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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBill Maher: Martina Navratilova is protesting
what about me? In response to the news about the first major sports player admitting that he is gay.
Good for Maher to point this out.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)FourScore
(9,704 posts)Martina was still in the game.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)Didn't see the segment. Was Maher responding to something Martina had said, or was he just joking that "hey, remember her?" I follow Martina on twitter, have seen pretty supportive and "this is a big thing" kinda comments from her about this.
question everything
(47,476 posts)this was Maher biting satire. I should have clarified that.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)Had a feeling, but wanted to check. Thanks.
geckosfeet
(9,644 posts)You know. One of those sports played exclusively by men.
FourScore
(9,704 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)TDale313
(7,820 posts)elleng
(130,895 posts)The 'boys will be boys' thing gets us every time.
question everything
(47,476 posts)She really did not complain. At least, I am not aware of it. It was Maher way of a biting satire.
Sorry.
elleng
(130,895 posts)Yes, he does that, and she doesn't; a REAL champ.
sibelian
(7,804 posts)So, you know, it's okay for her to be gay because she's already a bit weird. I guess....
TDale313
(7,820 posts)it's been pointed out that when people mention him being a first, we're talking a male active player in a major team sport. The active part applied to Martina, but individual sports are different than team, and there is still, unfortunately, more homophobia directed towards gay men than lesbians. It's kinda shocking it took decades after her coming out for someone like Jason Collins to be able to.
Boomerproud
(7,952 posts)n/t
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)If she said anything, it wasn't close to Maher's joke.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)A major sport gets its grand slam tournaments aired on broadcast television. Hell, even the Kentucky Derby is considered a "major" sport.
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)No, they absolutely would not consider tennis a major sport. Talk about the 1% and other 99%. 99% of tennis players don't make diddly poo, they don't have sponsors (no Nike, no Adidas, no Wilson). They're on the hook for their own travel expenses. Even players in the top 100 play small Challenger (minor league) tournaments and stay with host families. For many, it's breakeven, for most it's just a dream that doesn't pay their expenses.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)On court: $9.3 million
Off court: $45 million
Total earnings: $54.3 million
Maria Sharapova
On court: $5.1 million
Off court: $22 million
Total earnings: $27.1 million
Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam with her French Open title in June. Her eight-year Nike deal should top $70 million, including royalties.
Serena Williams
On court: $5.3 million
Off court: $11 million
Total earnings: $16.3 million
Her $38 million in career prize money is tops among women and fifth highest all-time, including men. Williams has been part of the Nike family since 2003.
Andy Murray
On court: $5 million
Off court: $7 million
Total earnings: $12 million
The Olympic gold medalist has endorsement deals with Adidas, Head, Rado watches and Royal Bank of Scotland (Murray is Scottish).
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/08/24/roger-federer-tops-list-of-the-worlds-highest-paid-tennis-players/
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)...you'll learn a shit load of information that Forbes doesn't even know.
Why isn't Sergiy Stakhovsky on your list? He's usually ranked inside the top 100. A truly amazing accomplishment alone.
Here's what he would tell Forbes if they asked:
On prize money tennis:
Im in the negative after the IW and Miami Masters. About five thousand. And thats while reaching the second round in Indian Wells.
This year Ive been flying economy. From London to Dubai and back I flew for 1200 Euros. And we cant order tickets in advance. In addition, you cant give up the cheap tickets. Often, we buy the tickets on the day of departure. And those are completely different numbers.
In a year, I spend 170 thousand Euros on the game expenses category. Last year, only the tickets cost me 85 thousand. I earned $428 thousand. Take out 30%, on average, for taxes.
Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray thats simply another world. We simply dont exist in comparison with them.
Players who arent inside the top-20, dont have any money, except for the prize money. Contracts, clothes thats all for the top-5 or top-10 players.
http://www.letsecondserve.com/2012/04/translated-interview-with-sergiy.html
That's pretty much what I told you.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Football, baseball, or basketball, ie, the sports that make a lot of money in the US. Individual athletes have been out for years.
dsc
(52,160 posts)Martina couldn't be barred from playing tennis while a team sport athlete can be fired for being gay. She had her base of income from tennis which was untouchable so she merely lost endorsements and not her whole career.
LuvNewcastle
(16,844 posts)I can't imagine her being in a huff about this.
question everything
(47,476 posts)and she is not - making a huff. It was Maher satirical comment. I should have clarified it.
Sorry.
mucifer
(23,539 posts)She also has said she may have come out sooner except at the time being gay could disqualify her from receiving her US citizenship. She has said when asked about it during her INS interview, she hedged and told them she was bisexual.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Bill is a homophobe, he had that Snoop Bigotty Bigot on recently and the two of them went full sexist homophobe ignorant and that's the last I will watch that scuzzy fucker.
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)question everything
(47,476 posts)rurallib
(62,411 posts)Team sport - she will be a major star in that sport (already is really) came out a month ago.