Serena Williams Outburst Video: Foot Fault Transcript

I know nothing of tennis and little of sports, but I do know this: in no workplace is this kind of language and behaviour appropriate (though it may be tolerated in some). Ms Williams may be a star player and the referee a meagre salaried employee or even a volunteer, but they are, essentially co-workers. I wouldn't get away with berating my co-workers that way, and neither should she.

This incident illustrates some of the faults of our American society, in general.  Entitlement, lack of empathy and understanding for others (individualism), intimidation, win no matter what attitude, and then we permit it.  We justify it.  WHY? Who cares about the foot fault?  It does not matter.  Why are we even arguing over the foot fall?  What about her behavior?  There should be no sypathizing.  It is not okay!  And to say it is okay, to justify her actions and her words, is a travesty.  There is nothing that deserves or warrants that behavior.  I teach 7th graders.  Many of them saw Serena's outburst.  What does that tell them?  And from Serena.  The most famous female athlete in the world today.  Our generation offers so few real leaders, so few good people for our youth to model after and now another is gone.    To pretend we don't, as humans beings have a responsibility to a higher purpose, a loving purpose is naive, selfish, and plain wrong.  And it is not okay.  

Calling a foot fault unless blatant at such important points in any match is Taboo in tennis, everyone in tennis understands and is happy with that approach. Everyone except the lines lady in question, it totally understandable that any player would see this as more then just a bad call its a insult and hints at a bias,vindictive or prehaps a desire to mark their mark. Just because the lines lady isnt well paid in comparison to Serena doesnt mean she is in the right to make that call, a call I am sure no one else would have made. Irrelevent of Serena 's reaction and she wasnt playing in the semi final or Miss Congeniality, it was the lines lady that decided to rob the public of a proper finish of a potentially great match that the womens game desperately needs.btw Federer is getting shirty now, colourful language unfortantely for Serena it looks worse from a women.

In tennis it is taboo to call a foot fault unless blatant at such stages of the game, this is agreed and understood throughout tennis. What the lines lady did was staggering and any player would get irrate getting called for a foot fault is an insult, it seems vindictive and hints at bias. The lines lady is the villian of the piece she robbed the public of a proper finish a potentially great match that the womens game desperately needs.Also bear in mind that Serena wasnt in the semi of Miss Congenality 2009  its sport, it emotional its tense and tempers go and thats part of the attraction. The problem is not with behaviour in the most part its the desire to sanitise sport well everything.

There is a video that was public on youtube yesterday for a very brief time that showed the line from behind the lines woman's head.  It was CLEARLY not a foot fault from her perspective.  The video has since been yanked and is probably being offered to the highest bidder. link:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE7by4_mtcU  (MVI0210 user name) The lines woman wanted her 15 minutes of fame and she got it by making a bad call at a time when she knew it would enrage ANY tennis player.   I gave Serena a lot of credit for counting to 10 a few times before she lost control.  It was obvious that she was TRYING to ignore the call but it was just too much to ignore.

I'd like one of you to show me where you took the time to post a comment against a white male player (pick one) that has gone on a tirade on the court about  a call...Show me the reference, then I'll be less inclined to believe you aren't racist...especially those of you asking that she be suspended from further competition....are you kidding? Guess what would happen then...admit it...you wouldn't want to watch tennis without those black girls playing...admit it...

I have watched Serena and Venus play tennis since they first came on the professional tour. And in all these years, I have never seen her or Venus lose their cool and focus on the court. This particular line judge was unprofessional, made bad calls, and impacted the game in such a way that should not have been allowed at this level of the game. This line judge called foot faults when there clearly wasn't one and she wanted her 15 minutes of fame. She should be fired and never allowed to make calls at a tennis competition like the US Open or any grand slam.

The foot fault call was very important to this whole debacle.  If foot faults are a normal part of tennis matches, if they are called on a consistent basis, then the call should have been made.  But, if they are generally allowed to be overlooked unless they are obvious, then it was wrong to call the foot fault, ESPECIALLY at this juncture of the match.  I personally can understand Serena's outrage if this was the case, if foot faults are normally overlooked.  The example of the basketball player stepping over the line is different because the cameras can easily see if he did actually step over the line.  Also, this call will always be made in basketball.  There is never a time when they overlook this.  Athletes need consistency mostly from the refs, linespersons, umpires, etc.  That's what they want the most.  If a baseball pitcher is getting a high strike zone all night long from the ump when he throws that high strike in the bottom of the ninth inning, he damn well is going to accept a strike call.  Now, none of this excuses Serena's reaction to what happened.  I can just understand her anger if this was a call that was wrong (and can't be replayed).  Serena was definitely in the match.  She lost a close first set and was on serve in the second set.  She was the defending champion and is probably by now ranked #1 in women's tennis.  I say this to the person who acted as though Serena wasn't even in the match.

No one needs to be publicly humiliated like what happened to the line judge.  Right call or wrong call.  Simple as that.  The line judge probably feels real good about herself now after the tirade she took.

There is no foot fault.

All the arguments you made and all the incidents you see at the match is due to the "call". The call was wrong. So, whether Serena Williams used abusive language or not is a seperate matter. The argument should be "on the call" and not whether Serena Williams use abusive language or not. Let us talk about the call. Action must be taken on whether the call was wrong or right. The call was a wrong call. Serena Williams must be allowed to re-serve. Don't you think so? If rules are rules, then why did not the umpire allow Serena Williams to re-serve when the rule never says that wrong calls has to be accepted as right call.

Youtube has shown it clearly. Please watch it properly. Serena Williams foot does not cross the line at all. In fact, her foot does not even touch the line, not to speak of crossing. The gap between her foot and the line was wide enough. Rules are rules. So, Serena Williams cannot be penalised on "foot fault" as she did not make any foot fault. Hence she must be allowed to re-serve even if the lines-woman made a call, as the call was a wrong call.. Using of abusing Language is something else. McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and many more are using much abusive languages. The debate is on "the foot fault" (which happened to be a wrong call). Remember that.

I was there and was sitting really close.... What Serena said and did was unacceptable, and should not be tolerated anywhere.... If you were to make a comment like that to your manager or direct you would get fired immediately. She should be the same example to her sport as Kim Clijsters is,... showing respect for every player, be very open about a win or a loss.... Have you ever heard Clijsters saying something like that ever? Bad attitude from Serena, no matter what, and you can be sure that the fault would be a fault anyways, otherwise they would not sanction her.

A foot fault is not commonly called as it is not commonly committed!  It is easy for any level player not to foot fault.  Stay back a bit.  A teaching pro instructs a server to start out with a two inch seperation between the near foot and the service line.  Two inches back will not diminish the quality of the serve as the court is 78 feet in length from base line to base line.

Thumbs up Serena. I dont know how many times I wanted to stick the basketball down some Ref's shirt. Reality is these players are above all else competiters. You dont climb that ladder without a slightly controlled rage in you. When someone violates the standards of which they have been held too in rspect to when to call and when not to make a call, it turns to overflow. This was nothing more than a bad judgement call by the lines lady and a bad decision from Serena to go after her. Thats all it is. What was said is not an indication of the person who said it, but of the intense spirit that was unleashed at an improper time. If she gets banned from the Austrailian Open they only will be hurting themselves.

As a former player, ref and parent I feel Serana's behaviour was wrong. I agree with an earlier comment, foot faults aren't often called because they shouldn't be committed at this level. Wouldn't the officials have reviewed the tapes before fining her? The youtube film is at the wrong angle to tell if there was a fault or not. We don't know the experience and background of the line judge but the officials do; they have much more knowledge at hand to arrive at a correct decision. IF a player is allowed to win by intimidating a line judge is not fair to those players who do display good sportsmanship and play by the rules.

One thing that people do not seem to have noticed is Serena asking, "Are you serious?" Perhaps this is nothing but in a situation like she was in realizing she was going to be facing serious trouble after the outburst, refreshing the memory of John McEnroe's tirades was a savvy move to lessen her unprecedented display of rage on the court. Although McEnroe is famous for asking, "You cannot be serious?" under pressure and recovering from rage "Are you serious?" is close enough considering its irrelevance to the stiuation at hand. All things considered it was a weak argument against the violation she knew she had committed. Would anyone on the court be joking at that stage?

In defense of the line judge, this was The US Open. They would not stick just any judge in such an important match. No one needs to question the background of the judge. They all make mistakes, some more than others, yet they know the rules and the importance of their job.

Well, apparently it's okay with some that Serena get a free pass to do whatever she damn well pleases. Foot fault or no, it is NOT okay to physically threaten someone, period! McEnroe was fined and suspended, as was Jeff Terango and neither of them threatened a court official. Serena should get not less. I am tired our crybaby elitist culture where athletes and celebrities are treated as victims when they do and say unacceptable and even illegal things. You may NOT threaten a person physically; legally this is considered assault and if I were the line judge I'd sue Serena. There are no excuses for this behavior, but that's what the US has turned into, a nation which has too many people who think the life should revolve around their point of view. No one can disagree without being called a racist or a misogynist.

This outbreak shows just how UNprofessional Serena is.  She should be barred forever.  What a bad name she gives professional tennis.  She's such a negative role model. Even if it was a bad call by the line judge. Serena had no right to act as she did and threaten the judge. Serena got off very light. 

I hope the NAACP investigates this outragous penalty levied against our sister.  Anything to keep a black person down.  Look at whats happening to Tiger Woods now.  The line judge was showing their true color when making this bad call, WHITE!

Maybe Serena should just stand back a few inches with those giant feet.  She hits her serve like an animal anyway so it shouldn't take too much off her game.