Venus in Blue Jeans

I am tired of Venus Williams, at least as much as I am tired of her ranting father.

She has absolutely no grace, no clas and, thankfully, no U.S. Open title to her credit after having choked up another match to a well deserving Kim Clijsters.

She just doesn't get it!! While the U.S. public tried to give her kudis years ago, she bumped opponents during the crossovers, jumped like a child shoving victory in the face of her opponents and now just makes excuses why she has lost another match in a big situation. maybe she should realize that she just never will be the greatest player in her household, and certainly the least gracious.

I hate to use the "race" card, but let's face it. She hurts the image of the African American athlete in much the same way that James Blake has lifted it. Thankfully, Blake takes the court today, and you can bet the house that regardless of the outcome, he will conduct himself in a manner that any human being will be proud of, irregardless of whether they have ever swung a tennis racquet, hockey stick or bat, and we will all sleep better tonight realizing that in the aftermath of death, disease, murder, rape and looting in America, people like James Blake and Andre Agassi still bring a world of good to our lives.

Good sports

There are few athletes that can raise the emotional level of fans in a positive way and when one appears on the scene we ought to take notice of that.

One of the few athletes in that regard is James Blake. A top 50 tennis player (soon to be a top 25 player, and hopefully one of the elites) he represents all that is good in sports. Intelligent, humble, non-assuming, educated, he should be placed on the proverbial pedestal and offered all of our congrats on a regular basis. His interviews are not laced with theb usual comments because of the fact that he can think his way out of a box. A great role model for youngsters, I am hoping that he can pull of the upset of the decade and grab all of America's attention by showing well at the U.S. Open.