Joe Namath Backs John McEnroe in Serena Williams Debate: ‘Being a Male…’
NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath has a #hottake on Serena Williams–John McEnroe debate, and he’s siding with Johnny Mac.
To catch you up if you’ve missed it, McEnroe, in an interview with NPR, said that he believes Serena Williams is the “best female [tennis] player ever” but “if she played the men’s circuit she’d be like 700 in the world.”
Many on Twitter have were outraged with McEnroe’s comment. Williams herself took exception.
Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017
I’ve never played anyone ranked “there” nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I’m trying to have a baby. Good day sir
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017
Namath, in an interview on Varney & Co., said he was on board with McEnroe’s take.
“I’m a Serena fan, you know,” Namath said. “I love watching her over the years. But being a male and knowing the difference in speed and quickness, and you know, strength, I’m not going to argue with John.”
For the record, our take is that Serena Williams is the greatest tennis player of all-time. Whether or not she would beat top male players is, as far as we’re concerned, wholly inconsequential to the question of whether she is the greatest tennis player ever. Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, who fought at 147-160 lbs for much of his career, would certainly lose a head-to-head contest against an above-average heavyweight. That doesn’t mean he’s not superior to all but a select few in the history of boxing at any weight class.
We apply the same principle to tennis. Serena has dominated her competition in a way that no other player in the sport ever has. She is, in our view, the greatest.
Watch above, via Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co.
[featured image via screengrab]
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