How the AP screwed up

The Associated Press announced yesterday that Serena Williams was their top female athlete of the year. The second place finisher has a horse racing connection as it was Zenyatta (I don't think it affect the Eclipse voters and it will be tight between her and Rachel Alexandra still). Still if I where a member of the AP, I would have chosen Zenyatta over Serena big time, (I would have even chosen the third place finisher Kim Clijisters who should be the AP Comeback Athlete of the Year if there is one, over Serena) for a few reasons.

1. Look at their records for the year, yes Serena was 43-11 this season with two majors, where as Zenyatta was 5-0 with 4 G1 wins. However Serena lost to Francesca Schiavone (who?), Klara Zakopalova (who?), Elena Dementiva (#3 ranked player), Kim Clijisters (unranked at the time, former #1 ranked player). Zenyatta beat Life is Sweet (Ladies Classic champ), Gio Ponti (most likely older male and turf male champion), Summer Bird (most likely 3yo champion), Mine That Bird. I'll remember Sweet, Gio and the Bird boys before Schiavone and Zakopalova. Plus all Serena could really beat this year where her sister, Venus and Dina Safina.

2. Serena's sport everbody has a chance to win a tourment. In Zenyatta's sport no one has been able to beat her. Yes Anabaa's Creation gave our heroine a scare this year, but that was the closest race that Zenyatta ever won by. Besides Mike Smith said he screwed up the ride on her, had it been longer we wouldn't be having this discussion.

3. The AP is rewarding bad behavior, Serena had the infamous public meltdown against Kim Clijsters that cost her a chance at a third major. Zenyatta's doesn't show bad behavior (although apperently her sisters, that's another story). Then again the AP probley would have been redicouled for choosing a horse over a human.

The ironery in all of this is both Zen and Serena have older sisters who where/are pretty good themselves. Serena of course is the younger sister to the Queen of Wimbleton Venus Williams, where as Balance (Zen's 1/2 sis by Thunder Gulch), was a KY Oaks favorite at one point. Was Serena Williams a good choice? It depends on who you talk to, I personally don't think it was. If a human had to be chosen, I would have gone with UConn's Maya Moore. Yes there are people who are angry about Zenyatta finishing second and I'm sorry if I struck a nerve that people don't like. However, I feel that we all have different opinons on this subject and it's good to debate something like this. For those interested Jimmie Johnson was AP's Male Athlete of the Year becoming the first driver to ever win the award.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate, I'll be back on Sunday with a recap of the final two G1's for the year, the La Brea and Malibu plus Zenyatta's public apperence before she goes to KY to be bred and of course John Henry's statue invailing.