Tennis star Serena Williams got a little testy with a reporter before the start of the U.S Open tennis tournament in New York.
She was dogged by questions over her dance at the London Olympics that some say was gang-related.
The so-called Crip Walk is a hip-hop dance made famous by Crip gang members in Compton, Calif., in the 1970s.
Watch how she answers a reporter’s question about the dance at 4:25 in the video.
“First of all, it was just a dance,” she said. “I didn’t know that’s what it was called. Second, why are you asking me that? Like that’s so … I mean, if anything you should be trying to ask me questions to lift me up, not bring up such things. I’m done with that question.”
Really? Do reporters have an obligation to ask questions to “lift up” athletes? Hardly.
Meantime, here’s video of Wiilliams dancing after she beat Maria Sharapova to win the gold medal at the Olympics.
She said she wasn’t aware of the criticism that followed her celebration.
“I read zero press,” Williams said. “That has been my policy since I was 17. I don’t know what was made too much of or whether it was too little. I think winning the Olympics was awesome for me and for the USA.”
Williams is seeded No. 4 at the U.S.Open. She’s won the tournament three times.
There Are Currenty 17 Comments for this Post
No one focus on the actions of Marie Sharapova,i,e. she plays for Russia, but lives in the USA. Serena and Venus were born, raised and plays for the USA. They love their country. Why can’t American embrace them? They are Americans and we should be supporting them not tearing them down. France enbraces Tsonga and Monfil because they are Frenchmen. Venus and Serena are Americans. Support them!!! No they are not blonde, blue eyes nor white. They are African American who are great at their sport and loves playing for the United States of American. I never knew the name of this dance, I loves the steps and moves. Get over it. Ask Serene if she is going to win the US Open!!!
I can’t imagine that anyone who loves to dance and sees a cool dance step would stop and ask who invented the step before learning to do it. And, what difference does it make who invented the step? Whether in a dance studio, a club, on the street, or in London, the dance only has the meaning you give it; and it only has that meaning to you.
To me she seems like a diva, a pain in the a$$, but it was just a little dance, if it had been just let go most people would not have any idea what it even was. I had never heard of the Crip dance or walk or whatever it is and I don’t care.
I would have to say, I don’t beleive she did it because of what it was or even knew what it was ? I think its a stretch to to call this anything but what it was, a simple little victory dance.
Or should we believe that she is somehow a supporter of the Crips ? Come on.
She is one of the all time female tennis greats if not the all time greatest, are we sure this isn’t just a way to try and beat her down a bit. it always seems the higher someone climbs the more people want to bring them down.
And again I say this with my own thoughts that she seems like a pain in the a$$ to deal with. I feel she suffers from the “Don’t you know who I am” syndrome.
But who knows, I could be 100% off base, I have been before and will be again.
I wish everyone would just this a rest!!! The reporter had no business asking about it.
If the reporter had bothered watching the Olympic Gold Medal Final when Serena won the draw, her dance was a spontoneous outburst of complete and total joy that she had finally gotten a gold medal in singles.
Nothing has been said about the nasty, ugly faces that Sharapova made when she was getting blown off the face of the earth.
Give it a rest, give it a rest, give it a rest. Many other tennis players have done far worse things on court when they have won or lost.