As much as I have always enjoyed the news, having 24-hour news coverage has created story overkill and endless repetition.It has also watered downthe trustworthiness, reliability and sincerity of the news being reported and the complete honesty of those reporting the news.
I remember when I could turn the news on and hear unmodified facts and honest follow-up questions.Those days are gone; done with. It is embarrassing to watch the media – journalists/reporters/correspondents/anchors/personalities as they insert ridiculous allegations, speculations and unconfirmed reports just to turn two minutes worth of news into a half an hour discussion or argument.It is ridiculous.If we can’t turn to the ‘news’ for ‘uncontaminated’ information – who do we turn to?
Venus and Serena Williams returned to Center Court three hours after doing battle in the singles final to secure the Wimbledon doubles title with a 6-2 6-2 thumping of American Lisa Raymond and Australian Samantha Stosur on Saturday.
The American sisters put aside Venus’s straight-sets victory in the day’s showpiece to stand on the same side of the net and launch an array of powerful shots at the 16th seeds.
The 11th seeds stormed through the first set by breaking in each of Raymond’s service games, dishing up groundstrokes that their opponents could not touch.
An enthralling match featuring some fast and furious rallies at the net drew to an end in just under an hour when Venus lobbed to give the sisters their third doubles title at the All England Club.
Tyson Gay tumbled to the ground at the start of his 200-meter quarterfinal heat at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Saturday and had to be carted off the track – this eliminates him for the 200m.He qualified for the 100m last week so he will compete in that event at the Olympics.
Running in the seventh lane, Gay was speeding to the lead in the first turn, but on his 14th stride, something went wrong. He went airborne, fell, then laid on the ground in pain, grabbing his left thigh and grimacing.
Gay already had qualified for the Olympics in the 100 meters, but his availability for the games now will be determined by the severity of his injury.
Though he’s the defending world champion in the 200, trials rules call for the top three finishers to make the Olympic team — no exceptions.
This was a stunning setback for the 25-year-old sprinter, who last week set the American record in the 100 at 9.77 seconds. In finals, he ran it in 9.68, the fastest time ever recorded, but not a world record because the tailwind was too strong.
Damein White, running in the lane next to Gay, said he saw Gay pull up and thought he saw something fly his way.
“I tried to keep going off the curve,” White said. “It kind of threw me off. He just pulled something. He’ll be right back. Next year, we’ve got worlds. You’ll see him there.”
More urgently, however, are the Olympics. Qualifying for the 100-meter dash starts Aug. 15, and Gay was one of the favorites along with world-record holder Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, both of Jamaica.
What a GREAT match – it seemed so quick! Venus Williams beat Sister Serena 7-5, 6-4 Saturday to win her fifth Wimbledon title and seventh Grand Slam championship.
It was Venus’ first win over her younger sibling in a Grand Slam final since the 2001 U.S. Open, and evened their career record at 8-8.
Venus came from 3-1 down in the first set to turn around the match, breaking Serena four times while dropping her own serve twice in a final of high quality despite the wind.
Venus broke to finish the match, with Serena hitting a backhand wide on the second match point. The sisters embraced at the net, and Venus kept her celebrations in check as she twirled and waved to the Centre Court crowd.
Venus accepted the winner’s trophy — a sterling silver salver aptly named the Venus Rosewater dish — from the Duke of Kent.
“I have to first of all say great match to Serena,” Venus said. “I can’t believe that it’s five but when you’re in the final against Serena Williams, five seems too far away from that first point. She played so awesome. It was really a task to beat her.”
“It’s so rewarding to perform here,” Venus added. “Every time I come back I know I have the chance to play well and make history. My first job is big sister and I take that very seriously.”
Venus now needs one more Wimbledon singles title to match Billie Jean King’s record of six, with only Steffi Graf (7) and Martina Navratilova (9) ahead of that.
Watching the match from the players’ box was the sisters’ mother, Oracene. Their father, Richard, had flown back to the United States because he can’t stand to watch his daughters play each other.
Referring to the mixed feelings of her family about who to support, Venus said, “It’s hard for all of them, but I like to think they want me to win.”
The 26-year-old Serena accepted her runner-up trophy and paid tribute to her 28-year-old sister.
“I’m so happy that at least one of us was able to win,” Serena said. “She’s played great this year. We’re just glad to be in the finals again.”
Venus and Serena Williams are set to meet for the seventh time in a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon today.
“It’s definitely been a while,” Serena said of the meetings that were once routine but ended at the 2003 Wimbledon, when she won her second title in a row here against older sister Venus. “Unfortunately our ranking fell. We’ve been on the same side of the draw a few times. I unfortunately lost a lot. But it’s good. I mean, this is a new start for us.”
Somehow the sisters, raised in Compton, California, have managed to navigate the complicated family dynamics to grow closer even as they pile on Grand Slam titles – often at the expense of one another.
“I think that we share even more things together off the court,” said Venus, who is sharing an apartment with Serena while in England and playing with her sister in the women’s doubles draw, the finals of which they reached on Friday. “We definitely rely on each other’s advice even more. … We both now know our roles in the relationship, and we support each other.”
Family allegiances have not stopped their march through the draw this year. Both won convincingly in Thursday’s semifinals. Venus stopped fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), and Serena defeated unseeded Jie Zheng of China 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). Neither has lost a set.
Now it’s a question of putting aside family. “It’s really just about wanting the best for your sister and just really wanting to see her do well — until she plays you, obviously,” smiled Venus, who is 15 months older and is more circumspect than her extroverted sister.
As much as I have always enjoyed the news, having 24-hour news coverage has created story overkill and endless repetition. It has also watered down the trustworthiness, reliability and sincerity of the news being reported and the complete honesty of those reporting the news. 
