What makes a sporting event memorable?
Is it when the underdog team surprises everyone and rises to the occasion to defeat the favored team?
Is it when a phenomenal, unrepeatable play happens that leads a team to victory?
Or is it when a player who always seemed poised loses his or her cool and shocks the crowd?
No matter what the score, when an athlete takes time out of the match for a public meltdown on national television, I will always remember that sporting event as the one where so-and-so flipped out.
A perfect example of this is tennis star Serena Williams.
In her U.S. Open semifinal match against Kim Clijsters on Saturday, Williams was called for a double fault, leading her to shout and threaten the line judge.
Williams, already at match point, was penalized a point for this expletive display, giving Clijsters the win.
It’s shocking when an athlete we know and respect crosses that line and goes from poised to seemingly unbalanced. Ultimately, though, it’s the same athlete with the talent and drive that we all love to watch and cheer for.
We have to thank them for shaking things up every once in a while and giving us something to talk about.
