Traina Thoughts: Serena Williams vs. John McEnroe is the hottest sports feud going
1. I know the Internet does not like to do context, but if you've seen the stories about the John McEnroe-Serena Williams beef that's taking place, it might be important to get the full background. Yes, McEnroe said Williams would be ranked 700th on the men's circuit. However, he did not randomly throw that comment out there. He was asked by a NPR reporter why Serena isn't considered the best player in the world and offered his opinion. Here is the full exchange.
Now, you can still be unhappy with McEnroe's "700 in the world comment," but you should also know he called her the "best female player ever -- no question."
McEnroe appeared Tuesday on CBS This Morning and host Norah O'Donnell asked him if he'd like to apologize for his remarks. Unlike most people who buckle when faced with backlash, McEnroe stuck to his guns.
McEnroe was then told by host Gayle King that comparing the men's game to the women's game "belittles" the accomplishments of Serena and asked McEnroe where he'd rank himself.
Lastly, Serena Williams appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman a few years ago and said, "For me, men's tennis and women's tennis are almost two completely different sports. If I were to play Andy Murray, I'd love 6-0, 6-0 in five to six minutes. Maybe 10 minutes. It's true. it's a completely different sport. The men are a lot faster. They serve harder, they hit harder. It's just a different game."
Now you have the full story and can be outraged accordingly.
2. That's a good dog.
3. The Rock is awesome at doing a lot of things. Impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger is not one of them.
4. Why do so many fans hate sports announcers? That is the question posed in this great piece by Newsday's Neil Best.
5. "The Progressive Liberal" is an absolute genius gimmick for a wrestler, as you can see in this Deadspin piece on Appalachian Mountain Wrestling's Dan Richards.
6. Taylor Swift sent a special video message to Russell Westbrook for winning the MVP award even though the two have somehow never met.
7. ESPN's Body Issue comes out next week. Here's a sneak peek at a couple of athletes in the buff.
8. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: John Cena debuted in the WWE 15 years ago today. While he has been a true superstar in and out of the ring, our favorite Cena moment was this brilliant performance on Total Divas.
