Margaret Court Arena

[Ford Fairlane]

Should it be renamed? Do Court's comments about gay marriage, LGBTI community and homosexuality override recognition of her achievements as a tennis player.

I thought that while I didn't agree with her comments about gay marriage, she was entitled to express an opinion. But comments since (and apparently long held views of hers) about a range of topics seem to be bordering on if not crossing over into hate speech.

I did like the suggestion that the stadium be named after Martina Navratilova to the Martina Arena .

 

[PepeSilvia]

I personally think it should never have been 'Margaret Court Arena', rather just 'Margaret Court'.

But yeah, change the name, * that horrible old witch.

 

[mic59]

I don't agree with her views but I also don't agree that the name should be changed. For two reasons :
1. It was originally named after our greatest female tennis player.
2. Change it and you give credibility to her comments. In most of these situations if you ignore them they go away.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Those tennis players whinging about Court have no problem going to play in countries that have disgraceful human rights records against their own people and taking the big $$$ as well disgraceful human rights records against guest workers like in Qatar.

Hypocrites the lot of them. You either believe in freedom of speech or you don't. If you don't, then don't come here and play the Oz open.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Those tennis players whinging about Court have no problem going to play in countries that have disgraceful human rights records against their own people and taking the big $$$ as well disgraceful human rights records against guest workers like in Qatar.

Hypocrites the lot of them. You either believe in freedom of speech or you don't. If you don't, then don't come here and play the Oz open.

I'm sorry REH but this is pure 'old man yells at cloud'. Working in a country doesn't signify political approval of everything that country does. I strongly disagree with Australia's treatment of refugees, does that mean I have to quit my job so as to no longer support the Australian economy?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I'm sorry REH but this is pure 'old man yells at cloud'. Working in a country doesn't signify political approval of everything that country does. I strongly disagree with Australia's treatment of refugees, does that mean I have to quit my job so as to no longer support the Australian economy?

WTF are talking about? They chose to go there and take blood money. They don't have to go there, as there are plenty of other tournaments to earn a living from. They have the freedom to chose to go there yet they dont want Court to have the freedom to express her opinion however unpleasant they find it. They are hypocritical and they should have the guts to admit that. They can whinge all they like about Court - that's the freedom they enjoy, which individuals in countries they take blood money from don't.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

She is a silly old campaigner but most old campaigners are.

 

[Schulzenfest]

WTF are talking about?

I could ask you the same thing. I honestly don't even know what long bow you're trying to draw here. Your argument rests on the premise that taking a job in a country with a poor human rights record is equivalent to actively campaigning against human rights yourself, a premise which ranks somewhere between incorrect and utterly absurd.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I could ask you the same thing. I honestly don't even know what long bow you're trying to draw here. Your argument rests on the premise that taking a job in a country with a poor human rights record is equivalent to actively campaigning against human rights yourself, a premise which ranks somewhere between incorrect and utterly absurd.

We are not talking about taking a job because you dont have much other choice.Tennis players have plenty of other choices. That's what I'm talking about, given its tennis people whinging about what an ex tennis great has said. You have extended this to the normal person.

If you are normal person and take a normal sort of job in that country, then you are turning a blind eye and giving it tacit approval. You have to as you are involved in an economic exchange and because you are basically saying their system is acceptable to me.

 

[Schulzenfest]

We are not talking about taking a job because you dont have much other choice.Tennis players have plenty of other choices. That's what I'm talking about, given its tennis people whinging about what an ex tennis great has said. You have extended this to the normal person.

If you are normal person and take a normal sort of job in that country, then you are turning a blind eye and giving it tacit approval. You have to as you are involved in an economic exchange and because you are basically saying their system is acceptable to me.

Right. Well if I ever get offered a dream job in the USA, I'll make sure to turn it down because of my views on the continued operation of Guantanamo Bay.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Right. Well if I ever get offered a dream job in the USA, I'll make sure to turn it down because of my views on the continued operation of Guantanamo Bay.

That's right you are talking about a dream job. Playing in Qatar isn't a dream job for any tennis player -well ranked in the top 2,000 or so. Its a money making opportunity.

And yes taking a job in the US means you are prepared to accept their system the good s**t and the bad s**t, because its that combo which gives you the opportunity to get your dream job.

 

[Hellgood]

That's right you are talking about a dream job. Playing in Qatar isn't a dream job for any tennis player -well ranked in the top 2,000 or so. Its a money making opportunity.

And yes taking a job in the US means you are prepared to accept their system the good s**t and the bad s**t, because its that combo which gives you the opportunity to get your dream job.

You've lost me completely with this unusual argument too.

It's the dream of all professional tennis players to become number one in the world. To do so they need to build experience through earning tour points and learning from competition against their rivals.

I doubt any young footballer has specifically dreamt about representing his club in the early Sunday fixture at Launceston, but it's all part of the job and the journey.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

You've lost me completely with this unusual argument too.

It's the dream of all professional tennis players to become number one in the world. To do so they need to build experience through earning tour points and learning from competition against their rivals.

I doubt any young footballer has specifically dreamt about representing his club in the early Sunday fixture at Launceston, but it's all part of the job and the journey.

That's because you don't understand how the ATP and WTA tours work.

 

[Gray Day]

What speaks loudest to me is how an opinion on a trendy social/political topic in a democratic country attracts so much more outrage from elite types than actual abuses and injustices that routinely occur in undemocratic countries.

Any posturing by tennis players on this is just a narcissistic PR exercise: attacking an easy target and achieving nothing.

 

[Gray Day]

I find it funny how Margaret Court's argument is that gay people don't deserve the same rights to marry or raise children that heterosexual people do and yet it's the people who call her out on that who are labelled 'elitist'. Opposing gay marriage is right up there with the most 'elitist' positions that one can take.

To be clear, I'm referring to elite classes (of which top tennis players are a part of), not whether an opinion itself is elitist.