Replaying the Serena Williams outburst video

Serena Williams at least figured out how to make a proper apology, said Mike James in the Los Angeles Times. In her first post-match comments, Williams didn't quite take responsibility for her obscenity-laced tirade (watch the Serena Williams outburst video) against a line judge who called a foot fault against Williams on the last point of her U.S. Open semi-final loss to Kim Clijsters. Williams' sincere second attempt—which she made in her blog—was what Clijsters, tennis officials, and Williams' fans were waiting to hear.

Williams' immediate post-match explanation was that she was merely showing her passion for her job, said John J. Edwards III in The Wall Street Journal, and that was the wrong thing for a role model to say. "I’m just glad my children, who are big fans of both Serena Williams and her sister Venus, weren’t watching the match. None of these incidents displayed the kind of job-related passion I’d like them to emulate."

"Yes Serena was wrong," said Kelli Goff in The Huffington Post. "But so was the lineswoman." If that call had been made against Andy Roddick, or Melanie Oudin, everybody would have been mad at the official, not the player. But for some reason—and I'm not saying race is entirely to blame—"it has long been acceptable to not like and not root for the Williams sisters."

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Come on, said John Jeansonne in Newsday. The entire tennis world was ready to forgive her from the start despite what amounted to "the nastiest Open incident in 30 years." Williams is a superstar who—despite her fiery playing style—is known for her politeness on the court. But everybody who saw the Serena Williams outburst video had every reason to expect an apology.