Serena Williams
I don't generally enjoy watching sports, because I don't really understand the rules, and don't care enough to learn. Even something as seemingly simple as Tennis is still a mystery to me. Women's tennis, on the other hand, has a very obvious appeal as far as spectator sports go. But for me, it isnt just about the tight outfits and the grunting... I really dig the aggression and the drama of it. Beach volleyball might float some men's boats, but it's not combative enough for my liking. There are few joys in life comparable to watching Williams (S) pound across a court, at the top of her game. It's also worth noting that both Williams sisters display a sense of humour on court, or a sense of fun at least, even under the most stressful of circumstances, which marks them out as worth watching.
I can't say I'm a dedicated fan or anything, but when Wimbledon comes around, I do tend to take an active interest. One of the most annoying things about watching tennis, for me at least, is the bit where the crowd shout out bland encouragement... and I think my objection comes down to a basic sense of decorum, since the audience address the players by their first names as if they knew them. I know that makes me seem rather stuffy, but it does make me cringe. I also take exception to the fact that the vast majority will cheer on the petite blonde players (who get all the tabloid love too), and exclude less dainty players like Amèlie Mauresmo and Williams (S). Do these crowds just have no manners? I dont know... but it's always fun to watch Williams (S)'s face, while the crowd call out her opponent's name. Bless her.
At one point there were some fan-art drawings of Miss Williams (S) on my website, but I was never very happy with them. A proper artist would be able to balance her muscularity with her femininity, but I could never get the knack of it... which only made me admire her more, for some reason. Her beauty defied the artist's attempt to capture it! Not that I'm really an artist. Sigh. I know some men will dismiss women as "butch" if they happen to have the slightest muscle tone, but I just can't get with that sort of thinking... as if "real women" should keep their bones moving with pretty pink ribbons alone, and wait for fluttering birdies to do all of their heavy lifting for them! Muscles are just part of the human body, and no more masculine than any other... as is body hair, of course, but that's a harder sell, and a much longer conversation.
