I can live with the WTA Tour being the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. I can live with the Mercedes logos on the nets and the tennis stars being dolled up in their "favorite" (read: highest paying) brand's tennis garb. I even like the latest WTA ad campaign (vids below), which characterizes the athletes as heroes. What I'm not buying:

That the Sony Ericsson Championships—the season-ending event that was previously played in Spain and will be played in Doha, Qatar, in 2008—is the "ultimate prize in women's tennis," as the ads assert. Before you begrudge me for wanting them not to hype their shit that way, hear me out.

The WTA story is a great one, and one told pretty well—though not very dynamically—here. From the $1 contracts of the original 9 over 30 years ago to parity in championship payouts at the four Grand Slam events, it's been a wild and memorable ride for the once fledgling and now successful WTA. And if you're a tennis fan, as I am, the ad campaign hits hard; it almost reminds me of this great campaign centered around the concept of the hero.

But, as a tennis fan, the events that I care about are Wimbledon, The French Open and the US Open. (Australian Open is cool, too, but harder to catch on TV.) So when this spot called the Sony Ericsson Championships the "ultimate prize in women's tennis," it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I know that the tour sponsor wants it to be, but it just ain't. Authenticitiy, people....