The Tennis Channel

the US on day 6 of Wimbledon has no American men left in the draw,only the Williams sisters for the ladies,and now we have to put up with trash talking from Justin Gimelstob,who never win an ATP singles title,dissing Anna Kournikova,another "never won a singles title",but at least she was number one world junior-headcase

Well said!  The actions of Gimblestob are not only disrespectful and unprofessional, but also unjustifiable.  He should be praising Anna Kournikova for accomplishing tennis results he HE HIMSELF NEVER ACHIEVED.  Kournikova whom reached #8 in the world, manage to make the finals of Miami (dubbed the 5th slam) and she reached the semis at Wimbledon and earned over a million more prize money than Gimblestob.  Not to mention retiring at age 22 way before her prime (due to injuries) after going pro at a redicously young and wicked-talented age of only 15. Gimblestob 's career in singles is unknown, uncertain and easily forgotten.  There was nothing non-annoying or special to remember involving competitiveness other than doubles play where he needed help to win.

Gimblestob is out of his league in so many ways.  The unfortunate reality of it all is that because of the decreasing popularity in womens tennis (to some extent), Gimblestob has no one to answer to.  The networks are desperate for American Commentators.  So his comments of this magnitude are not even seriously investigated.  The suspension issued was a joke at an attempt to withstand some continued interest in Team Tennis were Gimblestob's gets about 7 minutes of jaded fame.  I think this whole matter is a disgrace for Not only Women but all Professional Sports and reflects the tolerated discrimination that is continued by subpar commentators at best.

And to imagine all this was said during "Wimbledon".  Unbelievable.

Malcolm

Tennis Chanel should arrange for Gimelstob to join Don Immus on his radio.

Immus is pice of cake compare to Gimelstob. Anybody can explain to me why Al Sharpton is not on the case?

Alex

Gimelstob's comments are nothing short of disgusting.  Hate speech should not be tolerated at any level, but especially from a broadcaster using public arirways.  His disgusting tirade should not be tolerated by the board of directors of "The Tennis Channel" and he should be fired.

His sexually based disparaging comments are unforgivable. 

Did Gimelstop play doubles? Thought I recognised him from somewhere. Either way prefer to hear Martina's comments.Wiil she be back?

Calm down malcolm - he can say what he wants. Miami the "5th slam"?? Kournikova was ok in tennis - won I think 2 grand slam womens doubles titles and was competitive for a few years in singles. The guy might have been trying to provoke wankers like you with a hard-on for Anna and it sure worked if that was his purpose. Anna's primary claim to fame was to have been a babe in a generally butt-ugly collection.

JorgeLobo, What if he say this about your mother. You wouldn't mind, would you?

Or sister, or about your wife? OK with you.

Alex

Poor Alex - the childish little guy must see himself as some white knight - he really musty have great fantasies re. Kournikova. Grow up - these are words and I expect adults - women or men- to look out for themselves.

Jorge,

What you wrote above seems somewhat premeditated or contrived. With that siad I won't respond to your strange coments about how you view Anna's "general appearance", but what I will add this, while you contiue to post wreckless comments. 

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS VERY CLEAR.  The word you use "ignorant", which is defined as "lack of knowledge or simply unaware".  This is exactly what got Gimblestob in hot water in the first place. You (Jorge Lobo) and many others who themselves reflect legitimate ignorance as to what exactly constitutes Freedom of Speech in the Bill of Rights, which states there are certian protections (exceptions) when using "Free Speech" in the matter of Public Critisim.  The Amendment protects and reflects restrictions on hate, or the use of untruths to harm the reputation of others that would be (slander/defamation)!

You may want to research the proper way to exercise "Free Speech" in America.  Or, sadly, your liable to end up like Justin Gimblestob under a rock in a uncertain location.

Malcolm

WTA should do something about this. These are active players in the tour he made fun off. He made Imus comments rather tiny compared to these sexist remarks. He broke just about every rule of professionalism.

Sorry doesn't cut it. He needs to be fired. I don't think he has the decency to resign. How could he face Martina in the show after his comments about women - straight and gay? He does not even have any qualification to sit next to Martina or John.

Deal with your idiocy, your insecurities Gimestob we don't want to know about it. 

From The Times June 28, 2008 Fault! Tennis star’s sexist attack on Anna Kournikova was way over the line Gimelstob: hate is a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate Patrick Foster Keep up with the latest scores and draws at Wimbledon When Justin Gimelstob finished a slot last week on The Junkies, a breakfast sports programme broadcast to the residents of Washington DC, it may have dawned on him that he had stepped somewhat beyond the normal, knockabout style of the show. In between his usual pronouncements on the state of tennis, the American, twice a Grand Slam title winner at mixed doubles and now on the board of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), launched into an extraordinary diatribe in which he labelled Anna Kournikova a “***” whom he wanted to harm, and described several other players at Wimbledon as “sexpots”. Yesterday Gimelstob, 31, was forced to issue an apology to the women’s game and found himself suspended from the professional US tennis league in which he plays. Related Links Tennis: the world’s sexiest sport During the radio interview, Gimelstob, a regular guest on the show, said that that he intended to hurt Kournikova next month, when they are due to meet in an exhibition match in Washington. “I’m going to serve it right at the body, about 128 [mph], right into her midriff,” he said. “If she’s not crying by the time she comes off court then I did not do my job.” Asked if that meant he hated the Russian, with whom he trained as a youth player, he replied: “Hate is a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate.” He added that he would not like to sleep with Kournikova, “because she’s such a douche”. Instead, “I wouldn’t mind my brother, who is kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits.” Exactly what benefits he was hoping to reap were not clear, or whether he had similar hopes regarding Alize Cornet, the French player he said was a “sexpot”, and Nicole Vaidisova, the Czech teenager he described as a “well-developed young lady”. Unfortunately for Gimelstob, who was elected to the ATP board as a players’ representative one week ago, he plies his trade in World Team Tennis (WTT), a league founded by Billie Jean King, who has somewhat strong views on the subject of feminism. “Justin Gimelstob’s comments on a recent radio show were clearly inappropriate,” King, the winner of 12 Grand Slam singles titles, said, as Gimelstob was suspended from his post with the Washington Kastles for one match, without pay. King added: “It sends a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, especially in a league founded on the principles of equal opportunities for all. I have met Justin and discussed the situation and I am confident both he and WTT will move beyond this unfortunate incident.” Serena Williams, Gimelstob’s teammate at the Kastles, and whose sister, Venus, was Gimelstob’s partner when he won his Grand Slam titles, said that his comments were not professional. She said of his description of Kournikova: “It’s just totally uncalled for. It’s not good to say those things about people.” In a sport where women have only recently won the right to equal pay at Wimbledon, sexism touches a raw nerve, and the other tennis boards also weighed in. The ATP made it clear that it was “appalled” by his comments, which it termed “disappointing and disrespectful”. A spokesman said: “The ATP cannot condone any form of intolerance.” A spokesman for the Women’s Tennis Associationsaid: “We believe that he has learnt from this and will not be repeating his behaviour,” adding that the player had apologised personally to Larry Scott, the tour’s CEO. In the locker room Gimelstob has a reputation as a harmless loudmouth, which was reflected in the reaction of the players he maligned. Vaidisova, 19, who is ranked 22nd in the world, said: “I know Justin, he’s a very nice guy. I know his sense of humour a little bit. I know he kind of talks like that a little bit, so I can cut him some slack.” Gimelstob issued a statement expressing his “deepest apologies”. He said: “There is no excuse for my actions, and I am extremely disappointed in myself. I take full responsibility for all the words spoken, and, while I can’t take any of them back, I hope my heartfelt remorse can begin to heal any wounds I have caused. “I do not feel that the views I expressed last week accurately represent the person I am or strive to be. However, I well understand how and why they offended so many people.” Yesterday Gimelstob was at Wimbledon commentating for the Tennis Channel, a US cable broadcaster, but had no plans to talk to the press about his comments. Have your say It would not surprise me to learn that women are lined up around the block for a date with this gem of manhood. Great boyfriend/husband material Bard, Birmingham, US Don't know about gimelslob, but you will not find me watching a match btwn the Willams sisters. East Eu. girls are the real draw. American sports in general have tanked, not just tennis. Can't wait for the olympic games. Wonder which Eu. county will embarrass our over paid Professionals this time g bagwell, Houston, USA What I find most irritating is the totally pathetic response from the various commentators - disappointing, inappropriate, etc., He should get a real slamming! It's one thing to make sexist remarks but quite another to threaten violence and sexual aggression - then believe his apology is genuine! malcolm ellis, Hove, UK I hope his girlfriend Corina dumps him! Peter, manila, I would think that his comments are a threat of bodily harm and should be treated as such and not just as "politically incorrect" and oh, he has a weird sense of humor. He is mean, sick and arrogant. That can translate into being a danger to others. Pat, Bertha, USA Getting to play 5 sets means you can screw up two and still win; women do not have that advantage. Why is the Gimblestob story getting scant media attention in the US? lynn, new york, Gimelstob's remarks seem to be that of yet another spoiled rich tennis brat. Justice would be for him to shut out in Wimbledon and disappear from any and all publications. He is an embarassment to all American's and BJ King's remarks are ridiculous after all she has fought for for women in sports. dee, Iowa, USA Actually, as a women, I think he is right. Women should not get equal pay for doing less work. Women today make me ashamed of being a women. Jo, london, uk sounds to me like someone got knocked back.... more than once. how could anyone take anything he says seriously again? jem, london, uk In singles, which is all that matters in tennis, he was a loser more often than a winner. In life he's an even bigger loser. Andrew, New York, United States Gimelstob apologised personally to Larry Scott, discussed the situation with Billie Jean King and issued the statement but we did not have information he to apologise to Kournikova. It means both Cimelstob does not feel real regret and he is covered by tennis authorities. Alexey, Moscow, This guy isn't exactly an oil painting is he? The lady tennis players start training when they are very young, and none of them know how 'attractive ' they are going to be when they grow up. They want to be tennis stars and not models, so why does this fool blame them for being attractive? Dave b, york, The world would return to being a healthier place if everyone would stop being so proscriptive. If you don't like Gimelstob's opinions, ignore them. You're entitled to your own, but so is he. There are bigger issues at stake - eg free speech. Grow up. Pleeeease. j griffiths, manchester, england Sounds like Stimelgob isn't the stud on the tennis circuit that he would like to be. He must be really talented though as it is the first time that so many of us have heard of him. Paul, Coventry, The whole Gimelstob family is grotesque. His brother was a student here in New Orleans at Tulane University, where he got drunk and ran over and killed a security guard. He took his car to a body shop to fix the damage, i.e. cover up his crime and due to family wealth, never spent a day in jail. Beth, New Orleans, USA The comments were worse than just not-PC. They were slanderous. Further, threatening bodily harm is cause for arrest in most countries. Talk about a hostile work environment! Vivian Viverito, Atlanta, USA since when is Justin Gimelstob a "star"? George, New York, USA How appalling and ludicrous a charge it is to make that Kournikova may have made use of sexuality to further her sports career! And to think that a former professional athlete like Gimelstob would speak so profanely when delivering such unfair slander! Maybe Serena or Sharapova can rally to her aid. Ian, Washington, DC What a truly horrendous and abominable man Gimelstob is. The World does not have room for such low life. Pedro tam, London, UK The guy has a promising career in the media covering tennis. Why would he risk everything like this? He IS a "confident" individual, that's one side to him. On the other side he does terrific charitable work which few see. Being a talking head isn't as easy as he thought! Ian, Madison, USA I see this article has attracted the world's most ill informed bitter little misogynists. Sarah, London, I agree with Mr. Brown. This is a slap on the wrist. This low life should be banned from Tennis permanently. John, Seoul, Korea I had to reread this three times before it went in. Why say such things? There was no need for it, he might think it humourous to say what he would like his brother to do to a young woman and then what he would do but it is not in any sense of the word humour! Disgusting,misogynistic man! kim, London, This story is not about equal pay or unequal pay it is about a man debasing women. How would the men on here who are trying to deflect the issue feel if he was talking about their wife, sister or daughter? He is disgusting. kim, London, I can't believe that he is just suspended for one time. he should be suspended for good. he is sorry that he got cought not for what he has said. can this clown for good. william brown, hammond, U.S.A. How many unattractive women tennis players do we see on the circuit? Not one. This is society in general, people don't want to observe talented tennis players male or female they want to see hunks or babes such as Anna. Lets face it, tennis is not played like it was in the 40's or 50's. Melvin, Jacksonville, U.S. North Carolina Extremely shocking, absolutely unprofessional, utterly misogynist, so stupid... that "man" has to be sacked without delay, such scandalous statements cannot stay unpunished... Hope Anna and other female tennis player, or others, will sue him without delay. D'Alba, hong kong, hong kong I caught a snatch of a Radio Four play this week, where a louche ex-tennis pro broadcasts some similarly salacious comments and finds his media career in tatters. I would trot out the old cliche of life imitating art, but I don't think Americans have the good taste to listen to Radio Four. Mark, London, UK I'm all in favour of women receiving equal pay for equal work. At Wimbledon, and elsewhere, they are required to perform 60% of the work the men are. Therefore their prizes should be 60% of the mens prize money. fred, Wimbledon, The men normally only play best of 3 sets, they only go to best of 5 during Gran Slams and the year end championship. The women have repeatedly said that they would be happy to play best of 5 matches at Slams, but the organisers are reluctant to do this because of the impact on the daily schedules. Garrett , Manchester, England It is ridiculous to say that his behaviour will change when his views are clearly not appropriate for someone in that position. Not sure why everyone are being so lenient when he should have been excluded from everything related to tennis. This will hurt the image of tennis. Peter, London, Ireland If women are "equal" to men, the solution is easy. No more "Mens" and "Women's" tournaments, for the same reason that we do not have separate European and Asian matches on the grounds of Asians being smaller. One big tournament, open to all regardless of race, creed & gender. That would be equality. John Weaver, San Javier, Spain Not only do women play less sets than men,they are often so one sided .Nice work if you can get it. iain rae, tunbridge wells , u.k. His comments were stupid but to be fair, women should play five set matches if they want equal pay. What they have now is not equal at all! Mike, Plymouth, Why do men resent women to the extent where they don't want them to have similar perks and salaries? Are the men losing out? No. Are the fans suffering? No. Why then, do men rush to the defense of the indefensible? You would never see Nadal or Federer dismiss women's tennis - or the women. Severin, London, This jerk was at his broadcast job the next day saying how disappointed he was with himself. At the least he should be fired from broadcasting and banned for life from tennis for threatening to harm another professional. That's called assault in the US and is a chargeable offense. John Brewer, nASHVILLE, USA The scandal is not the equal pay it's that they are paid anything at all. Dave, Huddersfield, Spain In Squash women play the same number of games as men, why not in tennis? Antony, London, UK If a woman had said this about a man no-one would give it a second thought. garryw, london, it's all good fun in my opinion. Go out on a saturday night and you'll hear a lot worse spoken by hordes of young women about men that will shock you to the core. YOu seriously think that these comments are sexist? Women are bloody worse than men in these matters!! And let's just ignore KIng! BD MATHERS, birmingham, It is funny that most of poeple saying that women's tennis is boring and shouldn't have the same payout are men... Kate, Maidstone, England Aren't we all so PC these days! Billie Jean King is a prize feminazi. oldasiahand, Guildford, UK I'd like to see Serena Williams beat the 100th ranked male in a tennis match Mark, New York, US His comments were certainly out of order... ... but can someone explain why women should get the same prize money as men - they only play a maximum of three sets whereas men have a maximum of five! Andy, UK, I'd like to see any of you beat Serena Williams in a tennis match. Gretchen, Los Angeles, Women's tennis is as popular as the Men`s game. This is unusual in sport. Compare the popularity of female golfers, footballers, basketballers to those men. It just dosen't match up. The matching amounts of prize money reflect the identical esteem in which both Men's and Women's tennis is held. Martin, Tokyo, Japan I agree with Sam of France --Womens tennis is sooo boring. There is no variation whatsoever ie baseline play. To be paid the same prize money for a 3 set matches as a 5 set match is embarassing. Yes women would like to play 5 sets, but can they keep up the tempo and keep the spectators entertained? ed sia, adelaide, Gimelstob should remember Cher's words, "I can write what I've learned from men on the top of a pinhead and still have room for the lord's prayer!" As for women being forced to play 5 sets like the guys or guys only playing 3 sets to justify the payout's to women, all I can say is, get a grip! Terry Owings, Auckland , New Zealand Let the market decide how much the women and the men get. Run two separate tournaments and see how much revenue each one yields. Ian, Frederick, USA At present the men are paid less pro rata at Wimbledon. The mens game is a 5 set game and the womens a 3 set game. The only justification of an equal prize would be to either make the women play 5 sets too (or are we saying these athletes are too delicate) or make the men play 3 set games. chris, brighton, No girl has been able to play tennis for decades. Edwin, Bucharest, I can see where he is coming from. Female tennis is boring beyond description. The only thing that makes it barely watchable is when the girls are good looking. The grotesque concept of political correctness has women paid the same prize money as men for rendering a service that is far inferior. Samuel Young, Paris, France

I only recently got Tennis Channel and was initially taken aback by and annoyed when Gimmelstob interrupted Martina's discussion of which men she thought might be dangerous (she was discussing Safin) by patting her on the back with this incredibly condescending smirk on his face and then explaining to her, as though she was a child, that Safin wasn't going anwhere. I just thought, "What?! Who do you think you are to treat a 20 time Wimbledon champion like some moonballer?" Based on that, I wasn't surprised to hear about his offensive comments. If this is his MO, then he needs to go.

 

JorgeLobo.What about Justin's brother and you father.

OK with you?

Alex

JorgeLombo, what about Justin's fantasies. Do you have the same?

I sure they are adult fantasies.

OK with you?

Alex

Gotta love alex - his insightful comment is to play on a name but it's still as substantial as malcolm's fantasies and obviously succinct - in stark contrast to sooz's. Apparently alex and justin share their fantasies - cute couple I'm sure. Bottom line is that the announcer can say what he wants - offering whatever opinion is his want. If it negatively affects viewership - his employer wil find someone else. This is as it should be tho' I;m sure the Pity the petulant PC children will whine that those who fail to share their biases should be fired.