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“If she’s not crying by the time she walks off that court, then I did not do my job.”

Jill

This is sick. I’m not all that familiar with professional tennis, but apparently tennis player Justin Gimelstob is a real asshole. He’s playing with a tennis franchise that’s going up against Anna Kournikova’s team. In addition to calling her a “bitch,” he said he was planning on trash-talking her:

“One hundred percent,” he said. “If she’s not crying by the time she walks off that court, then I did not do my job.”

Sweet, huh? And then:

“Wait until you see on July 23, she’s gonna be serving 40 miles an hour and I’m gonna be just plugging it down her throat….We do exhibitions together and I’ll mock her, and make fun of her. I’ll just make her know that she’s stupid….I’m sure she’ll rue the day that she has to come here and actually share space with me.”

The Junkies asked whether she knows that they’ll be facing each other; “probably,” Gimelstob said. “She might not even be smart enough to read the schedule.”

They asked if he would serve at her head; “No, I’m gonna just serve it right into the body, about 128, right into the midriff,” he said.

And they asked what would happen if Kournikova made a move on Gimelstob. You know, a Biblical move.

“Definitely not,” he said. “I have no attraction to her, because she’s such a douche….I really have no interest in her. I wouldn’t mind having my younger brother, who’s kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits of that.“

Emphasis mine.

Apparently this misogynist fuckwad is gainfully employed by the Tennis Channel. Email them at general@thetennischannel.com and let them know that Gimelstob’s comments are vile, and that he has no place being a spokesperson for a sport whose athletes he harasses, threatens and insults.

109 thoughts on “If she’s not crying by the time she walks off that court, then I did not do my job.”

  1. Oh my- the violence and hatred in those comments is so obvious and sick- it made my stomach turn with that oh god feeling which comes upon me when i get assaulted with the realization that there is nowhere safe in this world for women. Anna Kournikova is a tennis player and that is all most of the world knows about her. Why should we know anything else but her skill and talent and record of wins/losses? To bring up her intelligence in the way he did, to reference her body and what he is going to do to it- I just can’t believe that men haven’t at least learned to hide their vile woman-hating in more subtle language.

    I hope she kicks the shit out of him and walks away without a sweat, smiling in the sun for the photographers.

    Ugh. I just woke up and read this and now I am so angry I don’t need any coffee to get my day going.

  2. I just sent an email to the Tennis Channel…”Is this for real? And if so, HAS THIS MAN BEEN FIRED?

    I’m so sick of women being the last group that can be publicly treated like this….

  3. damn right. if you follow the link and read the other things he said- it’s like unreal that he can say these things and the sportswriter doesn’t say, “this man is unacceptable” he says something to the effect of this being a hot competition and all the tennis lovers should stay tuned for more! he is threatening physical violence against her! He isn’t saying he is going to be ruthless to win the match- he is saying he is going to be ruthless to commit violence against her for the sake of the violence. If I were her I would contact law enforcement, I would refuse to play and tell the tennis channel and whoever else that cares- that the reason I am pulling out is because, as a female player, I don’t feel safe being in the same room with this man who is on the internet posting vile violent threats against me. This is criminal.

  4. female tennis fans should organize some kind of public display to expose this man and his comments. What’s going to happen on game day when the game can’t even progress because it keeps getting timed out after he is physically assaulting her? Any serious tennis player, if sexism isn’t enough to piss you off, you should at least be pissed off that this guy is violating the honor of the game by blatantly stating that he is going to use the match as way to violently attack her.

  5. As a tennis fan, as a male-feminist, and as a human being I was disgusted and revolted by these comments. Justin Gimelstob is a poison on the tour and needs to be dismissed. This type of talk should not be permitted and I think that not only the Tennis Channel should get rid of him, I think that the WTT, a league founded by a pioneer in women’s tennis and in women’s rights, Billie Jean King, should take a serious look at this and talk about the future of Gimelstob’s hate in the World Team Tennis leauge.

  8. Here’s my e-mail to them:

    I have to admit, I am more than a little alarmed by Justin Gimelstob’s recent remarks which appeared in a Washington Post blog post. [link] Mr. Gimelstob’s remarks go well beyond what I would consider par for the course trash-talking. It’s crass, overtly sexualized, misogynistic, and appalling. If it is genuinely beyond him to speak to journalists about the game in a way that doesn’t invoke sexual violence, then perhaps he shouldn’t be a part of it.

  10. Good grief! This guy’s a real piece of… work. I’ll definitely send and email and cc to the contacts Kate provided.

  13. evil fizz, your letter is really good because it acknowledges that it is trash talk. I have already been told that I “don’t get it” and it’s “just trash talk” and I have “fallen for it.” What trash talk (a juvenile activity) does, of course, is to normalize hate speech. The thing is–as I pointed out to someone–if Gimelstob had said “I’m going to lynch this stupid n_gger,” he would have already been fired (as he should be). But since he is attacking a woman, it’s no big deal. Gimselstobe has a long history of contempt for women, so I’m not totally convinced this is all so-called trash talk, anyway.

  14. I don’t think he’s a real asshole. Perhaps, with self improvement courses, he could graduate up to that level, but not quite yet. In the meantime, I hope that she smears him.

  16. He already knows his comments will anger his father and uncle — his whole family and agent. But he assumes they’ll get over it and forgive him in a couple weeks. And he admits he said these things to get “ratings” for the radio show he was on…he obviously knows what sells, what gets the attention of the sports fanboys. And he knows it’s not going to be “OK” with most of the people he actually respects. Pathetic.

  17. This post brought on several thoughts:

    1.) As moronic as it sounds, its weird to think of msyogny in tennis. I mean, basketball and football–where mammoth human beings whose primary passtime is “pumping iron” and pumping steroids, sure. But TENNIS? Besides figure skating, thats got to win second place for the “most-likely-to-be-feminist” award. But i guess ive learned that even men in white daisy-duke shorts and sweatbands can be assholish.

    2.) I now hate tennis, even though i once loved it.

    3.) I will send a particularly snarky email in several different forms.

    4.) This is a fucking great blog.

  18. Justin’s “studly younger brother” actually killed a guy in a drunk driving accident on a college campus a few years ago. Sounds like Asshole Syndrome runs in that family.

  19. * e-mail sent *

    I’m stunned almost beyond the capacity for rational response. :: gag ::
    Thanks for the heads-up. grrrr

  21. Pingback: bastard.logic

  22. Who does he think he is??

    He actually THINKS he’s a “man”. In this he is no different from all of the little boys pretending to be “men”.

    This worship of reckless, irresponsible, children pretending to be “men” is disgusting. Now, little boys in big bodies think it’s “macho” to beat up on women.

    He is threatening violence against a specific woman and seems to see it as a “positive”.

    This goes well beyond merely being an “asshole” – heck, these days just about all men are that.

  23. Perhaps he should meet Tonya Harding — she is just about his equivalent — don’t you yhink?

  24. This goes well beyond merely being an “asshole” – heck, these days just about all men are that.

    I know you said “just about all”, but I still take issue with this comment. Would it be acceptable for a man to say, “Just about all women are bitches”? I don’t think so. And I don’t see how your statement about men is any better.

  25. “We’re gonna kick her [bleep],” he added, using a word that almost rhymes with “kastle.”

    Wait…what the hell rhymes with “kastle”? Asstle? Am I pronouncing it incorrectly.

    /ot

    I haven’t always spoken favorably of Anna, but this guy is beyond the pale. I’m sending this link around as well as sending an e-mail.

  27. If Anna Kournikova gave this shithead the time of day, he’d be slavering like a dog.

    If she does decide to take him on in a tennis match, she should consider smashing that ball straight into his mouth…..

  28. Wait…what the hell rhymes with “kastle”? Asstle? Am I pronouncing it incorrectly.

    He said it almost rhymes with “kastle”. I’m guessing he means the first syllable. I don’t know why he had to be so cryptic, though. Just say “ass”! Ha!

  29. Hmmm, per Wikipedia:

    Justin’s lifetime record: Singles: 106W-168L, highest world ranking 68. Doubles: 171W-154L, highest world ranking 18.

    Anna’s lifetime record: Singles: 209W-129L, highest world ranking 8. Doubles: 200W-71L, highest world ranking 1.

    When you can’t beat them on talent, you gotta try something else. He’s a second or third-rate tennis player trying to pretend he’s something better.

    If she does decide to take him on in a tennis match, she should consider smashing that ball straight into his mouth…..

    I actually think that she should aim somewhat lower…hitting him in the head wouldn’t damage anything valuable.

  30. If she does decide to take him on in a tennis match, she should consider smashing that ball straight into his mouth…..

    I actually think that she should aim somewhat lower…hitting him in the head wouldn’t damage anything valuable.

    Way to go on that moral superiority, peeps.

  31. 106 wins and 168 losses in singles? This guy is a loser.

    That’s not my opinion, either–it’s fact.

  32. Way to go on that moral superiority, peeps.

    Thank you! Although it’s really not that difficult; all you need to do is channel your violent urges to people who have revealed themselves to be assholes, rather than viciously singling out people who are just doing their jobs, as the asshole in question has just done.

  34. “I wouldn’t mind having my younger brother, who’s kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits of that.“

    Yeah, B Moe, that’s TOTALLY along the lines of the trash talking male athletes do about other male athletes. Except, it’s not.

    Also, PS – in case you missed it, this is TENNIS. Decidedly NOT known for trash-talking (let alone the likes of “bitch” and “douche”), and in fact known for the opposite – standards of graciousness and decorum on and off the court. Serena Williams got raked over the coals in the media for not giving an interview after a match once. I’ve followed tennis for a while and have never heard the likes of comments like these.

  35. PPS – here is something Justin Gimelstob wrote in 2005 on his SI blog. He’s been super classy for a while now, apparently. With no apparent repercussions.

    However, one of the benefits of having the women around is the ever-increasing desire for each and every young sassy player trying to outdo — or in this case, under-dress — the next.

    My prediction? Pretty soon the WTA practice courts, and maybe even the match courts, will resemble a women’s volleyball court, with g-strings and bikinis being the only logical next step. Not that I’m complaining, or even think that wouldn’t be a valuable marketing tool. But I’d like to recommend to players both female and male, and even coaches out on the practice courts: If you resemble a beached whale, keep your gear on!

    Another dynamic I find interesting is the players’ lounges at joint events. In these player-exclusive hangouts, you’ll find two groups of women: On one side you have the WTA players, many of whom are very attractive and in great shape. Unfortunately for them, they have to share the space with the most beautiful one percent of female creatures on the planet: men’s players’ girlfriends and wives.

    It’s an unfair competition when you have the girlfriends showing up looking like they’re ready to stroll down a runway. Meanwhile, you’ve got the female players hanging out in tennis gear, dripping sweat from their practices and matches. We all know women are competitive creatures, and even I have some sympathy for the players who have to deal with the “glamour girls” whenever they turn the corner.

  36. Yeah, B Moe, that’s TOTALLY along the lines of the trash talking male athletes do about other male athletes. Except, it’s not.

    And your experience playing male sports is? I have had sex acts threatened to me by other football players that would probably make young Master Gimelstob crap his pants. The NBA, or the WNBA, for that matter, have even worse reputations. And Jill’s post wasn’t couched in terms of the violation of decorum tennis usually observes, it was the nasty misogynist violating the delicate flower of womanhood.

    If you can’t take the heat, get back in the kitchen.

  37. Trash talking in professional sports? Oh my God! What is the world coming to!

    Yeah, remember during the Lakers vs. Celtics series that just ended when Kevin Garnett said, ” “I have no attraction to Kobe Bryant, because he’s such a douche….I really have no interest in him. I wouldn’t mind having my younger brother, who’s kind of a stud, nail him and then reap the benefits of that.“

    Yep, just plain, ordinary ol’ sports trash talk just like the male players say about each other. Nothing to see here, move along now.

  38. Thank you! Although it’s really not that difficult; all you need to do is channel your violent urges to people who have revealed themselves to be assholes, rather than viciously singling out people who are just doing their jobs, as the asshole in question has just done.

    Oh, OK. Then you’re an asshole, and I’m going to kick you in the head. You cool with that?

    Asshole is not an objective measurement. You don’t get to claim moral superiority by aping the behaviour of those you decry as morally inferior, either.

    Incidentally, what is it with people that they don’t get this? It’s that same thinking which has led to such gems as “We need to spy on people to protect their privacy!” and “We need to have the PATRIOT Act to protect the Constitution!”. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong; it doesn’t become right just because YOU do it.

  39. I am opposed to trash talk because it further normalizes hate speech. But putting that aside, and within an alleged context of “acceptable trash talk,” gender insults, racial insults, etc. are still over the line.

    And the idea of legitimizing something because it exists is grounded in irrationality (in that it begs the question) and moral laziness, not to mention a suspicious desire for the things to stay the same. Now we are left with “If you can’t tolerate attacks made on your gender (race, etc.), then you have no business playing sports. Actually, sports participation is supposed to create exactly the OPPOSITE of that type of behavior.

  40. He is a two bit punk trying to gain a psychological advantage because he knows he is outgunned, and you guys are helping him. Women trash talk women, nobody cares, men trash talk men, nobody cares, but in one of the only sports where men and women compete equally, a man trash talks a woman, and you all go ballistic, just like he wants. Martina would have shoved a racquet up his ass. Sideways.

  43. #37 Mnemosyne says:

    Yeah, remember during the Lakers vs. Celtics series that just ended when Kevin Garnett said, ” “I have no attraction to Kobe Bryant, because he’s such a douche….I really have no interest in him. I wouldn’t mind having my younger brother, who’s kind of a stud, nail him and then reap the benefits of that.“

    Your analogy might make sense if
    a) KG were gay
    b) Kobe were gay
    c) Kobe left his sport in disgrace to pursue modeling

  45. My email to WTT:
    As long as Justin Gimelstob in a member and player of WTT i will boycott any and all WTT events. I am encouraging all my friends and anyone else i may be able to contact to do the same. Justin’s trash talking and neanderthal contempt
    for women is needs to be addressed and he needs to grow up. WTT suffers from this morons actions and is shameful in allowing this to continue.
    Justin is a poor excuse for a man. More of a spiteful brat. Cretin is more like it.
    I am a 62 year old doctor of ethics and in my years of observing sports i have never been so disgusted by the words of anyone as i have been by this sad fool.
    He dishonors tennis and mankind by his awful screeds on his blog and in person
    while playing.

    Dr. Tettrazini. I await your response.

  47. If you can’t take the heat, get back in the kitchen.

    Thanks for keeping it classy, b-moe!

    The problem with sexual trash talking in sports is…When “straight” men are saying this stuff to “straight” men, it isn’t a serious threat. However when “straight” men say this crap to women, it is.

    Trash talking is fine as long as it doesn’t cross a line, that line is gender and/or race. There wouldn’t be a discussion if he was threatening to lynch a black player. But sexually threatening a woman is ok?

    I’m a woman who works in a male dominated industry, same as my mother. We have always been treated as equals including the trash-talking and ribbing, but rape threats that are plausible are never seen as ok by anyone.

  48. Not to mention, the example in question didn’t happen “on the court” (not that it would have been any less disgusting there). It happened in an interview. So it’s quite irrelevant, B Moe, what anyone has said to you in some private encounter.

  49. Emailed:

    “Mr. Gimelstob’s comments about Anna Kournikova are completely deplorable and unacceptable. No censure is strong enough for the blatant viciousness and violence of his words, and nothing short of a religious awakening could cleanse that man’s mouth. He doesn’t deserve to be employed by anybody after such a disgusting display, least of all by The Tennis Channel. I hope he doesn’t get off with some lackluster apology, left to make his foul remarks in private.”

    If only “This fuckwad should be thrown under a bus as soon as possible” was a respectable thing to write.

  50. To Mike:

    Screw attempts to claim moral superiority. According to whose moral standards? Yours?

    Every so often, it can help to brandish a weapon in front of a bully and watch him cower. We all learned that on the playground in kindergarten – and as much as we might hope things would change as we become adults, it rarely works out that way. Apparently, Gimelstob was doing what he was told to do in order to increase ratings for his station – so let’s take a look at who’s in whose corner, and the overwhelming backing that Gimelstob has from the mainstream media in his violence. Then we can reassess whether or not it’s really the same for feminists to call for hitting Gimelstob in the mouth.

    About Gimelstob, I have one word: OVERCOMPENSATION.

  51. Every so often, it can help to brandish a weapon in front of a bully and watch him cower.

    Sometimes that would work…unfortunately not with the bully I encountered as a second-grader. After countless instances of being racially taunted and beaten by him, the only way he finally relented was for me to start fighting back by stoning him and almost risk being suspended/expelled from my parochial elementary school. The only reason why I was not punished was that the principal was well-aware of the bullying that led up to it and pointedly lectured him and his parents how he had brought that stoning upon himself by bullying others.

  53. I emailed and encouraged friends and family to do it too. The more the merrier, cause if he gets fired I’m sure we’ll all be happy.

  55. Here is a fact: It was Justin’s older brother who had the drunk driving incident, not his younger brother.

    I must say I am surprised by the reaction on this forum. You want equality for women, well Justin was treating Anna as equally as he treats his male competitors – trash talk, body serves, and all that. Talk about a dramatic overreaction from some of you, he never threatened any physical violence against Anna at all, just as Kobe Bryant never threatened the Celtics at all.

    There are real issues out there that women need to be losing sleep over and fighting about, Justin’s long-standing feud with Anna K. is not one of them.

  57. Your analogy might make sense if
    a) KG were gay
    b) Kobe were gay
    c) Kobe left his sport in disgrace to pursue modeling

    Why does either player have to be gay? Isn’t the point of trash talk to try and humiliate your opponent as much as possible?

    And, yes, Kournikova left the sport after her spinal surgery. Personally, I don’t think it’s “disgraceful” for an athlete to have to leave his or her sport because of an injury, but YMMV. I bet you were really pissed at that wimp Kevin Everett for whining and complaining about his spinal injury that his doctors said meant he would never be able to play again. That sure was disgraceful of him to leave the sport over something so tiny.

  58. There wouldn’t be a discussion if he was threatening to lynch a black player. But sexually threatening a woman is ok?

    Bingo. Which is the unspoken reason that sports fans and commentators don’t care about comments like Gimelstob’s. They don’t like women much, and certainly don’t like female athletes. B Moe let it slip – the whole ‘if you can’t stand the heat’ routine is all about how women, by daring to play professional sports, deserve abuse for their audacity.

    Racism, of course, is unacceptable because (even with racism clearly present in sports) it’s OK for black men to be athletes. So if Gimelstob were talking about lynching his opponent or booting him back to Africa, there would be an uproar. Cuz that’s wrong. But hating on bitches? Man, what else are bitches for?

  59. The problem with sexual trash talking in sports is…When “straight” men are saying this stuff to “straight” men, it isn’t a serious threat.

    Thanks for clearing that up for me. So when somebody threatens to fuck me up the ass with my own dick, and then grabs it and tries to rip it off at the bottom of a pile, I can relax knowing he is only joking, after all.

    B Moe let it slip – the whole ‘if you can’t stand the heat’ routine is all about how women, by daring to play professional sports, deserve abuse for their audacity.

    Bullshit. My point was women athletes who reach the pro level know how to play the game, on the court and in the head. They don’t need you to defend them. fNavratilova or King or Evert or Goolagong or any of the real fucking feminists would have ate this little punks lunch.

  60. I follow plenty of sports and I don’t ever remember seeing “trash talking” approaching this level, outside of Mike Tyson threatening to eat children.

    Just recently the Blue Jays GM was on a radio show and said Adam Dunn was lazy and didn’t like to play baseball, hit .220. Made quite a stir and he called up the next day to apologize.

    Didn’t say Dunn was a douche, that Dunn needed to be fucked by bear or some shit…and that was in the majors in regards to a possible trade; this is essentially a fun exhibition event between people who aren’t competing in any real way.

    It’s not trash-talking, nobody is trying to get inside someone else’s head for a meaningless sideshow, it’s just some guy being a major asshole.

  61. Diane at #13 and Mythago at #55 –

    Racist comments are said ALL THE TIME about black athletes. So are misogynist things. You don’t need to minimize the racism that exists and happens all the damn time in order to prove that this guy’s a scary sexist asshat.

  62. Loren:

    Screw attempts to claim moral superiority. According to whose moral standards? Yours?

    Sure, why not? Mine and everyone else’s, apparently; there seems to be a lot of opinion along the lines of his behaviour being despicable. In order to claim that, one has to claim at least some moral superiority. And as I said, the price for claiming that is having to be morally superior, otherwise it just comes off as revenge fantasy. Which is fine, I guess, if all you want to do is rant and screech and not have any effect on the actual problem.

  63. My point was women athletes who reach the pro level know how to play the game, on the court and in the head.

    Which is useless masturbation to your own tweakage, and you know it. Telling women to “get back in the kitchen” in any situation is pure misogyny, and you can cram you own useless hatred of women back into your useless piehole. We know where you’re coming from, and it isn’t from anything other than your own pathetic misogynistic wankery a la Goldstein and Purblind Jism.

  64. i heard the interview live on the radio. it was hilarious. justin gimelstob is the man. he doesnt hate women, he hates one particular woman. ain’t nothing wrong with that. i am sure everyone hates at least one other person. and you should be able to tell that it was sarcasm. you people need to chill out.

  65. “Truth” Says

    he never threatened any physical violence against Anna at all,

    OH? Really? Which one did you read? Cause the one I saw contained these PHYSICALLY VIOLENT THREATS

    “No, I’m gonna just serve it right into the body, about 128, right into the midriff,” he said.

    “I wouldn’t mind having my younger brother, who’s kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits of that.“

    Level up your reading comprehension, please.

  66. I know you all are busy working yourselves up into a tizzy, but, having heard the interview as it happened, and having been a fan of the show on which it occurred for a number of years, I think you guys are blowing this way out of proportion. Much of what is said on the show is purposefully over-the-top as a joke. He’s not actually going to try to hurt her, and if you really think that he is, you probably need to get your head checked.

  67. “justin gimelstob is the man. he doesnt hate women”

    Gimelstob has been making offensive, sexist comments about women for years and years. yes, THAT makes him a misogynist.

  68. With regard to my last comment, even if Gimelstob hated just one woman (which is not the case–apparently the poster has no interest in facts), there is still NO EXCUSE for insulting her gender and making a sexually violent remark about her. If I happen to hate one African American person, it is nevertheless unacceptable to call her a “n_gger” or say I want to lynch her.

  69. He’s not actually going to try to hurt her, and if you really think that he is, you probably need to get your head checked.

    Ahem. Ahem. On behalf of everyone else…

    So the fuck what, dumbass?

    He’s still a misogynistic fuckwad who has no business being on television. Or, come to that, anywhere in public.

  70. He is not being anti-feminist, he simply hates Anna Kournikova. If I say negative things about Tiger Woods that doesn’t mean me a racist, I might just dislike the individual.

    Also, the show and station that he is being interviewed on is extremely male oriented. They make no bones about that fact. Just like shows such as The View or channels such as Lifetime are completely geared towards women. Furthermore, he is not giving a random interview. The guys he is talking to are personal friends who he has known for many years. He is being open and honest about his dislike for one woman not expressing his extreme hatred for women. He’s not saying they are sex objects. In the same interview he talks about unfair pressures that women athletes in tennis face. Do some research and understand the setting of the interview.

  71. What a loser!

    Meanwhile, back in the material world, Anna Kournikova earned about $4-million in tennis prizes during her tennis career. She also has brought in another $75-million or so for endorsements and modeling. As Joseph Heller’s Captain Black might say: “Hey, Gimelstob! Hey, where are you going? Come on back! Come on back here and eat your liver!”

  72. Do some research and understand the setting of the interview.

    Jon, do some research into the other examples of this individual’s “anti-feminist” behavior over the years cited in this very thread. Also, see the 40 or so comments above indicating why the content of his comments crossed the line of “not liking one individual woman”. It’s been covered.

  73. Roxie, you need to work on YOUR reading comprehension, and you can start with the rules of tennis. A ‘body serve’ (yes, 120 miles straight to the midriff) is a legitimate tactic in tennis, and it is used all the time, by women against women, men against men, and both genders against each other in mixed doubles matches. Please get a clue. After you get a clue, perhaps you can describe to me how having a one night stand with someone is an act of violence? (You do know that that’s what ‘nail her’ means, right? He wasn’t talking about putting her on a cross or anything like that). Seriously, I am quite floored by the silliness I am reading in this comments section, but it reminds me why I’ve stopped using the title feminist to describe myself.

    I am a woman, and I am also a friend of Justin’s. I am not afraid to get in his face and let him know when I think he is being an idiot, but this is not one of those times. I know about his long standing dislike of Anna K, and it has nothing to do with his opinion of women. I could give you chapter and verse of how well he treats me, but I would rather use my time on something much more important than once again trying to chastise a member of the opposite sex for his poor use of vocabulary.

    Now, I need to go do some campaigning for Obama or something. Those potential Supreme Court nominees will have a heck of a lot more affect on my life than anything Justin has to say. Perhaps some of you can back away from your computers and go counsel some misguided teenage girls into taking those ridiculous underwear photos off their myspace pages.

  74. Also, the show and station that he is being interviewed on is extremely male oriented.

    Male oriented or idiot oriented? Or is there no difference?

  76. What Gimelstob said was over the top, but anyone who has followed tennis over the last 10 or more years knows that Anna Kournikova is a self-absorbed, conceited little starlet who has respect neither for the game of tennis nor for anyone (male or female) she does not deem “her equal.”

    Who knows what snotty attitude of hers didn’t provoke Gimelstob’s outburst. I see a causal relationship here.

  77. He was provoked? You have to be a troll, dude, nobody’s that dumb.

    Racist comments are said ALL THE TIME about black athletes.

    Nobody (I hope) is suggesting they’re not. But the reaction to those comments is different. Nobody would excuse Gimelstob if he threatened to lynch a black player or burn a cross into his lawn. This isn’t ‘no racism in sports’ – it’s about how misogyny, particularly towards female athletes, is not only tolerated but encouraged.

  78. Oh for God’s sake. So very much is wrong with this its absolutely ridiculous. At what point does Justin saying he wants his little brother to nail someone indicate sexual violence, instead of a sexual encounter? Nail is not a term for rape in the mind of any guy I know, nor any girl I know. It doesn’t become so just because someone needs to get all riled up and rile up a bunch of other people. Its slang, a fairly common slang, at least for my age group, which is right between Justin and the age group of the radio hosts.

    As for physical violence, I’ve seen pitchers throw at guys in baseball of different races than their own and I haven’t heard anyone crying racist, nor are they hauled off the field for assault. She’s in the sport, she should be able to handle this, just like football players, boxers, Ultimate Fighters or whatever. Don’t care if there is a difference in their sexes or not, he’s free to psych out the opponent, it doesn’t make him violent. When I played sports I would have been pissed if I was treated like some fragile flower simply because I am a girl. I wanted to be respected for the ability to play, not my ability to play despite the fact I’m a girl.

    Justin doesn’t like one woman. I myself have some pretty strong negative feelings about some of the tools I work with too, that doesn’t mean I hate my own sex. Nor does Justin hate all women. So he talks about how women look or what they wear, so what? I don’t look at hot actors and think, I’d really like to have an intellectual conservation with him about climate change. I think about getting nailed.

    As for your inspired desire to see someone fired for stating something you felt went too far, that’s just sad. I don’t care how much of an internet army you can get to agree with you and jump on your happy little bandwagon, doesn’t make your opinion the majority. I’ve found numerous comments here that were directed at Justin to be far more offensive than what Justin said, and yet I don’t think any of you should lose your livelihood or even your right to free speech.

    Just calm down already and accept that not everyone is going to say only things you like, or that you agree with, or phrase it exactly as you would like. After all, if everyone had to go by your standards, then based on this discussion, no one would be saying anything I like.

  79. As I said, I’m not condoning Gimelstob’s comments.

    We don’t know what Gimelstob’s relationship to Kournikova is. We don’t know if she rejected him in a mean & humiliating way. Are you of the mind that women “can do no wrong, ever”? I’m not.

    Some guys take rejection very personally, as though they’re failures or something. If you think this is BS, let me suggest you go up to an attractive guy and ask him out on a date. I wonder how you would feel if he laughed at you or blew you off in some demeaning way.

  81. Anyone who’s followed tennis at all over the years knows that Gimelstob would easily defeat Kournikova in a singles match. She’d be lucky to win a game off him in a set.

  82. Misandry isn’t any cuter coming from a man.

    Now I’ve seen everything. Misandry?

    I was mocking the notion that “male oriented” is in his mind is the same as “for idiots.” As a man I find it quite sad that puerile behavior is somehow ok when it is “male oriented” because apparently men aren’t capable of anything better. If anything that’s the misandy, that men are just dumb troglodytes who like to drink beer, belch and say stupid shit on talk radio.

    Who knows what snotty attitude of hers didn’t provoke Gimelstob’s outburst. I see a causal relationship here.

    Inspector Debunker is on the case!

  83. gimmelslob evidently googles himself constatly & has showed up here under multiple aliases to post about himself inthe guise of women friends who tout what a great guy he is. hey gimmelslob! go fuck yaself, you pig. youre toast, you little spoiled ugly bitch.

  84. Diane and Mythago –

    You continue to compare the severity of sexism and racism in sports. Why do you need to compare the two axes of oppression in order to validate that the sexism exists? I am sure that the Rutgers women’s basketball team could tell you that there is plenty of both. Just because you’re not seeing the insults that you’ve cherrypicked doesn’t mean they don’t happen – remember Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman saying that other golfers should lynch Tiger Woods?

    Gimelstob’s comment is utterly sexist. Completely misogynistic. Your minimization of the racism that black athletes face is not necessary to make your point.

  85. To all who aren’t seeing the sexual violence, to all who say this is “trash talking”, to the person who said that the Kobe analogy didn’t make sense because no one is gay…

    Anna Kournikova would have as much sexual agency being “nailed” by someone like this dickblister’s brother as a squirrel would have getting eaten by a rottweiller.

    It’s like you men are living in the world the media tells you exists, but doesn’t really: that all women are just looking for a good deep dicking, from any man, any where, at any time. Guess what? Sex is something two people, with equal agency, do together. So why on earth would Anna Kournikova be interested in being “nailed” by said asshat’s brother? Just having a dick shoved into you does not a pleasurable experience make.

    So when a woman is told that a man she doesn’t know that he would like to “have a piece of her” of “tap that ass” or any other vile commentary- it is a suggestion of an act of rape- because the man is postulating that he would like to use her body for his own sexual pleasure. If she’s not enjoying it- it’s rape.

    To bring this back to “that Kobe argument doesn’t make sense because no one in it is gay”- all women aren’t interested in all men, at all times. Anna Kournikova would enjoy “being nailed” by the brother about as much as any of you heterosexual men would- as in, not at all. The analogy makes perfect, beautiful, poetic sense- but you don’t even see it through your woman-hating stupid goggles.

    And for fuck’s sake- women are ALLOWED TO HATE men like this, men who perpetuate a culture that creates more men like this, and the things men like this say. This is a feminist board where all us women can gather to vent about how shitty the damned patriarchy that we live in is, and take comfort that there are others like us out there who are fed the fuck up with it. We live in a culture where 24/7, we are subject to woman-hating vitriol. And you have to come here to tell us that we need to “lighten up,” that this is “normal trash talking” that we “don’t understand the context.” Well open your damned eyes and ears- we are telling you that it isn’t. You honestly don’t view women as human if you are too intent on protecting your damned fee fees from the mean, nasty women saying all the hateful, hateful things about men to realize how J.G.’s talk is rape-promoting hate speech.

  86. do his comments REALLY affect any of you? does it change the way you live in your day to day life? is anything really different in your lives now after his comments then they were before you heard about them? i am guessing no so get over it. some people are dumb.

  87. It’s pretty striking that there are over 80 comments on this thread, and that not one seeks to understand why Gimelstob made the comments he made.

    (I hope everyone here is mature & intelligent enough to realize that seeking to understand why he made those comments is not at all the same as condoning them.)

    Why would a guy who’s grown up in one of the most popular co-ed sports — a guy who’s gotten to know many a female player and commentator — say the vicious things that he did? I’ve played tennis all my life and even taught professionally, and cannot recall one time when a male player/commentator spoke of humiliating a woman on the court, or saying and doing things to leave her in tears.

  88. Why would he say hateful and misogynistic comments about Kournikova?
    Ummm…maybe because making sexualized and misogynistic comments are considered okay and accepted by our society.

    There’s really nothing any woman can do to avoid having similar comments directed at her, save of course staying home and never entering the public sector.

  89. I emailed the WTT yesteday, and got this response:

    Thanks for your email regarding comments attributed to Mr. Gimelstob.

    World TeamTennis is founded on respect and equality for both genders. The remarks attributed to Mr. Gimelstob were clearly inappropriate and inconsistent with the values of World TeamTennis. We take this matter very seriously and we are gathering information. We hope to announce the results of that investigation soon.

    Sincerely,
    Ilana Kloss
    WTT CEO/Commissioner

  90. Donna – I received the same reply from Ms. Kloss. I truly hope they are really investigating and there is an announcement soon.

  91. Some guys take rejection very personally, as though they’re failures or something. If you think this is BS, let me suggest you go up to an attractive guy and ask him out on a date. I wonder how you would feel if he laughed at you or blew you off in some demeaning way.

    You don’t say! People have feelings? But seriously, I don’t know how it’s possible to so wilfully miss the point, but while it is OK to have feelings about rejection, or someone’s attitude, or whatever else you want to speculate, it is not OK to respond with threats of violence, including sexually violent comments about hoping someone “nails” her and then “reaping the benefits of that.” Ask yourself, in good faith, what the hell does he mean by that?

  92. Donna,
    I got the same response, as did my husband, who emailed them separately from his own address. We also wrote the Tennis Channel and Tennis Warehouse (which is currently running a commercial featuring Gimelstob).
    It’s good to see that the WTT acknowledges that this behavior is out-of-bounds. I hope that the response to Gimelstob’s comments lasts long enough that their investigation must conclude that the “remarks attributed to Mr. Gimelstob” were indeed made by him and he should face consequences for them.

  93. less13 writes: “Why would he say hateful and misogynistic comments about Kournikova? Ummm…maybe because making sexualized and misogynistic comments are considered okay and accepted by our society.”

    “Society” is a pretty abstract word. What credible evidence is there that “sexualized & misogynistic comments” are considered “okay” by, say, a majority of men and women in this society?

    Scrolling up on this thread I see that MEN, no less than women, have denounced Gimelstob’s comments. I myself, a man, said his comments were over the top. Who is lauding Gimelstob’s comments? I’m curious.

  94. Charity writes: “…it is not OK to respond with threats of violence, including sexually violent comments…”

    Didn’t I say, a couple of times, THAT I DON’T CONDONE what Gimelstob said? And didn’t I make a distinction between wanting to understand what impels him to make those comments and justifying them?

    I understand the word “nail” as a synonym for “copulate with,” not rape, nor physical assault.

    Also, the word “violence,” as I see it, includes emotional violence. Kids on the playground may not slap or punch somebody, but that doesn’t mean they are not committing violence. By saying really mean things, like calling a guy a “fag” or a “loser” or some such name, they are committing violence. It’s possible that some women are insufficiently sensitive to how they reject a guy, or to some of the things that come out of their mouth. It’s not unreasonable to suppose that a guy like Gimelstob may take it really hard and not know how to react appropriately. It’s also possible that Kournikova is exactly what Gimelstob referred to her as — a *****.

  95. Well, I dunno Bebunker, check out coverage of the Clinton campaign for a recent example.

    Also, ask any woman about her experiences with street harassment or sexual harassment at in the workplace. Think about the words that are used to put down women, bitch, whore, cunt, etc. all have a sexualized connotation. In fact, the other day, some guy tried to talk to me, but when I told him that I wasn’t interested, his immediate response was, “How’d you like it if I threw you in front of this train, cunt?” I laughed at him and asked him is he kissed his mother with that mouth and watched him slink away.

    Obviously, he felt entitled to threaten me and call me a cunt. Why? Why do men think that’s okay?

    You asked why he made this comments, I’m merely suggesting that it has less to do with Kournikova as a person or a tennis player and more to do with the fact that this guy feels comfortable relating Kournikova to a “bitch” who “needs to get nailed.” And he feels entitled to talk about women in a threatening and sexualized manner, why?

  96. Less, a few points.

    First, as someone who followed the Democratic primary season very closely, I would say it’s highly debatable just how “sexist” the coverage of Mrs. Clinton was. She did many things herself to bring down her own candidacy, and the media at times was unduly harsh towards Obama (e.g., talking about Rev. Wright 24/7).

    Aren’t there just as many words to demean men as women? “Dick,” “bastard,” “dickhead,” “thinks with his penis,” “loser” (in the sense of not being wealthy), etc.

    I wasn’t there to witness your experience with that guy. What he said was wrong, but you yourself might have said or done something that wasn’t exactly friendly or classy. I don’t know.

    Why are some women hostile towards men? For every jerk there are probably ten really nice guys. For every rape or assault you can name, there are probably a thousand instances where a guy showed kindness toward a woman, like buying her flowers, complimenting her on her appearance, helping her out in an emergency, buying her expensive gifts, and so on.

    As for Kournikova, neither you nor I know exactly what transpired between them. I’ve heard and read things about Kournikova being arrogant and inconsiderate towards others.

    I don’t think the few examples you gave justify your earlier use of “society”. Aren’t there laws on the books to punish sexual harassment? Aren’t there numerous feminist organizations in this society looking out for women’s rights? Aren’t there men, like the ones posting here, who are ready to condemn sexist attitudes towards women? This doesn’t sound like a society that can readily be called “misogynistic” to me.

  97. I got this back from a Tennis Warehouse, one of Gimbelstob’s sponser’s (and one of the Tennis Channel’s sponsers. One insteresting thing was that my subject line was simply “Justin Gimbelstob” and the reply subject line was “re: Justin Gimbelstob Hate Mail.” Hmmm.

    Kate,

    Thank you for your letter. We were also surprised and disappointed with the statements made by Justin Gimelstob on the radio show, “The Junkies”. Please know that these comments are not supported or endorsed by Tennis Warehouse. You should also know that Justin has issued a public apology, which I’ve attached.

    We do not employ Justin Gimelstob, but paid him for services rendered on our recent television commercials. At the present time, we do not plan to continue using Justin for more than the commercials we already shot.

    Kind Regards,

    Don Hightower
    President
    Tennis Warehouse

    Here is the apology which was attached to the email:

    I want to apologize for remarks I made last week on “The Junkies” radio show. There is no excuse and I am extremely disappointed in myself. I take full responsibility for all the words that came out of my mouth, and, while I can’t take any of them back, I hope my heartfelt remorse can begin to heal the wounds felt by many. I do not feel that the views I expressed last week accurately represent the person I am or strive to be; however, I can completely understand how and why they offended so many people. Regardless of how I feel about someone, my access to communicate to the public should be used in a positive way, and this was clearly not the case last week. In addition, I have a responsibility to the numerous outlets that trust me to inform, entertain, and educate their viewers and listeners. I failed them. I am truly sorry. As a symbol of my contrition I plan on donating an undisclosed sum to The Women’s Sports Foundation, which works to expand opportunities for girls and women through sports and physical activity. I hope at least some good can come from my mistakes. I know I have learned how to accurately express my feelings and I can promise nothing similar to my previous remarks will ever be said again. Sincerely, Justin Gimelstob

  99. Debunker, make up your mind. If you don’t condone what he said, it’s not “big” to apologize for it…it’s just appropriate. You don’t get a cookie for trying to right a wrong you should have known better than to commit in the first place.

  101. I’m not Justin, but if it makes you feel better to believe that in your paranoid, hate-filled bubble, go right ahead. He’s far too busy working right now to waste time on the internet on blogs such as this.

    I have to agree with an earlier comment that some of the insults thrown at him here are worse than anything he said. But it’s okay for women to insult men, right, after all we are the oppressed. Again, double standard bullshit like that is why I will not label myself as a feminist anymore. You women embarrass me and you should feel embarassed for yourselves. We have real issues to fight for and you are up in arms because some second rate tennis player took lockerroom talk public. You think that men don’t use the phrase ‘nail her’ every day of their lives, then you are naive or ignorant.

    I’m now coming back here whenever I can for the comedy this has become. Thanks for the entertainment.

  102. Margalis:

    I was mocking the notion that “male oriented” is in his mind is the same as “for idiots.” As a man I find it quite sad that puerile behavior is somehow ok when it is “male oriented” because apparently men aren’t capable of anything better. If anything that’s the misandy, that men are just dumb troglodytes who like to drink beer, belch and say stupid shit on talk radio.

    Fair enough. I guess the tone didn’t come through for me in that one sentence…

  103. I posted a reply to less13 yesterday, but it’s been blocked by a “comment awaiting moderation” tag.

    Nice to see that the people who manage this site are afraid of a free exchange of ideas.

  104. The “apology” now appears on the Tennis Channel site, and Tennis Channel has done Gimelstob the kindness of editing it in his favor, and of informing us of his “respect” for women. I have been reading and listening to him for years, and every other word that comes out of his mouth demeans women.

  105. Oh Diane, shut up. Your exaggerating is completely unnecessary and you have lost ALL credibility on this subject. Your posts just show how little contact you have with men in the real world. Face it, many of them speak this way about women and they are stupid enough to think it’s cool. Justin was stupid enough to do it in front of a microphone. If you had ever spent five minutes in the players lounge of an ATP event you would have heard similar comments at least 30 times. Are you going to organize a boycott of the entire ATP now?

  108. Yeah, it was tasteless, misogynistic, blah, blah, but for a few of you to say you’re the last group that can be vilified, you have to be kidding. The only groups that seem to be fair play despite all the nauseating political correctness are white men and Christians.

  109. this guy briefly dated a good friend of mine. on the few occasions we spent time together he came across to a large group of people (basically all of her friends) as the most arrogant, egotistical asshole. needless to say we were all glad that she dumped this dickhead and I bet no one (certainly not me) is surprised that he made these remarks.

    he periodically writes tennis columns for the sports illustrated/cnn tennis website. we should all write and tell them to fire his ass…

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/about_us/feedback/

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