[lizchris]

Well I have the opposite reaction, I feel my morning sickness is back, only I'm not pregnant. It seems grossly self-indulgent, he never got the attention he wanted as a player so now he waits a year and does it now. At least it's finally over. I never saw any broads go out like this, not even Evert herself and Evert was a far greater champion to me, at the U.S. Open and otherwise.

I got ill too looking a the beginning, but fortunatelyl I had to go wash the kids and I fortunately wasn't able to watch the whole thing.

I wonder if Jennifer, Lindsay or the sisters will go out like this? I hope not.

 

[lizchris]

None of those women you mention are even close to as great as Pete. They would never have a ceremony like this.

Thank goodness they are not pompus enough to want it.

BTW, Serena will always be known as the women who has the career Grand Slam. Too bad Pete can't say the same.

 

[lizchris]

If this ceremony was for Venus or Serena none of you would be feeling so sick. None of you are true tennis fans because if you were you would be able to appreciate all he has done instead of act like babies.

You need to be quiet becasue you and I know if something like this was being done for Venus and/or Serena, your complaints would be like diarrhea of the mouth; you wouldn't be able to shut up.

 

[lizchris]

This has nothing to do with Venus or Serena, so get off it already. Why do people always have to be negative and try to dispute and belittle the accomplishments of others? I never will understand you lot.

You are a hypocrite because you have belittled Serena and Venus' accomplishments.

 

[lizchris]

i don't ever complain about venus or serena, only their stupid ass fans that know very little about tennis and haven't stopped whining and crying since they both have withdrawn.

As their fan, I will speak for my damn self because I know tennis. I also know that sooner or later youwill find something to complain aobut when it comes to them.

 

[lizchris]

I'm still waiting for your proof.
Thanks.

Here's your proof.

When I pointed out the Slams and titles that Venus and Serena have won so far in their careers, you laughed it off like what they have acheived was nothing. Plus when I said that they would be a decrease in the ratings because the sisters weren't playing, you talked as if their absence was no big deal. If that is the case, then why did their names come up in almost every match that was on yesterdy (including the men's matches)?

 

[lizchris]

No...that's not proof, that's interpretation.
Show us the actual posts where he actually said those things.

OK,

 

[lizchris]

This from Seles, being sarcastic when I said people who bought tickets for the women's final probablyl won't show up becuase they bought the tickets expecting both or one Williams in the final:

I will count all those empty seats and post a full report. I know this will be hard for you to hear.... but not EVERYONE is a fan of Venus and Serena. Perhaps, maybe, just maybe, some Lindsay, Jennifer, international fans bought tickets? Maybe?

 

[lizchris]

First of all, you didn't show which post it was.

Secondly, how is that belittling V&S? It's the truth. Not everyone is a fan of Venus and Serena. I happen to like both V&S very much, but not everyone else does.

It is belittling them becasue many people act as if they have very little fans in the sport. I know that not everyone likes them, but everyone doesn't hate them either.

BTW, you can serarch for yourself, but it was from the thread I started saying predicting that the women's final would be moved to 4:00 if the Belgians were the finalists.

 

[lizchris]

I'm not trying to be nasty or fight, so please don't take it that way. I'm just not sure why you called me names and treated me like you did.

First, I am one who apologizes when I accuse people of something they didn't do, so I will apologize about you belittling the sisters' Grand Slam accomplishments becasue you didn't.

I treated you like I did becasue as a fan, I am sick and tired of the many on this board who act as if Venus and Serena are a burden to the game of tennis, not an asset, like the other tennis players and belittle their accomplishments. That's why I (and some other Williams sisters fans) feel we have to bring up anything positve that they do. I also point out when their fellow players say negative things about them becasue they just come off as petty and resentful, something the sisters have stayed away from doing. Even people who don't play anymore take a swipe at them (Martina Navratolova in Sunday's NYT Magazine). I'm sorry if I came off as nasty, but, honestly, the sister hating has to stop.

 

[lizchris]

http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=84192

Tickets were already sold - they're not changing the time/date now. Your post made it seem like "nobody" would watch tv and the ratings would be like 0. I was trying to get you to see that some of US like tennis. And WE like to watch tennis on TV.... no matter who it is. Your gloom and doom story was getting old at that point.

I hope, for your sake that the ratings do suck. That way you have something to banter about... but for me, I think it's a great tradition for a primetime final and something I personally am looking forward to watching every year, no matter who is in the Final.

I like watching great tennis too, but I wouldn't have watched this year's FO final for you know what. For one, I won't bring up Justine's hand incident, but I stand by what I said about her previously doing what she had to do to get to the final, but that is in the past and the other, accuse me of being nationalistic, but I like to watch when an American is in the final.

As a fan of Venus' and Serena's, I'll admit that their first two finals weren't that great, but the most recent one was the best so far.

 

[lizchris]

So does the Sampras' "hating". I know it was a one-time comment but to say that someone quitting makes you sick is not far from some of the horrendous things I read about the sisters.

That I am not apologizing for for the following reasons:

1) I was agreeing with what someone else was saying
2) He knew damn well he was going to retire, but he signed up for torunnaments anyway
3) Again, another player who had something negative to say about the sisters when unprovoked. The sad part is that they looked up to him.

 

[lizchris]

I hate *all* negativity!
Monica gets bashed almost above all, but I don't get down about it. I just keep moving on and ignore the trolls.

The one person I stay away from ever basing is Monica becasue of what she has gone through in her life and career. It is a shame that for all she has done, she will be remembered mostly for being stabbed and I am still angry that the person who did it only got 18 months in jail, when if he were in the US, he'd still be in jail.

 

[lizchris]

What did he say bad about the sisters?

On the ATP, all the top players are automatically entered into the Masters Series and Slams, so it wasn't his choice to enter those - he did have to withdraw. The other events, Int'l Series, etc, I don't know how they work.

I'll miss him, and I did think it was a very nice tribute.

He said about Venus serving at 127MPH that either she probably didn't know where she was hitting it or that she proabbly didn't know she was hitting it that fast. About Serena, he once asked her if her blond braids were real. She said no and allegedly gave him a funny look. He called her arrogant.

Regarding the Slams, I know he was automatically entered into those, but I don't think he was ranked high enough for automatic entry into TMS, but he did enter the ohters, including the FT tournamenr in Arizona, where his brother is the tournament director.

 

[lizchris]

Actually, his sentence was suspended - he served only "up until" his trial. Then a few nights being evaluated and set free. It was nowhere near 18 months. Unfair, for sure.

That's even worse!

I just know this person committed another crime, but we just don't know about it.

 

[lizchris]

1) Agreeing with someone doesn't make it ok. I saw someone call Serena a baboon here once. It wouldn't have been fine by me if someone had said "I agree".
2) He explained it quite well during his press conference. He wasn't sure whether he would retire or not. After he made up his mind (around Wimbledon), he didn't enter any tournament as far as I know.
3) I remember his comment about Venus ( but not about Serena, when was that?) and even if this was harsh, is it enough to say that he makes you sick?

It became pretty ovbious to me by March that he wasn't coming back. If he wasn't sure that he was going to retire, then he should not have entered the tournaments havvng tournament directors believe he was going to show up (this is the same thing the sisters are criticized for).

I agreed that the retirement ceremony was making me ill, not him.

 

[lizchris]

So you're telling me that you are criticizing someone for something Venus and Serena are also criticized for, yet it's ok to criticize Sampras?

Venus and Serena, who are not retiring, are ALWAYS criticized for pulling out of tournaments. All I said was I think he knew around the beginning of 2003 that he was going to retire bu he registered for tournametns anyway. BTW, this is the only time I have cirticized Pete (or anyone for that matter) for pulling out of any tournament.