14 Sep 09
Originally posted by quackquackwho is "you"? It certainly wasn't me. Please be specific when you hurl accusations.
You said that you'd throw your racket at the line judge's face. Would you agree that that would be absurd behavior?
No matter what you do for a living there are acceptable responses to things you do not agree with. Throwing a racket in someone's face (your suggestion is criminal); the fact that she is a professional athlete and she feels it was the wro ...[text shortened]... or something that should not be called does not make it acceptable to threaten a line judge.
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by quackquackIf you want to get coherent thoughts across on this forum, you need to help the audience follow along instead of assuming we know what's swirling through that nebulous brain of yours.
You said that you'd throw your racket at the line judge's face. Would you agree that that would be absurd behavior?
No matter what you do for a living there are acceptable responses to things you do not agree with. Throwing a racket in someone's face (your suggestion is criminal); the fact that she is a professional athlete and she feels it was the wro ...[text shortened]... or something that should not be called does not make it acceptable to threaten a line judge.
I did say i would throw the racket in the line judge's face but this is something called hyperbole and is a rhetorical tool. Serena Williams did not throw her racket in the judge's face so using my off-the-cuff statement to somehow judge her character makes no sense.
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by darvlayYour argument is fairly simple:
If you want to get coherent thoughts across on this forum, you need to help the audience follow along instead of assuming we know what's swirling through that nebulous brain of yours.
I did say i would throw the racket in the line judge's face but this is something called hyperbole and is a rhetorical tool. Serena Williams did not throw her racket in the ...[text shortened]... face so using my off-the-cuff statement to somehow judge her character makes no sense.
You would want to throw a racket in someone's face but Serena only threatened the line judge bodily harm.
Serena behavior is inappropriate and your argument is foolish. You should probably question what goes through your brain if you think athletes are entitled to verbally abuse and threaten others who are also at work doing their job.
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by quackquackI don't think Darvlay really meant that he would've actually thrown a racket at someone's face. It was just a vivid way of saying he would have lost his temper in a big way.
It is a criminal act to throw your racket in a line judge's face. Just because she is a star athlete having a bad day does not give her the right to behave inappropriately. Refs are there to make calls; not to take abuse. It is simply not acceptable. Serena should be mad at herself as she played terribly; not a line judge who does his job.
Similarly, if Serena had indeed said "I will hunt you down and kill you", she didn't mean it in the literal sense. It was just a vivid way of expressing how big her lost temper had become.
Of course, lost in all this confusion was Kim Clijsters' very nice comeback story. Serena might not have been at her best, but it would probably have been sufficient against anyone else. Women's tennis can only gain from Clijster's return. I hope Venus and Serena (and the rest) can rise to the challenge.
14 Sep 09
1 edit
Originally posted by quackquackThe athlete in this case was fined and punished accordingly and if death threats were made, further sanctions will be necessary (perhaps an extra monetary fine or a brief suspension).
Your argument is fairly simple:
You would want to throw a racket in someone's face but Serena only threatened the line judge bodily harm.
Serena behavior is inappropriate and your argument is foolish. You should probably question what goes through your brain if you think athletes are entitled to verbally abuse and threaten others who are also at work doing their job.
This being said:
It takes a certain type to be a Professional Referee. You know what you're getting into. Referees should expect abuse and verbal backlash if they don't do their jobs properly and worse if they are completely inept. To say she was acting thuggish and desereves a date in court, as Seitse did, is preposterous.
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by darvlayTennis is n't a real sport anyway. No bench clearing brawls, no crack back blocks...nothing!!! spice it up a bit!! 😛😉
The athlete in this case was fined and punished accordingly and if death threats were made, further sanctions will be necessary.
This being said:
It takes a certain type to be a Professional Referee. You know what you're getting into. Referees should expect abuse and verbal backlash if they don't do their jobs properly and worse if they are complete ...[text shortened]... To say she was acting thuggish and desereves a date in court, as Seitse did, is preposterous.
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by MelanerpesI understand that no one literally is going to injur anyone. But the perception (even accounting for exageration) of what people feel an athlete is entitled to do when they perceive they got a bad call is crazy. Serena Williams' reaction is never acceptable.
I don't think Darvlay really meant that he would've actually thrown a racket at someone's face. It was just a vivid way of saying he would have lost his temper in a big way.
Similarly, if Serena had indeed said "I will hunt you down and kill you", she didn't mean it in the literal sense. It was just a vivid way of expressing how big her lost temper had ...[text shortened]... om Clijster's return. I hope Venus and Serena (and the rest) can rise to the challenge.
Neverthless, if you feel sometimes a call is so bad you are permitted to go crazy this is not such a situtaion. (1) this was not a fixed match or a call that was so bad you can only conclude that someone made the call for no reason other than to get a particular result. (like a guy hits a homerun over the center fielders head and they call it foul or someone takes seven steps in the endzone but they call it a fumble on the field of play), (2) this was not a match that was changed because of the call.
14 Sep 09
I agree with Seitse. The law should not stop applying just because citizens are playing professional sports. The line judge should not be discouraged from taking legal action and then the courts would decide.
Does anybody remember Ben Thatcher's elbow on Pedro Mendes?
http://tinyurl.com/rhpcriminal
Why shouldn't the player who was hit be free to file a civil suit? There seems to be a lot of pressure for players not to do this, but I find it a complete hypocrisy. In any other job discouraging people from protecting their rights in court would be a scandal.
14 Sep 09
Referees should expect abuse and verbal backlash if they don't do their jobs properly and worse if they are completely inept. To say she was acting thuggish and desereves a date in court, as Seitse did, is preposterous.I think it is time to stop making statement and then saying that you were exagerating. If you think referees deserve abuse (verbal?/ physical?) if they do not do their jobs right I disagree. I am sure there is a tennis association that evaluates refs. Self help by an athlete during an event is not the procedure. I am not sure what you mean by more than verbal backlash, but it sounds like you condone violence.
Finally, I am not sure how anyone could argue that Serena Williams did not act in a thuggish manner. Just because she is at an athletic event does not mean she should be exonerated from making criminal threats (if indeed she did).
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by quackquackTo be clear, I don't condone any physical abuse of referees (and don't see how you could possibly come to that conclusion) but I absolutely think that refs should expect verbal abuse if they don't do their jobs correctly. Athletes who criticize and abuse referees are fined a lot of money for giving into their emotions like this but it is absolutely fine, in my opinion, when they do. Professional athletes are extremely competitive and some are emotional. That's the nature of the biz! Bottom line!
I think it is time to stop making statement and then saying that you were exagerating. If you think referees deserve abuse (verbal?/ physical?) if they do not do their jobs right I disagree. I am sure there is a tennis association that evaluates refs. Self help by an athlete during an event is not the procedure. I am not sure what you mean by more th ...[text shortened]... c event does not mean she should be exonerated from making criminal threats (if indeed she did).
14 Sep 09
Originally posted by darvlayYou think anyone should expect verbal abuse in their workplace? 😕
To be clear, I don't condone any physical abuse of referees (and don't see how you could possibly come to that conclusion) but I absolutely think that refs should expect verbal abuse if they don't do their jobs correctly. Athletes who criticize and abuse referees are fined a lot of money for giving into their emotions like this but it is absolutely f ...[text shortened]... e extremely competitive and some are emotional. That's the nature of the biz! Bottom line!