Posted by
Ed Lilly on Saturday, December 29, 2007 8:14:04 AM
From a "breaking" news story posted online this morning:SINGAPORE (AP) - Maria Sharapova said Saturday she believed women's tennis is taking the necessary measures to remain clean amid allegations of match- fixing and illegal betting in the men's game.
"The women's game is very clean," the fifth-ranked player said one day before an exhibition match with her sixth-ranked Russian compatriot, Anna Chakvetadze.
Sharapova, 20, said WTA Tour chief executive and chairman Larry Scott "is doing all the things possible, from having meetings throughout the year to encouraging players to be safe and smart about their choices.
"Unfortunately we have to be realistic about the fact that some of these things do go on ... but at the end of the day I believe that women's tennis is doing a great job of being clean," Sharapova said.
Ok, so the chief executive of the women's professional tennis tour is "doing all things possible" to make sure the sport is clean. That must mean state of the art, random, and frequent drug testing, rigorous background checks on players, their coaches and entourages, perhaps even working with international police agencies to further investigations into possible improprieties in the world of professional sport.
Oh, wait, never mind, he's found a better way. He's having meetings (presumably with players) and encouraging said players to make good decisions. Well, then, he's pretty much covered the waterfront!
I suppose we have to at least give Mr. Scott credit for having Ms. Sharapova make these comments to the press. If your tour's position is essentially to do nothing and hope that there are no problems, you may has well send it via a tall, blonde, gorgeous player for all those people who aren't listening to what she's saying, but instead are mesmerized by her beauty. Well played, Mr. Scott.