For example, after Wimbledon, everyone was either talking about Federer being dominant or Serena Williams (maybe) returning to glory.  Whitlock took a different stance and put Serena in a category of underachievers and stated what has been obvious to those who have watched her over the years: she is inconsistent at best and not as dedicated or committed to tennis as any of her competitors.

Serena was blessed with talent as was her sister.  Together they have dominated doubles tennis, and they’ve traded blows in the singles realm.  Unlike the men’s field however, the women’s field has two big names with several others that seem to win tournaments over the players who out talent them by miles, and in Serena’s case in particular, it’s all due to work ethic.  Serena has slacked off and pursued other ventures over the years and she’s been on and off her game and all over the place.  In the rare cases when she’s been in top shape, she’s unstoppable.  When she’s in great shape, she’s a competitor.  But most of the time, she’s indifferent and falls by the wayside.

She is what could have been the equivalent of Federer, Nadal, or Sampras.  She instead can count her total grand slams on one hand and complains that people don’t give her the respect she deserves.  I agree with Whitlock in saying that if she perhaps tried as hard, or even cared to try, like Federer has done, Agassi had done, or Sampras, she would be there as the women’s ambassador for any sport, not just tennis.  It’s a shame to see talent not put to its full potential.

But it’s an even bigger shame to have people criticize a writer for pointing that out.  I am not one that prefers to keep the truth, however ugly, from coming to light in the sports world.  There is a line drawn at the personal life, but as far as their play and the reasons behind great or poor performances, those things need to surface and be discussed.

In the end, that is the only way there can be effective reporting: fair, balanced and with great debate.

I began my social networking tour with LiveJournal when I was in middle school. There I would tell the world about my love for Joey Fatone (from N’SYNC…duh.) Once in high school, I decided that it was time to move onto MySpace. By that time, my music tastes had changed and I was interested in the MySpace music pages. In college, I was introduced to Facebook, and just recently I joined Twitter. It’s been a long social networking road for me, but I can honestly say there have been times when it’s really helped, though there’s also been a time when it’s hurt.

I’ll lay out some pros and cons for you. You’ll notice that many of the pros and cons are the same because, well, they’re both good and bad. It’s up to you to decide which one. Weigh it out for yourself.

Pros:
1. When done right, these Web sites can actually get you connected with people of your similar interests.
2. If you don’t really want to talk to someone in real life, you can always send them a message. It’s better than calling and hoping to reach a voicemail.
3. If you are creepy, any of these can be assets, and in more ways than you can imagine.
4. They are a good way to stay connected with friends who live far away.
5. If you’re smart enough, you can make yourself look like something you’re not.
6. MySpace and Facebook are constantly in transition. They continue to add new aspects like instant messaging with friends and status updates.
7. You can connect with people all around the world.
8. You have your own place in the World Wide Web.
9. The Internet is not FCC regulated.
10. It provides companies with a great way to advertise for free.

Cons:
1. People may try to contact you, thinking that the two of you have similar interests when, indeed, the two of you do not.
2. When people are mad, it’s a scapegoat to just send a message and not actually work it out face-to-face.
3. People are creepy.
4. Friends that you didn’t want to stay connected with will find you.
5. If you’re smart enough, you can make yourself look like something you’re not.
6. They are constantly in transition so when you finally get used to one version they switch it around and confuse you again.
7. People from all around the world can find you.
8. You have your own place in the World Wide Web where people will always be able to find you.
9. The Internet is not FCC regulated.
10. They can be a great place for people to steal identities.