Let Them Play

Let Them Play

A cranky opinion for

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

The following is the opinion of a cranky old man with little knowledge of the topic opined.  Opposing opinions are welcome but wrong.  As always, please, no name calling.  That means you, you big stupid head!

I don’t really like tennis.  I used to, it was way popular in the 80’s, today it seems, not so much…at least for me and anyone I know.  I liked it when McEnroe was winning and whining.  I liked it when Connors was winning and complaining.  To me the game now just lacks personality…also my ex-wife loved the game and used to beat me at it regularly with her steady-as-you-go pitty-pat game so I learned to hate the game.

Anyway.

I did take interest in the recent hoo-ha over Serena Williams battle with the head linesman in a US Open final.  It could be easy to take sides against Serena.  She is a great player but does have a reputation of making excuses the few times she does lose.

It seems in this match, she got in a battle with the judge who took away a point because she was being coached.  She claims she wasn’t coached.   Actually, her coach says yes, he was coaching her.  I say so what!  It is a really stupid rule.

Then Serena lost her temper and broke her racket costing her another penalty, I think a game, and she really blew up.

Here is the thing, tennis is a country club hoity-toity rich persons sport. Years ago, the only courts that you could play on were at the country club or the back yards of really rich people.  These days there are lots of public courts, but the game still has the hoity-toity feel.

Serena is not hoity-toity.  I’m not an expert on her career, but I believe she grew up in Compton L.A., one of the least hoity toity places in the world.  Her father trained her and her sister on crappy public courts from a very young age.  I doubt anything other than talent has ever come easy for her.  She has worked really hard to be the best.

When things do not come easily to you, it is really hard to accept when someone takes stuff away from you.  In the case of her match, the head umpire was an ass.

First, Serena’s coach was giving signals, apparently that is against the stupid hoity-toity rules that apparently almost everyone ignores and umpires overlook.  Serena was ignoring the signals. It is pretty hard to play the game and listen to someone tell you what to do.  I yelled directions to my kids all the time during sports events…they do not hear you, if they do, they give you that “just shut up dad” look.

Then Serena busted her racket in a temper tantrum.  So what? Let her play, giving her a penalty is just stupid.  This was the finals in the US Open, adrenalin is pumping and nerves are on edge.  LET THEM PLAY!!

Baseball players smash their bats all the time…also water coolers and sometimes even their fists.  This is a young lady straight out of Compton playing in front of millions, this is not Buffy playing against Debby for the club championship of hoity-toityville.

Tennis fans payed to watch Serena play, not some umpire with a hoity-toity stick up his ass trying to preserve the so-called dignity of this hoity-toity country club rich persons pastime.

Let them grunt, let them wear whatever the f*ck they want to wear, let them smash rackets, let them show emotion, and LET THEM PLAY!

Maybe if you added a little personality to this bland white washed sport they might win back some more fans…even me…probably not…but still.

The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.