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Idiotic Athletes -- The Michael Jordan and Serena Williams Editions

A lot of times when a celebrity does something crazy, another celebrity will do something that takes away some of the bad press they would've gotten. Or a celebrity will die, which gets people talking about that, instead of the drunken bar room brawl they may have been involved in.

But it seemed with Patrick Swayze dying yesterday, it didn't stop people from talking about the rant Serena Williams went on. Even when the idiotic Kanye West jumped onstage at the MTV awards, they merely added that to the Serena story.

If you aren't familiar with it all, Serena is perhaps the best player in womens tennis and has been for the last five or so years. Her and sister Venus have complained that people don't like them. They claim it's racial. Yet, their dad was always in the stands acting like a bafoon. And the girls never seemed to give credit on the rare occasions they got beat. They'd merely blame a nagging injury.

Well, one of the judges called Serene for an error. She walked towards that judge with her racquet raised, saying she'd ram the ball down her "f***ing throat", and a few other threatening things.

She had earlier been warned about smashing her racket in anger (not sure why you can't do that, but it's a rule). They took a point away from her, which automatically gave the game to her opponent.

A few people talked about why John McEnroe was allowed to get away with his antics back in the day. And back then, I talked about what an idiot he was, too. Even now, when that idiot does commercials, and they play up that behavior, I wonder why everyone laughs and plays along. I say we boycott the advertisers that use him.

I don't think McEnroe ever cursed, or made a physical threat.

Now, Michael Jordan was a little tamer in what he said. But it still bothered me.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, in what's perhaps the best set of players ever inducted.

There was David Robinson, always a class act. And John Stockton, an amazing guard, who was a jerk in person (I met him a few times...and when I mentioned to a friend in Salt Lake City once that he was a jerk, he told me that Stockton had that reputation in town as well).

Jordan wasn't the friendliest when I met him in a locker room, but no biggie. The guy was amazing to watch play.

But in his induction speech, I was bothered by some of his comments.

He mentioned a coach that cut him from the team in 10th grade. And he mentioned a kid that made it instead of him. I would've loved to have done the same thing I think about doing to directors and actors that complain about someone that got nominated for an Oscar. Who do they think shouldn't have been nominated, for the actor they think should've been?

I'd ask Jordan, when he was in 10th grade, did he feel his coach was actually wrong, and that he was a better player than the kid that made it.

I know on my high school team, a hundred kids got cut. And at least 10 of them walked around campus claiming to be better than all of us. Although, anyone with a brain would wonder why a coach would spend 3 days having try-outs, and not be able to evaluate talent. Or would want to pick players less talented. I'm not sure what Jordans answer to that would be.

Jordan mentioned his college coach snubbing him from the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was a freshman, and four other players got to be on it. Seems an odd thing to complain about, as I remember at least three covers Jordan made as a college player, and I'm guessing when his career was all said and done, he was on the cover 30 times, easy.

And he went on and on with these grudges.

He also sounded bizarre saying how he felt bad for his kids, living in his legendary shadow. I kinda feel sorry for his kids. They have a father that's a dope.

A year ago, Jordan had said he didn't want to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, because of that being for "old people" or something along those lines. I'm not sure he understands the honor of it.

He also said in an interview, that he's so competitive, when his kids were 4, he wouldn't let them win at games they played. He was talking about board games, but it made me think of them shooting baskets outside. A parent is usually teaching their child the fundamentals. I'm guessing Michael was blocking their shots and not letting them score.

When I heard that, I wondered why nobody told him he needed help. Because, if you're an adult and don't realize that letting kids win a game so they can enjoy it more, you have a lot to learn (anyone remember the scene of Joan Crawford swimming against her daughter in Mommie Dearest?)

Sure, that competitiveness is probably what made him one of the best ever. It's also what probably made him the nut job that punched a player in practice for stealing the ball from him. Or made him obsessed with betting people on things, including golf (bets he'd often lose). It's probably what made his bizarre ego think he could go into major league baseball.

Why couldn't a rapper have jumped up on stage while Jordan was talking and say something like "Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson were better guards. Just watch the video highlights and look at their accomplishments. Jordan should be thanking the people at Nike, that had slave labor in other countries making his $100 sneakers, that people in ghettos would have to steal because they couldn't afford."

Of course, the rappers probably wear the shoes, the Air Jordan shirts...and drink Cristal with him.

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A lot of times when a celebrity does something crazy, another celebrity will do something that takes away some of the bad press they would've gotten. Or a celebrity will die, which gets people talking about that, instead of the drunken bar room brawl they may have been involved in.

But it seemed with Patrick Swayze dying yesterday, it didn't stop people from talking about the rant Serena Williams went on. Even when the idiotic Kanye West jumped onstage at the MTV awards, they merely added that to the Serena story.

If you aren't familiar with it all, Serena is perhaps the best player in womens tennis and has been for the last five or so years. Her and sister Venus have complained that people don't like them. They claim it's racial. Yet, their dad was always in the stands acting like a bafoon. And the girls never seemed to give credit on the rare occasions they got beat. They'd merely blame a nagging injury.

Well, one of the judges called Serene for an error. She walked towards that judge with her racquet raised, saying she'd ram the ball down her "f***ing throat", and a few other threatening things.

She had earlier been warned about smashing her racket in anger (not sure why you can't do that, but it's a rule). They took a point away from her, which automatically gave the game to her opponent.

A few people talked about why John McEnroe was allowed to get away with his antics back in the day. And back then, I talked about what an idiot he was, too. Even now, when that idiot does commercials, and they play up that behavior, I wonder why everyone laughs and plays along. I say we boycott the advertisers that use him.

I don't think McEnroe ever cursed, or made a physical threat.

Now, Michael Jordan was a little tamer in what he said. But it still bothered me.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, in what's perhaps the best set of players ever inducted.

There was David Robinson, always a class act. And John Stockton, an amazing guard, who was a jerk in person (I met him a few times...and when I mentioned to a friend in Salt Lake City once that he was a jerk, he told me that Stockton had that reputation in town as well).

Jordan wasn't the friendliest when I met him in a locker room, but no biggie. The guy was amazing to watch play.

But in his induction speech, I was bothered by some of his comments.

He mentioned a coach that cut him from the team in 10th grade. And he mentioned a kid that made it instead of him. I would've loved to have done the same thing I think about doing to directors and actors that complain about someone that got nominated for an Oscar. Who do they think shouldn't have been nominated, for the actor they think should've been?

I'd ask Jordan, when he was in 10th grade, did he feel his coach was actually wrong, and that he was a better player than the kid that made it.

I know on my high school team, a hundred kids got cut. And at least 10 of them walked around campus claiming to be better than all of us. Although, anyone with a brain would wonder why a coach would spend 3 days having try-outs, and not be able to evaluate talent. Or would want to pick players less talented. I'm not sure what Jordans answer to that would be.

Jordan mentioned his college coach snubbing him from the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was a freshman, and four other players got to be on it. Seems an odd thing to complain about, as I remember at least three covers Jordan made as a college player, and I'm guessing when his career was all said and done, he was on the cover 30 times, easy.

And he went on and on with these grudges.

He also sounded bizarre saying how he felt bad for his kids, living in his legendary shadow. I kinda feel sorry for his kids. They have a father that's a dope.

A year ago, Jordan had said he didn't want to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, because of that being for "old people" or something along those lines. I'm not sure he understands the honor of it.

He also said in an interview, that he's so competitive, when his kids were 4, he wouldn't let them win at games they played. He was talking about board games, but it made me think of them shooting baskets outside. A parent is usually teaching their child the fundamentals. I'm guessing Michael was blocking their shots and not letting them score.

When I heard that, I wondered why nobody told him he needed help. Because, if you're an adult and don't realize that letting kids win a game so they can enjoy it more, you have a lot to learn (anyone remember the scene of Joan Crawford swimming against her daughter in Mommie Dearest?)

Sure, that competitiveness is probably what made him one of the best ever. It's also what probably made him the nut job that punched a player in practice for stealing the ball from him. Or made him obsessed with betting people on things, including golf (bets he'd often lose). It's probably what made his bizarre ego think he could go into major league baseball.

Why couldn't a rapper have jumped up on stage while Jordan was talking and say something like "Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson were better guards. Just watch the video highlights and look at their accomplishments. Jordan should be thanking the people at Nike, that had slave labor in other countries making his $100 sneakers, that people in ghettos would have to steal because they couldn't afford."

Of course, the rappers probably wear the shoes, the Air Jordan shirts...and drink Cristal with him.

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