Although Novak Djokovic is my favorite tennis player, I can not help but to completely disapprove of his act of apology to what he had said only a couple of days earlier about pay equality between men and women.
In general, men and women are not equally equipped to play sports: men are stronger (although some women look like well built men) to the point where men's serve reaches well over 150mph and women's is barely over 120mph; men's durability is greater; they play five where ladies only go to three sets, men are faster as in example of Usain Bolt's 9.58 vs Florence Griffith-Joyner's 10.45 seconds on 100 meters, and so on.
Also, out of 166 tournaments played each year (65 ladies and 101 men)
they participate together in only 9 (4 majors and 5 masters), where the
equal pay is being questioned. And the women are using these 9
tournaments to gain their leverage at the expense of men. Because the
organizer's purse stays the same, it's the distribution of award money
that's changing where men are actually paying for their female
colleagues to participate. Outside of these 9, women (in their own WTA)
are getting paid on an average about half of what guys do in the rest of
their own ATP tournaments. Speaks volumes about the amount of tickets
sold and interest generated. Just think of all the "other" athletes who we only see on tv once every four years during the Olympics and how much do they get paid. Most of them actually have to balance between their daily jobs and practicing for which most of them have to pay themselves. How about they start asking for equal pay? Impossible, we live in a society that values you and your work based on your marketability. Period.
Two simple facts: if they were playing against each other, then the pay would have to be
the same. If they were playing under the same rules (up to five sets a
match) the pay could be the same as long as individual tournament
organizer finds it financially justified and all guys agree.
It's not an even playing field. And the pay rate should not be the same because the outcome, which is the quality (and the profitability) of the game, is not the same.
This factor only, and not some politically correct, baseless equal rights emotions and sexist and discriminatory cries, should keep the game fair and balanced. Because there is nothing sexist nor discriminatory here. Just facts of life.
And nobody should apologize or, god forbid, resign because they are politically incorrect or simply out of some artificially established line.
And that's why I don't respect Nole's decision. He bowed down under pressure. And he actually supported ladies' efforts to get more money, retaining men's right to fight for more as well. So, one side is entitled to something that the other side has to respect out of political correctness and at the same time being treated as sexists upon attempting to do the same for themselves.
Not right!
- MG
