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So, let's see if we can get this straight:

After being pressed into clarifying/justifying his response during a recent NPR interview in which he called Serena Williams the greatest female tennis player of all time — Why do you say female tennis player, John? Why? Huh? Why not just say the greatest player? — John McEnroe tells the truth, points out the substantial margin between the top men players and the top women, and then gets ripped for telling it like it is.

The problem with throwing sexist allegations around in a case where there is little or none is that it dilutes and distracts from authentic sexism in the many situations where it exists in a big way.

When McEnroe was asked about the qualifier, he said:

"Well, because if she was in, if she played the men's circuit, she'd be like 700 in the world. … That doesn't mean I don't think Serena is an incredible player. I do, but the reality of what would happen would be, I think, something that, perhaps it would be a little higher, perhaps it would be a little lower. And, on any given day, Serena could beat some players. I believe because she is so incredibly strong mentally that she could overcome some situations where players would choke because she's been in it so many times, so many situations at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, etc. But if she had to just play the circuit — the men's circuit — that would be an entirely different story."

After that statement, McEnroe was blasted by social patriots around the country who were disturbed by such honesty. Even Williams jumped in on the backlash, calling out Mac via Twitter.

Here's the thing, though: Four years ago, Williams, during an appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman," expressed essentially the same notion. She said: "For me, men's tennis and women's tennis are completely, almost, two separate sports. If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose 6-0, 6-0, in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes. No, it's true. It's a completely different sport. The men are a lot faster and they serve harder, they hit harder, it's just a different game. I love to play women's tennis. I only want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed."

Williams says it, it's fine. McEnroe says it, and it's a major offense.

It should be noted that McEnroe, a great champion in his own right, has spent much of his time as a tennis analyst praising Williams, calling her one of the greatest athletes ever. In the NPR interview, it was the interviewer, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, who jumped Mac for adding the "female" qualifier, which he, in the name of veracity, kind of had to do. At least if you're talking about the comprehensive sport of tennis and the game's greats.

Normally, comparing men's champions with women's champions is unnecessary and downright silly — in any sport. But to suggest that Serena should be proclaimed the best ever, period, is stupid. Pushing such a falsehood in the name of equality between the genders does just calls for equality no good.

On a personal note, I've watched women's tennis and been a proponent of it for years, having had three daughters work their way through junior tournaments and eventually play college tennis — one at Utah State, one at Utah, one at BYU. I've witnessed enough of it to appreciate the skill and athleticism required by the game. I've also seen guys who thought just because they were male, and good athletes, that they could beat highly trained women on the court.

What a joke.

I told my daughters and their teammates they could have made a lot of money taking advantage of the male ego by making bets and crushing that ego on the court. Men sometimes have no clue.

But McEnroe does have a clue.

Don't know about his 700 ranking, but, at the absolute highest levels, there's no reason to push, or even hint at pushing, some agenda that suggests Serena Williams is the best tennis player of all-time. She's the best female tennis player of all-time. That isn't a knock on a terrific athlete. It isn't condescending or patronizing. It's a compliment. A compliment that should be received as such, no disrespect intended.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.