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Original poster

Judy Murray

107 replies

JellySlice · 08/07/2021 16:16

In yesterday's Times, in response to the judgemental statements made by certain male commentators about Emma Raducanu:

"Middle-aged men should generally avoid commenting on the physical or mental well-being of teenage girls. They will never experience or fully understand that world."

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Original poster
JellySlice · 12/09/2021 19:34

He can identify all he likes, but he will still never experience or fully understand that world.

OP posts:
Childrenofthestones · 12/09/2021 12:25

"Middle-aged men should generally avoid commenting on the physical or mental well-being of teenage girls. They will never experience or fully understand that world."

Yes, yes, yes, all very well, but what if the middle-aged man identifies as a teenage girl? 🤔

KittenKong · 12/09/2021 10:41

@JellySlice

In yesterday's Times, in response to the judgemental statements made by certain male commentators about Emma Raducanu:

"Middle-aged men should generally avoid commenting on the physical or mental well-being of teenage girls. They will never experience or fully understand that world."

Judy had sensible head on her shoulders - and Andy seems to have listened to her (don’t know about Jamie as I have a seen any comments by him about this).
DreamingofTimbuktu · 12/09/2021 10:32

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
Grin - wonder if @lolacola77 will be back!
LadyGAgain · 12/09/2021 09:54

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
namechange786578 · 12/09/2021 09:50

I did cringe when the head of the USTA was doing the final speech and spoke of their smiles, do you think Federer has ever had his smile commented on in the presentations?

nettie434 · 12/09/2021 09:48

Good point about the pressure put on players by the public and the media IvyTwines2. We have seen this happen in the UK to players like Johanna Konta & Heather Watson and internationally to Naomi Osaka.

The pressure on British players at Wimbledon are unbelievable and it must take so much resilience not to be negatively affected. Interestingly, Joe Salisbury won both the men's and mixed doubles at the US Open this year but there is less media coverage of doubles events. I wonder if that's easier or if Joe Salisbury is shouting at the news 'I won too!'

Saintsofsaint · 12/09/2021 09:41

@Marguerite2000

Are teenage girls and teenage boys that different when it comes to stressful situations such as playing in grand slam tournaments, waiting for A level results, dealing with the press, anxiety, and all the rest of it? I'm not sure what is so specific to her sex here. Congratulations to Emma, what a wonderful achievement.
It's the extra layer of sexism that teenage female athletes have to contend with: Smile, look pretty, don't grunt, be polite. There was a guy on BBC just now saying she's the 'whole package' because he tennis skills are not enough.

It's similar to what black male athletes have to contend with.

And for black female athletes it's insane the standards to which they are judged.

White male athletes can behave however the hell they like.

Marguerite2000 · 12/09/2021 09:35

Are teenage girls and teenage boys that different when it comes to stressful situations such as playing in grand slam tournaments, waiting for A level results, dealing with the press, anxiety, and all the rest of it? I'm not sure what is so specific to her sex here.
Congratulations to Emma, what a wonderful achievement.

Lessthanaballpark · 12/09/2021 09:35

Well done Emma. So pleased for her. And it was great to see so many men cheering her on. Flowers

IvyTwines2 · 12/09/2021 09:34

I also think the pile-on on McEnroe (probably water off a duck's back!) was a convenient misdirection when the real villain that day was us, wanting the match at prime time and on centre court and making her wait for hours and then walk out into that massive jam-packed arena.

Whattheflecker · 12/09/2021 09:34

@ivyTwines2 yes you're right but there needs to be some understanding that athletes are people too and if they're struggling with self confidence then comments such as 'they'll probably never amount to anything' can be crushing. There's just no need.

Ok so she's probably not on Mumsnet but it's the overall principle.

Like many things, Marcus Rashford's response at the time was spot on. How many other bright hopes might have gone on to great things if that'd been the way they were treated?

prudencepuffin · 12/09/2021 09:30

@TedImgoingmad

So pleased for Emma, what a superstar! Please can the women on FWR flood the Sports Personality Of The Year phone lines in December, and make sure Emma wins this year. Last time we had a female winner was, I think, the wonderful Dame Kelly Holmes in 2004. We are long overdue another female winner.
Zara Phillips won the sports personality of the year in 2006. But I agree - would be nice if Emma won it this time.
IvyTwines2 · 12/09/2021 09:25

Please don't turn this into a pile-on. I think the poster's comments were rather mean-spirited, but there have been young players before who have been really hyped up prematurely and haven't managed to deliver, in part because of the massive expectations suddenly piled on them. I happen to think McEnroe's comments about the stress were correct: he didn't deliver them in a gentlemanly way, but that day Raducanu was made to wait all day until the late evening for her match to satisfy a hungry public (us) at prime time, when if things had been running normally, without the rescheduling for TV and the Centre Court, her match would have been on in the early afternoon, and, who knows, we might even have been celebrating her second grand slam victory today!

MsHedgehog · 12/09/2021 09:21

Following with popcorn!

ladygindiva · 12/09/2021 09:11

Sorry, didn't mean to jump on the bandwagon. Like none of us have ever been entirely wrong. Just amused me. It probably felt a very valid point at the time. I agree with the posters sentiments before the radanucu write off actually.

ladygindiva · 12/09/2021 09:08

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
Lol this hasn't aged well!
Outbutnotoutout · 12/09/2021 08:58

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
Eat your words!!!!!
Whattheflecker · 12/09/2021 08:56

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
That aged well eh?
SpindleWhorl · 12/09/2021 08:55

And she did really well in her A Levels, I believe?

I happen to agree with Judy Murray. As for 'my DH ...' argument, it doesn't hold universally. My father raised three teenage girls and he was bloody hopeless.

JSL52 · 12/09/2021 08:46

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
Oh dear ...
BlackAlys · 12/09/2021 08:45

... and Emma? You are an incredible athlete and deserve every success. Congratulations 💐

BlackAlys · 12/09/2021 08:28

@lolacola77

Nonsense. What if it was a female commentator and a teenage boy? I'm no fan of McEnroe but he was right. She's clearly not ready to compete at that level. I personally think she's a flash in the pan and we'll probably never hear of her again. Apart from reality shows.
This thread popped up in active.

What sublime timing!!

Care to comment?!

Bellagio40 · 12/09/2021 06:35

I was also tearful when she won, @WarriorN

WarriorN · 12/09/2021 05:47

I may have just shed a tear after finding she won... ❤️

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