Serena Williams named AP Female Athelete of the Year... over a Horse?

[Sol-Blackguy]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34523624/

Playing her best at the most important events, Serena Williams re-established herself as the top player in women’s tennis in 2009 and was a landslide choice as Female Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press.

Williams received 66 of 158 votes cast by editors at U.S. newspapers that are members of the AP. No other candidate got more than 18 votes in the tally, which was announced Tuesday.

Clearly, Williams’ most infamous on-court episode — a tirade directed at a line judge after a foot-fault call near the end of her U.S. Open semifinal loss in September — didn’t hurt her standing in the eyes of the voters.
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“People realize that I’m a great player, and one moment doesn’t define a person’s career,” Williams told the AP. “And I was right, for the most part: It wasn’t right the way I reacted — I never said it was — but I was right about the call.”

She also noted that the outburst, which resulted in a record fine and two-year probationary period at Grand Slam tournaments, “got a lot more people excited about tennis.”

The 28-year-old American tends to do that, thanks to her powerful, athletic play and her outgoing personality.

“We can attribute the strength and the growth of women’s tennis a great deal to her,” WTA chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster said in a telephone interview. “She is a superstar.”

Williams, who is based in Florida, also won the AP award in 2002, a seven-year gap that is the longest between AP Female Athlete of the Year honors since golf’s Patty Berg won in 1943 and 1955.

“I’m just happy and blessed to even be playing seven years later. All this is a bonus, really,” Williams said. “In 2002, I just was really dominant, and I think in 2009, I just brought that back. I kind of became that player again.”

Indeed she did.

Williams finished the year at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She topped $6.5 million in prize money, breaking the single-season tour record by more than $1 million. She won three significant singles titles — Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the season-ending tour championships — and paired with sister Venus to win three Grand Slam doubles championships.

“An incredible performance,” Allaster said. “Her game just continues to improve through this long career she’s had.”

Williams went 50-12 in singles, an .806 winning percentage that was the highest for any woman who played at least 20 matches in 2009. She tied for the tour lead in singles titles. She led the tour with 381 aces, 75 more than anyone else, and also led in percentages of first-service points won and service games won.

Her two Grand Slam singles titles raised her career total to 11, the most among active women. At the year’s other two majors, she lost to the eventual champion: Svetlana Kuznetsova at the French Open, Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open.

“Serena really peaks for those big moments on big stages,” Allaster said.

Zenyatta, the 5-year-old mare who capped her 14-0 career by becoming the first female horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, finished second for the AP honor — with 48 fewer votes than Williams. For context: Last year’s AP honoree, WNBA star Candace Parker, edged runner-up Lorena Ochoa by a single vote, while two other athletes finished within seven votes of Parker.

Clijsters, who came out of retirement only weeks before winning the U.S. Open, was third in 2009 with 16 votes. Lindsey Vonn, who won her second consecutive overall title in Alpine skiing’s World Cup, finished third with 15 votes, followed by Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s MVP, who received 14.

So she got 1st place over a horse, I hope that's just a compliment to her athletic ability...

[Heavencloud]

Lol how can a horse even be voted an athlete of the year? Runner up should at least be someone who would know that they'd been honored.

[Fievel]

The real sad part is Serena only got 48 votes over a horse.

[Mayareira]

Zenyetta vs. Serena

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...23-18-4-32.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...-picture-1.jpg

Spoiler: show

Not a random black horse, that's Zenyetta's real image.

[Fievel]

They look surprisingly similar

but really I didn't realize Serena was so hideous.

[Plow]

Fucking hate Serena Williams.

Isn't she still not even ranked #1 in her own damn sport because she's too lazy to try to accomplish anything that doesn't get her on tv?

[Vajra]

They look surprisingly similar

but really I didn't realize Serena was so hideous.

Fuck that noise man, Serena has a Donk:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...a_Williams.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...iams-booty.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...serena_ass.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...-williams1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...liams-sexy.jpg

And she has nice Tits (see thru shirt) :::NSFW:::

Spoiler: show

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/Vajra000/1388.jpg

Here's the link to this picture incase photobucket deletes it: http://blogs.nerve.com/scanner/wp-co...09/10/1388.jpg

With proper makeup she has a nice face too man so idk wtf u smokin lol. That picture just makes her look bad is all >.>...I just love fucking athletic bodies like hers man...I want a wife like her .

[Mayareira]

I'm not going to deny the fact that she has a nice ass.

[BardonGaruda]

At least the horse might have been a little more humble in their acceptance speech.

[Gargoyle]

Fucking hate Serena Williams.

Isn't she still not even ranked #1 in her own damn sport because she's too lazy to try to accomplish anything that doesn't get her on tv?

Williams finished the year at No. 1 in the WTA rankings.

Right there in the article.

[Akiyama]

Serena's ass is fucking awesome and she's got a nice set of tits, but the rest of her? not so much. If you can get past her big ass, she has MAN shoulders. I mean seriously. She could probably beat the shit out of 75% of us here.

[Meat]

At least the horse might have been a little more humble in their acceptance speech.

When you're that good you don't have to be humble.

[Tricen]

WHY THE LONG FACE LOL

[Demisses]

WHY THE LONG FACE LOL

Lol well played.
She is definitely better looking when she is all made up. And maybe its just me but its almost like her ass is its own person.

[Ksandra]

I don't watch tennis, BUT...whatever happened to her sister? Just not that good or retired or something? Thought they were both pretty solid but I only ever hear about Serena.

[Olo401]

At least she does more than just make left turns all day long like a certain other award winner..

[Atreides]

Actually Diane... I'm not a horse, I'm a broom

[Demisses]

lol one of the better episodes

[Valisk]

I don't watch tennis, BUT...whatever happened to her sister? Just not that good or retired or something? Thought they were both pretty solid but I only ever hear about Serena.

Sister is still pretty boss and I feel Venus at her best is better than Serena at her best. Venus has been battling injury lately so she just isn't as dominate anymore.

[Kurokikaze]

Man thats gotta suck...

...for the horse. Being outdone by silly human. >.>;