Tennis Tuesday: Marcos Giron

 

Marcos Giron only won one match at this year's Wimbledon, but he sure made a lasting impression. See the UCLA grad's cute new haircut, manspread action and more BELOW.

Marcos Giron Apologizes for Hand Gesture, Says He Was Unaware of Alternate Meaning

 

What should have been cause for celebration left some tennis fans unsettled when Marcos Giron flashed a questionable hand signal to his box after his epic five-set win over Frenchman Quentin Halys earlier today at Roland Garros. (An American winning on red clay doesn't just happen every day.) User MadAnthonyWayne tweeted this photo -- asking "Did Marcos Giron just go full 'White Power' after his match?" -- and copied the accounts of the USTA, Tennis Channel, Roland Garros, ESPN as well as some sports journalists. 

I wasn't sure what to make of it. But as I said when J.J. Wolf was photographed doing the same, if he's not flashing the ADL-recognized "white power" symbol then what was he trying to communicate?

Giron quickly got in touch with me to address the issue, writing: 

I just saw your message on Twitter and would like to apologize for what I did. I had no idea what that symbol represents. I really hope this is not taken the wrong way at all. Im really really sorry. It’s been a game with the coach to try and get one another to look at the hand. Whoever looks at the hand loses. It’s an inside joke. Once again I’m not at all a Alt right supporter. Im a big support of BLM. Please I really hope that it is not taken the wrong way. There was zero intention of anything Malice. 

Fearing that I was being gaslighted -- my 17-year-old nephew confirmed that kids play the “circle game” but even he knew the signal had a darker connotation -- I pushed back, asking Marcos if he'd really not heard about J.J.'s incident and his subsequent apology. 

Marcos replied: 

I’m sorry but I really didn’t see the post. If I did and saw the hand gesture he made I would never do such a thing. The last thing I ever intended was to make any sort of racial gesture. The systemic issues going on in the states with inequality, the divide and the police corruption going on makes me sick to my stomach. The George Floyd killing, Breonna Taylor and the countless others are horrible and there needs to be a change. This was a learning moment and the last thing I ever wanted to do was the offend anyone. Once again I’m sorry for what I did. 

Unlike J.J., this young man seems to acknowledge that at the very least it was tone deaf to celebrate in such a fashion given what he (now) knows. I still don't really understand why grown men would be playing any kind of game on court after an exhausting tennis match, but I'm willing to take him at his word until I have reason not to. 

Here's hoping we won't be seeing any additional players making gestures that can be misconstrued in this hateful way. The USTA still really needs to do some work here -- starting with racial sensitivity training for all U.S. players.

The Quad Squad: J.J. Wolf and Marcos Giron

@rolandgarros Did Marcos Giron just go full “White Power” after his match? @tennischannel @usta @ESPN @FrenchOpen @LeBatardShow @bomani_jones pic.twitter.com/uLMBZQSJX3

— MadAnthonyWayne (@MadAntonyWayne) September 29, 2020

Hey @TennisChannel @rolandgarros , please ask #MarcosGiron about that hand sign he flashed to his box at the end of his match today. It was suspicious for many.

— brownhut (@brownhut) September 29, 2020

@Chanda_Rubin I'm pretty sure the hand gesture #Giron made at the end of his win was for white power. Why is no one talking about this?

— Anthony Walters (@AndreeWallace12) September 29, 2020

Hey @TennisChannel @rolandgarros , please ask #MarcosGiron about that hand sign he flashed to his box at the end of his match today. It was suspicious for many.

— brownhut (@brownhut) September 29, 2020

Ummmmmm
Was i the only tennis fan who caught this? I really really hope this was not what it looks like #FrenchOpen #MarcosGiron 🤦 #TennisChannel pic.twitter.com/wE7Rn2qGns

— Jason 🌟🎾❤️😎 (@jasonchitown2) September 29, 2020

Tennis Tuesday

I’ve just been trying to watch a little French Open -- why do they keep showing porn on the Tennis Channel?

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