Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Chron Has Its Finger on the Pulse on SF.
Bruce Jenkins is ready to follow the tracks of CW Nevius and move up from his sports perch to become a mainstream columnist. How do we know?
Tennis is the elegant dance of Evonne Goolagong and a sweet backhand volley by Stefan Edberg, but it's also a John McEnroe temper tantrum, a Connors crotch-grab, a transsexual player (Renee Richards), an openly gay champion (Martina Navratilova), and astonishingly nasty language from Ilie Nastase or Andre Agassi. It's a tradition of controversy...
First, Jenkins has it backwards: we forgave McEnroe's temper tantrums because of his delicate, subtle, humorous tennis style. McEnroe's whimsy was the counterpoint for the more powerful (and boring) Ivan Lendl.
But most importantly, look at what is the "good" side of tennis (Stefan Edberg, Goolagong) and what is the "bad" side: Martina Navratilova. Because she's gay. Being gay, in the same boat as astonishingly nasty language, crotch grabs and temper tantrums.
Jenkins is yet another close minded conservative columnist, so he must be ready for the A section!
Tennis is the elegant dance of Evonne Goolagong and a sweet backhand volley by Stefan Edberg, but it's also a John McEnroe temper tantrum, a Connors crotch-grab, a transsexual player (Renee Richards), an openly gay champion (Martina Navratilova), and astonishingly nasty language from Ilie Nastase or Andre Agassi. It's a tradition of controversy...
First, Jenkins has it backwards: we forgave McEnroe's temper tantrums because of his delicate, subtle, humorous tennis style. McEnroe's whimsy was the counterpoint for the more powerful (and boring) Ivan Lendl.
But most importantly, look at what is the "good" side of tennis (Stefan Edberg, Goolagong) and what is the "bad" side: Martina Navratilova. Because she's gay. Being gay, in the same boat as astonishingly nasty language, crotch grabs and temper tantrums.
Jenkins is yet another close minded conservative columnist, so he must be ready for the A section!
Comments:
i actually wrote him an email that day after reading that -- he never responded. what a dumbass comment -- and it's not like it's a slip of the tongue or anything, he goes on and on with that jackass thesis. jenkins is far and away the best sportswriter working today. the guy knows baseball inside and out. which doesn't excuse bigotry, i know... jeez, you'd think the guy would be more enlightened just from living in the bay area all these years.
# posted by 
: 5:06 PM
: 5:06 PM
It looks to me like Bruce is comparing elegance to controversy, not good to bad. At least, that's what he claims to be doing. I can see how you would read it as good/bad, but I really don't think that's his point. And I certainly don't think it makes sense to brand him a "conservative" based on this one paragraph. Do you have any idea what his views are on other issues? If he opposes war in Iraq, is pro-gays in the military, is against tax cuts for the rich, etc., etc., will he still be a conservative because of this one paragraph?
Noah, I don't see what's controversial about Navratilova being gay.
You make a fair point that I brand him a conservative a little bit too fast. I only have two data points: this statement, and that he writes for the Chronicle.
You make a fair point that I brand him a conservative a little bit too fast. I only have two data points: this statement, and that he writes for the Chronicle.
It's not controversial to me that Martina is gay. And, actually, it's not controversial to most. But it was when she was playing (or when she was at the top, anyway) -- things have changed a lot since then.
Anyway, I generally agree with your criticism - it was an ill-advised remark, at best. And, frankly, the rest of the column was pretty much bluster -- WTA won't do anything to Serena because what she said brings attention to the game. That one sentence pretty well covers the entire column. Yawn.
On the whole, I'd say most chron columnists are not "conservative," though they certainly aren't liberal either. You can't possibly think that Phil Matier is conservative, can you?
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Anyway, I generally agree with your criticism - it was an ill-advised remark, at best. And, frankly, the rest of the column was pretty much bluster -- WTA won't do anything to Serena because what she said brings attention to the game. That one sentence pretty well covers the entire column. Yawn.
On the whole, I'd say most chron columnists are not "conservative," though they certainly aren't liberal either. You can't possibly think that Phil Matier is conservative, can you?
