Tennis ethics are different when a Williams sister is affected

Your guess is as good as any how the wire-service reporter could get that the ball "appears to glance first off (Maria José) Martínez Sánchez's right forearm, then off her racket, before going over the net."



It quite something how the reaction could be so varied, when it's that bloody obvious that Serena Williams got hosed on that call. It's also beside the point if it did hit her opponent's racket, since the point should have been decided as soon as the ball hit her arm.

It's not clear what ism is really most at play, other than the media's need to create conflict when there really isn't one and pander to the knee-jerkers.

Yahoo! Sports attempted to characterize it as "a tough one," when it was not:

"If, as Williams claims, Martinez Sanchez knew the ball hit her and didn't say anything, it's not honest, but it's not an egregious violation of tennis ethics either. You can see where Serena is coming from, but what did she want Martinez Sanchez to do, overrule the chair umpire?

"Tennis players aren't responsible for their own calls."

However, over in London where they know their tennis and speak really good European, that's not how it's being seen. The Sunday Times believes there should be an investigation, while a lot of people here are saying in not so direct language, "Shut up, Serena."

"When Serena Williams accuses her Spanish opponent Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of cheating, then things need to be investigated. After all this is the sport where players admit that the ball bounced twice on their side of the net and the French Open is the place where competitors scuff out ball marks on the clay when they know they are out, to save the umpire the task of getting out of his chair to invigilate.

"... Those with a long memory immediately cited the case of Ken Flach in the 1985 US Open doubles final when he and Robert Seguso confronted Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte. Flach wore his hair stylishly shoulder long in those days and a drive from the French duo hit his flowing locks.

"Noah, very much a man of peace since his retirement, was incensed but Flach insisted he had no idea whether the ball touched his hair or not which quite conceivably have been the case. Long hair has no nerve endings in the follicles but anyone who has been dealt a heavy blow on the wrist of forearm will know what’s hit them."

The point is the obvious. There's a long history in tennis of players owning up to it when an incorrect call went in their favour. Even people who only pay attention during the Grand Slam events probably remember the story of what happened at the 1982 French Open, when Mats Wilander overruled the official on match point vs. José-Luis Clerc (and Wilander went on to win the replayed point and won the tournament).

However, suddenly when it happens to a outspoken player who is African-American, suddenly that's never happened. That's what you get when you have a media that is overly opinionated and undereducated.

Related:
Cheating and Racism at Roland Garros: Ahhhh, It Must Be Spring in Paris (Sports On My Mind)

Elbows, Bodychecks...Basketball?

The NBA has always shielded its star players, a very well known fact. These players clearly receive preferential treatment, as is often noted by commentators, writers and analysts alike. That certain players have earned specific rights and omissions from rules of the game by officials, whereas others have not yet reached that level of respect, is part of professional basketball.

So on that note, if Dwight Howard’s suspension in the First Round is an indication that this time honoured tradition of shielding superstars no matter what might be changing, then maybe Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher should pay the full effects of their actions in last night’s Lakers game against the Houston Rockets.

Derek Fisher took a run to deliver a body check to Luis Scola, knocking the Houston Forward to the ground, that had such a long lead up to it it would have been a charging penalty in hockey. And Kobe Bryant delivered an elbow to a highly disputed region (above the shoulders? below them?) on Ron Artest while jockeying for position – a play where Artest was actually the one called for the foul. Nothing says equal bearings like being penalized for receiving an elbow yourself from a superstar player.

Fisher was assessed a Flagrant 2 Foul so he was ejected from the game and now faces a possible suspension for the following game as well. Kobe was not penalized at all and Artest was ejected from the game for arguing the play. I'm sure Artest won’t receive any further punishment since replays show he was actually in the right to argue the missed elbow call. The entire game was quite vocal and physical too but there’s a point where a line has to be drawn, regardless of who committed the offence superstar or not, to maintain a level of sanity in the game. Howard faced the music, might it be time Fisher and Bryant did as well?

The loss of Fisher would be a significant blow to the Lakers team in itself, however combine that with Kobe and the NBA is pretty much handing the win in this closely fought series already over to the Houston Rockets. But that may very well be what should happen with regards to the Melee in LA (patent pending) last night, regardless the impact on the series itself.

A few decades back this type of rough play was a lot more common across the Assocation however they did not have the technology, with countless replays coming from every possible angle, and heavy scrutiny of each and every call that today’s game employs. So for this reason this foul has been examined and re-examined relentlessly. The game was more raw years back but recently the level of play has been clamped down on a lot more in the NBA - even if pick-up is still just as rough, a concerned effort has been present in the pro ranks.

Suddenly reverting back to the physical play of that lost time period is not the easiest of things to do. Sure this level of physicality certainly adds a tremendous element to the games themselves, similar to how fighting in hockey attracts viewers. A promise of punches, elbows, shoving and heated exchanges on an almost nightly basis has to be a draw for sports fans and so far this postseason the games have rarely disappointed in this respect. However the NBA, trying to keep control over its game, has to be careful in the decisions they make right now. What message would they like to send about their game? And not only to the teams competing in these playoffs but also to the young players growing up with dreams of going pro as well.

Kobe Bryant should at very least receive a retroactive Flagrant 1 Foul for his elbow to Ron Artest. In response to letting Rajon Rondo off the hook without a Flagrant the NBA said there was no wind up to the foul; with Kobe there appears to have been such a delivery. A good signal to send to keep order might be suspending Bryant a game; dealing with the public relation repercussions might be a nuisance however it would tell every player that no one is exempt. Howard's a star and he was caught, so it wouldn't be totally unprecedented to punish Kobe.

Something has to be signaled anyways, the NBA has to let us know what path it wants to take the rough or the regimented. Both can work but it's time to come to that decision and make it known which way the game will be taken, especially considering the way this postseason has gone thus far.

Kobe Bryant-Ron Artest, Derek Fisher fouls being reviewed by the NBA (ESPN)
The Kobe Bryant Suspension Watch (True Hoop)

Bulls-Celtics pick up where they left off in Game 6

Game 6 Chicago-Boston on The Score right now, and as expected the tension has not dwindled one bit!

The Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo has just been charged with a Flagrant Foul 1 for throwing the Chicago Bulls Kirk Hinrich into the scorer's table after the two players got tied up while Hinrich was boxing out the Bulls point guard. The 2 players have a history this series since Rondo tripped Hinrich while he was on his way to a layup, which resulted in Hinrich getting stitches at the hand of Rondo (to match his teammate Brad Miller, who also felt the wrath of Rondo).

After reviewing the replay the officials decided not to eject Rondo, and even gave Hinrich a technical for pushing Rondo back after the shove into the scorer's table.

The referee's are calling this one as by the numbers as it gets in the NBA, at least in terms of physical contact. Still I feel that Rondo deserved to be ejected, and wouldn't be surprised if this play gets review from the Association once more.

This series is no longer a basketball series, it's reaching the status of an all out war! Game by game Ben Gordon is proving his worth as a star player in the league while Rajon Rondo is proving himself to be one of the cheapest players in the Association. And game by game it's become more and more clear that THIS is the series you want to be watching in the NBA playoffs right now!

It's the end of the First Quarter and Chicago leads by 10 at home, 39-29, in a series that has gone down to the wire four out of five times. There's nothing here to say that this game won't go down the same way!

NBA hands down decision: Howard sits Game 6

The NBA's Executive Vice President Stu Jackson has passed judgment on the Dwight Howard flagrant foul last night, the result being a one game suspension.

(Dwight) Howard received a one-game ban for an elbow he swung at the head of 76ers center Samuel Dalembert in Tuesday's Game 5, and like teammate Courtney Lee -- who was later felled by an unintentional Howard hit -- will be absent when the 76ers try to force a Game 7 in the teams' tight first-round series.

From a statement released by Howard himself:

"I'm very disappointed but I have to respect the NBA's decision," Howard said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "I didn't intend to hurt anyone. I have complete faith in my teammates that they will come out and get the job done tomorrow night."

There has been no comment yet on the Rajon Rondo foul, which appears to be the more controversial since there was little disipline given during the game - it was just a regular, personal foul. John Hollinger from ESPN takes a hard look at the state of the playoffs

And as a result of those two plays, the focus is once again right where the league doesn't want it -- on the officials. Through four games and 52 minutes, 58 seconds of a fifth, all anyone could talk about was how entertaining the Celtics-Bulls series was and the theatrical battles between Gordon and Allen, or between Rose and Rondo, or between Del Negro and logic.

One smack to the head up north and one elbow in an ear down south, and all that has changed. We can only hope it's an isolated incident, yet all of us fear it won't be.

Stay tuned, there's certainly more to come...

Howard out for Game 6 (ESPN)
'Flagrants' foul up playoff picture (ESPN)

Where Anything Happens...

Rajon Rondo has been one of the most highly criticized point guards in the entire NBA since joining the superstar laden Boston Celtics last season as a rookie. Being placed in charge of leading that team, with such high expectations, could not have been easy! However right now, with the departure of emotional team leader Kevin Garnett, it’s Rondo that has picked up the slack to fill the void, and it's Rondo who has been the main reason the Celtics are still surviving by the skin of their teeth (last night was yet another Overtime thriller between the Celtics and Chicago Bulls, with the C’s BARELY squeaking out the win at home).

Averaging a triple double so far in the playoffs with a line 24 ppg, 10.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists through 5 games it’s hard to dispute that Rondo is crucial to Boston’s success, especially since it’s pretty clear that Garnett will not return this postseason. That and the play of the other two corners of the trifecta, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, are rather streaky and inconsistent to date. Rajon Rondo will pretty much do anything to win – and as of last night I can clearly say he really will do ANYTHING!

Something funny happened last night as we as fans saw that generally reserved for the other playoffs going on right now, that being questionable shots to the head. In the dying seconds of overtime Brad Miller of the Chicago Bulls had the ball wide open and drove, seemingly to an easy, game tying lay-up. This plan was foiled by Rondo however with a clearly intentional foul as he tried to take Miller’s head off. After receiving stitches inside his mouth as a result of the shot from Rondo, the somewhat reliable Free Throw shooter Miller missed his first shot. Miller intentionally missed the second one in hopes of a rebound by his team that they could score off of the rebound but to no avail, the Celtics hung on for the important victory on home court. Once again the little Point Guard that could made his presence felt in deciding the game in Boston’s favour.

The defending champs are reeling as a much lesser team in the Chicago Bulls are making both units look equal strength, if not reversed at times throughout this series. It’s taken this team all the way to brutish behaviour to ensure victory. However the amazing thing is that one cannot simply blame the Rondo for this questionable behaviour right now!

In another series where the favourites were being given all they could handle the Orlando Magic met with the Philadelphia 76ers last night, and the manchild superstar Dwight Howard of the Magic also imposed his physical with an elbow to Philadelphia’s Center Samuel Dalembert. While not as crucial a play, and while rightly called a technical foul (unlike Rondo’s which was called just a personal foul), it was still a very significant play that opened things up for the remainder of the game for the one they call Superman.

There are conspiracy theories abound in regards to Rondo’s foul, as a technical foul call would have allowed the Bulls to choose the shooter of their choice for the shot and then given them the ball back out of bounds as well. But whether the always-catering-to-their-superstars Association did allow the Celtics to slip away with one is of lesser concern than the point made by TrueHoops today in their blog write-up of the incidents:

Not to read too much into unrelated plays by Howard and Rondo, but certainly today the ball's in the NBA's court. Having been so careful in recent years to make the game less about brutish defense, and more about offense and the beauty of the game, are these the new rules of engagement? Are heads fair game? And if so, as it works so well, can't we expect more of the same?

In the same week that Donald Brashear was handed out a 6 game suspension mid-playoffs for a head shot in an aggressive, physically based sport, another sport which actually outlaws any physical contact between players is left to look at itself in the mirror and decide what happens next.

Dwight Howard was already punished during the game for his foul, adding on to that punishment would not be as hard as with Rajon Rondo who was essentially dismissed of any major grievance by the officials not elevating the severity of the call. Perhaps it is worth a second look by those in command of discipline in the NBA though?

What will remain a point of contention for the rest of the series no doubt, the level of physicality needs to be addressed by David Stern right now before things really get out of hand. Last night the names on the jerseys may have staved off such a move, that should never be the case but alas it's the standard operating procedure within the NBA. At what point, however, will that no longer matter? And will it be far too late?

Winners, Apparently, Hit People in the Head (TrueHoop)
When All Else Fails, Just Punch Brad Miller In The Face (Deadspin)
Tim Legler: Spare Rondo (ESPN)
Jalen Rose: Suspend Superman (ESPN)

The truth shall set you free

Paging William Houston at the Globe & Mail: It is 99.9% certain there is a serial plagiazer in the Canadian media, and it's not clear where the point-one is coming from.

True, there are bigger fish to fry, and sporting topics of broader interest. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has done the digging with regard to sportsnet.ca's Chris Landry, and been on this over the past few days. It's especially rich, especially considering that Landry once wrote a piece about Bill Belichick titled "Above the Law" where he related to readers how, in his days as an NFL scout, he opted for the moral high ground when he worked for Coach Hoodie, saying, "I would not steal (competitors') information. I could beat them fair and square and often did so. I could also look myself in the mirror and sleep well at night, something I could not have done if I had cheated them."

Sportsnet is a distant No. 2 behind TSN, but it is mind-boggling that Houston or the CBC has not called shenanigans. We all look bush-league if this is allowed to slide. Plagiarism is a firing offence at any reputable news outlet. ask Scott Taylor in Winnipeg or David Pratt in Vancouver.

(Update, Dec. 4, 2 p.m.: Pro Football Talk is reporting that Landry will "remain off air for now." theScore.com Blog picked up on it this morning.)

The Reader's Digest timeline, of PFT's digging, which includes direct accusations from two writers affected, Andrew Brandt and Michael Lombardi, that they were ripped off, seems pretty damning. PFT has dedicated multiple posts to this, so rather than having a post that's nothing but hyperlinks, here's a summary"

• As "the result of a long-time league executive pointing out the similarities to us," PFT finds that, "In nine different instances, the words in (Landry's Dec. 1) column were virtually identical to the words in the other one (by Lombardi of National Football Post).
• Quoth PFT, "Landry responded with a general denial and a vague allegation that it was his work that had been plagiarized."
• On Wednesday, NFP posts a message, "The National Football Post became aware yesterday that Chris Landry copied certain segments of our content and published it on sportsnet.ca without our permission and without credit being given to our writers. We thank ProFootballTalk.com for bringing the issue to our attention."
• Brandt points out that Lombardi's Nov. 17 column and Landry's Nov. 21 column are remarkably similar. (Apparently Landry once worked for Lombardi in Cleveland.)
• NFP commenters note that Landry's archive at sportsnet.ca shows nothing written after Jan. 28, but links to work done since Jan. 28 still work (as, at this writing, it does for the Nov. 21 column -- I checked).
• PFT says neither Landry or anyone from Rogers Sportsnet has taken them up on an offer to go on the record and tell their side of the story. But they, as Florio notes, it's odd that a portion of his archive would suddenly vanish right after allegations of plagiarism have been levelled.

There is a modicum of sympathy for all the writers these days, and god knows the temptation to scalp or cut corners must be overwhelming. There's far more for those who see someone else nicking their stuff without attribution or permission.

Related:
Smoking Gun Emerges In Landry Situation (Pro Football Talk)

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

The shenanigans of the 29th Olympiad ...

It's stuff like this that really drives the point home that holding the Olympics in Beijing has to be the worst idea since Ferris Bueller was turned into a TV series. Olympic gymnasts have to be at least 16 (mostly to protect the welfare of the young female athletes, partially so guys who end up catching gymnastics on TV only feel a little dirty), but China's allegedly found a creative way around that:

"Another registration list that is unblocked, dated Jan. 27, 2006, and regarding an 'intercity' competition in Chengdu, China, also lists He's birthday as Jan. 1, 1994. That date differs by two years from the birth date of Jan. 1, 1992, listed on He’s passport, which was issued Feb. 14, 2008.

"There has been considerable talk about the ages of Chinese gymnasts on Web sites devoted to the sport. And there has been frequent editing of He’s Wikipedia entry, although it could not be determined by whom. One paragraph that discusses the controversy of her age kept disappearing and reappearing on He’s entry. As of Friday, a different version of the paragraph had been restored to the page." -- The New York Times

Related:
Records Say Chinese Gymnasts May Be Under Age (Jere Longman and Juliet Macur, The New York Times)