Margaret Court can't bring herself to be inclusive

Margaret Court has made headlines recently with her quite-public announcement of personally boycotting  Qantas Airlines, an Australian-based carrier that has promoted same-sex marriage, or marriage equality, or whatever you might prefer to call it.

We might as well greet this "news" with a sigh of anticipation. It seems almost every year, timed to a major event in tennis, Court comes out with her talk that lacks a spirit of inclusiveness. It lacks empathy and ordinary care. I would go so far as to say it lacks the spirit of Jesus the Christ who she holds up as the epitome of love and kindness, as the way to the best that life, and a potential after-life, has to offer.

I say this as the son of a former preacher man, as my father was a pastor until I was 10. Realizing that we are all fallible, all too human, and that I have never personally met Court, my own comments may smack of judgmental.

A few players–among other observers and Tennis Australia and Margaret Court Arena themselves–have spoken out about Court's statements, as has rocker Ryan Adams, who played that eponymous venue in recent days:

What's more, many of their peers on the ATP and WTA tours have retweeted or tacitly "liked" the posts from these retired and active stars of the sport.

It goes to show that the 74-year-old Court's mentality is outdated, and not at all the norm among today's players.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.