Grace Under Pressure
From the Desk of Mace

There is a quote I like “Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it .It’s too bad Serena Williams didn’t read it prior to her press conference after her  resounding defeat in the US Open Quarter finals. I spend lots of time in court on a (tennis) court, and as a court observer. I’m part of the adversary system. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, it’s part of the system. Similarly in tennis, it’s part of the game. Although I love to win, I realize I cant win all the time. If the game is fair, I graciously congratulate the winner and move on.(I know one shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition, but as Winston Churchill always said” It’s a lot of nonsense, up with which to put”).

In professional sports, people win and people   lose also. It’s part of the game. I just returned from U.S. (Tennis) open in NY. I saw lots of great matches. The Williams sisters are the crème de la crème of American women tennis players. Between them they have won 14 grand slams. This is a huge achievement.  Venus was more dominant earlier and Serena has been more dominant lately. They both are recovering from injuries, but are playing in the open. When Serena is on her game, I think she is the best in the woman’s tennis.

 She recently had a quarter final match with Justine Henin (who for reasons not germane here, I do not like.) Both played hard and it went to Tiebreaker in the first set, Henin won. The 2nd set was lopsided, 6-1 and Henin won the match. She was clearly the better player that day.

After every match there is an obligatory press conference for both the winners and losers. The World Tennis Association (WTA) will fine players that do not participate. Henin spoke to the press and was complimentary of Serena’s losing effort, while being petulant, truculent and surly, Serena told the press” I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to, I can’t afford the $10,000 fine since I’ve been losing so much. Williams' post match news conference began with a query about whether she could explain what went wrong. Her reply: "No. I can't. I'm sorry. Any more questions. She made a lot of lucky shots,"( I call them winners!) Williams said a moment later, a white baseball cap pulled low over her eyes, "and I made a lot of errors”.

Isn’t it amazing how she continues to display the absolute worst sportsmanship in professional tennis? Without avoiding being pompous in her victories,. In defeat, she turns into a callous monster who never credits her opponents and claims to have had an off-day. While it is not hard to applaud the athletic talent and occasional effort on the tennis court, it is truly amazing that such a classless individual might be viewed as a role model for anyone.

Williams' words and manner were greeted with widespread disdain. The UK Guardian had this headline “Justine Henin Makes Serena Williams Cry Like a Baby "(Williams) met the media afterward like a rattlesnake meets a ground squirrel," wrote Bill Dwyer, in the Los Angeles Times.”If anybody was expecting perspective afterward, or maybe a gracious nod to a better effort by an opponent, forget it. We had sullen Serena. Snippy Serena. Snarly Serena."

Talk about sour grapes! She is acting like “The Ugly American” Serena, you weren’t on top of your game .Stuff happens! Why don’t you review, reflect and change what needs to be changed. As a long time Red Sox fan, I’ve used the refrain “wait ‘til next year!”) The Australian Open is in January, train hard and get revenge! Stop acting like a spoiled brat!

Contrast Serena’s comments with those of Rafael Nadal, the world’s number 2 player, that was upset by David Ferrer 1 "He's (Ferrer's) having an unbelievable season," Nadal told reporters. "He's one of the best players of the world right now. He's a very tough player, very fast. For me, it's not a surprise."  He is 21 and could teach Serena a lot about class. I know all of us aren’t professional tennis players, but there is a lesson for all of us. Take responsibility, it may not be easy, you may not be popular, but you will be doing the right thing.
 
When I think of taking responsibility and grace and courage under pressure I think of Winston Churchill.  He and Franklin Delano Roosevelt,2 larger than life Statesman  were largely responsible for stopping Hitler’s quest for world domination. Their efforts preserved democracy as we know it. When I think of courage, strength and grace under pressure. I think of Winston Churchill .He was a beacon of strength and in my opinion, he alone was the most responsible for the eventual victory of the Allies in World War II.

Shortly after he took over as Prime Minister of Great Britain He alone galvanized the will of the English people to resist the onslaught of the German War Machine .In the first year of World War II, this was Sir Winston's first speech to the House of Commons on 4 June 1940.“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender."

Where are the larger than life statesmen that will shape history, rise to the occasion and make the world a better place? Is it George Bush? Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin, Kim Il Sung? I think not! Where have all the heroes gone?

Bush ordered the troops into Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction (wmd) that Iraq possessed. But there were no wmd’s. After a year Bush said we won..3 years later our soldiers are still dying in Iraq. For what? It’s Vietnam all over again. Granted the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein, but what’s next? When is enough, enough? What will happen after we leave Iraq? Does anyone know? Does anyone care? Can anyone say that we have seized the moral high ground? Does anyone think Bush is a hero?

During world War II good and Evil was black and white. The US was on the side of the Angels. Freedom, democracy and moral integrity guided us. What about now? Has the US lost its moral superiority? What happened to truth, justice and the American way? (With Apologies to Superman) Who is the force of darkness? The Islamic militants call us the great Satan.

Have we lost our way as the guardian of self determination? I hope not. What can we do? Each one of us has a choice .All I can do is grab my battered briefcase, defend the often indefensible, and fight the good fight. To quote Winston once again “All I have to offer you are blood, toil, sweat and tears” tell next time.

Mace Yampolsky is criminal defense lawyer located at 625 South Sixth Street Las Vegas Nevada 89101. His office number is 702-385-9777.  His website is www.macelaw.com.  His column appears weekly in this newspaper. If you would like to comment on this article, he can be reached by email at mjy@macelaw.com