You can't say a thing these days...

[johnyandell]

HS,

I agree with you. Those comments were not some joke or miss statements or innocent and the guy got off far too easily.

I agree with a lot of what Orwell said--but censoring racists and bigots was not what 1984 totalitarianism was about.

[hockeyscout]

HS,

I agree with you. Those comments were not some joke or miss statements or innocent and the guy got off far too easily.

I agree with a lot of what Orwell said--but censoring racists and bigots was not what 1984 totalitarianism was about.

BTW, I have two daughters. My first one is eight and was born in Kiev, and my second one was born in Crimea as it was being annexed by Russia. Interesting note, my young one is named Venus. Wife is a big fan of Ms. Williams.

[lobndropshot]

A few years ago I worked at a club where Serena came to practice. After which a few members at that club were making jokes about Serena. Saying, "I hope that she didn't use our showers."

The Williams have experienced racism and will continue to experience racism. Just as many people in the world will continue to experience racism.

[GeoffWilliams]

Alexandra Stevenson and her mother may have accused JY of sexism/racism after his comments about their behavior at the Redding ITF. You don't give a free pass to bad people just because they are of color/female.

[lobndropshot]

How is she getting a free pass?

[don_budge]

The Land of the Freebie…there are no real free passes, except for the rich

Alexandra Stevenson and her mother may have accused JY of sexism/racism after his comments about their behavior at the Redding ITF. You don't give a free pass to bad people just because they are of color/female.

How is she getting a free pass?

This is how it works. You must know your Orwell and have been born around 1954 to understand the complex nature of the question. Do the math…1954 was thirty years before and 2014 is thirty years after. It was halftime of my life so far…and Orwell's nightmare.

Minorities might appear to be getting a "free pass" in any number of ways. Take the Williams sisters for example. But rest assured the free pass will in no way ever approach the sum of the other side of the equation. The one where they were getting the short end of the stick. Historically wise and other wise.

It's all so convoluted that it takes a real scholar to sort it out. To say nothing of the ability to discern. Diversity is a relatively new concept historically speaking. Coincidentally or not…it is exactly as old as political correctness. Remember…"he who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past". For a gander to see how they control the present and therefore the future and the past…see the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOygpfEl7nE

For millenniums the prevailing concept was "birds of a feather flock together". You still see this paradigm in the forest and all of nature. Only the human race has "discovered" this elevated concept of diversity to solve its global conundrum. Even though it goes against the grain in many respects. Of course the "birds of a feather flock together" is still the doctrine that the human psyche defaults to when left unfettered but the social programming has done wonders…hasn't it?

It all started when white settlers "discovered" the Americas and virtually eliminated the native inhabitants by any means necessary. Afterall…the ends justify the means. Once they were gone a new paradigm had to be established to cover up the slaughter and eventually Hollywood and Washington collaborated until they arrived to where we are today. It helps people to sleep better at night.

It's only window dressing though. I remember having this conversation with this Dutch gal in a Munich bar in October of 1989…I was trying to explain to her that the American Dream wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. While America maintained that it was "the land of the free" I disputed that and countered with America was more than likely "the land of the freebie". That is…the more you have the more you get. Smoke and mirrors. So again…I guess that I was right. Rich people never pay full boat. Nope…they are always making deals. Right to the end where they are bartering for peoples souls once they have run out of money and there is nothing left to pay with.

But that was fun…sitting there in that Munich bar while Mikhail Gorbachev was in Berlin organizing the fall of the Berlin Wall.

[hockeyscout]

Alexandra Stevenson and her mother may have accused JY of sexism/racism after his comments about their behavior at the Redding ITF. You don't give a free pass to bad people just because they are of color/female.

I didn't know Julius Erving (doctor J) was her father. It's to bad he wasn't more involved. Great talent and passion needs even better mentorship. Poor kid, such great possibilities. That mom must have had a tough go of it, and been under a lot of pressure, and a dad like that could have just helped so much.

[gordonp]

TV and fines

Fines for speaking out of line is common in all sports.

Here's another subject matter somewhat along those lines. ESPN authorized a policy several years ago warning their TV announcers covering the U.S. Open against criticizing American players. This happened after Serena Williams and Andy Roddick's outburst against officials (foot fault). This directive came from the U.S. Open. A couple of well known tennis announcers did leave ESPN but others agreed to the policy. (This policy may have changed of late).

Or how can Darren Cahill, who obviously knows what he is talking about, work as an announcer when he also works for Adidas coaching many of their players at the same tournament.

There are double standards in all areas of life.