Total BS. McEnroe got more publicity and commercial deals out of his tantrums.

Sexist. Plain and simple.

It is not sexist - I am a woman and former amateur tennis player and think the punishment was not nearly harsh enough. The thug mentality has over-taken sport (and society) to a shocking degree. Tennis is one of the few sports that was mostly free of that sort of thing (McEnroe and a few others not withstanding). Serena may feel more at home as a cage-fighter - leave tennis to the civilised; heaven knows there is so little civility to be had these day.

So ghetto.

Can't believe she said that stuff, even though I like her, generally speaking. Glad she got the fine - that's unacceptable court behavior.

I think it's a fair outcome.

Thug? Ghetto? Uncivilised? Wow...you commenters are not even trying to hide it, are you...

I totally support this fine, but the racism gives me chills.

Can't believe she said that stuff, even though I like her, generally speaking. Glad she got the fine - that's unacceptable court behavior. I myself don't think that a fine was enough punishment for this behavior.

steroids

She absolutely deserves to be fined. This unsportsmanlike behavior is intolerable.

And Lauren 1001, it's comments like yours that help perpetuate racism - jumping to the conclusions you like to help support your position just causes problems. Someone can be a thug, be ghetto and be uncivilized and it absolutely has nothing to do with their race. If you are the person that associates a certain race with those words, that is you that is thinking in a "racist" way.

Thank you KT Smith. Nailed it.

Well stated KTSmith... I don't think any of us thought to associate those words with Serena's ethnicity. Lauren, perhaps it's time for you to examine your own impulses and assumptions.

As for the comparison to McEnroe, his behavior was unacceptable as well, but let's not paint this black and white, while McEnroe threw his fair number of rackets on the ground and accompanied them with many an obscenity, never do I recall that racket getting tossed in the direction of an official and never do I recall an obscenity used with a threat of physical harm.

There's a difference between an immature and unprofessional tantrum and outright vulgar behavior. Serena crossed that.

I don't get anything out of exposing racism. I just find it sad that people have to use racially charged words like that when it's not necessary. Serena's behavior was rude, unacceptable, and unsportsmanlike. It doesn't have anything to do with the "ghetto" or being a "thug." WTF?

And if you really think that "ghetto" and "thug" are only associated with black people because I'm "thinking in a racist way"...then you must not be from America. Those words have a clear racial meaning. The very first definition of ghetto from the Random House dictionary:

" a section of a city, esp. a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group,"

There you go. The term ghetto is by definition a description of a poor area inhabited by minorities. But the commenter above used "ghetto" as a synonym for rude, obscene behavior. Is that anywhere in the definition? No. Funny how "poor minority living in a slum" has come to mean rude and obscene. You don't call that racist? And funny how a wealthy, non-ghetto athlete like Serena Williams is described as "ghetto" when she behaves in an obscene manner. Why isn't it just obscene? Why is it "ghetto"? Why do we like to associate any and all black people, no matter how far they are removed from the "ghetto," with so-called "ghetto" behaviors?

And I've never heard a white person referred to as a thug. If you Google "white thug," all you get is stuff about white people behaving like black people. Thug is a word that has come to be associated with black people primarily. It's not because I said so. If you don't believe me, do the Google search yourself.

I'm sorry to be harping on this point so much, but I'm sick of seeing racism in sports. It's very sad to me.

I've never heard of "thug" used as a racist term. I always thought a thug was someone trying to bully another person, especially with their size. The word "ghetto" is questionable though - like the now common useage of "retarded" or "gay".

Anyway, anyone who says what Serena said on the court deserves a fine!!!

Lauren, while I certainly appreciate the official definition of those words, there is a difference between the true intent of someone using that word versus your perception. You're using the book definition to stereo-type the person who chooses to use it, not knowing whether their intent is truly racial or not. I suggest you be careful to do the very thing you accuse others of doing.

Please give me a break Ekstor, people need to say what they mean and mean what they say. See you backtracking now talking about it's the "intent rather than the perception." If you don't know what a word means DO NOT USE IT, I cannot begin to guess what a person is thinking when they type, I can only try to understand based on the meaning of the words they use. Next time you, and every other person who feels the need to type in the heat of the moment, will think twice or three times before using certain words.

Example... I'm of Asian heritage. Do you know how many times I was referred to as "Oriental" growing up? Oriental is used to describe objects, not people. Yet I've seen other of Asian background get offended instead of taking the time to clarify what was meant when it was stated.

If we're making snap judgments based upon the exact word used and not the true intent, then we've become overly legalistic in our measures and are much more prone to divide than to unify.

If you prefer to call people out as racists b/c they may unknowingly use the word "thug" or "ghetto" in a way that differs from the official definition, then I can't stop you, but for at least a few others on this board, it's obvious that others did not share the same understanding as you and Lauren did.

I think she deserved the fine, too. It's never acceptable to verbally assault someone, even if you're angry about a call they made. If she had simply screamed an expletive randomly and tossed her racket, it wouldn't be quite as bad...you have to draw the line when you get officials involved.