The Gray Lady Sounds Off

That's right. The backlash against Dubai for denying Shahar Pe'er a visa to participate in this week's events has found its way into the New York Times. Money quote:

But the women should collectively recognize how dangerous a precedent it would be to finesse this issue, compromise in the interests of maintaining a prize revenue stream, even in the face of global recession.

For one thing, tennis does big business in American markets — think New York, Los Angeles and Miami — with large Jewish populations. The men, who follow the women to Dubai next week, may want to remember that, too, along with the companies that sponsor these events.