Venus' alter ego: Ebony Star

Athletic progeny and tennis veteran Venus Williams may have lost the Sony Ericsson Open, 6-1, 6-2, to up-and-comer Kim Clijsters, but don't think she will lose any sleep.
Williams, who is ranked No. 4 in the world, has moved beyond tennis, in a way that clearly indicates that the game needs her -- and her sister Serena -- and not the other way around.
In fact, Venus may as well go by here middle name "Ebony Star," because that's what she is. She has yet to devote the time and energy to her fashion house that it requires to succeed. And acting is still a far off dream.
Critics have long said the sisters -- besides their outfits -- are too preoccupied with other projects to focus on tennis.
What makes the situation more precarious -- or trifling, depending on how you look at it -- is that sister Serena is ranked No. 1 in the world.
Should the top sisters in women's tennis walk away from the game for fear of disrespecting it?



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The Unflappable Pam Oliver: TV Sports Maven

I've been at this long enough that the players know I'm serious about what I do," Tv sports reporter Pam Oliver once said in a magazine interview. "I've never once heard it said to my face, 'Oh, she's cute so I'll talk to her.' You prove that you know your stuff, and everything else falls into place."
While many other female sportscasters may tolerate the gender-badgering
(and even play to the cameras) that seemingly comes with the territory, Oliver lives to swat it back, like the athlete she is.
Born in Dallas, Texas, the FAMU graduate has carved out a national identity on the sidelines with Fox Sports, Turner Sports and a host of smaller network affiliates.
The firestorm over ESPN reporter Erin Andrews' nude video has brought the topic of women in sports to the forefront, but only for some women.
Oliver refuses to be pigeonholed or typecast.
The revelations that someone at ESPN may haved outed Andrews won't discourage Oliver's tenacity one bit. She's never bought into the "Sports babe" mentality of some in the sports world.
With the Andrews scandal, we now know she never will.
She's Pam Oliver. TV Sports maven.
We'll look for her this fall on the sidelines again in the NFL.