Re: Tennis Random, Random
Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 6:59 pm
We still talk about tennis. And much more.
https://talkabouttennis2.com/
Taller than Diego, for sure (not a considerable achievement) but very limited game. Not a lot of power, good wheels, not a huge serve. There are 50 like him out there right now.
Thanks for your answer. This will be my last post on this point because frankly I don't think any more discussion will be worth my time.mick1303 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 6:09 pmThese "homophobic stances" judging by what she actually said I consider as an understandable reaction of highly religious person raised in the 50s society. Not enough to declare that she is a horrible person.dmforever wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:28 pmI'll say it one more time and then I'll quit. You have made zero comment on her repeated extremely homophobic stances. I can only assume that those stances aren't problematic for you.mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 4:53 pm
In 1970, Court kicked things off by praising South Africa’s apartheid policy (“South Africans have this thing better organised than any other country, particularly America,” she said. “I love South Africa. I’ll go back there any time.”), for which she received very little lasting scrutiny.
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These quotes of Court in this article is ALL THERE IS on her alleged racist views. And I've seen oh so many times how media quotes out of context, PUSHING THEIR OWN AGENDA. Maybe, just maybe - she "received very little lasting scrutiny" because she wasn't talking about apartheid? Because "this thing" is too generic to rely on. Why this quote is so short? Such short quotes to me is a signal that someone is trying to tamper with the source...
Also - when a writer expresses a displeasure that someone "received very little lasting scrutiny" for a statement rather than an action - to me it is not a good outlook. I'm starting to think that this writer - Russell Jackson - would like a free speech to be applied selectively - it is free for him, but others shall be scrutinized. Isn't it a bit hypocritical?
Kevin
It is also a matter of perspective. I live in Ukraine. The country is in bad shape, to put it mildly. If you stop an average person on the street here and ask - what is their opinion on the unequal treatment of gays and how serious of a problem is it - they will think that you're either imbecile or a pranker. This being a problem does not register on anybody's radar here, because of the severity of other problems.
Thank you for this Kevin.dmforever wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 11:34 pmThanks for your answer. This will be my last post on this point because frankly I don't think any more discussion will be worth my time.mick1303 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 6:09 pmThese "homophobic stances" judging by what she actually said I consider as an understandable reaction of highly religious person raised in the 50s society. Not enough to declare that she is a horrible person.
It is also a matter of perspective. I live in Ukraine. The country is in bad shape, to put it mildly. If you stop an average person on the street here and ask - what is their opinion on the unequal treatment of gays and how serious of a problem is it - they will think that you're either imbecile or a pranker. This being a problem does not register on anybody's radar here, because of the severity of other problems.
Her background doesn't make her any less homophobic. It's like saying racist people who are super racist because they were raised in a racist family aren't that bad. That would basically make everyone not that bad because hate is a learned behavior. It isn't the default. Everyone has a reason for their hate. Those reasons aren't a free pass to spout hate.
I'm really sorry about the condition that your country is in right now. I have students from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia and they have all told me stories of what's going on, and I try to read the news as much as possible, so I know a little bit. But of course you and your family, friends, and loved ones are experiencing it first hand. I hope you and they are all OK.
To say that homophobia doesn't register on anyone's radar in Ukraine is grossly incorrect. Ask a lesbian, gay, trans, or non-binary person in Ukraine if homophobia is a problem, even given the current situation, and I'm sure you'll hear an earful. Violence against the LGBTQ community in Eastern Europe, especially now is no laughing matter. (And I'm not singling you out. It's bad in the US too.) The fact that you didn't include them in your answer speaks volumes. They are somebody, even if society in general doesn't consider them to be, or considers them less.
You didn't say that Court's racist comments didn't matter because of the era that she was raised, or because Ukraine has too many other problems to be worried about racism. You treated the two really differently.
I don't know if you can see my position, but I"ll try to make it very personal and clear. What Court has said about LGBTQ issues matters. Of course, she has no direct affect on me. I live in the US. But her ideas do directly affect me. I have only been able to have the family of my choice since 2013. That's less than 10 years. And there are people here, even people on the Supreme Court, who think that I shouldn't have that right. That I shouldn't be able to give power of attorney to my spouse if I were in an accident. That my spouse shouldn't be able to get health care through my job. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Please consider the fact that there are many many things that you take for granted (being able to hold hands and kiss in public without violence or harassment, being able to get married and all the attendant rights that come with that, being able to have a picture of your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend at work without fear of getting fired, or harassed, being able to look or dress or talk or walk in a way that doesn't provoke violence against yourself) that the LGBTQ community does not. We know how easily these things can be taken away if we have them, or how much we need to fight for them if we don't. So for us, her words matter.
She has had decades to talk to people in the LGBTQ community, to read, to watch videos, to educate herself. As someone else said, she has chosen to triple down. She has chosen to hate. This should be enough to get her name removed from the Australian Open.
I apologize to everyone here in advance. We all come here for tennis mostly. I get it. I know this is kind of a diatribe, but I sort of just feel like I need to speak up. Otherwise, my silence feels like complicity.
Kevin
I think he doesn't see the point in comparisons. His energy would be better spent ignoring this stuff if he doesn't like it. It's a normal part of spectator sports.ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 10, 2021 4:35 pm Indeed interesting, and a lot to talk about.
For example: Don't compare us to Sampras and Agassi. Then, who do we compare you too? Henman? Goran?
Every single french player gets compared to Noah (which is not that tough a comparison). Every Aussie is compared to the Great Generation. It is just part of the game, If you are an American, you get compared to Sampras, Agassi, Connors, Mac, etc. That's the deal when you come from a country with such history.
Ask any Argentinean soccer player. They do not get compared with Messi only. They immediately get compared with Maradona.
Lendl was into collecting art. Wojtek Fibak too.meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:21 pm ...
I think he doesn't see the point in comparisons. His energy would be better spent ignoring this stuff if he doesn't like it. It's a normal part of spectator sports.
I didn't want to like him or this story, but I do, both. I like his candor, which doesn't come with a giant side of cluelessness. Although the harsh words about criticism, and his distaste for it, are quite ironic. One thing that's unsaid is that journalists don't get much time with these athletes. Very little access. So it's not all their fault that they aren't finding other stories and angles.
Wish they should have unpacked his friendship with Venus a lot more.
Why is it so surprising to discover an athlete is aware of and appreciates culture? That kind of gawking is lame to me.