Williams has White Sox on right track

You can call me fair-and -square North.

“What's this about?” you ask.

Well, I've been hard on the Chicago White Sox from top to bottom, along with a few others in the media. That said, the White Sox have won nine of their last 12 games, and I'm giving the media pressure some of the credit for the turnaround.

But if I want to be fair-and-square North, I have to give Kenny Williams, executive vice-president of the team, credit for a couple of things.

First, he believes in manager Robin Ventura. Since Williams publicly backed Ventura, things seem to have turned around. It's good for the players to hear that.

Second, Williams believes in his abilities to evaluate talent, and he stuck by his staff and acquisitions even when they were reeling. I'm hearing some players should be sold off, but Williams is on a hot streak so if he decides to stick it out, how can you question it?

Can they make the playoffs?

I doubt it, but pitching coach Don Cooper and his starting staff have been excellent, and maybe the improbable can still happen.

There are better ballclubs in their division, but Ventura finally has his team focused and ready to play. Maybe the adjustments just came too late.

Some must-see TV:

There wasn't any NBA, NFL or NHL action, but it was still an awesome sports weekend. It was all about the competition of the individual athlete and how they elevate interest in their sport.

Take, for example, No. 1 tennis player Serena Williams, who just won her sixth Wimbledon title. Where would American women's tennis be without her right now?

Her sister, Venus, is good, but everyone else is far down the list. Serena reminds me of Tiger Woods in the early 2000s - her competition is weak but she is one of the reasons everyone looks so bad!

Then there is 33-year-old Swiss tennis star Roger Federer, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, who lost for the second straight year at Wimbledon to 28-year-old Novak Djokovic, a Serbian currently ranked No. 1. The two stars put on a show in the finals with the match going to Djokovic in four sets.

Djokovic still has a way to go before he can match Federer's or Pete Sampras' seven titles at Wimbledon, but Federer and Djokovic performed on the big stage and made it worth watching.

Last up for the individual athlete's performances this weekend was the newest sensation, 21-year-old golfer Jordan Spieth.

Remember when the PGA was in trouble because Tiger's star was fading? Well, Spieth's quest for a grand slam is taking care of that.

I watched the John Deere Classic this past weekend because of Spieth, who honored his previous commitment to play in the tournament. Spieth won in sudden-death overtime against Tom Gillis.

Like the other superstars, it was greatness on display. What a weekend!

Program notes:

Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.

• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.

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