BEYOND THE LINES. The naming of the National Tennis Center for Billie Jean King at the commencement of this year�s U.S. Open is quite a tribute to the tennis great, and one she fully deserves. Sports pioneers often break barriers in American culture by their �firsts,� such as Jackie Robinson�s shattering of the color line in baseball. Though it undoubtedly takes a special person to handle the pressure of being a �firster� while still excelling on the field, being first is a role that by its very definition is confined to a few. Having a lasting impact on sports and America life, however, is an opportunity available to far more athletes yet accepted by too few. King has had that lasting impact: She spoke openly about having had an abortion in the early 1970s; she was courageous and respectful in divorcing her husband and admitting her homosexuality; and, of course, she took down chauvinist circus act Bobby Riggs in Houston�s legendary �Battle of the Sexes.� Moreover, the advances King made for the business side of women�s tennis are too many to recount. (By the way, I recommend highly HBO�s one-hour documentary about King, Portrait of a Pioneer.) So forget her record 39 Grand Slam titles, including her 13 U.S. Open singles, doubles, or mixed-doubles championship wins. Billy Jean King deserved the honor bestowed on her this week for all she did beyond the lines and courts now named for her in Flushing.
--Tom Schaller
