Top Spin Blog » U.S. Open tennis

What’s More Important to CBS: The U.S. Open or “How I Met Your Mother”?

Joe Samuel Starnes — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:01:03 +0000

It’s two episodes of “How I Met Your Mother,” of course, set for 8 p.m. ET The U.S. Open men’s final will be telecast at 4 p.m. ET today, at a time that many like me with a job, can’t see it.

The networks in this country should go ahead and cede the tennis coverage to cable channels that actually give a damn about the game.

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U.S. Open Ratings Soar — Could John McEnroe Get Another Talk Show?

Joe Samuel Starnes — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:26:45 +0000

ESPN is touting excellent ratings, about 2.3 million viewers last night. That’s good for tennis, proving that the sport is strong enough to overcome Mary Carrillo’s idiocy and the constant babble of the McEnroe brothers.

John basically says two things about players during matches — they need to come to net more, and they need to show more emotion. He should just shout, “Play like I used to play!” I have a mental image of riding in the car with the two McEnroe brothers on the Long Island Expressway, both of them constantly critiquing how people are driving. ESPN2 would be much better off with Cliff Drysdale, who once described his own style as trying to be like the ball boys and not interfere with the match. Jim Courier and Jimmy Arias are also much more pleasant announcers. (I’m still stunned about how badly the McEnroe’s mangled the facts about Bill Tilden’s record, and U.S. Open/Championships history in general. )

My biggest worry is that this ratings success could prompt a network to give John another shot at a talk show. Here’s a promo from his short-lived show if you forgot it or missed it.

But it could be worse. Imagine if Mary Carillo got a show. Check out her obnoxious rant about Badminton from the Olympics if you want to see what she would consider entertaining.

Are these the two best people America has to talk to us about tennis?

Dear CBS and ESPN: An Open Letter on the U.S. Open EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a letter from my parents....

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Two-time NCAA Champion Snubbed by U.S. Open

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:38:54 +0000

There once was a time when the NCCA singles champion was invited to play in the U.S. Open, but those days are long gone, especially for international players.

Somdev Devvarman, the University of Virginia star who has won consecutive NCAA tennis singles championships the past two years, was denied both a wildcard and a bid to the qualifying tournament. A member of India’s Davis Cup team, Devvarman turned pro in June and recently qualified for and reached the quarterfinals of the recent ATP Legg-Mason tournament in Washington, D.C. His success there pushed his ranking all the way up to 239, but it was too late to earn an invitation to compete at the U.S. Open.

I can understand the Open being stingy with the Wildcard bids, and I’m glad they still give the 18-and-under national singles champion (this year it’s Austin Krajicek) a wildcard; however, Devvarman should at least should have been included in the qualifyings, and if that was not possible, invite him to the main draw. Counting the qualies and the main flight, a total of 240 men get a chance to compete – Devvarman should have been one of them.

Snubbing a two-time NCAA champion is an insult to college tennis. The USTA should bring back the automatic wildcard bid for college champions.

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