PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

As I watched a replay of Serena Williams’ incredible temper tantrum in the recent United States Open Tennis Tournament, I found myself wondering this – was what we saw “just sports,” or was it something more about society in general.

Forgive that kind of big thought, but know that, in retirement, I have nothing better to do than play golf and consider such issues.

Williams, one of the great tennis players of all time, went off against officials, contending that she was being treated differently than men would have been. She yelled at the referee, calling him a sexist. She slammed her racket on the court, earning a substantial penalty in the world of tennis.

Here is a short version of what happened.

Williams lost the first set to Naomi Osaka, who is 20 years old and moved to the U.S. from Japan when she was 3. In the flexible national-origin rules of professional tennis, she represents Japan. Growing up in New York and Florida, Osaka idolized Williams.

In the second set, the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, gave Williams a warning for being coached from the stands. Her coach, said of course he was coaching her, which is against the rules, but it shouldn’t matter because everyone does it.

After losing her serve, Williams pounded her racket against the ground and then walked to the chair to have it out with Ramos. “You owe me an apology,” she said. “I have never cheated in my life. I have a daughter and I stand for what’s right for her.” Ramos gave her a point penalty for the crushed racket.

Williams won the next game, and then the 2018 women’s final pretty much imploded. For what seemed like 10 minutes, Williams attacked Ramos, calling him a “thief” for stealing points from her. Staring at them, Osaka forlornly dropped the two balls she thought she was supposed to serve and walked away. Ramos then imposed a rare game penalty on Williams.

The episode spurred people all over America comment on what had transpired.

One of my favorite columnists, Daniel Henninger, found time to wonder, in a Wall Street Journal piece, whether sports could be a metaphor for real life.

“Cynics call it a sports-metaphor alert,” he wrote. “But maybe it’s the other way around. Given the confused state of real life, we should consider ourselves lucky that sports exist as a mirror for reflection. Exhibit A this week, bigger than the NFL, is ‘the mother of all meltdowns,’ his reference to the Williams’ episode.”

Still, Osaka finally served out the match to win the U.S. Open, for which she essentially apologized at the award ceremony. The New York crowd lived up to its low reputation by booing her victory even into the awards event until Williams told them to stop.

More from Henninger: “In the real world, public tantrums have become commonplace and even ratified as legitimate expressions of policy grievance.

“One thinks of the screaming audience members carried out of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Or the routine shout-downs of speakers on campuses. After the last presidential election, the advance guard of the resistance sat during rush hour in the middle of intersections. Members of Congress routinely throw tantrums now, as in the Peter Strzok hearing. Seen a White House press briefing lately?”

Whether in real life, sports, entertainment or, heaven knows, our national politics, unsportsmanlike conduct and self-indulgence have become routine. We are worse off for the actions – in sports, in politics, and in life.