U.S. Open's booth of brothers
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
August 23, 2009
For the first time, John and Patrick McEnroe will join each other in the broadcast booth. It will be a great pairing, with Patrick serving as the play-by-play man with John doing his world-class analyst job.
I spoke to the brothers via conference call. If their performance on the phone is any indication, viewers are in for a great time:
John on working with Patrick » "He has established himself as a great broadcaster, and his work on ESPN has been very entertaining. As the big brother, he has made me proud."
Patrick on working with John » "He is the best analyst on TV when it comes to doing tennis, and to work with him will be lots of fun."
OK, lets move past the mutual admiration and talk about who will be the men to watch at this year's U.S. Open.
Patrick » "I liked the look that Andy Roddick had after he lost at Wimbledon to Roger Federer. He had the look of a person that wanted to get back on the court right away. I think that Roddick loves the Open -- the New York crowd -- and that he will be the hometown favorite. So I like him to win."
John » "I like Andy's chances to be a factor for the same reasons as Pat, but we really can't overlook two guys who want to reestablish themselves. First of all, Rafa Nadal looked great after a two-month layoff in winning the Rogers Cup in Montreal. He really is fit and rested and certainly could pull off the win here. Then you have Andy Murray, who has been working very hard to win in New York. [He's] a legit contender. He is a top-four player and could walk away with the title. Then it is impossible not consider Roger Federer as the favorite to win the U.S. Open. All he has done this year is win the French, Wimbledon and break Pete Sampras' record for major titles. So as good as all these guys are playing, until someone beats Federer, he is my favorite."
ESPN2 coverage of the U.S. Open will be extensive, with more than 100 hours planned. Viewers also can catch the action on broadband at ESPN360.
Things to look out for starting Thursday, Aug. 27, will be coverage of the U.S. Open brackets on ESPNEWS at noon with former ABC-7 reporter Chris McKendry. Then, starting Monday, match coverage begins daily from 1 p.m. through 6 p.m. The night matches start at 7 p.m.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
