Margaret Court Blasts Serena Williams

[Gugny]

Margaret Court basically put Serena on full blast, saying (in so many words) that she (MC) had it a lot tougher and Serena took longer to accomplish what she has ... and that Serena doesn't give her any admiration or respect.  Other digs were thrown in, as well.

 

Figuring there was more to this than met the eye, I looked into Margaret Court a little and it seems she's a homophobe and a racist.  This may have been common knowledge to others, but it was news to me today.

 

Here is the ESPN article in which Court goes off ... https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/34527959/margaret-court-defends-tennis-record-wake-serena-williams-farewell-says-admiration-not-reciprocated

 

"Serena has played seven years more than I did," Court said. "I finished in my early 30s. People forget that I took two years out. I first retired ... when I was 25, thinking I would never return to tennis.

 

"I got married, had a baby, but then had one of my best years, winning 24 out of 25 tournaments."

Court pointed out that she had a superior record to Williams after they became mothers during their careers.

 

"I came back after two babies," she said. "After having the first baby, I won three out of the four Slams." She added that "Serena hasn't won a Slam since" having a baby.

 

Here is Court's wiki page that provides a little insight into who/what we're dealing with ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Court#Controversy

 

Court has been a consistent critic of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage in Australia.[41] In 2012, she opposed proposed same-sex marriage reforms.[42][43] Court has been criticised for such statements by openly gay tennis players Billie Jean King, Rennae Stubbs and Martina Navratilova,[41][44] and in 2012, an LGBT rights protest group called for the renaming of Margaret Court Arena.[16]

 

Court was criticised in May 2017 after writing a letter to The West Australian decrying Qantas, the largest airline in Australia, for being a corporate supporter of same-sex marriage and saying that she would boycott the airline. The letter, and further follow-up interviews, again led to calls from some Australians and tennis players to rename the Margaret Court Arena.[17][45][46][47][48][49][50] Some politicians, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, rejected calls for the change of name, saying the name celebrates Margaret Court as a tennis player.[51] 

 

Writing in the wake of this incident, Russell Jackson noted that Court had always held controversial views, which he described as "stubbornly immovable", citing her support for apartheid in 1970 ("South Africans have this thing better organised than any other country, particularly America") and her criticisms of Navratilova in 1990 ("a great player but I'd like someone at the top who the younger players can look up to. It's very sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality") as examples.

 

[52] He added that this and the similar incident from 2012[43] are calculated provocations, allowing Court to portray herself as the victim and use the publicity to her advantage, and show that "for better or worse, Court is now the principal architect of her own image".[52]

[Dr. Who]

13 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Margaret Court basically put Serena on full blast, saying (in so many words) that she (MC) had it a lot tougher and Serena took longer to accomplish what she has ... and that Serena doesn't give her any admiration or respect.  Other digs were thrown in, as well.

 

Figuring there was more to this than met the eye, I looked into Margaret Court a little and it seems she's a homophobe and a racist.  This may have been common knowledge to others, but it was news to me today.

 

Here is the ESPN article in which Court goes off ... https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/34527959/margaret-court-defends-tennis-record-wake-serena-williams-farewell-says-admiration-not-reciprocated

 

"Serena has played seven years more than I did," Court said. "I finished in my early 30s. People forget that I took two years out. I first retired ... when I was 25, thinking I would never return to tennis.

 

"I got married, had a baby, but then had one of my best years, winning 24 out of 25 tournaments."

Court pointed out that she had a superior record to Williams after they became mothers during their careers.

 

"I came back after two babies," she said. "After having the first baby, I won three out of the four Slams." She added that "Serena hasn't won a Slam since" having a baby.

 

Here is Court's wiki page that provides a little insight into who/what we're dealing with ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Court#Controversy

 

Court has been a consistent critic of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage in Australia.[41] In 2012, she opposed proposed same-sex marriage reforms.[42][43] Court has been criticised for such statements by openly gay tennis players Billie Jean King, Rennae Stubbs and Martina Navratilova,[41][44] and in 2012, an LGBT rights protest group called for the renaming of Margaret Court Arena.[16]

 

Court was criticised in May 2017 after writing a letter to The West Australian decrying Qantas, the largest airline in Australia, for being a corporate supporter of same-sex marriage and saying that she would boycott the airline. The letter, and further follow-up interviews, again led to calls from some Australians and tennis players to rename the Margaret Court Arena.[17][45][46][47][48][49][50] Some politicians, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, rejected calls for the change of name, saying the name celebrates Margaret Court as a tennis player.[51] 

 

Writing in the wake of this incident, Russell Jackson noted that Court had always held controversial views, which he described as "stubbornly immovable", citing her support for apartheid in 1970 ("South Africans have this thing better organised than any other country, particularly America") and her criticisms of Navratilova in 1990 ("a great player but I'd like someone at the top who the younger players can look up to. It's very sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality") as examples.

 

[52] He added that this and the similar incident from 2012[43] are calculated provocations, allowing Court to portray herself as the victim and use the publicity to her advantage, and show that "for better or worse, Court is now the principal architect of her own image".[52]

I'm surprised you were unaware of her views since you are an avid follower of tennis. There is some attention getting grievance going on, but I don't think there's any doubt that were her personal ethics and politics more congenial to what is considered educated opinion, she would be celebrated rather than largely ignored. 

 

I see the Mets are struggling against their fate . . . 

 

 

[Gugny]

6 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

I'm surprised you were unaware of her views since you are an avid follower of tennis. There is some attention getting grievance going on, but I don't think there's any doubt that were her personal ethics and politics more congenial to what is considered educated opinion, she would be celebrated rather than largely ignored. 

 

I see the Mets are struggling against their fate . . . 

 

 

 

She's like the Curt Schilling of women's tennis.

 

The Mets ... not sure what's going on, but they're really stinking it up against the worst teams in MLB.  Better now than in October, but losing the division would be a colossal failure.

 

[Dr. Who]

Just now, Gugny said:

 

She's like the Curt Schilling of women's tennis.

 

The Mets ... not sure what's going on, but they're really stinking it up against the worst teams in MLB.  Better now than in October, but losing the division would be a colossal failure.

 

Well, I'm a Braves' fan, but honestly, I'm starting to feel sorry for Mets' fans. Before now, they've been really impressive keeping it together this year. Still think they'll be dangerous in the playoffs, regardless, but obviously it's a big advantage to win the division.

[Gugny]

20 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Well, I'm a Braves' fan, but honestly, I'm starting to feel sorry for Mets' fans. Before now, they've been really impressive keeping it together this year. Still think they'll be dangerous in the playoffs, regardless, but obviously it's a big advantage to win the division.

 

Braves have been relentless.  Whichever team wins the division will have earned it.

[Captain Caveman]

This old lady sucks

[unbillievable]

She was born in 1950; that's normal for her generation.

 

 

[Gugny]

12 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

She was born in 1950; that's normal for her generation.

 

 

 

My father was born in 1939 and my mother in 1944.  Neither is a bigot.

 

It's never "normal."

 

[Captain Caveman]

20 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

She was born in 1950; that's normal for her generation.

 

 

 

My parents were born in the 50s and weren't racist, my grandma was born during the depression and wasn't a racist.

 

 

[unbillievable]

8 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

My father was born in 1939 and my mother in 1944.  Neither is a bigot.

 

It's never "normal."

 

 

Depends on the definition of Bigot.

I promise you that they have (or had) these same views.

 

The language has changed enough that anyone born before 2015 can be canceled. Unless your parents were saying "Birthing Person" in 1945.

[Gugny]

Just now, unbillievable said:

 

Depends on the definition of Bigot.

I promise you that they have (or had) these same views.

 

The language has changed enough that anyone born before 2015 can be canceled. Unless your parents were saying "Birthing Person" in 1945.

 

Just so I'm clear (sometimes I get confused) ... did you just tell me that you are certain that my parents, neither of whom you've ever met, have (or had) homophobic and/or racist views?

 

[Captain Caveman]

3 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

 

Depends on the definition of Bigot.

I promise you that they have (or had) these same views.

 

The language has changed enough that anyone born before 2015 can be canceled. Unless your parents were saying "Birthing Person" in 1945.

 

Sure, someone may have been more in line with the times in the 1950s, and could have grown / learned as a person.  

 

I remember my Dad explaining my Aunt being gay to me when I was a kid in the 80s, he seemed embarrassed of it, but also wanted me to know he loved her and tried to be supportive of her.  It's pretty great that he doesn't feel the need to be embarrassed about it anymore.  People who are able to learn and grow, and have empathy for other people make the world a better place.  This lady doesn't seem to be interested in that.

 

 

[unbillievable]

1 minute ago, Gugny said:

 

Just so I'm clear (sometimes I get confused) ... did you just tell me that you are certain that my parents, neither of whom you've ever met, have (or had) homophobic and/or racist views?

 

Yes. People have the viewpoints of their time. I have no doubt that your parents also shared the same language and culture.

The best we can hope for is that people evolve to the new standards. Some don't, like the OP lady.

 

 

[Gugny]

2 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

Yes. People have the viewpoints of their time. I have no doubt that your parents also shared the same language and culture.

The best we can hope for is that people evolve to the new standards. Some don't, like the OP lady.

 

 

 

Thank you for telling something about my own parents that I never knew.

[unbillievable]

3 minutes ago, Captain Caveman said:

 

Sure, someone may have been more in line with the times in the 1950s, and could have grown / learned as a person.  

 

I remember my Dad explaining my Aunt being gay to me when I was a kid in the 80s, he seemed embarrassed of it, but also wanted me to know he loved her and tried to be supportive of her.  It's pretty great that he doesn't feel the need to be embarrassed about it anymore.  People who are able to learn and grow, and have empathy for other people make the world a better place.  This lady doesn't seem to be interested in that.

 

 

 

Just going back 10 years and everyone using the "F", "G", and "R" words would be considered bigoted by today's standards. 10 years from now and we probably won't be allowed to say the "M" or "W" words to describe a person.

 

I just assume that anyone born before 1950 is too old to care about hiding it anymore.

1 minute ago, Gugny said:

 

Thank you for telling something about my own parents that I never knew.

The more you know....

[Captain Caveman]

4 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

 

Just going back 10 years and everyone using the "F", "G", and "R" words would be considered bigoted by today's standards. 10 years from now and we probably won't be allowed to say the "M" or "W" words to describe a person.

 

I just assume that anyone born before 1950 is too old to care about hiding it anymore.

The more you know....

 

Using those words 10 years ago would be considered bigoted by the standards of 10 years ago as well, but I think I get your point - acceptable standards / feelings= do change.   

 

With that said,  you're way off base about not people being considered bigoted 10 years from now for using the words man or woman.   There is validity in a group of people being asked to be called by a certain term.  A trans man is a man, a trans woman is a woman.  There are people who are non-binary and don't feel they can be categorized into one of those two categories, it doesn't somehow change that there are also people who are men and women, or negate the use of those words.

 

Also - this women wasn't using a word that was no longer acceptable, she was proclaiming the benefits of apartheid.  C'mon. 

[K-9]

52 minutes ago, unbillievable said:

She was born in 1950; that's normal for her generation.

 

 

I submit that Court’s worldviews and tolerances have little to do with when she was born and more to do with her embrace of fundamentalist Christianity. 

[WhoTom]

51 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

My father was born in 1939 and my mother in 1944.  Neither is a bigot.

 

It's never "normal."

 

 

My parents were born in the 1920s. Also not bigots.

 

 

 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

My opinions, FWIW:

• 24 major singles titles, 19 major women's doubles titles and 21 major mixed doubles titles. I don't know if she's at the head of the class, but it sure won't take long to call the roll.
• Like every sport, the "new" people don't think that the "old" people even existed. Look how many people believe that the NFL didn't exist until Deion Sanders.
• She is radically devoted to her "cause" but in this political day and age it is the "wrong cause" to be devoted to.
• She is radically devoted to her "cause" but, like many people, she believes that the world should revolve around her cause, and only her cause. She's the kind of fanatic and zealot that we all try to avoid at parties.
• She is right that people won't discuss Serena's steroid use and on-court tantrums, as well as Serena's lack of acknowledgement towards her opponents.
• Like a lot of old NFL players, she is jealous of the money being paid to today's tennis players.

[Simon]

41 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

My parents were born in the 1920s. Also not bigots.

 

 

 

 

Are you sure?

You better check with unbillievable first.