cover story: may 2005

richard williams Was I Right or Just Crazy?

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First the guy spots Virginia Ruzici winning a tournament on TV and turns to his wife Oracene and says, “Lets make two more children and become millionaires.” Then as little Venus and Serena are beginning to make waves, this burly, brash Black man, about to careen into in a white universe, made the most outlandish prediction in sports history, claiming it would be “the first time sisters will be number one and two in the world.” Then, years later, when his prophecy came true, he scribbled on one of his wacky courtside chalk boards, “Was I right or was I just crazy?”

art seitz

Few in sports have been more unafraid or inventive. He suggested the U.S. Open move to Compton; claimed he was “ thinking about buying Rockefeller Center for $3.9 billion; called Irina Spirlea a ‘big, white, ugly turkey”; said that Hingis, while playing Serena, “looked scared” and claimed her “little legs were too short to keep up.” He threatened to take Lindsay Davenport “out to the john john” because she supposedly had an indifferent attitude, and after Venus won Wimbledon he held up a sign saying “It’s Venus’ party and no one was invited!”

Williams joked, “tennis was dead before we came along. I went to God and said ‘give me something I can give back.’ And he said ‘Brother Richard, give tennis back.’” But commentator Jim Rome countered, “Hey Rich, you’ve been vindicated. As it turned out, you knew exactly what you were doing in developing two world-class athletes. Now go away. It’s their time. Not yours. Go find something to do. Go start a stamp collection.” Williams passed on the stamps, but may have gotten the point. The hard to miss rascal/whiz has transformed himself into the highest profile courtside shutterbug since Brooke Shields.

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