Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (FIRE!!!!!!!!)

[Ketchum]

K

Right on.

 

[I'm_smarter_then_you]

"nasty", huh?

Look at her scowl. Finger pointing etc. this is acceptable?

 

[Horn17]

Bullshit.

*****

Chair umpire Carlos Ramos managed to rob not one but two players in the women’s U.S. Open final. Nobody has ever seen anything like it: An umpire so wrecked a big occasion that both players, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams alike, wound up distraught with tears streaming down their faces during the trophy presentation and an incensed crowd screamed boos at the court. Ramos took what began as a minor infraction and turned it into one of the nastiest and most emotional controversies in the history of tennis, all because he couldn’t take a woman speaking sharply to him.

Williams abused her racket, but Ramos did something far uglier: He abused his authority. Champions get heated — it’s their nature to burn. All good umpires in every sport understand that the heart of their job is to help temper the moment, to turn the dial down, not up, and to be quiet stewards of the event rather than to let their own temper play a role in determining the outcome. Instead, Ramos made himself the chief player in the women’s final. He marred Osaka’s first Grand Slam title and one of Williams’s last bids for all-time greatness. Over what? A tone of voice. Male players have sworn and cursed at the top of their lungs, hurled and blasted their equipment into shards, and never been penalized as Williams was in the second set of the U.S. Open final.

“I just feel like the fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next person that has emotions and that want to express themselves and wants to be a strong woman,” she said afterward.

It was pure pettiness from Ramos that started the ugly cascade in the first place, when he issued a warning over “coaching,” as if a signal from Patrick Mouratoglou in the grandstand has ever been the difference in a Serena Williams match. It was a technicality that could be called on any player in any match on any occasion and ludicrous in view of the power-on-power match that was taking place on the court between Williams and the 20-year-old Osaka. It was one more added stressor for Williams, still trying to come back from her maternity leave and fighting to regain her fitness and resume her pursuit of Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. “I don’t cheat,” she told Ramos hotly.

When Williams, still seething, busted her racket over losing a crucial game, Ramos docked her a point. Breaking equipment is a violation, and because Ramos already had hit her with the coaching violation, it was a second offense and so ratcheted up the penalty.

The controversy should have ended there. At that moment, it was up to Ramos to de-escalate the situation, to stop inserting himself into the match and to let things play out on the court. In front of him were two players in a sweltering state, who were giving their everything, while he sat at a lordly height above them. Below him, Williams vented, “You stole a point from me. You’re a thief.”

There was absolutely nothing worthy of penalizing in the statement. It was pure vapor release. She said it in a tone of wrath, but it was compressed and controlled. All Ramos had to do was to continue to sit coolly above it, and Williams would have channeled herself back into the match. But he couldn’t take it. He wasn’t going to let a woman talk to him that way. A man, sure. Ramos has put up with worse from a man. At the French Open in 2017, Ramos leveled Rafael Nadal with a ticky-tacky penalty over a time delay, and Nadal told him he would see to it that Ramos never refereed one of his matches again.

But he wasn’t going to take it from a woman pointing a finger at him and speaking in a tone of aggression. So he gave Williams that third violation for “verbal abuse” and a whole game penalty, and now it was 5-3, and we will never know whether young Osaka really won the 2018 U.S. Open or had it handed to her by a man who was going to make Serena Williams feel his power. It was an offense far worse than any that Williams committed. Chris Evert spoke for the entire crowd and television audience when she said, “I’ve been in tennis a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

ompetitive rage has long been Williams’s fuel, and it’s a situational personality. The whole world knows that about her, and so does Ramos. She has had instances where she ranted and deserved to be disciplined, but she has outlived all that. She has become a player of directed passion, done the admirable work of learning self-command and grown into one of the more courteous and generous champions in the game. If you doubted that, all you had to do was watch how she got a hold of herself once the match was over and how hard she tried to make it about Osaka.

Williams understood that she was the only person in the stadium who had the power to make that incensed crowd stop booing. And she did it beautifully. “Let’s make this the best moment we can,” she said.

The tumultuous emotions at the end of the match were complex and deep. Osaka didn’t want to be given anything and wept over the spoil. Williams was sickened by what had been taken from her and also palpably ill over her part in depriving a great new young player of her moment. The crowd was livid on behalf of both.

Ramos had rescued his ego and, in the act, taken something from Williams and Osaka that they can never get back. Perhaps the most important job of all for an umpire is to respect the ephemeral nature of the competitors and the contest. Osaka can never, ever recover this moment. It’s gone. Williams can never, ever recover this night. It’s gone. And so Williams was entirely right in calling him a “thief.”

Well, now you’ve convinced me.

 

[Ketchum]

For the record, I have never mentioned Serena Williams' name in a column and not seen a bunch of men make whatever is said about her in a column the thing they just can't stop getting upset about.

Add her to the triggered thread, @MB-HORNS

 

[Ketchum]

Look at her scowl. Finger pointing etc. this is acceptable?

"Nasty"

Your word choice, not mine.

 

[UT Bondman]

I've listed ample evidence.

Perhaps you'd like to list a similar situation where a player of Serena's stature received such a punishment in a final.

Just one.

How many in your “evidence” were blatantly and repeatedly cheating? That is the key point.

 

[Ketchum]

Well, now you’ve convinced me.

Dig it.

 

[HllCountryHorn]

Here’s a former chair umpire and EVP of the ATP defending this chair umpire. He penalized John McEnroe in the same manner back in 1987 at the US Open. If we all need to consider other perspectives, read this and consider his. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/tenni...ms-who-owes-an-apology-to-umpire-carlos-ramos

The truth is Serena is a serial offender. She has repeatedly bullied and threatened lineswomen and other officials at the US Open in 2009 and 2011, as well as Wimbledon, and gotten away with merely a slap on the wrist. It’s about time someone stood up to her. I was watching the match against Clijsters years ago the night she threatened to shove a ball down another woman’s ****ing throat. It was nuts and she should have faced a much bigger penalty than she received. Why didn’t sexism come into play then?

I know she’s an icon and the best player ever, but let’s not make her a martyr here. If this was about sexism, how does that argument play in light of another female in Osaka being the beneficiary of Serena’s penalty? You even used examples of Vandeweghe and Azarenka getting away with bad behavior (unlike Serena in this case) and they are females as far as I know. It just doesn’t fly.

Serena alone is responsible for her behavior. For whatever reason, we live in an age where accepting personal responsibility for actions is frowned upon. Again, Serena is the best player ever and a role model in many ways, but she has a pattern of making excuses and being less than gracious when getting beaten. This is just the latest example. It’s not always a conspiracy.

Plus it was unacceptable and unsportswomanlike gamesmanship intended to rattle a much younger player playing in her first Grand Slam final against her idol. Serena was fully aware the match was slipping away from her and her only chance to upset the momentum was to create a scene. She certainly succeeded in doing that to such a degree that she had to step in herself during the trophy ceremony at the end to throw cold water on the fiery mob reaction she had ignited, spoiling Osaka's triumph.

 

[Horn17]

For the record, I have never mentioned Serena Williams' name in a column and not seen a bunch of men make whatever is said about her in a column the thing they just can't stop getting upset about.

Add her to the triggered thread, @MB-HORNS

My sister in law just returned from the US Open and we literally just had a long conversation about it today. She watched Serena vs. Venus and Federer vs. someone. It was topical for me. No triggering whatsoever. But carry on.

 

[Ketchum]

How many in your “evidence” were blatantly and repeatedly cheating? That is the key point.

"repeatedly cheating"

 

[Ketchum]

Plus it was unacceptable and unsportswomanlike gamesmanship intended to rattle a much younger player playing in her first Grand Slam final against her idol. Serena was fully aware the match was slipping away from her and her only chance to upset the momentum was to create a scene. She certainly succeeded in doing that to such a degree that she had to step in herself during the trophy ceremony at the end to throw cold water on the fiery mob reaction she had ignited, spoiling Osaka's triumph.

Fascinating when all the men see the situation different than almost all of the women.

 

[MB-HORNS]

For the record, I have never mentioned Serena Williams' name in a column and not seen a bunch of men make whatever is said about her in a column the thing they just can't stop getting upset about.

Add her to the triggered thread, @MB-HORNS

 

[cau001]

Nobody has talked about how bad the Clemson defense was against the pass. Every pass Mond had was to a wide open receiver. I was shocked at Clemson’s secondary

 

[HllCountryHorn]

Fascinating when all the men see the situation different than almost all of the women.

Not sure what you mean. I'm just trying to view it from Osaka's viewpoint. I and everyone else watching could tell she was visibly upset after the match in a moment that should have been her most sublime, and Serena was to blame and only backed off when she realized how she was spoiling it all for Osaka.

I'm sure if the same situation had occurred on the male side, you'd be all over the "ugly American."

 

[Cdun]

From the Sally Jenkins article.

There was absolutely nothing worthy of penalizing in the statement. It was pure vapor release. She said it in a tone of wrath, but it was compressed and controlled. All Ramos had to do was to continue to sit coolly above it, and Williams would have channeled herself back into the match. But he couldn’t take it. He wasn’t going to let a woman talk to him that way. A man, sure. Ramos has put up with worse from a man. At the French Open in 2017, Ramos leveled Rafael Nadal with a ticky-tacky penalty over a time delay, and Nadal told him he would see to it that Ramos never refereed one of his matches again.

But he wasn’t going to take it from a woman pointing a finger at him and speaking in a tone of aggression. So he gave Williams that third violation for “verbal abuse” and a whole game penalty, and now it was 5-3, and we will never know whether young Osaka really won the 2018 U.S. Open or had it handed to her by a man who was going to make Serena Williams feel his power. It was an offense far worse than any that Williams committed. Chris Evert spoke for the entire crowd and television audience when she said, “I’ve been in tennis a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

So, you didn’t actually watch the incident, did you? He didn’t give her a penalty when she threatened him, like nadal. In fact he refrained over and over again, until she called him a “thief”. THEN, after a TON of verbal abuse, he finally gave in.

 

[UTDB]

Please list the evidence on that specific umpire below and your sources. Thanks.

see this thread.

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I viewed all the videos. The joker got a warning for bouncing his racket off the court. He protested by saying Ramos was using double standards as he didn’t call it on his opponent. He didn’t demand an apology after crushing a racket. He didn’t continue verbally assaulting Ramos and didn’t threaten that he would never umpire one his matches ever again and he didn’t call the umpire a thief. The strongest words he used was double standard and then he dropped it and played tennis. Ramos has an excellent reputation as an umpire. If that is your evidence, it is as weak as Herman’s Maryland press conference

 

[Ketchum]

Nobody has talked about how bad the Clemson defense was against the pass. Every pass Mond had was to a wide open receiver. I was shocked at Clemson’s secondary

Once the momentum went against them, they never got it back.

 

[Ketchum]

So, you didn’t actually watch the incident, did you? He didn’t give her a penalty when she threatened him, like nadal. In fact he refrained over and over again, until she called him a “thief”. THEN, after a TON of verbal abuse, he finally gave in.

He made himself the story.

In that "ton of verbal abuse", did she ever curse once?

 

[Cdun]

Fascinating when all the men see the situation different than almost all of the women.

I love how when anyone makes a good point, the retort is “because you’re a man, you don’t understand.”

 

[txpharmer]

USC should be Sam's last chance and I don't mean the whole game necessarily. We should be trying QBs on like shoes at this point. Hopefully, we find a pair that fcking fits.

Especially when CTH said that Shane hasn't done anything wrong but they were going with the guy that they felt gave them the best chance to win. If you are losing, shouldn't you try the other guy. Especially since the one guy keeps turning it over every game.

 

[Geoff From McCallum High]

I've listed ample evidence.

Perhaps you'd like to list a similar situation where a player of Serena's stature received such a punishment in a final.

Just one.

Here ya go. Mcenroe defaulted in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam for telling the referree “go f your mother”

 

[Ketchum]

I love how when anyone makes a good point, the retort is “because you’re a man, you don’t understand.”

When have you made a good point? It hasn't happened yet.

 

[Cdun]

He made himself the story.

In that "ton of verbal abuse", did she ever curse once?

Apologize to me Ketch.

Ketch, apologize.

No, you will NEVER ref another one of my matches.

No! I’m not leaving until you apologize.

No. Apologize.

Say you’re sorry.

No, you are cheating me. This is not fair.

Apologize to me.

Apologize Ketch.

 

[Ketchum]

Here ya go. Mcenroe defaulted in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam for telling the referree “go f your mother”

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Is that anywhere close to the situation from this weekend?

 

[txpharmer]

I would like to see proof he is really Mensa. I don’t believe he is.

He has the arrogant part down, so probably is.

 

[Ketchum]

Apologize to me Ketch.

Ketch, apologize.

No, you will NEVER ref another one of my matches.

No! I’m not leaving until you apologize.

No. Apologize.

Say you’re sorry.

No, you are cheating me. This is not fair.

Apologize to me.

Apologize Ketch.

Now you're just boring with your act. Have a good night. You'll have to forgive me for moving on.

 

[Cdun]

When have you made a good point? It hasn't happened yet.

The remark I quoted wasn’t to my words, dude. That’s a good point.

 

[Ketchum]

 

[Cdun]

Now you're just boring with your act. Have a good night. You'll have to forgive me for moving on.

That kind of verbal abuse, even without cursing, can get annoying, can’t it?

 

[Ketchum]

That kind of verbal abuse, even without cursing, can get annoying, can’t it?

some men can't handle being talked to by a woman in the same fashion they might let a man talk to them.

She didn't curse. She didn't threaten him. She was simply pissed and once he took a game away from her, she rightfully lost her mind.

That happened on Saturday.

 

[Colonel Banana Dark]

Man, the football is so bad we are getting all jimmied over other sports and other teams. We are literacy in hell.

 

[Ketchum]

Man, the football is so bad we are getting all jimmied over other sports and other teams. We are literacy in hell.

 

[Geoff From McCallum High]

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ha

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The real double standard that Billie Jean Moffitt King does not ever want to discuss is that women get the same prize money for 2 out of 3 sets in Grand Slams that the men get for playing 3 out of 5 sets.

I wish I got the same paycheck for only playing 50 percent of the time for tbe biggest 4 tournaments of the year.

WTA is an organzation of such incredible victims.

 

[HllCountryHorn]

some men can't handle being talked to by a woman in the same fashion they might let a man talk to them.

She didn't curse. She didn't threaten him. She was simply pissed and once he took a game away from her, she rightfully lost her mind.

That happened on Saturday.

B.S. The dude's been a tennis official for over 20 years. I expect if he "couldn't handle being talked to by a woman" like that it would have come to the surface LOONNNNGGGGG before now. Can you just drop those SJW eye shades for a few seconds, admit she was being an boorish ass and damn near stole the show from the deserving young woman from Japan?

 

[BobHorn]

B.S. The dude's been a tennis official for over 40 years. I expect if he "couldn't handle being talked to by a woman" like that it would have come to the surface LOONNNNGGGGG before now. Can you just drop those SJW eye shades for a few seconds, admit she was being an boorish ass and damn near stole the show from the deserving young woman from Japan?

He's just gonna link you an article or twitter feed.