Tennis Channel vs. ESPN: To the Victor Belongs The Spoils While the world eagerly awaits the Mayweather-McGregor bout, tennis fans are more keen on the US Open Series culminating with the US Open on August 28th. The prospect of Venus Williams and Roger Federer reaching … Continue reading To the Victor Belongs The Spoils
Tennis’ Free Throw: Is an Ace Really an Easy, Cheap or Free Point? Inevitably, during a tournament you will hear the most cliché and overused narratives. This is not exclusive to tennis. We hear them in all sports. It is the shorthand for which we … Continue reading Tennis’ Free Throw, A Simmering Hot Rant Just For You
5. The commentating was horrendous especially given the incredible stories players have brought to this slam, AO17. On Tennis Channel and ESPN the live and packaged pieces on players and Australia are stale and delivered with stilted performances. After countless hours of matches I recall … Continue reading Top 5 Moments in Tennis This Week 1/27
I have always loved the atmosphere of matches on Grandstand, and wondered how the renovation would change the experience. Traditionally, the matches are the most entertaining and the players often cite it as one of their favorite courts for its intimate feel. The matches on … Continue reading US Open: First Match on The Renovated Grandstand
Unmuting tennis commentators can be as dangerous as reading trite tennis writers. Their goal is completion, match and deadline, not the museum of thought. Their prose can’t be mistaken for poetry. They traffic in dreaded clichés, tropes and narratives, delivering formaldehyde to our collective sport brain. We have … Continue reading Clichés, Tropes and Narratives Oh My!
Bud Collins is the father of tennis journalism; Sports Illustrated described him as the tennis historian and the American voice of the sport in print and on TV for decades. With his passing on March 4, 2016, it is unlikely that we will ever have a … Continue reading Unmuting Tennis Commentators
The rings are inches apart but miles different. The ringmaster or Monsieur Loyal directs my attention to the first ring and I am enthralled. Before I can fully expel my joy, he directs my attention to the second ring where my jubilation lifts me out of … Continue reading Fan Series: The Veil of Integrity and Transparency
Tennis misses and needs the likes of Andy Roddick in any capacity he chooses: commentator, coach, administrator, doubles specialist.
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