Comments on: Oh sure, you WON IT, but I have complaints

By: Wendy M. Grossman

Wendy M. Grossman — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 12:38:34 +0000

Yes, they do when the questions are about the game, how they played, anomalies in their anti-doping records, match-fixing, and anything else to do with the integrity of the game. All countries give substantial public money to support sports in various ways, and anyone who buys products from Nike or any of the other companies that pay SW sponsorship and prize money is indirectly paying part of her income. An athlete of SW’s visibility, accomplishments, and stature *especially* owes answers on such subjects.

wg
This is the *third* reply I’ve written to this because the spam control is unpredictable about whether it wants a digit or a number spelled out, and when you hit the back button as it instructs, it vapes anything you’ve already typed.

By: sumac

sumac — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 21:17:01 +0000

In reply to Wendy M. Grossman. Hmm. Athletes aren't politicians--do they owe us answers?

By: Wendy M. Grossman

Wendy M. Grossman — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 20:25:33 +0000

I don’t think an apology was appropriate in this case. Serena Williams can disagree with the question – and so may you – but the reporter was well within bounds in asking it. Apologizing just adds fuel to the notion that top-tier tennis players have the right to decide what they’re asked – and there’s way too much of that already. There’s a lot of questions people don’t dare ask. See for example what happened when a reporter asked SW about the Therapeutic Use Exemption the Russian hacking team Fancy Bear unearthed and posted on the web. She walked out without answering.

So: disagree.

wg
– your sometime tennis correspondent.

By: tanita

tanita — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:28:26 +0000

In reply to sumac. Yes. Am adding that to my lexicon. Great description for presideejit

By: sumac

sumac — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 18:05:36 +0000

In reply to Susan Oliver. Thank you! I think it makes a great verb.

By: Susan Oliver

Susan Oliver — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 21:27:57 +0000

I always read your comments.

I love “obnox” as a very.

By: sumac

sumac — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 16:51:00 +0000

In reply to Inconstant Reader.

Thank you! As you saw, I didn’t realize that.

Torn between removing my mistake and leaving it there as a monument to my US parochialism. Decided to remove it because sometimes people don’t read the comments…

By: Inconstant Reader

Inconstant Reader — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 09:59:30 +0000

I wanted to note that “hack” is just slang for reporter in British & Australian English, not an insult. Otherwise, spot on.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 06:33:57 +0000

She’s no stranger to obnoxious questions. As you said, I like her gracious response to the original (insulting) question.