FOLLOWING THE BMP OPEN THIS WEEKEND, THE TOURNAMENT CEO
RAYMOND MILLER COMMENTED ON HOW FEMALE TENNIS PLAYERS
SHOULD GET ON HER KNEES FOR MALE TENNIS PLAYERS.
TAKE A LOOK AT VIDEO.
MY NEXT LIFE, WHEN I COME BACK, I WANT TO BE SOMEONE
IN THE WTA, BECAUSE THEY RIDE ON THE COATTAILS OF THE MEN.
THEY DON'T MAKE ANY DECISIONS AND THEY ARE LUCKY, THEY
ARE VERY LUCKY.
IF I WAS A LADY PLAYER, I WOULD GO DOWN EVERY NIGHT ON MY KNEES
AND THANK GOD THAT ROGER FEDERER AND RAFAEL THE WERE BORN.
A FEW THINGS BEFORE I MOVE ON.
FIRST OF ALL, LADY PLAYER QUEST DON'T KNOW.
SECOND OF ALL, TELLING A WOMAN TO GET ON HER KNEES,
DOUBLE NO.
THIRD OF ALL, FEDERER, NINETEEN TRANSPLANTS.
SERENA WILLIAMS, TWENTY-THREE GRAND SLAMS.
LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE HE HAD TO SAY.
THE WTA HAVE A HANDFUL OF VERY ATTRACTIVE PROSPECT THAT
CAN ASSUME THE MANTLE.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF VERY ATTRACTIVE PLAYERS.
AND THE STANDARD IN LADIES TENNIS HAS IMPROVED
UNBELIEVABLY.
DO YOU MEAN PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE OR COMPETITIVELY?
I MEAN BOTH.
THEY ARE PHYSICALLY AND COMPETITIVELY ATTRACTIVE.
SHE DOUBLED DOWN THERE, TALKING ABOUT THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
ONE OF THE COMPETITIVELY ATTRACTIVE PLAYERS,
3F ñ SERENA WILLIAMS, DID RESPOND.
WOMEN SHOULD BE DOWN ON THEIR KNEES TAKING ANYBODY LIKE THAT?
I THINK THOSE REMARKS ARE VERY MUCH MISTAKEN, AND IS VERY
VERY INACCURATE.
I AM GOING TO DEFEND HIM A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE WAY HE
MAKES IT HARD TO.
YEAH, A LITTLE BIT.
BILLIE JEAN KING ALSO CAME OUT AGAINST HIS COMMENTS, SAYING SHE
WAS DISAPPOINTED.
BILLIE JEAN KING OF COURSE BEING THE COFOUNDER OF THE
WOMEN'S TENNIS ASSOCIATION, WHO ARGUABLY A LOT OF THE LADY
PLAYERS SHOULD BE THANKING.
THE WINNER OF THE BMP OPEN THIS WEEKEND, NOVAK DJOKOVIC, DID
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO HIS COMMENTS, AND THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO SUPPORT
WOMEN, AND INSTEAD HE SAID WHY MEN SHOULD BE MAKING MORE MONEY
THAN WOMEN.
COMMENTING ON HOW THE STATS ARE SHOWING THAT "WE HAVE MUCH
MORE SPECTATORS ON THE MEN'S TENNIS MATCHES."
HE ALSO
SAID THAT "THEIR BODIES ARE MUCH DIFFERENT TO MEN'S BODIES.
THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DON'T
HAVE TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE HORMONES AND DIFFERENT
STUFF, LADIES KNOW I AM TALKING
ABOUT."
LET ME JUMP IN HERE.
LET ME TALK ABOUT THE LADY THINK.
IF THE AUSTRALIAN?
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS A WORD THAT IS USED MORE OFTEN IN
AUSTRALIA.
WAR IT IS AN OLD-SCHOOL WAY OF TALKING, I DON'T THINK IT
IS A BIG DEAL AT ALL.
I COULD BE WRONG, THAT IS MY INTERPRETATION.
ARE THE MEN'S TENNIS PLAYERS BETTER?
OF COURSE THEY ARE, BUT OUR BIGGEST ISSUE HERE.
DO THEY GET HIGHER RATINGS, DO THEY DRAW IN MORE PEOPLE?
I THINK THAT IS AN ISSUE AND IT IS WORTH DISCUSSING.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, LET ME TELL YOU ALL THE THINGS
THAT I DO DISAGREE WITH.
DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT WOMEN ñ IT IS SUCH A STUPID WAY TO PUT IT.
IF YOU DID NOT MEAN IT LIKE THAT, YOU SHOULD SAY YOU
DON'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT.
HEY, IT IS LIKELY THAT WE ARE IN THE SAME SPORT, AND EVEN SO
SAYING THEY ARE LUCKY SOUNDS BAD.
WHEN YOU ADD IN THE ATTRACTIVE THIS THING, DO NOT DO THAT.
IT IS ONE THING FOR A GUY SITTING AT HOME GOING, OH
YEAH SHE IS HOT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE EVER DONE THAT, BUT I AM JUST SAYING,
IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN TENNIS, AND YOU HAVE MADE THE
CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS, MAYBE YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW
CONTROVERSIAL THEY ARE, BUT HE HAD TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT, AND
THEY ASK YOU IN A FOLLOW-UP ñ
NO, NO THEY ARE HOT.
TO SAY THAT, THAT IS A STUPID.
AND FOR DJOKOVIC, DON'T BRING HORMONES INTO IT.
HE BROUGHT UP PERIODS, I MEAN, THE ONE THING YOU ARE
NOT SUPPOSED TO BRING UP.
THEY PLAYED PRETTY WELL FOR HAVING BLOOD COMING OUT OF THEIR
VAJAY-JAYS.
HE REMINDED ME OF DONALD TRUMP A LITTLE BIT, HIS
ATTACKS ON MEGYN KELLY.
BUT THEN THE ISSUE OF, MEN'S TENNIS DOES GET BETTER
RATINGS THAN WOMEN.
HIS COMMENT IS GETTING INTO THE FACTS, I THINK WE
SHOULD BE PAID ON HOW MUCH SPONSORSHIPS WE GET, AND
HOW MANY VIEWERS WE GET AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IN THE
PREVIOUS LAST TWO YEARS, THE WOMEN'S FINALS WERE
WATCHED MORE THAN THE MEN'S, SO THEY ARE DEFINITELY MAKING
A COMEBACK THERE.
IN 2015, THE U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL SOLD-OUT WELL BEFORE THE
MEN'S, SO PEOPLE ARE GETTING
MORE INTO WOMEN'S TENNIS.
THE PROBLEM IS, WHEN WE ARE COMPARING HOW MANY VIEWERS
THEY GET TO WOMEN'S, THEY HAVE HAD A LOT MORE
OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THOSE VIEWERS.
WOMEN'S MATCHES WERE PLAYED ON PRIME TIME TELEVISION UNTIL
2001, THE ONLY, FRANKLY, A FEW YEARS AGO.
WHEN YOU FIRST OF ALL HAD A HUGE DISADVANTAGE, TENNIS HAS
BEEN A SPORTS IN 1877,
WHEN YOU HAVE A HUGE ADVANTAGE TIMEWISE TO GARNER A BIGGER
AUDIENCE, AND YOU ARE GETTING MORE MONEY PUMPED INTO
ADVERTISEMENT, AND MORE MONEY INTO GETTING THOSE PLAYERS.
THEY ALL GET WAY MORE ENDORSEMENT DEALS THAN
SOMEONE LIKE SERENA WILLIAMS.
AND HENCE MORE MARKETING.
HAVE BECOME HOUSEHOLD NAMES.
ALTHOUGH I DO HAVE A GRAPHIC YEAR THAT SERENA WILLIAMS IS
SEARCHED MORE ON GOOGLE THAN
FEDERER AND DJOKOVIC COMBINED.
SO SHE STILL IS GETTING SOME SORT OF SUPPORT BEHIND HER,
BUT STILL NOT GIVEN THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY ARE,
NOT ENOUGH TO REALLY JUSTIFY THE HUGE PAY GAP.
CAN WE GO TO GRAPHIC NUMBER SEVEN?
THAT PAY GAP IS REALLY PERSISTED IN THIS SPORT.
YOU CAN SEE THERE, THIS IS DOLLARS EARNED VERSUS THE
PLAYER RANKINGS.
MEN'S STILL MAKE A TON MORE MONEY, EVEN WHEN YOU GO
DOWN TO LOWER RANKINGS THAN WOMEN.
THAT IS A COMPELLING CASE HANNAH.
THANK YOU.
MY ANSWER TO THAT IS, NOT BUYING IT.
WHY CENK?
WHY?
FOR THE GUYS MAKING THIS CASE, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT THIS TEAM.
THEY COULD NOT HAVE PICKED A WORSE SPORT.
IN BASKETBALL, THERE IS A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE WNBA EXISTS IF THE NBA DOES NOT EXIST.
THEY WOULD HAVE A PRETTY GOOD CASE IN BASKETBALL, IS MY POINT.
BUT IN TENNIS, A LOT OF THE STARS ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE ARE
SUPERSTARS.
CURSING ON THIS I AM AGREEING WITH YOU.
I THINK TENNIS IS AS CLOSE A SPORT THERE IS BETWEEN THE
MEN'S SIDE AND THE WOMEN'S SIDE.
I DON'T MEAN THAT IF YOU TAKE SERENA WILLIAMS, COULD SHE BEAT
DJOKOVIC, NO OF COURSE NOT.
BUT IN TERMS OF STAR POWER, AND WHY PEOPLE COME OUT TO
WATCH, ARE THERE A LOT OF FACTORS INVOLVED?
YEAH, THE SPORT MATTERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, BOWLING, NO ONE IS WATCHING MEN'S OR WOMEN'S
BOWLING, IT DOES NOT MATTER.
BUT, OVERALL, THEY DO RATE BETTER, SO YOU CAN FIND A
COUPLE INSTANCES, AND YOU HAVE, WHERE WOMEN HAVE GOTTEN
BETTER RATINGS, OR THEY HAVE SOLD OUT QUICKER.
THAT IS BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE LEGITIMATE STAR POWER, BUT
IF THE MEN ARE CONSISTENTLY BREAKING BETTER, AND
DESTROYING BETTER, THAT BRINGS IN MORE REVENUE, HENCE THEY
GET PAID MORE.
BUT OF COURSE THEY'RE GOING TO GET MORE REVENUE IF
THEY'RE GETTING BETTER SPOTS ON TV.
IF MORE ADVERTISING IS BEING PUMPED INTO PROMOTING THOSE
GAMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, OF COURSE THEY ARE GOING TO
GET MORE, BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT.
THEN YOU COULD ARGUE, WOMEN MAKE SEVENTY-SEVEN CENTS TO THE
DOLLAR TO MEN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MEN DO A LOT MORE WORK
ESSENTIALLY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
MEN VOTE FIRST, SO WOMEN DID NOT VOTE UNTIL WHENEVER, THEN
THEY HAVE MORE COUNTS TO THEIR VOTE BECAUSE THEY REALLY
STARTED THE VOTE OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE THEY WERE GIVEN AN
INCREASED OPPORTUNITY THAN THESE WOMEN WERE.
I THINK CONTEXT MATTERS SO MUCH.
IF WE ARE LOOKING AT STARTING SALARIES AT LAW FIRMS, IT
IS UNCONSCIONABLE FOR WOMEN AND MEN TO HAVE DIFFERENT STARTING
SALARIES, BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS HOW GOOD THEY ARE YET.
THEY ALL FIRST-YEAR ATTORNEYS, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME
SALARY.
LATER ON, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE JUDGMENT CALLS, WE SHOULD
BE REALLY CAREFUL HOW WE MAKE
THOSE JUDGMENT CALLS, BECAUSE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS BIAS THAT
YOU ARE REFERRING TO, AND THE INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS AT PLAY.
THOSE ARE GREAT POINTS, BUT IT IS STILL ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
THAT A MAN OR A WOMAN IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER PERSON OF
ANOTHER GENDER AT THAT JOB AND SHOULD GET PAID MORE.
100 PERCENT, BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE, IN SPORT ñ FIRST OF
ALL, MOST SPORTS TO HIS MEN WAY MORE PRIZE MONEY THAN THEY DO
FOR THE WOMEN'S EQUIVALENT, FOR THAT IS ALREADY AT THE BASELINE.
AND TENNIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE SPORTS WHERE THEY ARE
TRYING TO EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD, ESPECIALLY WITH PAY, EVEN
THOUGH OBVIOUSLY EDGY FINITE GRAPH WE ARE NOT THERE YET.
BUT IF YOU HAVE GIVEN SO MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES, AND
THEY ARE HAVING THESE ADVERTISING PUMPKIN ñ
HERE'S MY ISSUE WITH THAT, ON THE ISSUE OF TELEVISION,
YOU ARE RIGHT.
MEN HAD MORE ADVANTAGE, PEOPLE WERE MORE USED TO WATCHING
MEN PLAY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WOMEN HAVE BEEN ON TV PLAYING TENNIS
FOR A LONG TIME.
YOU GET INTO AN ISSUE OF WHEN THEY GET THE BETTER SLOTS, ETC.,
BUT I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED IF TV EXECUTIVES SAW GOOD ENOUGH
RATINGS FROM WOMEN'S TENNIS AND DECIDED, NO I DON'T WANT
THE EXTRA MONEY.
IF THE WOMEN'S TENNIS DID BETTER THAN MEN'S TENNIS ñ
AND OF COURSE THEY KNOW THAT ANYBODY WORKING TELEVISION,
AS AN EXECUTIVE ñ
BUT IT CAN DO AS WELL ñ
DOES THE CONTEXT OF THE TIME PERIOD.
MEANING, FOR EXAMPLE,
IF YOU ARE STARTING CABLE NEWS, THE LEADING IS NOT GOING TO GET
AS WELL AS THE NEXT SHOW BECAUSE IT LEADS INTO THE NEXT SHOW.
IN SOME CASES IS THE REVERSE ñ IT IS A REVERSE.
BUT I'M SAYING THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SEE IF THAT'S THE THING THAT IS GOING ON, BECAUSE
THEY'RE NOT PUTTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO
ADVERTISING, THE SAME RUN OF MONEY INTO MAKING THESE
PLAYERS SEEM LIKE THESE BIGGER THAN LIFE INDIVIDUALS.
SO THEY CANNOT COMPARE IT.
I AM NOT SAYING THERE IS NO CHANCE THEY COULD BE WRONG ABOUT
THAT CALCULUS, BUT THEY ARE MAKING A CALCULUS AND I BELIEVE
IT IS DRIVEN MORE BY PROFIT
MOTIVE, AND WE TAKE THAT AS WHATEVER YOU WANT TO JUDGE.
MORE THAN INSTITUTIONAL BIAS.
BUT I COULD BE WRONG.
MAYBE IN TEN OR TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW WE REALIZE, THEY JUST
ASSUMED THE MEN WOULD DO BETTER,
BUT WHEN THEY FLIPPED THE TIME PERIODS AND THE MARKETING
BUDGETS BUT I WOULD BE SURPRISED, BECAUSE IT HAS
BEEN AROUND FOR A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME, AND I THINK THE
PROFIT MOTIVE IS STRONG.