Woman Crush Wednesday: The SportsPERSON of the Year

A few days ago, it was announced that. Tennis Champion (and a frequent Woman Crush of this here blog) Serena Williams is this year's Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the year.

Serena is credited for the creative direction of the shoot, saying "I liked the idea of the throne...I said, 'Listen, this needs to be something that no one forgets, something iconic! I wanted it to be really special... really Serena.' When we went with that, I loved it."

And of course the ensuing media hatred begins. Rick Morrissey believes that the cover is too sexual and sets women back (witness a genius and hilarious dismantling of his article here) when not too long ago, many people were saying Serena was too masculine (can't be both, people.)

But the biggest problem people are having with the cover is that it shouldn't have been Serena on the cover. The LA Times featured an article questioning the validity of SI's choice, offering up not a different athlete, but a horse instead. Yep. That's right. According to these people, a horse was "supposed" to win sportsperson of the year. 

And while the writer's final position is unclear, some of the tweets featured within the piece challenging Serena's win sound more like spoiled children throwing a temper tantrum because they couldn't get their way as opposed to adults participating in an online survey.

Let me just cut to the chase right here:

American Pharoah, by nature of being born a horse is instantly negated from being selected as SportsPERSON of the year. He's a damn horse. She's a person. He was instantly disqualified as were all of those ridiculous people's votes for him. End of story.

(Photo from LA TIMES)

Lastly...please pardon my language but why in the hell are we even having this discussion? Is it because at this moment in her career, there isn't another athlete on the planet that can even come close to Serena and, like haters must, they cannot even let her have this honor without some form of (absolutely idiotic) dispute? (Whomever the editor may be for letting a piece of trash suggestion like this come across what at least used to be a reputable paper needs to go ahead on and give up his/her seat to someone who can better discern newsworthy from garbage.) Are these people such haters that they simply just couldn't give an African American athlete the due she is much deserved that they had to offer it to a farm animal? 

What does Serena have to say about all of this? She jokes, of course, saying at her award ceremony ""I've lived through tragedies and controversies and ... horses," However, she then says "This award makes me want to work harder ... I want to achieve more goals."

I should say that for every 1 anatomically incorrect or just generalized hater out there, Serena has at least 3 supporters who adore her, 

(From New York Daily News)

including some pretty high profile people who will come to her defense, like this great JK Rowling moment:

So fine, let them say she's too sexual, too masculine, not a horse (still is ridiculous) or simply too black to be dominating the way she is on and off the court. But what you cannot say is that she isn't Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year. 

What are your thoughts?