Williams' outburst a shock to our senses
Let me say right off the top that I don't approve of the little temper tantrum thrown by Serena Williams at the U.S. Open last week.
She was out of line and over the top.
She was unfair to that poor line judge and an embarrassment to herself.
However, I am borderline stunned that her outburst has received the attention that it has.
I mean, we're not talking just ESPN or the sports blogs here, we're talking Fox News, CNN, even the ladies of "The View" put their two cents in.
People are calling Williams a quitter, even a fraud, for perpetuating a clean image while really being a thug, I guess.
A similar thing happened last summer when two WNBA teams - the Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks - got involved in an all-out brawl, complete with pushing, shoving and rolling on the floor.
The video from that brawl was played over and over everywhere, and everyone seemed to have an opinion on it.
I think there's a connection here.
It's occurred to me that seeing female athletes go off, either verbally or physically, is jarring to our senses. It just seems out of place.
Why?
Honestly, I think we hold female athletes, and women in general, to a higher standard when it comes to controlling our emotions and following our moral compasses.
Think about it. Aren't we all a bit more shocked when a woman is involved in a particularly gruesome, abusive or violent crime?
Same thing with sports.
We are conditioned to expect a level of civility from a woman athlete that we may be more likely to let slide for a man because, well, that's just his competitiveness talking, or pushing and punching, if you will.
Do I think that had the Williams outburst come from a man it would have been ignored by the media? No, not at all.
But I don't think it would have come with the shock and big-picture commentary that Williams' outburst or the WNBA brawl did.
Look at John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. They were held in high regard in spite of their legendary outbursts and tempers.
Demonstrative coaches like Bobby Knight might not be very well regarded for their outrageous behavior, but that behavior is allowed to continue on various levels because, well, that's just who they are.
Can you imagine if Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, arguably the best women's team sports coach in history, pulled a Knight every now and then?
No, you can't. Because she wouldn't do it.
Perhaps she wouldn't do it because women - even the most successful and competitive - might just be wired differently than men in that way.
But perhaps she wouldn't do it because she knows she might never live it down. People expect more from her.
Just like we expected more from Williams.
But just like any male athlete who makes a terrible mistake, embarrasses himself and embarrasses his sport, Williams deserves a chance to fully redeem herself.
pbabcock@dailyherald.com