The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 12

October 27, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 8 Sports THIS WEEK SPORTS IN HISTORY November 2: First auto race in the U.S. In 1895, the first organized auto race in the U.S., The Chicago Times- Herald race occurred in Chicago. Given only a few cars showed up, the race was rescheduled for July 10, 1895. On The Bench : Serena Williams is overlooked and grossly underappreciated The conversation about who holds the title of greatest athlete of all time is neverending. This debate is a fierce one, with countless suggestions as to who is truly deserving of the title. The names you’ll hear most often come from the NBA or the NFL, but maybe we’ve been looking for the answer in the wrong place. Maybe, it’s not a man from one of those sports, but a woman in tennis.. Serena Williams has always been a natural when it comes to playing tennis. Since she started playing -- at only 3 years old -- she was often regarded as a prodigy in the sport. At her young age, she trained intensively, competed often and at just 14 years old she began playing tennis professionally. At 17, she won her very first Grand Slam, which at the time, made her the first Black woman to receive that title since 1958. This marked the start of a long list of remarkable achievements that she would go on to make. Over the span of her now 25 year career, Williams has made a very distinct name for herself. Currently, she has 23 Grand Slam Championship wins under her belt, giving her the second highest number of Grand Slam wins in the history of tennis across all genders. She is currently only two wins away from securing her record for most championship wins of all time. This September, she made an attempt at obtaining her twenty fourth win, ending just shy of the final match after a semi- finals round loss. Williams has a better record than most, yet she is overshadowed by the lesser records of her male counterparts. If you look up ‘who has won the most Grand Slams in tennis,’ the top results are all for male Grand Slam achievements -- nevermind the fact that the two people with the highest number of Grand Slam wins, including Serena at number two, are both women. It’s not just that she’s overlooked either. For years now, Williams has been on the receiving end of harsh criticisms. Too often, she is made the butt of insensitive, and sometimes, racial jokes, and she hasn’t been granted the same grace that her male competitors get in moments of frustration during matches. Despite all of this, Williams remains a focused, goal-driven, strong player. When you take into account her achievements on the court in spite of the adversity she has faced, you understand that it’s time that we all start recognizing Williams for the competitor that she is. While I don’t expect the debate over who has the title for greatest of all time to end any time soon, I definitely think Williams’s name should come up in that conversation. October 28: Cavaliers’ first home game In 1970, the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers had their first home game against the San Diego Clippers. They lost with 110-99. October 30: NY Giants pay for Jack Bentley Anxious to compete with the Yankees, the NY Giants paid $65,000 and traded three players for Jack Bentley in 1922. As a pitcher in 1922, Benley had a hit record of .349 and was 13-1. October 31: International Women’s Sports Federation The International Women’s Sports Federation, which was the first women track and field association, was founded in 1921. The federation was founded by Alice Milliat, a pioneer of women’s sport in France and around the world. November 1: Boston Bruins join the NHL In 1924,The Boston Bruins officially joined the NHL, becoming the first U.S.-based team to enter the league. The Montreal Maroons also joined the NHL at the time, but only lasted as a team until 1938. October 27: Long jump world record set In 1931, Japanese track and field athleteChuhei Nambu, set the long jump record at 26’ 2 ½. As of 2013, he is the only person to have held world records in the long jump and triple jump. By: Jaden Wilson Contributing Writer October 29: Marion Motley sets point record On Oct. 29, 1950, Cleveland Browns’ player Marion Motley set a record for highest average in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with 17.1 (10 attempts). The Cleveland Browns won 45-7.