I'm new to following tennis pretty closely, maybe the last couple of years. I've always had a clue who the top players were going back to in the 1970s and I'd check in on a game here and there. But lately I've gotten into it a lot more and have learned a lot more about what I'm seeing, what to look for, what to appreciate. I only really pay attention to the women; the men's game doesn't interest me much for some reason.
At any rate, I'm a big Sharapova fan. And I'm not oblivious to her weaknesses. I think I'm pretty realistic about her.
But as a newcomer with no pre-conceived notions, I've noticed a couple of things out there in media-land...
1. The grousing about the "shrieking" has gotten really, really tiresome and is way past being done to death. I mean, it re-defines "beating a dead horse." There's a writer at SI, for example, who will not let go of this (non) issue and it's really getting old. Myself, I don't even notice -- I'm just watching the game.
2. Speaking of SI and other venues, there's a lot of resentment out there toward Sharapova. It's sometimes subtle, sometimes not. I get the distinct impression that there are stodgy--I want to say "prissy" writers out there--who just can't stand that she's as popular as she is. They seem to go out of their way to make sure we all know how overrated she is, and occasionally take little digs at her fans. I think also they don't like the fact that she's not merely attractive but that she is so celebrated for her runway-model style by the non-sports media and in advertising. She knows she has fashion model good looks and she enjoys living it and making money from it and this seems to really irk some writers (I'm speculating, I can't prove that--it's just a sense I get).
To sum up:
1. The shrieks: Get over it. New topic, please.
2. Her popularity and devoted fanbase: Deal with it.
