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May 27, 2012

What do you think of ESPN's U.S. Open coverage?

by Bob Sassone, posted Sep 3rd 2009 6:03PM

ESPN2I was really disappointed when it was announced last year that USA Network would no longer be the network for The U.S. Open. ESPN (actually, ESPN2, to be specific) has the rights to the U.S. Open and the other three Grand Slam tournaments. It scared me a little though. Would their coverage be as well done and entertaining as USA's?

I really shouldn't have worried.

While the first day was kind of a horror show in many aspects (the microphones must have failed 100 times throughout the day - at one point the action on the screen was several seconds behind what the sound was), the coverage has actually been good. I'm not sure if they're covering as many matches as USA did (seems like they're sticking with one match and not showing much of other matches that might be going on at the same time), but it's been good so far.

It's really not too different from USA's coverage, other than not having Ted Robinson (the biggest downside to this being on ESPN), a slightly later start time, and that damn crawl at the bottom of the screen. The tone is pretty much the same though, they have poll questions, good camera work and interviews, and John McEnroe is there with analysis.

I could do with less Hannah Storm and Mike Tirico, but the McEnroe brothers, Cliff Drysdale, Pam Shriver, Mary Jo Fernandez, and Chris Fowler are worth listening to. Heck, even Brad Gilbert is beginning to grow on me. Brad Gilbert will never grow on me though. I really wish Jim Courier was back (he'll do CBS coverage).

What do you think?

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14 Comments

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TrueLiz

I love ESPN's tennis coverage, and with Tennis Channel providing morning items week one and the evening broadcasts on the weekend when CBS cut out for the day, plus the 6 channels on DirecTV, I could pretty much find any match I wanted to see, and had no concern about wrestling superceding the tennis, or having to watch an hour of Law & Order in the middle of the afternoon rather than other matches going on elsewhere on the grounds, which were a regular part of USA Network broadcasts.

I sorta miss Ted Robinson, except he is on the Tennis Channel coverage, so I still see him there. My mom misses Tracy Austin, but I love all the ESPN announcers (John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Chris Fowler, Mary Joe Fernandez, Darren Cahill, Brad Gilbert, Bud Collins, Mary Carillo as long as she doesn't whisper as I want to stab her then, Pam Shriver & my favorite Cliffy Drysdale) and can handle Mike Tirico working the desk, which allows Chris Fowler to call matches, which he clearly enjoys doing & doesn't get to do much in London or Paris.

However, I really miss Michael Barkann. While K-Man says his post-match interviews were a trainwreck (Ted didn't do post-match interviews, so he had to mean Barkann), I thought his player interviews & crowd interviews, as well as fun little stories broadcast in down times, were something that made the US Open more fun to watch than the other slams.

Barkann definitely got the Williams sisters to give better pre-match interviews than anyone on ESPN or CBS has done so far, and he was the one who introduced the New York crowd to Novak Djokovic's player imitations in 2007, and got the crowd to lighten up on him in 2008 after his Roddick comments, which opened the door for Darren Cahill getting Djoko to do the Johnny Mac impersonation this year.

I loved the stories Michael Barkann did on the grounds throughout the tournament, and I loved his personality through it all. I was very disappointed that no other network picked him up for this year, but I'm guessing it has something to do with his regular job & contract with Comcast Sports Philadelphia, who probably doesn't share well with ESPN. Getting Michael Barkann back for 2010 is the only thing I would need to make the coverage perfect, but this has definitely been the most comprehensive coverage of the US Open that I've seen. (And thank heavens NBC doesn't have any rights to this one or we'd be seeing all these matches on tape delay after the Today Show & Rachel Ray...)

September 10 2009 at 7:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bob Sassone

Yvonne: you can watch live coverage at usopen.org or espn360.com.

September 06 2009 at 12:01 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Bob Sassone's comment
YVONNE

Bob:

That is not the point. I have a 50 inch HD television for my viewing entertainment and would like to relax and watch the matches. I went to ESPN360, as you had recommended, and lo and behold it is NOT on my ISP, Cablevision and I have to send a request to Cablevision in order for it to be carried. What kind of nonsense is that when last year, I just sat down, relaxed and turned on the television? Now, I have to sit in front of a computer (usopen.org) just to watch tennis matches that were enjoyed last year in the relaxing surroundings of my living room. This is ridiculous. Bring back USA networks for coverage. If ESPN can provide the same kind of coverage, they should have never bid for the rights to broadcast the US Open.

September 06 2009 at 2:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
YVONNE

WHERE IS THE EVENING US OPEN COVERAGE by ESPN?

What happened? Why outbid USA networks for the US Open and not broadcast the tennis matches? This outrageous and unacceptable. Am I the only really upset of the lack of evening coverage of the US Open on Saturday and Sunday. This really sucks!!

September 05 2009 at 9:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to YVONNE's comment
K Man

agreed. very annoying to have to sit with my 13" laptop rather than 42" plasma. and that tennis channel team couldn't be worse. aren't there enough espn channels that they can throw it on somewhere?

don't miss ted robinson one bit. those interviews he did during matches as well as those with the players afterwards were trainwrecks.

September 06 2009 at 10:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cathy

I miss the trio of Johnny Mac, Ted Robinson, and Tracy Austin.

September 05 2009 at 12:00 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Annie

I'm missing Ted Robinson. The coverage has been OK on ESPN, but without Ted and John (Turico -- please?! he has no chemistry with John) it falls short!

September 04 2009 at 6:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sezzhu

I happen to enjoy Brad Gilberts comments and IMHO is he is the best of all of them. Sorry John, you were my fav. but Gilbert brings an insiders dimension that the others either do not have or are unwilling to use. I wish he could
call all the matches.

September 04 2009 at 4:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Sezzhu's comment
oakjoan

I really like Brad Gilbert, Bud Collins, Pam Schreiber and especially Darren Cahill. I also agaree about Jim Courrier. Don't mind Mike T. or Mary Carillo. I used to love her, but she's getting too much like Dick Enberg...trying too hard to be eloquent.

Johnny Mac drives me nuts! He NEVER STOPS BLATHERING ON AND ON AND ON. Hannah Storm - meh.

Cliff Drysdale, a pontificating suckup but not as hideously awful as DICK ENBERG!!!! Aghhhhhhh! Aghhhh! I expect music to swell up whenever he speaks. He's SOOOOO over amazed and thrilled by it all.

September 12 2009 at 8:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kls

PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!! Brad Gilbert is driving us crazy!!
Not particularly insightful; believes his schtick is much more clever than it actually is .... In contrast there is Martina Navritilova and a nice surprise in Jimmy Connors! Yes, Jimmy Connors. Serious, informative coverage with just enough levity. Please get the want-to-be actors/commedians on the sidelines for occasional appearances and utilize the other great talents in addition to above like Mary Carrillo, Mary Jo Fernandez, Pat Mcenroe, etc.
THANK YOU !!!

September 04 2009 at 3:13 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jim Sparks

I imagine the ESPN coverage will be OK until all of the Americans are eliminated. Then they will lose interest, as usual. It is beyond me why they refuse to give scores of the matches since they broadcast the damn stuff.

September 03 2009 at 10:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
payme

Gilbert blows, but otherwise seems good.

September 03 2009 at 9:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
sooziefree

Brad Gilbert isn't growing on me...yuck. So cutesie with all his "insider" abbreviations and phrases. He sounds like the sports commentators version of a "Valley Girl". Enough already of Brad Gilbert.

September 03 2009 at 8:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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