is making millions on millions of dollars while zipping around the world as celebrities they sure whine a lot.

This:
http://sports.vgreets.com/Tennis/photos/Venus_Williams/Venus_Williams3.jpg

or her:
http://images.askmen.com/galleries/model/maria-sharapova/pictures/maria-sharapova-picture-2.jpg

Sounds like you're whinning for the white women getting beaten.

[RuneX2]

..uh?! Where the hell did you crawl up from?! Counting by your red blocks you seem to be even more popular than me.

Sounds like you're whinning for the white women getting beaten.So is that an actual attempt at an English sentence? I seldom watch tennis and when I do, only for the panting & moaning. I don’t really care one way or the other who wins, as long as I don’ have to watch that ugly bitch Venus or Serena. That name, Venus, seems to be some kind of particular nasty pun played by her parents. If I ever father an idiot, I’m going to name him Einstein. I bet you she goes to bed tonight thinking how sweet life could have been if she had only been born pretty and that she would swap all her fame, talents and money away in an instant for a pretty face. Seems to be running in the family too, judging by sis:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/gammagoblin/serenaass0601043337ut.jpg

[Flint Steel]

Did anyone actually watch the Wimbledon ladies final in 2002 or 2003 when it was the williams sisters?

[Empress Cheesatine]

That is one fat ass. Someone should teach pappa Williams some damned grammar. Millions of dollars have never stopped these apes from bitching about racism. Look at Oprah. She's richer than all of them.

[Keystone]

Uh-oh.

Venus Williams is engaged to a white guy:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h164/ybfchic/December%2007/d1df9c30.jpg

Golfer Hank Kuehne.

[Starr]

How did it affect you and your family?
It didn't affect us. We were trained for something like that. Tennis is a prejudice game. Well, I'm Black and I'm prejudiced, very prejudiced. I'll be always prejudiced as the White man. The White man hated me all my life and I hate him. That's no secret. I'm not even an American, it just so happens that I was born in America.

Surely he is not hurting for money or anything like that so what is stopping him from hopping on a plane to Africa so he doesn't have to live here or among the white man?

As for their appearance, they look quite a bit like men in drag in many pics I have seen.

[harjit]

Surely he is not hurting for money or anything like that so what is stopping him from hopping on a plane to Africa so he doesn't have to live here or among the white man?

Africa would be even more foreign to him.

It relates to what I said in my other thread about non-white racists. Considering where he is, he's probably tied up with numerous white people in his life, some of whom he probably has genuine affection for. It's unlikely he means 100% of what he said.

It's more likely to be a reaction, coming from a place of anger than a deeply held political view or philosophy. It's something that can be changed if he felt a bit more respect and love.

[Flint Steel]

Uh-oh.

Venus Williams is engaged to a white guy:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h164/ybfchic/December%2007/d1df9c30.jpg

Golfer Hank Kuehne.

White? He looks Gew to me. Maria Sharapova was also dating a jew, Adam Levine, and she has also bought a house in Israel, some great white hope:

Maria Sharapova loves us! Maria Sharapova, who recently came to Israel for work purposes (work = grunting in Ramat Hasharon and beating local sensation Shahar Peer), has reportedly purchased a luxurious penthouse just south of Netanya (a city that’s on the sea, basically).

http://realisrael.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/maria-sharapova-loves-us/

William's calls Chris Evett and Tracy Austin white trash:

“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.

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

[RuneX2]

Uh-oh.

Venus Williams is engaged to a white guy:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h164/ybfchic/December%2007/d1df9c30.jpg

Golfer Hank Kuehne.oh. But of course she is. Isn’t that the ultimate American success indicator? As a black person you haven’t really made it in the States, until you’re banging a white girl/dude. But I guess it explains papa’s resentment. He’s just upset his little girl is having sex and venting out on whitey. Well as a father of girls I must sympathize.

Maria Sharapova was also dating a jew, Adam Levine, and she has also bought a house in IsraelWell good for her. If I had a couple of hundred million dollars (or rather I’d prefer some real money, like Euros or Rubles) I too would buy a place in Israel and prowl for some of those IDF babes.

so don't tell me she's a great white hope:naw. She's just a tennis player afterall. Like the two other ugly Williams' bitches. It's just a game. Who cares if they can hit a ball?

William's calls Chris Evett and Tracy Austin white trashaw. that horrid racist man. I remember even as a kid, wanting to watch Chris Evert over Martina Navratilova. I guess that makes me horrible homophobic. But I’m not. Actually. I swear I love watching Horny Blonde Lesbians #5 as much as the next guy.

[Brett]

There is no way you are a Dane.

A Dane with some Jewish blood, perhaps.

I take it you live somewhere like Gentofte, right?