Posted on 03/21/2008 10:30:04 PM PDT by kbingham
INDIAN 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.
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These examples of “black-rage” with absolutely zero basis seem to be the over-riding context of the black community’s world view, even in the face of overwhelming athletic and financial success. There is no understanding this bizzare phenomenon.
because Venus and Serena are not all that adorable, they get short shift....
but they do bring a lot of it on themselves now don't they, with their chip on their shoulders and then there is their idiot father....
I'll never root for them....ever...
Oh please. The Williams sisters have made a combined total of close to $40 million on the tennis tour. Plus the much larger endorsement money, like Serena’s $60 million deal with Nike.
I’d love to be “not accepted” like that.
Oh no, not him again.
No surprises here, he’s always been running off at the mouth.
Venus and Serena are chips off the old blockhead. And they have paid for it in the past.
Likewise. I cannot stand any of the Williams clan (or should I say Klan?). Clearly, they are all racists. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Whoa! Did the Williams sisters ever play Austin or Evert? Austin's 45 and Evert's 53, so I doubt it.
Ashe won three Grand Slams. He was more than pretty good in his day. But the point is he had class which is lacking lately.
"I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be.”"
Those stupid beads they used to wear didn't win them any friends. Other players could get seriously hurt from slipping on them. I remember many times they were penalized because they were dropping beads around on the court.
Richard is just pissed because they aren't winning that much anymore. Funny how they stopped dominating about the time the WTA and ATP started their year round, random, drop-by-the-house steroid testing program.
These pastors, and that includes Jackson and Sharpton, have done such a disservice to their community. What needs to be taught is forgiveness toward the injustices of the past. What I think they fail to see is that forgiveness does not mean that what was done in the past is okay. Without forgiveness they will always be STUCK in the past. You can always choose to get better or get bitter and they have chosen to get bitter in my estimation. The only solution is to apply the balm of forgiveness and stop PICKING at the scab.
Gosh pops, I think the media has definitely informed me of the greatness of your daughters. Through the media, I think your daughters would crush Evert or Austin, maybe not Martina though. Through the media I’ve seen your daughters on countless talk shows and have a favorable impression of them, despite my opinion that they are not MENSA candidates. Never expected them to be. Through the media I learned what a phenomonal job you did in raising them and grooming them to be the great champions they are, despite you being on the kooky side. So, if the media have treated your daughters unfairly than I would sure like to know how I have been duped, and what a more accurate impression would be.
It struck me that they must be absolutely rude as can be for there to be any criticism since blacks are generlly immune from any criticism in the main stream media.
Ping! Are you still on here?
Here's a few thoughts, Mr Williams.
1. Tennis is a game, it is entertainment, not a necessity.
2. There are about 500 tv channels competing for my attention.
3. The uniforms on the women's beach volleyball teams are better.
Either Williams would have beaten Austin and Evert. They just didn’t have the same power. Now I have hard time believing they would beat Navratilova, I think at her prime she may have stood toe to toe with them and beaten them.
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