Time For The Blog To Take A Rest

During the past few days we have encountered some serious personal medical issues, so it is time for the blog to "take a sabbatical."   Hopefully we will return soon, but right now our focus needs to be on our physical health and well-being.  Thank you all for your friendship and support and I would certainly be appreciative of your prayers during the coming days.

January 22, 2013 UPDATE

Just to let you know that I have made great progress in resolving the medical issues--so its time to start blogging again!  Hope you enjoy...

Big 12 Clothing Items Now Available

 In a contractual agreement with the Big 12 Conference, we will offering the Big 12 officiating clothes this year.  Pictured below are some of the items and their prices.  Additional items are listed at the bottom of the post.

 OFFICIALS SHIRT

The new item this year is the officials shirt in steel gray color (replacing the old cotton shirt.)  The new shirt is dry fit and is identical to the ITA black officials shirt.  Pictured above is the standard officials shirt and a ladies' shirt is offered in the same color but with a v-neck

Cost:  $25

OFFICIALS JACKET

The same officials jacket in black that has been standard issue for Big 12 officials for the past few years.  Comes in black only and in men's and women's sizes. 

Cost:  $55

OFFICIALS WINDSHIRT

Another new item this year and is comparable to the windshirt that was used in past years.  Comes with a hood and in men's and women's sizes.

Cost:  $39

OTHER BIG 12 ITEMS

Black fleece jacket in men's and women's sizes.      Cost:  $35

Ogio black backpack.   Cost:  $40

ALL ITEMS COME EMBROIDERED WITH THE BIG 12 LOGO PICTURED ABOVE.

If you are interested in any items, contact Randy McDonald at 214 796 7402 or email at rmtennis@yahoo.com

Perhaps The Time For An Officials Union Has Come

Now that we have a newly re-elected President that is obviously pro-union and we have a country in which union values seem to supercede all others, perhaps the time has come for us to instill an OFFICIALS UNION.

If we did, here are some of the things we could demand:

*  Immediate cash infusion from the Obama Administration.

*  Power to eject parents from any and all USTA Junior events.

*  Power to demand not only lunch and supper but breakfast and a mid-morning snack.

*  Power to demand an air conditioned tent for officials during the summer months and a heated building during the winter.

*  The return of power to the "common official" so there would be no need for plutocrats in Austin or NYC.

*  Demand health insurance for all officials.

*  Demand long term care for all old officials as well as free eye exams.

*  Demand birth control for all female officials and free prostate exams for the males.

*  Institution of the "Lesbian of the Year", "Gay Guy of the Year", and "White Male Official Over 50"  awards to be given each year.

*  Demand new cars each year for officials with over 20 years experience.

*  Demand that we only have to work 2 hour shifts and be paid with a 8 hour minimum.

*  Demand that no work day begins before 10:00 a.m. and concludes by 3:32 p.m. each day.

*  No night or Sunday work.

*  A free bbq and a guest appearance by Obama or his wife on Martin Luther King Day.

*  Free DART passes for those officials who live and work in Dallas.

*  A new motorcycle given to the "Most Outstanding Official" each year.

*  Free beer and bbq given to those officials who have to work past 2:00 p.m. each day.

*  Retirement program guaranteed for all officials based on Harry Reid's best five years of salary.

*  Health benefits for life paid for by the DNC.

These are just a few thoughts about what we should be receiving in the days to come.  Be sure to share any additional thoughts or ideas that you might have.

John McEnroe: A Piglet Who Will Always Be A Piglet

PIGLET:  an adolescent or teenage pig possessing all the traits of pigdom but retarded in their emotional development.

Just finished watching the 2012 Champions Series final in which Patrick Rafter defeated John McEnroe.  In true form, McEnroe was screaming, berating officials, and throwing his racket everywhere.

Just goes to show you:  once a piglet, always a piglet.

Metroplex School Dates

There will be two officials' schools offered in the Metroplex area this year.  The first will be at National School on January 19 and 20th and then second will be taught in Plano at the Southfork Hotel on May 12th. Both schools will offer the sectional, referee, and ITA schools.

Participants need to preregister and this can be done by clicking on the "Schools Registration Link" on the upper right side of the blog.  You will also access more information about the schools and who needs to attend and when.

You can also access and register for these schools on Nucula.

January 19-20                   National School
May 12                             Plano School

MTOA Elects New Officers

The Metroplex Tennis Officials Association held their annual general membership meeting and board meeting last night at Brookhaven Country Club.  During the general meeting, Terry Gatzki was added to the Board of Directors and during the Board Meeting, Lee Thornburg was elected as the new President.

Following his election, Lee led a discussion about various committees and then appointed enough people to fully staff each committee.

Congratulations to Lee for his election and to Nancy King for serving as President for the past two years.

Lois Goodman Case Dismissed

Not that I personally give one hoot about this case or all the salacious details, but since I have received so many caustic emails from people claiming to be part of the Goodman family, I thought I would post this story:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The arrest of a tennis referee before a match at the U.S. Open in connection with her husband's death was a shocker last summer. On Friday, the case took another surprise twist when prosecutors dropped the murder case against Lois Goodman.

The case was dismissed by Superior Court Judge Jessica Silvers after prosecutors said they received additional information and were unable to proceed because of insufficient evidence.

''I feel I'm being treated fairly now. It was just a terrible accident,'' Goodman, 70, said outside court.

Goodman has refereed matches between some of the greatest tennis players in the world. She was arrested by Los Angeles police in New York in August as she arrived to be a line judge at the U.S. Open and made her first court appearance wearing her uniform.

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined to elaborate on the new information that led to the dismissal.

However, defense attorney Alison Triessl said she believed private polygraph tests conducted by a former FBI polygraph examiner were pivotal in proving that Goodman did not kill her husband

The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled. But Triessl believes it's over.

2013 Officials Schools Schedule

2013 Officials Schools Schedule

DATE            SCHOOL                   COORDINATOR INFORMATION                       INSTRUCTOR

          

1/19-20         DFW National             Mara Chase (mara.chase@softswitchcom.com)       Roz Tuerk

1/19-20         Houston Natl.              Nancy Vivero (nancymv243@aol.com)                   Ginny James

1/19              Hill Country                 Carol Bruehler (redoaks@gvtc.com)                        Krueger/Edwards
1/19              San Angelo                  Courtney Nagle (cnagel@bentwoodcc.com)            Steve Smith
1/26              Lubbock                      Trevor Edgemon (tedge12@valornet.com)              Wertenberger
1/26              Tyler                            Millard Countryman (countryman@suddenlink.net)   Myron Krueger
1/26              Amarillo                       Brian Otterness (boplay@yahoo.com)                     Sampley/Poulsen
1/26              Abilene                        Allen Prachyl (allen.prachyl@abileneisd.org)            Cheryl Jones
2/2                College Station            Gordon Brynildsen (gordon@gordonstennis.net)       Ginny James
2/2-3            Austin                          Mike Flynn (mikeflynn4@gmail.com)                        Smith/Dial
2/16              Midland                       Bert Rainwater (fsrainh2o@sbcglobal.net)                Gloria Dial
2/23              Wichita Falls                Bobby Hagerman (weekspark@aol.com)                 Randall Edwards
3/2                McAllen                      Marta Hotz (marta.hotz@ourclub.com)                     Stef Burnam
3/2                Corpus                        James Moses (james.moses@dhs.gov)                     Kevin Foster
3/9-10          San Antonio                 Tippy Garza (arcadio3@sbcglobal.net)                     Tuerk/Garza
5/4                Waco                          Jane Hammond (evelynjane1020@hot.rr.com)          Ed Price
5/12              Plano                           Randy McDonald (rmtennis@yahoo.com)                Krueger/Burnam
6/29              Laredo                        Al Trevino (doct@bizlaredo.rr.com)                         Jones/Burnam

All participants (both re-certifying and new) can sign up online the site listed below or simply go to the right of the blog and check on:  Schools Registation Link

www.tx10officials.com/

SPECIAL NOTE:  The 2013 tests will come from the 2013 Friend at Court.  They are expected to be delivered by the second week in January.

  

USTA Donates $400,000 to NYC

Today's newspaper post:

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. Tennis Association is donating $300,000 worth of supplies such as clothing, bottled water and soap, along with $100,000 in cash, to Superstorm Sandy relief efforts.

Daily deliveries of supplies began last weekend.

The USTA said Wednesday its cash donation is going to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York, which is dispersing all money to storm relief efforts and organizations.

The USTA runs the annual U.S. Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, which is held in the Flushing Meadows section of Queens.

USTA President Jon Vegosen says: ''New York is the U.S. Open's home, and we want to aid in the rapid recovery of the city, as well as help as many people as we can directly in our home borough of Queens.''

November 7--What An Awful Day This Is!

I'm depressed.  Even a dog shouldn't have to endure a day like today...

What Do You Do When They Cross The Line?

What do you do as an official when a player completely CROSSES THE LINE in their on-court behavior?  Suppose a player in an irate fit or rage calls the opponent a "faggot"?  Suppose a player makes screams something that has to do with race?

These are all issues that pertain to every official in nearly every tournament today.  The question for today is:

What would you do if a player screamed "faggot" or "N____" in a fit of rage?

1.  Immediately default the player.

2.  Assess a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.

3.  Warn them about being nice and then enroll them in a sensitivity class.

4.  Call their parents to the court and ask them what to do.

If  you have never encountered this issue before--you will at some point!  Be prepared.

How Would You Rule? Loss of Point or Winner?

In a boys' doubles match, player A hits an overhead that hits the rim of the racket.  The ball goes into player B's court but hits the ground with a lot of spin and then bounces back over the net and hits player A in the groin.

How would you rule?

Highland Park High School--100 And Still Counting!

Posted below is the article from today's Dallas Morning News about the Highland Park High School tennis team win streak.  Congratulations to the team and their coach, Dan Holden.

They won #100 yesterday--just imagine how long the streak will continue...

UNIVERSITY PARK — Highland Park senior Avery Schober remembers the T-shirt his brother Andrew earned to commemorate Highland Park’s 100-match team tennis winning streak in 2007.

On Tuesday, Avery and his teammates got their own T-shirts.

The four-time defending Class 4A state champion Scots won their 100 consecutive dual match over a five-year stretch with a victory over Carrollton Newman Smith.

“I was in middle school and didn’t think much about the winning streak until I saw my brother’s shirt,” said Avery, a team captain and one of seven seniors on the 24-person team. “I hadn’t ever seen one before. Not everyone has one. It’s special.”

Highland Park had won 114-consecutive dual matches until losing to New Braunfels in the 4A state final in 2007. The Scots haven’t lost since, with 214 victories in their last 215 dual matches.

Highland Park goes out of its way to schedule dual matches against perennial tennis powerhouses such as Plano West and Southlake Carroll.

“I coached in college before I started teaching here 13 years ago,” Highland Park coach Dan Holden said. “I brought down the same systems you teach in college, especially in doubles, and use it at the junior level.”

Approximately 50 players contend for the 24 varsity rosters spots each season. Holden and assistant coach Tyler Jimenez concentrate on doubles strategy and conditioning in daily practice sessions. Most Highland Park players then get individual singles practice in outside junior tennis programs four or five days per week.

“We’re fortunate to have the [community] interest in tennis,” Holden said. “That’s certainly a factor. But Tyler and I keep raising the bar, and the kids keep reaching it.”

Highland Park has won a UIL record 13 state tennis titles. This year’s regional competition begins Oct. 26-27 with the state tournament at Texas A&M on Nov. 2-3.

“Most people assume that it’s just easy for us to win,” Avery Schober said. “That’s what you think when you’re a younger player. But when you’re an older player, you have to teach the younger players what we do.”

Lois Goodman: Latest News

Here is a write-up in today's newspaper about the Lois Goodman saga:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A nationally known professional tennis referee charged in her husband's death has passed a lie detector test in which she denied bludgeoning him with a coffee cup, her lawyers said late Monday.

Lois Ann Goodman's attorneys told The Associated Press that they have emailed the results to the district attorney's office. They said they suggested that prosecutors reevaluate the case and consider dismissing charges against the 70-year-old woman.

The lead detective on the case, David Petique, had asked Goodman to take a polygraph test ''to clear herself'' when she was first under investigation in the month after her husband's death, attorneys Alison Triessl and Robert Sheahen said. But she refused that request on May 3, they said, on advice of her former counsel.

They said she has now fulfilled that request and passed with flying colors.

''I'm hopeful that they are going to reassess their case,'' Treissl said in a phone interview. ''The facts just don't support that there was a murder. The results of the polygraph prove Lois Goodman did not kill her husband. He died in a freak accident.''

A district attorney's spokeswoman said the office will not comment until the material is brought up in court.

Goodman, 70, who has refereed matches between some of tennis's greatest players, has pleaded not guilty to killing her 80-year-old husband by beating him with a coffee cup and using its broken handle to stab him. She has suggested Alan Goodman fell down the steps while holding a coffee cup, causing his fatal injuries.

Alan Goodman died in April. Authorities initially believed he fell down stairs at home while she was away but later decided it was homicide after a mortuary reported suspicious injuries on Alan Goodman's head. Lois Ann Goodman was arrested in August just before she was to referee a match at the U.S. Open in New York.

Treissl said the lie detector test was given by a well-known FBI-trained polygrapher, Jack Trimarco, who has administered more than 3,000 polygraph exams, many in high-profile cases. His report was instrumental in getting charges dismissed against a man initially charged in a Dodger Stadium assault case.

Things You Need To Do

Background Checks for 2013 Re-certification

As you may already know, all USTA officials must complete a biennial (every 2 years)  background check in order for the USTA to renew their certification. The current biennial period is set to expire on December 31, 2012. 

New officials applying for USTA certification, and those officials seeking to be re-certified by the USTA must complete the biennial background check process for the new biennial term which will be from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2014.  As of October 1, 2012 applicants will be able to start the new biennial background check process by visiting www.usta.com/backgroundcheck.  You must submit and clear the background check by December 31, 2012.

Finally, if you are a Provisional Umpire who submitted at some point this year you are still required to submit again for 2013 certification.  

2013 Re-certification We would like to remind officials who wish to be certified for next year to update your work records in the Nucula system. Once you have done so you must press the Recertification Button in the certification section of your account in order to alert your District or Sectional Chairperson of Officials your records are ready to be reviewed.  Most sections review these work records in October so please take note and enter your work records soon.   Please include upcoming events you are assigned to if it impacts your 2013 certification. Please be sure to add in the notes field that the assignment is pending.

How Would You Rule?

Here's an interesting question that came up this past weekend.  Let us know how you would have ruled.

SCENARIO

Doubles match: Team A hit a lob over net man on Team B, as ball looked like it was sailing out he said to partner playing behind the baseline "out" before the ball landed. Well then the ball lands on the baseline & player hits ball back to team A who stopped playing because they heard the "out" call.

 You are called to the court, what do you do?

HERE IS WHAT THE OFFICIAL DID WHEN CALLED TO THE COURT

I called it an involuntary hindrance, so I had them re play the point & told Team B not to use the word "out" unless they are actually making a line call after the ball lands.

Who Is To Blame?

Thought I would put this on here for those of you who feel compelled to blame Bush for everything.

Seems that everywhere you go in the "tennis tournament world" you encounter out-of-control players and parents--and everyone is trying to figure out who to blame...

Perhaps we should learn to move beyond the "blame game" and try to find ways to fix this fiasco.
Every official has encountered an irate mother who feels that her child is being cheated and ultimately deprived of their right to play pro tennis.

Sadly, the situations many times evolve into physical violence. Usually the violence is between adults but if left unchecked, it will spill over into violence with kids and violence with officials.

Let's see if we can begin to clarify the issue...

PROBLEMS WITH KIDS

* Develop and institute training materials and programs that help kids understand proper behavior. There actually are some kids out there who are totally out of control with their parents, other kids, and officials.

* Hold them accountable for their actions. If codes are given, then penalties need to be assessed at the state and national level--and they need to be penalties that have some teeth to them.

* Suspend them from tournaments if they are a persistent problem.

PROBLEMS WITH PARENTS

* Be sure they receive materials outlining their rights and responsibilities as parents.

* Encourage officials to report offending parents and then keep an up-to-date file on offending parents.

* Remember that a child's personal coach is also his "parent" and should be treated the same as a parent.

* Develop suspension points for the parents/coaches and be sure the penalties are severe and effective.

* Suspend them from tournaments if they are a persistent problem.

PROBLEMS WITH OFFICIALS

* Referees should only hire competent officials. Be sure you know their levels of experience and competency and assign them accordingly.

* If you encounter a problem official, be sure to notify the referee and the Texas Section.

* If you encounter an official who does not meet your expectations, do not automatically blame the referee. Remember that in Texas the average ratio is one official for 11 courts. Only Jesus in His omnipotence could see and hear everything on every court at the same time.

* Develop a "remedial training program" for consistently problematic officials. Trust me, these officials are well known and all too frequently live up to their reputation.

* If the training fails, quit hiring them and inflicting them on parents and players. Its no fun for anyone when an official interjects himself/herself into a match with disastrous consequences.

* Remember that just because an official doesn't do what you want that he/she is inept. Parents and kids might actually consider the thought that they may be wrong instead of the official.

Let's move beyond the blame game and get busy trying to make the tournament atmosphere something that everyone will enjoy...

Grass Roots Tennis

GRASS ROOTS TENNIS

This summer I have been able to spend more time doing what we call "grass roots tennis", which basically means not-pro and not-college--and does mean "lots of kids and their parents".

Here are some observations and questions from the past few months:

* Not all parents are bad--but some are really bad. The vast majority are very supportive of officials and genuinely want their children to play well and behave themselves. But then there is the "elephant in the room (or court)" who gets all the attention.

* If there is a specific rule about video taping a match, then that information needs to be in print and sent to every referee in America.

* Why do 12 year olds travel with their own private coach? Somebody is sure spending a lot of money chasing a dream that their child is going to win Wimbledon.

* Why do some parents like to fight and argue at the drop of a hat? You can usually tell which ones are combative by the way they walk up to the tennis center and then come up to the tournament desk. A psychologist would have a field day at most tournaments.

* Why do some parents think their child is always being cheated? They don't seem to ever entertain the thought that their child might not be as good and that's why they are losing.

* Why do some parents run at the sight of a video being made of their child's match? "Pedophiles" is their excuse for hating videos but I tend to think they don't want their child's behavior and line calls being recorded.

* Why do mothers seem to be more aggressive than fathers? Maybe its that protective mother instinct.

* Why do mothers want to argue over their child's integrity and then rush to their defense while the fathers would prefer to just coach when the official is out of sight?

* Why do some kids know how to check in 30 seconds before their match is being played?

* Its interesting that kids know where officials are the entire time. They are not as uninterested as they would have you believe.

* There seems to be a "new" practice of catching a ball that is way inside the court and calling it "out." Of course they have to be sure that the official is at least 4 to 5 courts away and not watching.

* Who packs all the stuff in the cargo case they carry on the court? One kid had enough stuff to last him through three months on the Sahara Desert.

* Why do some officials love to code footfaults but ignore a racket being thrown across the court?

* With the Texas average of one official for 11 courts, how do they expect us to see every footfault, every time violation, and every bad call?

* Seems that there are more "little" issues at a ZAT tournament but greatly magnified problems at Champs and Super-Champs tournaments.

* Could it be that a child's ego grows in relation to his level of tournament?

* When we think being an official is a thankless job, then we need to consider the plight of the site director. They have it a lot worse than we do...

* A site director can make your day--or ruin it. Depends on if they have any idea of what they are doing or not.

But other than a few observations and minor questions, grass roots tennis is a lot of fun!

NCAA And Rule Changes

Seems that the NCAA is changing again. Check it out...

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/NCAA-panel-rejects-changes-to-DI-tennis-tournament-3863827.php

To Video Or Not Video--That Is The Question At Tournaments These Days

Seems that every parent these days has either a video camera or a phone that takes videos--and they are so impressed with their child's tennis abilities that they want to keep it forever...

The problem is that not all other parents are so thrilled with their desires!

SCENARIO

In a 12 and under boys tournament, a mother decided to video her son's match; however, the mother of his opponent refused to play unless the video was outlawed. After much verbal confrontation and confusion, the referee and tournament director decided to forbid the video.

Was this the correct ruling in Texas???

Not according to the rules used by the USTA and the Texas Section.

Here is the ruling on this issue:

" The videotaping /photography for personal non-commercial purposes of any portion of a sanctioned USTA event is permissable under the law, much like any event in a public place (Zoo, Park, Mall, etc) If a parent or party objects to their player being photographed, they may ask the TD to intercede on their behalf and request that any photographer stop photographing or reposition their camera to exclude their player. However, other than optional compliance or respectful consideration , there are no grounds to DENY anyone the right to photograph"

The issue has arisen in tournaments in Austin in the past (and I'm sure in many other areas) but perhaps the USTA should send out a written policy to ALL TOURNAMENT REFEREES so they will be consistent in their rulings.

Special note: Our illustrious ITA and seasoned referee, Vickie Wright, got the ruling correct when questioned about this issue in Austin.

TONGUE IN CHEEK HUMOR

It seems that some who read the blog get their "panties in a wad" over most anything so its delightful fun to just pitch some statement or some statistic out there for them to chew on... Its great fun to watch the hyperbole and overreactions.

Perhaps some in our tennis world need to learn what "tongue in cheek" means.

Champions Crowned And Diversity Is Achieved

2012 Women's Singles Champion

SERENA WILLIAMS

2012 Men's Singles Champion

ANDY MURRAY

Andy Murray won a historic men's singles match by defeating Novak Djokovic in a five hour thriller for the men's singles championship.

DIVERSITY ACHIEVED AT LAST!

Diversity has finally been achieved at the US Open and it all happened last night in the men's singles final. An astute official called to point out that of the nine officials on the court, not one of them was a white male.

I hope it was worth the journey--but now I feel like a minority... I can just imagine where the next lawsuit is coming from.

Why Some Officials Quit Officiating

IRATE MOTHERS

This past weekend I thought I would get real brave and venture out into the world of GRASSROOTS TENNIS--and what a weekend! I had a great time seeing some fantastic young tennis players but I also understand more fully why we have a lot of new officials quit officiating.

PARENTS, PARENTS, PARENTS is the key reason--and its all over the country. I had the "privilege" of officiating the 12 and under division and had quite a time. Sometimes in the middle of an "encounter" you nearly want to stop and laugh when you consider its still just a tennis match and the whole world doesn't revolve around this 12 year old and his Mother.

The first great experience was a Mother that was convinced that the other Mother shouldn't clap when her daughter won a point on a good shot. From two courts away, I could hear Mother #1 yelling at Mother #2 and telling her and her friends to stop "cheering." I finally had to go and ask her to quit arguing and yelling at the Mother #2 since she was disrupting play on the four courts around her. She quickly informed me that parents were not permitted to clap and she would continue to do whatever she desired.

I quickly (and lovingly) shared with her that parents could clap when their children win a point and that she definitely could not continue to do whatever she wanted to do. Her daughter soon lost and she grabbed up her heavy-duty lawn chair and stormed past me--informing me that she would be filing a complaint against me, the tournament, and God Himself for permitting these awful things to happen to her daughter.

As she left, I said, "My name is Myron Krueger, so please get it right on the complaint."

Incident #2 was even more exciting that the irate Mother! Seems that two 12 year old boys were playing and after the match Father #1, who was French, complained loudly that his son had been cheated by his opponent and that the other boy could not see at all. Leaping to her son's defense, Mother #1, who was Asian, quickly confronted Father #1, and then the racial slurs begin to fall like rain.

Mother #1 was accusing the French of most everything evil in the universe and Father #1 was mocking her by trying to talk Chinese.

Finally, I had to ask both parents to quit yelling at each other and arguing in the front of the kids. It was priceless to see the looks they both gave me... At least they quit and probably resumed their national origin argument in the parking lot!

And we wonder why some new officials quit so soon...

Not In Texas

Redneck seafood.

Enjoying the afternoon by the pool.

Seems that some of the officials got all offended over the previous post about "diversity" and "inclusion" so we had to shut down the comment section on that post. Seems that a bunch of them are all in favor of diversity--as long as I print what they agree with...

Just to set the record straight:

* Texas officials are the best in the universe.

* Texas ITA officials are by far the best in America.

* While we may be slightly "redneck" in Texas, it seems like the proper thing to be.

* We don't hire officials in Texas based on their skin color, religion, or sexual orientation. We hire them based on their performance.

* We don't take well to someone telling us who we have to include in our world. We prefer to make those choices ourselves.

* We prefer our men to act like men and our women to act like women. That's not asking too much but I'm sure it will offend someone, somewhere.

* We are willing to grudgingly admit that Oklahoma officials come in 2nd.

* We don't exclude any group from anything just because some other group threatens to sue when they don't get enough assignments. Heck, the most fun I ever had at a tournament was with a group of officials that had black folks, Asian folks, Hispanic folks, gay guys, and lesbian girls. So you see, we actually to practice diversity and inclusion in Texas--but only when we want to and not because someone says we have to!

My Ears Are Tired Of Hearing These Buzz Words: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Diversity in action.

"Inclusion" at Barney Frank's wedding.

As I was thoroughly enjoying watching today's match of Djokovic crushing Wawrinka, I also watched with interest as the illustrious Billie Jean King made her grand entrance on the tv screen announcing the ICON awards for 2012. In about three minutes of talking she managed to parrot the words "diversity and inclusion" at least five times.

Personally, I'm real tired of hearing that come out of our "leaders" mouths everytime they talk about tennis and the future of tennis. Here are some words I would rather hear:

COMMITMENT

SACRIFICE

TRAINING

EXCELLENCE

HARD WORK

Maybe if we heard more of these words of less of the others, American tennis would be a much more excellent sport and we would be winning some of the major titles again.

Ethical Question #2: Is It Right To Play The Race Card In Officiating?

The age-old race card as espoused by Jesse Jackson.

One of the age old tricks in the political world (and now the world of political correctness) is to play the "race card" when you don't get your way or don't get something you want. If you happen to live in Dallas, you hear and see the race card played nearly every day at City Hall or school board meetings.

The question of the day is: "Is it right to play the race card in tennis officiating?"

We see this done frequently at the higher levels of officiating; i.e. the US Open, but is it a reality in the everyday world of officiating?

One of the songs we were taught in Sunday School was "Jesus loves the little children. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." My motto in hiring officials is, "I don't care if they are red and yellow or black or white, as long as they know the rules and can do the job."

We would welcome your thoughts and comments on this politically correct subject.