McEnroe Takes Conference Calls to Another Level

One of the unpleasant aspects of covering sports television is the conference call.

In the good old days, before the sports television business grew to unmanageable proportions, public relations people would line up one-on-one interviews.

They still do in some cases, but normal procedure now is to put 30 or 40 sports television reporters on the line with an announcer, producer or executive--or all three at the same time--to drum up interest in an event.

There are times a reporter could do three or four conference calls a day. Usually, though, they are a waste of time. Who’s going to say anything provocative or revealing with 30 or 40 reporters on the line?

John McEnroe, that’s who.

NBC and the USA network, which will both use McEnroe as a commentator during the French Open, had him on a conference call Wednesday.

For one hour 15 minutes, McEnroe, rambling sometimes but mostly honest and open, entertained reporters on a variety of topics.

On one hand, he praised tennis, calling it and soccer the two best sports in the world.

On the other, he criticized tennis for what it has become--a sport played by spoiled athletes, or “robots,” who simply think it is enough to go out and play good tennis.

He also criticized tennis for allowing young girls, such as Jennifer Capriati, to play professionally at 13 or 14.

“They don’t have a concept of what $5 is, let alone $5 million,” he said. “They’re expected to grow up in front of the world.”

McEnroe said the organizations that run tennis will handle the current Capriati situation--her arrest on a marijuana possession charge and subsequent entry into a drug-rehabilitation program--the way they usually handle such things.

“They will run away faster than Carl Lewis,” McEnroe said.

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Last August, McEnroe stirred things up during a similar conference call before the U.S. Open when he said women such as Mary Carillo should not be announcing men’s tennis.

“What do women know about the men’s game?” he said, adding that men shouldn’t announce women’s tennis. “How would they know how women are feeling at certain times of the month?”

He touched on the same topic Wednesday, and said he hadn’t changed his mind.

And that led to the highlight of the conference call, which he saved till last, after all seemingly had been said.

A late arrival, Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, apologized and asked if there were time for one more question.

He wanted to know if McEnroe had seen a recent Sports Illustrated on the cover of which was the question, “Is Tennis Dying?”

McEnroe said he had glanced through the story but hadn’t put much stock in it because the writer didn’t really know much about tennis.

He then repeated some of the points he had made about tennis earlier in the call--that it is disorganized, that there is too much of it on television, that matches are too long, that the players are robots, that the sport needs to do a better job of promoting itself, that it needs a push to get going again.

He then complained that too much attention was given to his comments about Carillo and female tennis announcers last year.

“There are 10 more important things in tennis that need to be addressed before we worry about who’s commentating,” he said. “I mean, who cares?”

Continuing, he was soon attacking announcers in general and Bob Costas in particular.

“Who do these announcers think they are, carrying on like they own the . . . sport, guys like Bob Costas?” he said.

Asked what specifically bothers him about Costas, McEnroe said it was just the way he carries himself in general.

“If you want an example, we’re sitting around and, after a break, they show him at his home (in St. Louis) shooting free throws,” McEnroe said. “I can’t remember who it was with. (It was Dan Dierdorf, a neighbor). Who gives a . . . ?

“Has he ever played the game? Maybe in a peewee league and the five-foot and under league. So he can shoot a free throw. What does that mean?

“(Shaquille) O’Neal is a 60% free-throw shooter, but if he got Bob Costas out on the floor he’d step on him and squash him out.”

Said Costas later: “Some critiques are thoughtful and well researched, some are not. Consider the source.”

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When McEnroe was in his prime as a player, he was known for his uncontrolled temper. Now it is his mouth that is out of control, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

He gives sportswriters plenty to write about.

But sportswriters were also among his targets Wednesday. In particular, he went after Newsday’s Mike Lupica.

“People read his column and believe what he writes, which is ludicrous,” McEnroe said. “Somehow he gets a courtside ticket to the Knick games and then sits around and criticizes everyone.”

McEnroe also complained about negative sports reporting in general. He suggested that maybe reporters are so negative because they are underpaid.

“I think press people need to make more money, and us athletes should be paid less,” he said.

“In the old days, Mickey Mantle would be making $70,000 and the newspaper guy $30,000. Now Shaquille is making $20 million and you’re making $20,000. There’s too much discrepancy.”

Oh yes, one last thing from McEnroe: “Don’t quote me on any of this stuff.”