LMAO at all the people bringing up that this is her job, will lose money, needs to be responsible, etc.
No she doesn't. She is worth $25 million at 23. She could march up to the podium, scream that she quits, flip the bird on the way out, and live the rest of her life in comfort making more than your salary in passive income. She can do whatever she wants. I'm surprised she didn't just tell everyone who doesn't like it to eat her box.
Yawn^2 wrote:
So she can answer questions about blm but not the olympics? Either she has anxiety or she doesn’t. You can’t pick and choose.
Oh was she supportive of BLM? That would explain the cowardly attacks on her person here for something so trivial.
I watched a really good segment on this on Highly Questionable last week. Would recommend that to folks.
Of course this is LRC so there are a lot of awful things that have been said throughout this thread that mods should delete or that the people who run the website should weigh in on to better match the tone they want to give off (unless of course they don't care).
It's 2021 & we're deep into a pandemic. If you don't understand mental health or it's still stigmatized in your home, maybe do some soul searching and keep negative opinions to yourself.
All the credit to Osaka for raising this issue and putting it ahead of playing in a tournament. She has a ton of power and this will lead to some changes no doubt.
FWIW the Highly Questionable piece defended both her & the media. There are people in the media who troll athletes but the media is still needed to hold people (athletes) and organizations accountable. As one of the bigger players, it has to be stressful to deal with nonstop press obligations, especially if you have ongoing mental health issues. I don't think the answer is to let players off 100% but they need to be protected. Media not up to tournament standards should be banned. Maybe players shouldn't be required to talk to the press as much as they are now. It's a delicate balance and I credit Osaka for holding onto her position and raising these issues. Interested to see where this all goes.
Yawn^2 wrote:
Tatar wrote:
I'm not sure what personal responsibility has to do with it. If I get cancer I don't expect to be told I need to be tough and just get on with it.
And businesses provide goods and services for PEOPLE. It's a human-based endeavour, we don't run an economy to please the gods or because it's a law of physics. If providing these goods and services become too difficult for people it ceases to be positive for people.
If you got cancer and your healthcare plan provided through your job didn’t cover it, your company has ZERO responsibility to care for you. Work isn’t day care. Businesses provide goods and services for profit. It’s what drives the economy. The more difficult to produce, the higher the cost. How do you not understand this?
And the reason we create profits and industry is supposed to be because there's some benefit to it all. But it turns out we're all miserable.
If Osaka is the first of many sportspeople to say they are deeply unhappy at the way the organizers treat them, eventually sports stop functioning.
there is a lot going on here.
at the core is a power struggle.
the tennis federation and media want to control their product and control the athlete.
the media insists on stupid interviews to justify their existence, which is not required, the audience would rather watch the sport, and listen to the athlete on their own podcast.
so most of the media are an endangered species, you only need s few good analysts and announcers, it is the sport itself that is the main thing, and the media and tour organizers conflict with the athlete is that THEY view themselves as being of paramount importance.
so when the athlete says they will not do an interview, this is a huge threat, and loss of control.
so the action of fining the athlete and leaving it at that was not taken.
all the major slams brass got together, to nip it in the bud, and set an example to those who do not submit to their authority completely.
so osaka was threatened to be kicked out of all the slams for missing an interview (she said she would do some at certain points).
now, athletes can have their own podcasts, and market themselves, which upsets the corporate sports media model (prior).
at the end of the day, the old media, people are disinterestedness in the crap interviews, the stupid questions. its rutarted.
with the athlete in question, they are young, osaka is strong, there should be no doubt the media stresses her out, and the woke culture stresses her out,
athletes that are #1 in the world, and such, they are in a bubble literally since birth. and they have little clue about much else besides here sport, the wokeness, and "the plaform" "to make a difference"., the athletes are easily manipulated with their completely cartoonish and childish world view, which is part and parcel. comes with ultimate specialization.
musicians are exactly in the same boat.
this is why, almost all these specialists end up broke, or join foolish causes,
they are lambs going to slaughter.
the ones that survive intact, have longevity, where they get fooled, ripped off, and learn,
and have some ability to market themselves and regain some cash.
at the end of the day, the major tennis slams brass, are now publicly doing a 180, saying how much they support the athletes, how much they care, now much effort they put into mental health, etc. etc.
meanwhile the truth is the tennis powers brutally threatened the career of a beautiful, developing, incredible athlete.
needless to say, these pathetic sports federations, these "leaders" need to go the way of the dinosaur. they offer little value, they are outdated and need to go.
parasites.
garbage.
Nah, I’m pretty sure the organizers will just replace her and fans will quickly tire of her complaining. At the end of the day, people want to see tennis players hit a ball, not complain about the baggage that comes with being a professional.
She is more then welcome to find a new tournament that suits her petty demands. Doubt it will be as big as the French open though. Ones she make the tuna meant money? Yes. Is the tournament as dependent on her as she is on it? I don’t think so.
In HR practice and law, there is a concept of "Duty to Accommodate" or "Reasonable Accommodation". Based on her condition, she should be able to skip the press circus - or send a spokesperson on her behalf.
From Wiki:
A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment made in a system to accommodate or make fair the same system for an individual based on a proven need. That need can vary. Accommodations can be religious, physical, mental or emotional, academic, or employment related and are often mandated by law. Each country has its own system of reasonable accommodations. The United Nations use this term in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, saying refusal to make accommodation results in discrimination. It defines a "reasonable accommodation" as:
... necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms
Yawn^2 wrote:
Nah, I’m pretty sure the organizers will just replace her and fans will quickly tire of her complaining. At the end of the day, people want to see tennis players hit a ball, not complain about the baggage that comes with being a professional.
You’re spinning yourself into a knot here.
She wanted to just hit the ball. The old guard wanted her to sit through painful press conferences too.
She called their bluff. Soon she will be back to hitting balls, not answering stupid questions, and making 2X the money.
fasciz wrote:
Yawn^2 wrote:
So she can answer questions about blm but not the olympics? Either she has anxiety or she doesn’t. You can’t pick and choose.
Oh was she supportive of BLM? That would explain the cowardly attacks on her person here for something so trivial.
Yup it’s all just partisan BS.
When people they support want to rewrite the rules and stick it to the media... they cheer!
Her sponsors are sticking by her FOR NOW. They pay her to play tennis, not to sit on her @ss. At some point their patience will run out.
If she continues to refuse to play, she will slowly drop in the rankings. People will forget about her as new players take her place.
Osaka has won a total of four Grand Slams at age 23. At the time Monica Seles was stabbed, she was 19 and had already won eight Grand Slams including seven of the previous nine. And she was competing against possibly the best player ever in Steffi Graf. She was MUCH more important to the game than Osaka will ever be. And yet, the game went on without her and didn't miss a step. And when she came back from being stabbed, some players still opposed her being named co-#1 in the world with Graf. Seles was one of the most liked players by her competitors and the public and she still met resistance in her return. People may support Osaka for a tournament or two but eventually they will tire of her antics and move on. I can guarantee that she will "heal mentally" very shortly and will be back on the court and doing interviews. Lack of income tends to drive decisions.
Regardless of how pointless the obligation may appear - the questions certainly are tedious - the organisers of these tournaments have agreements in place with media outlets.
An athlete is paid to fulfil a role for an entertainment organisation, and this role goes beyond simply playing their sport.
The mental health situation is an interesting one. I don’t doubt Naomi has legitimate mental health issues, and it’s imperative she does what’s best for herself. But one tennis journalist, in the comment section of an article on The Times London, expressed an opinion that (in his experience) she has ‘the mind of a child’. Further, he pointed to her being the only tennis player in all of his years in the sport who couldn’t fulfil media obligations.
At some point questions need to be asked about the development of resilience, and whether mental health awareness is also leading to a lot of people becoming less resilient - a nasty feedback loop.
Prima Donna pulling a Markle
2600 bro wrote:
Yawn^2 wrote:
Nah, I’m pretty sure the organizers will just replace her and fans will quickly tire of her complaining. At the end of the day, people want to see tennis players hit a ball, not complain about the baggage that comes with being a professional.
You’re spinning yourself into a knot here.
She wanted to just hit the ball. The old guard wanted her to sit through painful press conferences too.
She called their bluff. Soon she will be back to hitting balls, not answering stupid questions, and making 2X the money.
She doesn't want to just hit the ball, she wants to use her platform to address issues.
toozy wrote:
Regardless of how pointless the obligation may appear - the questions certainly are tedious - the organisers of these tournaments have agreements in place with media outlets.
An athlete is paid to fulfil a role for an entertainment organisation, and this role goes beyond simply playing their sport.
The mental health situation is an interesting one. I don’t doubt Naomi has legitimate mental health issues, and it’s imperative she does what’s best for herself. But one tennis journalist, in the comment section of an article on The Times London, expressed an opinion that (in his experience) she has ‘the mind of a child’. Further, he pointed to her being the only tennis player in all of his years in the sport who couldn’t fulfil media obligations.
At some point questions need to be asked about the development of resilience, and whether mental health awareness is also leading to a lot of people becoming less resilient - a nasty feedback loop.
Interesting points. Without being too cynical, proclaiming some form of victimhood is almost fashionable - particularly amongst the extraordinarily privileged. Some of them likely have the emotional make-up of childhood, with all its exaggerated fears and entitlements.
Media-ocre wrote:
Turns out media obligations are bad for your physical health as well as your mental health!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/57319108
The irony. Hurt while fulfilling her media obligations.
Harold #1 wrote:
Agree 100%. Many posters think that they "know" who she is and how she feels. These issues are personal and only Osaka knows what is going on inside her mind. It has nothing to do with strength or character if she recognizes that post match pressers aren't for her. She is a strong woman who is drawing a line here just as she draws in the crowds sponsors, and supporters. The tournament organizers can adapt and accept her rather than try to force her into doing things she is not comfortable doing. She may have felt pressured into signing a contract but we can all see she is taking steps to move forward in the direction she is more comfortable with.
A "strong woman" is afraid of press conferences, that every other player performs?
2600 bro wrote:
Yawn^2 wrote:
How strong can someone be if they don’t answer easy questions with useless platitudes for millions of dollars.
Why do you put athletes on such a pedestal?
How strong can someone be if they continue just do stupid BS for their "employers." She's far stronger than someone that just goes through the motions and hates it.
I would figure you'd support self-determination!
She is in the entertainment industry. The "stupid bs" is part of the industry. Every sport is competing for the sponsors' dollar and TV ratings. Without a public profile the sport and these entertainers would disappear.
felonious monk wrote:
Even her non-participation in the French Open has generated more publicity for her sponsors than any distance runner has generated for their sponsor, ever.
But please, keep whining about how "weak" she is.
So she bailed on her media obligations so she could generate even more publicity? Interesting.