John McEnroe Courts Controversy With Serena Comments
John McEnroe sure knows how to promote a book.
The cantankerous tennis legend is currently doing the press thing in support of his new book, the cleverly titled But Seriously.
During one such interview with NPR, McEnroe ventured into delicate territory by suggesting that Serena Williams would be "ranked like 700 in the world if she had to play the men's circuit."
Wait ... what?
Johnny Mac seems to be sending some mixed signals here.
In his defense, it's not like he just volunteered this opinion.
The Serena comment was part of a larger discussion with NPR about having to qualify gender to determine an appropriate level of greatness.
Here's John Boy on CBS, sort of explaining his line of thinking on the subject:
Of course, Charlie Rose makes a cogent point.
It wasn't necessary.
And another thing.
Someone as media-savvy as McEnroe certainly understood the fervor these comments would create, regardless of whether they're justified or not.
Serena was compelled to weigh in on the matter:
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See, McEnroe just can't win this particular argument, as you can see where the public sentiment falls.
In the past, he's referred to Serena as without question the greatest female tennis player ever and also as possibly the greatest athlete of the past 100 years.
If he even remotely believes this, then it seems she'd probably rank a bit higher than No 700 on the men's side.
But of course, debates like these can never be solved, which is probably why we enjoy them so much.
It's akin to comparing players or championship teams from different eras, ultimately a futile exercise.
We'll leave you with McEnroe talking to Dan Patrick about Trump offering him money to play Serena, and about having the men play the women on a regular basis.
Food for thought.