It’s a tricky move to attach gender or race motives to an umpire officiating a tennis match between two women: one Afro-American, the other half-Japanese, half-Haitian but one by one, too many members of the commentariat to count worked overtime to pull it off.
In the morass of Op-Eds scrawled in the wake of the US women’s Open final, focus quickly became lost and one rather simple fact was ignored:
Take this tweet from ABC presenter, Virginia Trioli. She claimed to have read almost all there was to read about what had happened and only then had been moved to judgment by way of retweet with comment. The retweet was of a judgy columnist, Margaret Sullivan, who splatters words around for the Washington Post and the New York Times, sometimes in some recognisable order. She, in turn, was tweeting up a rapidly cobbled together think piece from Sally Jenkins at WaPo. Jenkins, Sullivan enthused, got it “exactly right.”
Full column here.
I read Salisbury is the No.1 destination for Russian tourists, weather permitting. It also rained when I was there and the cathedral was covered in scaffolding but I didn’t go back.
You make a good point that should be instilled in all kids when they are very young. The umpire is always right even when they’re wrong. They are an essential player in any sport and like all sportsman they too make mistakes. Fans have a tendency to take things in isolation, like the one suspect dismissal, or the penalty awarded late in the game. Yet when we look back at most games, more likely than not, we will see errors, wrong decisions, missed chances etc. God knows old Greg Norman wished he had an umpire to blame for some of his freakish missed opportunities. Now the poor bastard spends his days dazed and wandering the outback nude. And on the flip side Maradona hasn’t faired much better.
Ah, cricket stories from the locker! We played a lot with the batting side umpiring. Still do! Once played a team who would not give anything out unless it was clean bowled. They had a demon bowler who should have been playing grade. It was all about the win and I’m not sure if they even enjoyed themselves. Funny thing was, it was the Sydney *churches* competition! You would think fair play would come into it somewhere??
A couple of quickies:
School grade comp when the assigned teacher, who had to umpire, was newly arrived in the country from Poland. We bowled. First over went for about 12 balls (8 ball overs) . The bowler looked at the teacher and asked him when the over was going to end. “I don’t know, aren’t you counting?” Next over, the batsman played a ball on the bounce to mid off. Perfect defensive stroke. Umpire gave him out caught. That’s when we had to stop and tell him a few of the rules.
Club game, us bowling, captain batting. Pops one up to a close fieldsman and is caught. After the catch is taken, their umpire calls No Ball!
Another, bowling in an adult club comp and I trapped the batsman plumb LBW. Not out! Why not? “Pitched on off”. I was flabbergasted. Clean bowled him next over and I churlishly made the guy put his finger up.
And: Country club game, me umpiring at square leg, captain batting. No ball, clips it down to third man, advances to the centre of the pitch and just stands there. Wicket keeper signals furtively to the fieldsman to get the ball back in and whips the bails off. Out. I said to the guy later, WTF were you doing? “I was trying to think: there’s only one way to get out on a no ball and I was trying to remember what it was”.
Most amusing. Love it.
Nice one’s super scoop! I heard a good Freddie Trueman one from an old mate, which I’ve half forgotten (hockey finals y’day) and if I catch up with him tonight I’ll relay it.
btw I just checked and I will not engage with you on matters afl or epl (that includes Tracy!)
ps respect for the Klop; what’s not to like?
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/62775-20-great-quotes-fromcricket-part-ten
Some excellent quotes there Milton. The best for mine: “We didn’t have metaphors in our day. We didn’t beat around the bush”
Heres a young fellow who doesn’t even know there is an “umpire” Mr. Insider and I refer to the silliest tweet from last week which went to ex-ousted PM Tony Abbott who sadly must now be well and truly “with the pixies”.
He Tweeted: “Today is the fifth anniversary of the election of the Abbott government. It’s a good government, getting better!”
One Peter Dutton should be referred to the “umpire” the High Court, imho Mr Insider. How this lightweight can sit in the House with this hanging over his head is beyond me and he wanted to be PM although as we all know he was on ex-ousted PM Abbott’s “glove puppet”
Whichever way it goes the big Umpire, the Australian Voter will rule on him soon and as he only holds his seat by 2% and is soundly disliked he might as well start waving goodbye now imho.
The Umpire is always right.
From the previous blog
JB
A 9 year old should have NO political opinions.
In your opinion. So you would agree that a child should not have an opinion on, for instance, whether or not God exists?
Nobody seems to make a fuss about children talking to God. I believe it is desirable for children to be politically aware from an early age and to question everything. If they don’t learn critical thinking from an early age then they are not going to be very good at it later in life. And boy, does that show.
Have to disagree JB
At that age all they are doing is reflecting their parents opinion.
“Give me the boy and I will show you the man” – is the mantra of those who wish to rear their children in their own image – fairly weak parenting that often ends in rebellion at some stage when the kids can think for themselves..
Critical thinking on a nebulous subjective subjects like politics or religion at the age of 9 is beyond their mental capacity.
The religious brain washing appears to fail when confronted with the excesses of some religious schooling systems and institutions..
I agree that they need to be taught critical thinking but on subjects that are a bit more observable than politics and religion. Get that in place and the rest will follow in due course.
Spot on
So whose opinions should they be reflecting?
I’ve kept well away from this since my last comment, so I have not seen the girl or her parents interviewed, but I don’t agree with you JS on the point that children should have no political opinions. That’s like saying children should not be allowed to think. We have to remember that times are different now for children, they have access to all kinds of information that we didn’t have. Having said that I used to listen to my parents discuss politics and they were both on opposite ends of the scale. I also used to read the newspapers at 9. What is horrifying me about the whole thing however is the commentators and politicians attacking this poor girl as though she had committed a mortal sin. So what if she is precocious, how do we know she is disliked by her peers?
This issue is just portraying what I have long suspected in Australia, have a differing opinion from the norm is going to end in tears……and make the bullies feel very good about themselves.
As for Serena she behaved appallingly, but we all seem to have got ourselves in a lather about the cartoon. And for the HS to claim that Mark Knight is Australia’s best cartoonist are way off the mark.
I’m with you Penny & I’m so over the disgraceful treatment and name-calling of a NINE year old just because she did not conform to the same indoctrination we’ve all experienced throughout our school years. It may well be she learned from a parent but at least she’s listening & I think that’s really important for her future.
As usual, Pauline Hanson stumbled over her two cents of bullying (to get noticed) but I’d like to know if that young girl was asked to further explain the reasoning behind her decision before she was made into a public target.
Society gets so damn upset if somebody dares to break the mould.
What if the nine year old protested for the Adani mine Bella so her dad could get a job? Would you think the same?
“If they don’t learn critical thinking from an early age then they are not going to be very good at it later in life. And boy, does that show.”
Been watching you lately JB and it sure does me old mate.
I think I was more aware at the age nine than you are now Carl.
Of what?
Of worldly matters. Reality. You’re off with the fairies mate.
Possibly self aware JB it puberty did come early……but you kept it in hand so no harm done.
It’s disturbing, JS. I feel really sorry for the kid – but I’m thinking she is probably rather precocious and disliked by her peers anyway. Beaming at the camera enjoying the limelight. I don’t think she would be the most popular kid in the playground, poor thing. Kids can be cruel.
They’ll probably land up taking her out of that school.
I suspect that the suspension for not standing for the National Anthem, which is over the top, may have been the end result of a whole series of problems – guessing though.
Of course! Only an incorrigible repeat offender juvenile delinquent or disturbed child would fail to stand for the national anthem, with the kindly authorities finally in exasperation after exhausting all other efforts and means are obliged to suspend the child. Fit’s own good.
Remind me FFS what century are we living in!
They don’t. Their parents do.
So the rest of the kids, who believe they ought to stand for the anthem, should not have this opinion because it’s really their parents’?
The tortured logic around this latest offence-fest is just more evidence, if any were needed, of how blithely the FSWs discard their claimed principles as soon as their PC is challenged.
Talk about “tortured logic” JO’H, schools do play an important and lasting role in shaping minds and actions. Its not an either or situation.
Oh! So we must accept that “the schools” know better than anyone else.
George Carlin had something to say about that.
Nah Jack
It is all about entertainment at the US Open Final..
The show must go on.
AND then screw the perpetrator big time.
A champion tennis player threw a big tantrum to stall/change the state of play and got penalised.
Nothing to do with race, simply unprofessional and this racquet smashing is a ridiculously childish spectacle best left to toddlers who do it for free.
I hope she apologised for ruining the win for the actual winner.
Oh rubbish. People, especially the top 5 percenters in the world who can afford to go a major tennis match, will never admit it but they secretly delight in the drama. It makes them feel good about themselves and better in some ways than the best athletes in the world. The vicarious little buggers get off on it. The rubbernecks enjoy their outrage, it gives them a thrill they rarely enjoy in their dull ordinary lives.
And if their lives weren’t so bound by their unthinking acquiescence to societal expectations and they had a bit of mustard and muscle they might be good enough to actually do something at the elite level and experience the pressure that causes these things to happen. We all think we would be noble and better but I wonder if we really could be.
Seriously, how could it ruin the win for the winner who came out smelling of roses with a big fat cheque and major sponsorship?
It’s all part of the rich tapestry of bread and circuses for the privileged and by extension to such masses who give a s**t.
Cheers. Give ’em heaps.
Rubbish JB?
I don’t follow the sport but putting aside prizemoney, if that was my first Grand Slam victory over all the favourites, I reckon I’d savour my moment in the sun without all the hysterical noise from the loser.
Seriously, just saying. 🤐
Well, Osaka thinks differently.
And if that was my first grand slam victory they’d have to surgically remove the grin from my face even if my opponent had blown the umpire out of his chair with a bazooka.
Just saying like.
Tennis gets more than its fair share of petulant brats. They should have nipped this in the bud years ago but possibly thought it attracted more interest in the game.
They lost it when they let Nastase and McEnroe get away with so much.
Of course it attracts more publicity. If it was never ending succession of wholesome rosy cheeked nice champions the gawkers would be deep down dissatisfied and the game would wither on the vine.
I’d pay to see Serena chuck a wobbly as long as I didn’t have to sit in the sun like a big rubbernecked goose for hours watching a ball going backwards and forwards over a net.
Fabulous read Mr Insider and I concur 100% with all your comments. I believe Carlos Ramos was 100% correct in his actions towards Serena Williams.
Just imagine the pressure these Umpires are under. As a matter of fact the ITF said and I quote: “Carlos Ramos is one of the most experienced Umpires on the circuit……………”
The only one in the wrong was Serena Williams imho who was being beaten and did not like it.
Like in all Human Endeavours the “Umpire is Always Right”.
My point is it wouldn’t matter if he made a bad call. It doesn’t matter that much either that Williams chose to argue with him. The response from the opinionistas bagging the ref and endorsing Williams’ bizarre behaviour s where it all went crazy.
For sure Jack.
Ramos is one of the most experienced umpires in the game. Williams got what she was asking for.
And Naomi Osaka, tenacious and gracious throughout Serena’s appalling behaviour, has the last laugh. She has been offered one of the biggest ever sponsorship deals in women’s tennis. Go Girl!