Richard Williams comment on Tracey Austin and Chris Evert

[joeybee12]

"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.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23737912/

[GOPisEvil]

1. I think Richard is the reason many do not like Venus and Serena.

For the record, my views on the sisters is generally positive. I've had minor issues with them over the years, but nothing serious. Now their father has a raging case of egomania and says things to be quotable. Of course members of the media know the guy is good for a quote, so they keep going to him. I think they should just stop asking him to comment on things.

[joeybee12]

2. I have to wonder how his wife put up with him for so long...

...she always comes across as quite sane and nice.

[MaineDem]

3. Exactly

He's an easy quote and reporters love it. But he's a pompous ass.

[a kennedy]

4. Is Mr. Williams in that same age group that Senator Obama talked

about when referring to the Reverend Wright?? Just asking. :shrug:

[joeybee12]

5. Uh-oh!

I have no freaking clue...I know he's got kids older than Venus and serena, I think from a previous marriage, but I ain't going there!

[erpowers]

6. He Attacked the Wrong People : Evert Not Overrated

It would have been one thing if he had said that about Maria Sharapova. Maybe if he had just said that about Tracy Austin, who actually won two grand slam titles and was the number one tennis player for a period, but to add Chris Evert in there was a bad choice. I knew that Evert had won a number of Grand Slam titles, but I was not sure how many. So I looked her up. I was surprised by what I found.

Chris Evert won more Grand Slam titles than both Serena and Venus combined. So she is not overrated. Evert won 18 Grand Slam titles while the Williams sisters have won only 16 combined. They do each have more doubles titles than than Evert, but combined they have no where near the career singles titles Evert has. Evert won 157 career titles while the Williams sisters have won a combined 65 career titles. In addition, Evert won four consecutive U.S. Open titles. It was actually Tracy Austin who broke Evert's streak. In addition, Evert was never knocked out of a Grand Slam tournament before the third round and has won each grand slam at least twice. She won the French Open seven times and won it in consecutive years three times. Finally, Evert won 8 doubles titles, three of which come from Grand Slams.

So Evert is by no means overrated. In addition, she accomplished what she did playing against Martina Navratilova. It is possible that if Navratilova had not played at the same time as Evert, Evert would have won ten more Grand Slams in that Evert played against Navratilova 14 times in Grand Slams of which Navratilova won 10.

I was not trying to bash the Williams sisters with this post. I was just trying to point out how wrong Mr. Williams was when he mentioned Chris Evert in his quote. He could have mentioned a few other tennis players, but not Chris Evert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Austin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Williams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serena_williams

[joeybee12]

7. 16 years making it to at least the semis of the US open, 16 years

in a row winning at least 1 grand slam title...you don't bash someone that good and with that longevity at being good!

[Kingofalldems]

8. So you agree with him about the "no good white trasher" thing

other than Evert?

[erpowers]

13. Agree With the Idea

I agree with the idea that some overrated white women can get attention when they do not have great games. I do not support racism; however, I think he could have made an argument if he had not used Chris Evert and maybe not Tracy Austin. I think he used the wrong women especially Chris Evert.

[joeybee12]

14. Two grand slam titles is 2 grand slam titles...

...Austin is not in Evert's league, but she was quite good for a short time...I think Tracy made some comment about either sister he didn't agree with and he's a petty little man who can't let it drop.

[Sugarcoated]

9. It's totally insane

to have said that about Chris Evert as her record shows. She's one of the greatest players of all time! She may not have been a bomb thrower, but she more than made up for it with her court anticipation, intelligence, her ability to concentrate, raising her game on the big points, competitiveness, etc. From 1971 to, I believe, 1983? she made it to at least the semifinals in every grandslam she entered, and that was due to a night of nausea from (what was later found to be a severe food allergy) that plagued her in the eighties. As good as the Williams sisters are I don't think they're in the league of a Chris Evert, and probably won't get there the way they don't put their all into it. I actually think he's steamed that Evert wrote a letter to Serena in Tennis Magazine, a sort of 'get your ass in gear' kind of thing when Serena was getting distracted and letting her tennis slip.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. You got it

I'm surprised it took many replies to mention Evert's open letter to Serena. That's no doubt the impetus for a moronic comment like this.

Evert understood Serena had the potential to be the best ever and tried to knock some pounds off her and some sense into her.

It's failed, and I must say I'm glad. Serena's approach is to show up in half ass shape, or actually double ass shape, and pretend she's worked as hard and is as dedicated as the all time greats like King or Evert or Navratilova or Graf. Luckily the Great Protector still oversees and doesn't allow cheap grand slam titles, at least not often. Serena swiped one in the 2007 Australian when Henin was absent.

Great Protector is my term for keeping things as they should be in sports. It's not a lordly reference.

[joeybee12]

11. I didn 't know about the letter..explains why he chose her...

...I'm willing to bet Tracey austin said something to piss him off also..she comments for NBC now, and I sort of think she said something he took umbrage at a while ago. Anyone recall it?

[erpowers]

15. The Letter

The link below has a copy of the letter Chris Evert wrote to Serena Williams. In my opinion it was a very nice and respectful letter. In the letter Evert tries to encourage Williams to take tennis more seriously for the next five years. Evert also assures Williams that she will be able to do all the things she wants to do after she finishes playing tennis. Once again I think it was a very nice and caring letter. I do not see any reason for anyone from the Williams family to have gotten upset about the letter.


http://www.protennisfan.com/2006/03/chris_evert_tak.html

[joeybee12]

16. Hmm...all she's trying to do is give her some perspective...when you're

young you don't realize there'll be a time when others will come up, get better and pass you...Chris is simply saying to take advantage of it so you don't regret it later. Richard Williams is simply an idiot.

[a kennedy]

17. Why does Chris think she needs to "give her some perspective"?

Did Serena ask for her input?? :eyes:

[joeybee12]

18. Well, I'm surprised you're seeming to take offense at one of the greatest

players trying to give advice to a younger player...one might think serena would be grateful that someone like Chris took an interest in her career.

Anyway, I've heard Chris say that she regrets not playing in the French Open several years because of World Team Tennis...the schedule wouldn't allow it...she could have added a few more Grand Slams to her total...but at the time it didn't bother her.

Again, I'm surprised anyone would take offense at the letter.

[a kennedy]

19. I wonder what Billy Jean King thinks.......or Stephie Graff.....

and I wonder where was Chris when the William sisters were coming up.......and, as to being grateful, Serena and Venus did everything on their own, the hard way, without Chris then, they sure don't need her advise now.

[joeybee12]

20. You really are being ridiculous...

...get that chip off shoulder, pulleeze.

[a kennedy]

21. Not being ridiculous at all.....

and there's no chip, just my opinion.

[Sugarcoated]

29. Oh, hell

She probably ran this by Billie Jean before she wrote the letter.

Billie Jean took it upon herself to not just work tirelessly for the sport and women at the expense of her own career, but to mentor other players, especially one 16 year old named Chris Evert.

I think Chris was similar to Serena and Venus at the start of her career in that she was extremely young, 16 when she reached the semis of her first US Open, and her own little promising island. She rejected King's advice in her own way. But only for a year or two and then, like when our parents give advice we think don't think apply to us thinking that we know everything, she evolved. She grew up and realized the wisdom of listening to her elders in the sport, and has always had much respect for them (which not just the Williams sisters, but Graff, seems to lack).

Chris accepted the mantle Billie Jean offered (almost insisted) to her. As the best player in the world she took her place, gave back to the sport that had given her so much. She's been involved with the young players, been the head of the WTA, etc. Anyone who would question/imply Billie Jean wouldn't be all for giving such a promising player as Serena Williams a well needed reality check is as clueless as Richard Williams for including Chris Evert in his ridiculous tirade.

[LisaM]

33. Interesting article about Richard Williams

Well, there have been other crazy tennis fathers. Remember Mary Pierce?




http://sport.scotsman.com/wimbledon2002/Such-devoted-sisters.2341231.jp

[joeybee12]

34. Yeah, the crazy tennis father against whom all other crazy tennis

fathers are measured...poor Mary.

[erpowers]

12. Agreed

I do think him mentioning Evert was as a result of her letter to Serena. I was thinking about that after I had made the post. I realized that she was able to accomplish so much during her career that I questioned why Mr. Williams would mention her. Then I thought about the letter she wrote to Serena. I thought Mr. Williams was at least slightly trying get back at Chris Evert.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. You Forgot Accurate

Evert was as good as she was because she could hit the ball right where she wanted it, time after time after time.

Once she was hitting it just where it was always difficult to return, it didn't matter if it was going 75 or 105. A difficult return is a difficult return, so she just wore people down.

The Professor

[joeybee12]

23. Whew! I thought you meant Richard Williams was accurate in his comments!

Her game was at least half, if not more, mental preparation and concentration.

[ProfessorGAC]

31. Sorry About That

Didn't mean to confuse. No, i'm sure you read the post and realized what i was saying. Williams is a tool.
GAC

[joeybee12]

32. Yeah, the post was clear, but the headline threw me at first.

We agree on RW. Not a big fan of Serena or Venus, but considering who their father is, you gotta give them a big break.

[northzax]

28. it shows to me

a complete and utter lack of appreciation for the history of the game.

[joeybee12]

30. The guy does seem to have a fairly narrow perspective on the game n/t

[LisaM]

24. I'd like to see the Williams sisters play with wooden rackets

Their game is mostly based on sheer power. Now, they've both improved a great deal in that regard, but women's tennis is not the same game it was and I don't know if they would have had the same success back in the 70s.

[joeybee12]

25. I remember when graphite was just coming onto the scene...

...it took a while for the players to adjust because they didn't realize that hitting their hardest would now hit the ball into the stands!

[Iggo]

26. I wonder what would happen....

...if, say, Maria Sharapova's dad would've called the Williams sisters "black-trash." I bet Mr. Williams wouldn't have a problem with that.

Would I lose that bet?

[joeybee12]

27. apparently Mr. Williams took issue with soemthing Chris wrote and Tracey

said about 2 years ago and he's still not over it...talk about holding a grudge.

[Sugarcoated]

35. This is a nice response

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_tennisblog/2008/03/richard-william.html

"March 23, 2008
Richard Williams: Master of poor taste
> Posted by Charles Bricker at 7:03:46 AM

I'm not as exercised as many are about Richard Williams' latest outrageous, racially tinged remarks. He's been saying these ridiculous things for years. If you understand that much of what he says is designed to promote himself, you, too, will be less irritated.

But his comments about Chris Evert were beyond outrageous. They were disturbing. . .repellent...an insult to a great woman.

"I don't think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be. But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they will claim this is great."

No-good trasher? Oh, wonderful. Let me take you back 14 years to one of Evert's annual pro-celebrity fund-raisers. Money from those events is used to financially assist women -- many of them black -- who are suffering under the weight of poverty and drugs. Venus was 14, Serena 12 and Evert asked them to play an exhibition doubles match at her weekend event.

It was the first time Serena had played in public and the crowd embraced her as much as Chrissie. It also was the first time Williams said that Serena would be better than Venus. He was right about that. He's been wrong about so many other things.

When Evert opened a tennis academy in Boca Raton, one of the first coaches she hired was black -- Chip Hooper, a former ATP pro from California.

Go to the Evert Academy today and you'll see black teenagers of both genders working on any number of courts.

I've known Richard Williams since 1994. He's amused me with his announcement that he would one day buy Rockefeller Center and I've rolled my eyes at his various other ridiculous comments, because I know he doesn't believe one-tenth of the nonsense he says.

So when he told an Indian newspaper that, "Tennis is a prejudice game. I'm black and I'm prejudiced. I'll always be prejudiced as the white man. The white man hated me all my life and I hate him. That's no secret. I'm not even an American. It just so happens I was born in America." I wasn't offended by that.

When he unloads all this garbage, it's done to make himself appear bigger than life at a time when he's no longer the focal point of the Williams sisters success. I understand that. He understands that. That doesn't trouble me.

But when he starts making disgusting remarks about Chris Evert, it's time to tell Richard Williams we're no longer amused."

[joeybee12]

36. That really is a good response...

...wonder if he'll go away when Serena and Venus eventually retire.

[madinmaryland]

37. Chris Evert WAS OVERRATED....

:evilgrin: