>>>All these managers and coaches are not making personal threats when they complain about officiating.<<<
I have to think, with all the over the top tirades we’ve seen, over the years, once in a while a manager or player makes what could be considered a personal threat against an official or umpire. The difference is, they are generally not picked up on microphones, as in tennis. She certainly should not have said what she said, and deserves some sort of suspension, but I don’t think this was any sort of unprecedented outburst.
I think I might be tougher on Williams if it hadn’t been such a horrnedous call. The lineswoman apparently decided to impose herself on the match, making a call that nobody ever makes in a spot like that, and that was clearly, 100% wrong.
It wasn’t like she simply blew an in/out call, where a call must be made. She went out of her way to make one of the worst calls in sports history. It would be like a basketball referee calling a player for taking too long to shoot a free throw with a chance to send a playoff game into overtime, when he only took 5 seconds, as opposed to the 10 seconds allowed.
I find it rather odd that the USTA would hire a person with on obvious vision problem (the lineswoman wore glasses) for a crucial position, where eyesight is about 90% of the job. (I say this as one who is very nearsighted.) But, that is our politically correct. affirmitave action, society. Kind of reminds me the stuttering announcer in the short story “Harrison Bergeron”.
The way things are going, in 10 or 20 years, we will have the first (literally) blind major league umpire or NBA or NFL offical and it will be hailed as a historic victory for diversity.
I haven't seen any video that would support that statement. The videos are not conclusive. How can you even make that statement? Do you have something to support it? In her bizarre post-match interview, Serena said she probably did commit a foot fault.
And you don't know that personal threats are common. Kids on pee wee teams learn not to make personal threats to officials or opposing players. They know it will get them thrown out of a game, or even suspended for short or long periods of time. The ranting and raving by coaches and managers is about specific calls, or about the officials competency, but all participants know that personal threats will cost them far more than a penalty or technical foul.