INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) The tournament director of the BNP Paribas Open criticized the WTA Tour on Sunday, saying women's pro tennis players ''ride on the coattails of the men'' while describing them as ''physically attractive and competitively attractive.''
Raymond Moore, a 69-year-old former touring pro from South Africa, oversees the $7 million tournament in the California desert featuring the men's and women's tours. He made his comments in a session with reporters before Sunday's finals, and they quickly appeared on social media.
Just for general explication, the point he was making is as follows: Men's tennis is a much more interesting, watchable, and financially sound proposition than is womens' tennis. More people watch men's tennis on television, more people pay to see it, and consequently it generates a lot more revenue than womens' tennis. (some individual matches involving Serena Williams get high ratings and ticket sales, but aside from her, there is really nobody worth watching).
But in today's PC world, the major championships have agreed to bestow equal prize money for Men's and Women's champions, despite the revenue disparity. Raymond Moore is referring to this when he says, that the WTA is riding on the Men's tennis coat-tails. If the prize money were based solely on revenue generated (i.e., if it were "fair"), the women would be getting about a fourth of what the men get.
Serena points out that there have been a few instances when the ladies final sold out quicker than the mens final at a Grand Slam. So what? What about the other hundred wimmins' matches where you could hear crickets chirping during play?
The word, "gaffe," refers to a statement that, while being correct, is politically insensitive, and therefore must be rolled back. But regardless of his pathetic retractions and denials and apologies, this pathetic truth-teller is toast. Not only will he be fired from his position, but he will forever be painted with words like "misogynist," bigot, and so on.
Actually, I don't know why anyone would even watch Serena these days. Either she rolls over her opponents, or gives the matches away in fits of boredom. Clearly, she lost yesterday on purpose, trying to create the illusion that anyone without testicles can actually compete with her. It was not convincing; she could beat Azarenka in her sleep, and everyone knows it, including Azarenka.
And when she's gone? The pathetic state of womens' professional tennis is illustrated best by the wailing last week about Sharapova - a visual cure for insomnia if there ever was one (if she would only STFU) - and what her absence will mean to the game. Good grief. Why would anyone care?
Yet another example of Political Correctness trumping reality.
Raymond Moore, a 69-year-old former touring pro from South Africa, oversees the $7 million tournament in the California desert featuring the men's and women's tours. He made his comments in a session with reporters before Sunday's finals, and they quickly appeared on social media.
Just for general explication, the point he was making is as follows: Men's tennis is a much more interesting, watchable, and financially sound proposition than is womens' tennis. More people watch men's tennis on television, more people pay to see it, and consequently it generates a lot more revenue than womens' tennis. (some individual matches involving Serena Williams get high ratings and ticket sales, but aside from her, there is really nobody worth watching).
But in today's PC world, the major championships have agreed to bestow equal prize money for Men's and Women's champions, despite the revenue disparity. Raymond Moore is referring to this when he says, that the WTA is riding on the Men's tennis coat-tails. If the prize money were based solely on revenue generated (i.e., if it were "fair"), the women would be getting about a fourth of what the men get.
Serena points out that there have been a few instances when the ladies final sold out quicker than the mens final at a Grand Slam. So what? What about the other hundred wimmins' matches where you could hear crickets chirping during play?
The word, "gaffe," refers to a statement that, while being correct, is politically insensitive, and therefore must be rolled back. But regardless of his pathetic retractions and denials and apologies, this pathetic truth-teller is toast. Not only will he be fired from his position, but he will forever be painted with words like "misogynist," bigot, and so on.
Actually, I don't know why anyone would even watch Serena these days. Either she rolls over her opponents, or gives the matches away in fits of boredom. Clearly, she lost yesterday on purpose, trying to create the illusion that anyone without testicles can actually compete with her. It was not convincing; she could beat Azarenka in her sleep, and everyone knows it, including Azarenka.
And when she's gone? The pathetic state of womens' professional tennis is illustrated best by the wailing last week about Sharapova - a visual cure for insomnia if there ever was one (if she would only STFU) - and what her absence will mean to the game. Good grief. Why would anyone care?
Yet another example of Political Correctness trumping reality.
