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The games haven't changed. We're seeing—and seeing—them for what they are.
You won’t find much mention of Henry A. Landsberger amid the burgeoning discussions of sports this weekend, but his impact underpins almost every discussion. Landsberger isn’t a former professional athlete or sports commentator. Instead, he’s the social scientist who coined the term Hawthorne Effect, or put simply how the act of observation changes the observed.
It’s an important concept to remember when watching sports these days. We’ve been through a summer of sports discontents. LeBron James’ failure to offer on-court congratulations to the members of the Orlando Magic at the end of their Eastern Conference Finals series, LeGarrette Blount’s sucker punch of Byron Hout at the end of the University of Oregon-Boise State football game last week, Michael Jordan’s somewhat less than gracious Hall of Fame speech on Friday and Serena Williams’ profanity laced tirade at the end of her U.S. Open loss to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night. It almost makes you wonder if sportsmanship died and the media forgot to cover the funeral.
But remember the Hawthorne Effect. Our observation of sport has grown from idle pastime to an obsessively intense level. At some level, it is neither the audience or the athletes causing this; it’s the medium. As most other forms of television entertainment have lost huge audience shares to an ever multiplying array of channels and other home entertainment options (not to mention the medium on which you’re reading this article), televised sports have mostly held their own. The amount of eyeballs glued to a Super Bowl or a game of the NBA Finals is indeed down from a decade ago, but the decline is nowhere near as far as the drop off for sitcoms, action-adventure shows and the like. And the influence of sports, the clear-cut notion that there is a winner, a loser and a handful of impact players who affected the result has helped turn singing, cooking, dancing and even modeling into widely watched televised contests that resemble an athletic event.
What we’ve seen recently isn’t new. James wasn’t the first athlete to forgo the postgame handshake ritual. Some post-game fisticuffs aren’t unusual at any level of football; after all these truly behemoth-sized men have been violently colliding with each other for three hours. Hard feelings and bruised egos are only natural. Jordan was renowned as a ruthless competitor whether on or off the basketball court. (Remember his gambling debts?) Are we supposed to be surprised that he hasn’t mellowed with the onset of middle age?
Serena Williams’ outburst at the U.S. Open might just be the most revealing of why these incidents aren’t as newsworthy as they seem. Tennis is prone to diva antics. From llie Nastase through three of Serena’s idols, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles, vehement arguments with the officials is nearly as much a part of the game as the baselines. Her idols all had meltdowns as severe as Serena’s, but they weren’t as badly timed. Williams’ meltdown came at match point in a game when she already had received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. Thus the second demerit cost her a chance at saving two match points and perhaps forcing a second set tiebreaker. Williams had already pulled herself out of a dire situation a few minutes before the dispute. Down 3-4 serving at 15-40, she saved two break points; the loss of either would certainly have cost her the match, and in the process she served three 110 mph aces to rally and win the game.
Most of the hand wringing over athletes behaving badly is that the media commentators want the athletes to be like them every bit as much as we want to be like Mike. They want them to observe the same risk-reward ratios we do. Watch any game, and you will hear announcers sing praises of some player who stays within him or herself and doesn’t take unreasonable risks; that player might be good, but they’ll never be great. Great athletes are great athletes precisely because they are able to routinely challenge the odds—often long odds—and win consistently.
It’s why great athletes tend to make such terrible team executives; they don’t assess risk properly (see Isiah Thomas’ tenure with the New York Knicks as a case study). It’s also why they don’t see the ordinary rules of decorum applying to them. Athletic fame is one of the most consistent guarantors of enduring celebrity, and youngsters who seem bound for glory are pampered from the moment they get on that road. In other words, they aren’t like us. It’s a fool’s errand to think that they are. And athletes won’t become more like us (or that very idealized sense of us that the networks sell) merely for the act of televising their every act. In fact, they become less.
Race exacerbates this distance. No one ever demanded of Muhammad Ali that he play in Peoria. His antics played well on the South Side of Chicago, where I grew up and that was fine; if Peoria wanted to ride the bandwagon, c’mon down, there’s room. Since Jordan’s ascent to global icon, the demands are different; black superstars are supposed to be crossover successes. Those that don’t, whether through misbehavior (Allen Iverson, Barry Bonds) or lack of charisma (Tim Duncan) are regarded as underachievers in some precincts. It’s demanded that African-American superstars shoulder the burden of race—swallow the slights and indignities of racial difference—and still walk the crossover line as gracefully as Philippe Petit. That they don’t always do it isn’t as surprising—or telling—as the expectation that they should.
Martin Johnson is a regular contributor to The Root.
Comments
The games haven't changed. We're seeing—and seeing—them for what they are. Interesting Article. Hoping that you will continue posting an article having a useful information. Thanks a lot!
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I know guys who played against John McEnroe on the tour and they said while McEnroe was one of the less talented players he was the smartest. If you will notice McEnroe usually exploded when he: needed a little bit of a rest after a long rally, was winning and the other guy was making a rally, or losing and the other guy was pulling away. He never blew up simply because he was pissed off- which it looked like Serena did.
The juices flow when top athletes compete and Serena had a moment I bet she regrets. John McEnroe et. al. also had baby fits. Big talent, big fits, big ego, big deal!
So what if Serena lost her cool? Honestly, I don't know how most professional athletes keep their cool if they lose, or don't play well. If I was a professional athlete (which is a far fetched hypothetical situation) I probably would have done a lot worse. I like sports, but my temper always gets the best of me. Although I do not follow tennis, I do not remember her having any previous incidents like this. Besides, from what I've read, John McEnroe has done a lot worse....way worse.
And Michael Jordan? That guy can say whatever he wants, he's Michael Jordan!!
I am so glad I got to grow up watching that man play basketball.
[CORRECTED POST]
At the US Open on September 12, in Flushing Meadows, NY, Serena Williams made a mistake, and while she apologized immediately to the line judge for the verbal threat laced with profanity while wielding a tennis ball in one hand and her tennis racket in the other, and apologized again through her publicist twice, and again personally through a CNN broadcast, I forgive the 27-year-old, and I would forgive her anytime she should seek forgiveness for a mistake (Matthew 18:21, 22).
But, Williams' unprofessional conduct aside, she is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and every one of her Christian brothers and sisters in the world that may or may not be tennis fans, were adversely affected by her swearing to God to hurt another human being, even if her only intent was to intimidate the line judge and not do a thing to the woman.
It should be noted here that while every human being on the planet makes mistakes, it is judgmental when one analyzes someone else's shortcomings and judges based on their own subjective standards of what is right and wrong, but when one's analysis is based on Bible principles, then one's judgment is not subjective, but is transformed into an objective one that is based on God's standards of right and wrong.
Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses are human beings as much so as are Catholics, Baptists, Muslims and atheists, but being "in the moment" is absolutely no excuse for verbally or physically assaulting another human being, and is rejected, for, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Williams knows well that if her hand is making her stumble, then perhaps she should "cut it off," so to speak (Mark 9:43), which was just Jesus' way of telling his followers that if one has a problem with alcohol (they cannot control how much they drink), with their boss (they don't seem to be able to respect their boss' right to expect them to work hard even though what is what their boss is paying them to do!) or an impulse control problem of some sort (that you feel you much launch into a tirade and embarrass yourself as well as put every one of your Christian brothers and sisters in the position of having to answer the world's questions as to why Jehovah's Witnesses tolerate such bad behavior in their ranks).
As was foretold in Scripture, there would, indeed, be some Christians that would have a greater love for themselves than they do for God (2 Timothy 3:2; Matthew 24:12), who have allowed fleeting goals to distract them from the work that all Christians were charged to do in helping others to become reconciled to God through faith in the value of Jesus' ransom), then they should stop drinking alcohol altogether, find a new job or find a new sport, entering into everlasting life maimed, so to speak, and not perish trying to keep both hands deceiving herself that this is somehow what it means to do the divine will. (James 1:22; Matthew 7:21-23)
There is absolutely nothing that justifies what my spiritual sister did this past Saturday, but it is my fervent hope that Williams will endeavor to effect changes that will channel her energies in a more positive way to encourage the people she meets to both study the Bible and seek to become reconciled with God in order that they might be saved from God's wrath that is sure to come at the end of these "last days." (2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Corinthians 5:20)
Perhaps Williams could ask her mother to study the Bible with her in preparation for meetings, and even endeavoring to discuss the Bible on a regular basis with at least one person would help both of them to stretch forward and focus on a prize more worthy than a singles title, so that they do not tire out or lose the joy that has been set before us, since the time left is reduced. (1 Corinthians 7:29; Hebrews 12:2, 3; Philippians 3:13, 14; Isaiah 40:31)
On that Saturday evening, Martina Navratilova does mention at this point that (a) that this is the second time she has seen Williams called for a foot fault in this particular tournament, with which I concur, and (b) that she had “never seen Serena being foot-faulted before.” I've noticed that not many of the media folks, whose jobs it was to report on tennis matches like those played at the US Open this year, provided context to Serena Williams' bad example on Saturday, which example, I'm sure, adversely affected, not just her Christian brothers and sisters, but many of the children in the world that love tennis, have followed she and her sister Venus' tennis careers, and tend to look up to them as "role models" (only Jesus Christ is a true role model).
Nevertheless, many of our young people do tend to look up to and even idolize sports figures, which they really should not do since human beings often disappoint themselves as I'd like to think Serena was in the way she comported herself on the tennis court that evening because sanctification requires that Christians be holy is all of their conduct, because God is holy (1 Peter 1:15, 16), but here's the context:
Enlarging upon Navratilova's observation Saturday night, she was referring to Williams’ second round match against Melinda Czink in which she won in straight sets, where Williams was for the very first time during the tournament during the first set called for a foot fault while serving with a 3-1 advantage over Czink by a line judge, but the dynamic was a bit different than in the Clijsters match, for in her match against Czink, this linesperson was male, and maybe this was why he only got a stare-down, but it seems evident to me now that this previous foot fault call made against Williams during her second round match might have accounted for her overreaction to the foot fault call made during her semi-final match.
My hope is that she does all that she can, up to half of that $350K prize -- less taxes, of course, and less her $10.5K fine that was rather steep, since I would doubt that any of it is going to the line judge that Williams insulted on a television broadcast that deserved both an apology and financial compensation to demonstrate her contrition -- as a gesture toward reconciliation with that line judge.
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These white sportz "writers" are SUCH a crock a' sh*t...dat their wordz jus' SEETHE w/ jealousy AND haterism.
Far az We concern'd...they ALL can KISS Jordan'z SHINYBLACKASS!
...n' THIS from a LONG-TIME Pistonz Fan.
They'll STILL be talkin' 'bout Michael in tha NEXT Millenium...
http://theblackwhole.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/32-celebratin%e2%80%99-bla...
Them sportz "writers"?...FORGOTTEN in the land a' "Oblivia", already. = )
--TBW
[CORRECTED POST]
So Williams is up a break and is serving with a 2-3 lead in the first set when Clijsters scores a winner, making the score 15-0. Clijsters shot is long and now it’s 15-15. Williams shot is wide making the score 30-15, followed by another error putting her in a 40-15 hole, thus giving Clijsters a double-break point opportunity to get her break back and thwarts Williams second chance of consolidating the break and going up 2-4 against Clijsters. Williams is able to save both breaks so it is now Deuce. Williams serves up what would have been an ace, but because she is called for a foot fault by a line judge, the score remains at Deuce.
Upon reviewing a replay of this portion of the match several times of the placement of Williams’ feet, I do not see a foot fault, but tennis professionals like Williams are all aware that such calls are within the judgment of the line officials to make and since I’m not one of them, I can only opine as to the call I would have made, but my opinion isn’t relevant, while the line judge’s opinion is relevant. In the absence of an official review process, these calls are not reviewable, except by the chair umpire, who is free to overrule the chair umpire, which just didn’t occur here.
Well, Williams’ serve goes into the net, so this unforced error on Williams’ part gives Clijsters the advantage and the potential of putting Clijsters back on serve, but with her next serve, we are now at Deuce #2. At this point though, Serena mutters to herself, in full view of those like myself that are able to read lips, the words “F____n’ bitch,” which words seem to me to be a “silent” protest against what she believed to have been a bad call made against her by the linesperson for a foot fault. This is the moment when it is clear that Williams' "heart," or good motive, had gone astray, for these two words make clear that she had begun to harbor resentment against the line judge. (Matthew 12:34)
Clijsters scores a winner and again has the advantage, but there is no Deuce #3, for now the match is back on serve and the score is 3-3 (and not 2-4). Clijsters goes on to win the first set, 6-4, at which time Williams is issued a warning by the chair umpire for “racket abuse for smashing her tennis racket twice against the court floor and a third time against the net post (when she and Clijsters were heading to their respective chairs during the break between the end of the first set and the start of the second). Fast forward now to the second set.
Now it’s now 6-5 in the second set with Clijsters is ahead 30-15 and Williams is serving, having just committed an unforced error. Williams misses the service box with her initial serve and so this is her second service attempt. After tossing the ball, the heel of Williams’ left foot pivots toward the baseline as Williams goes into her service rotation, and as soon as she strikes the ball, a second foot fault call is made by the same line judge, making the score 40-15 and Match Point, and, again, upon reviewing a replay of this portion of the match several times as to the placement of Williams’ feet, I still do not see a foot fault, but right or wrong, this is not something that is at present reviewable at any tennis match, so misbehaving wouldn't have helped Williams' cause.
Two points to Deuce and then two more (at some point) would have gotten her into a tiebreak with Clijsters with roars from tennis fans everywhere, even Clijsters' fans that were rooting for Clijsters.
Now instead of going to the chair umpire about the previous foot fault call that had been made that evening with which she didn't agree (which action might have persuaded the chair umpire to overrule the line judge), Williams harbors resentment against the line judge that she believes made a bad call against her, and thus robs Clijsters of what she deserved to receive for how well she played that evening! While I truly believe Williams was capable of forcing a tiebreak and (maybe) a third set, what everyone got was the following rant from a very talented tennis player that no one expected to see (and Oracene Williams didn't help matters any by reportedly saying that her daughter had used the word "freaking," since there was really no excuse for her daughter to have used a substitute for the F-word either):
"I swear to God, I feel like taking this ball and shoving it down your f_____g throat! Do you understand me? I swear to God. You better be glad. You better be f_____g glad that I'm not. I swear. You better be f_____g glad. You better be f_____g glad.” How can a Christian claim to love God and swear by Him that you will do harm to someone else to whom God has given the breath of life the same as He did you? How is threatening fulfill "the royal law" of loving one's neighbor as ourselves? (Galatians 5:14, 15; James 2:8) What does 'be wrathful, but don't sin,' mean exactly? (Ephesians 4:26)
No one says there's anything wrong with being angry, but when one remains angry, resentment follows, so why not let the anger in one's heart go and determine to discuss the foot fault call with the line judge after the match is over? And if putting up with someone's shortcomings, whether they be real or imagined, is what Christians learn to do whenever they should have a cause for complaint against someone else, by the spirit of what "god" did Williams swear vengeance since it is obvious that she was not swearing by the true God? (Colossians 3:13)
"It's no wonder that so many people reproach God today, having been persuaded to believe God to be a torturer of sinners that made a hellfire, who fiendishly stands over the persons being tortured in it, which notion disparages God, because there are people that are claiming to be Christians although driven by "another spirit" in swearing by a god of vengeance and thereby preaching "another Jesus," for what Christian would dare foreswear vengeance by the true God? (2 Corinthians 11:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Romans 12:19)
As a result of her rant Saturday evening, Williams drew both a $10,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct and a $500 fine for racket abuse, and this is what can happen when a Christian does not follow Bible principles and harbors resentment. By squandering the warning she received at the close of the first set by losing her cool during the second set, Williams lost the opportunity to win the match.
I understand that Williams went on to issue a statement through her public-relations firm, saying, "[On that Saturday night] everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience."
And, in an amended statement, Williams wrote, “I want to amend my press statement of yesterday and want to make it clear as possible -- I want to sincerely apologize FIRST to the lineswoman, Kim Clijsters, the USTA and mostly tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst. I'm a woman of great pride, faith and integrity and I admit when I'm wrong. I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately and it’s not the way to act -- win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner.” She also said, "I just really wanted to apologize sincerely, because I'm a very prideful person and I'm a very intense person and a very emotional person."
Being prideful over knowing that one has come to be known by God is something (Galatians 4:9), but being 'a very prideful, very intense and very emotional person' is something else, and has nothing at all to do with either faith in God or integrity with respect to Bible principles, which urges Christians to let themselves be wronged or defrauded. (1 Corinthians 6:7) After the match, tennis fans everywhere would have been discussing the need for electronic review of the foot faults called at tennis matches, but instead what they are discussing is Williams' lack of civility.
Williams' two-word apology was actually buried in what she said to the line judge -- "Are you scared? Because I said I would hit you? I’m sorry, but there’s a lot of people who’ve said way worse." -- and I don't imagine it sounded sincerely apologetic to the line judge when, in the same breath, she sought to justify her rant with that "said way worse" remark. What kind of apology is 'I'm sorry you don't have nerves of steel to be able to put up with prideful folks like myself'?
The world is watching.
Great points you make. Serena is just another black athlete that uses religion as a shield to hide behind. The true Serena surfaced on the court of the U.S. Open when she was getting badly beat, angrily lashed out at an oriental line judge, used profanitiy and threatened to hurt her physically. If the judge was black, would of Serena's acted the way she did, I would wager not. Serena knew exactly what she was doing and her true personality emerged. And as far as her apology in her own words, the only words that I heard was when she apologized to the chair umpire when she was getting tossed from the match.