ShareThisIf only Serena Williams were a NASCAR driver.
I mean, imagine how it would have been received if after a controversial NASCAR ruling, say another bogus debris caution, a driver said over the radio "You tell that NASCAR official that if I can even find that (expletive) piece of debris, I will shove it up their (expletive) and then I'm going to (expletive) kill them."
The problem for Serena is tennis is not a contact sport. In contact sports, you can threaten violence. You can even occasionally exhibit some with little or no repercussions.
Serena's situation Saturday night -- which resulted in a $10,000 fine and a day-after apology for her behavior toward a linesperson -- was player versus umpire/official. Therefore, Serena needs to be made an example of.
And you are correct. Authority needs to be respected. When it is not, eventually it leads to chaos.
Serena Williams is my favorite active tennis player. She needs to be suspended. The same way baseball suspends a player or manager after a heated or physical argument with an umpire.
While there was no physical contact, it certainly qualifies as heated. In baseball, those suspensions are often no more than a handful of games. What type of suspension should Serena get? Since the tennis season is largely over (especially for Serena), suspend her until the tournament before the Australian Open. It will be embarrassing for her while letting others know that on-the-court authority has to be respected.
Whether you like it or not.
Does the PGA Tour need to do something about Tiger Woods' behavior? If you haven't noticed (or if Tiger can do no wrong in your eyes), Tiger has been acting like a horse's behind all summer. Throwing clubs and cursing virtually every round. He shot a 62 on Saturday yet flung another club and cursed.
Some say this is what makes Tiger, Tiger. He, unlike most golfers, is not a robot. He shows us his passion even if at times it is unbecoming (picture John McEnroe taking out his anger only at himself, not others).
Needless to say, this is not how golfers conduct themselves on tour. Peter Jacobsen and others have tried to politely but publicly take Tiger to task for his actions. They have noted that Arnie and Jack didn't act this way. They have played the "role model" card and, therefore, he needs to clean up his act.
They don't think he should be suspended or anything. They feel he either needs to act like a gentleman or, some have suggested, that commissioner Tim Finchem should "talk" to Tiger about his behavior.
I think Tiger should be allowed to do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't break any rules. It is called being a human being.
While becoming the greatest golfer of all-time, raising millions for charity and building schools for needy children, he curses and throws clubs on occasion.
Deal with it.
Oh, I can see the e-mails coming. "So if your kid starts cursing and throwing clubs while playing golf, you are OK with it?" No.
For three big reasons. First, as long as I pay the mortgage and she lives in the house, then she does what I say. Second, when she starts playing golf for money, she can act however she wants as long as she doesn't break the rules. Third ...
She's not Tiger Woods.
(David Moulton's column is a special for the Naples (Fla.) Daily News.)
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