John McEnroe cuts short Federer interview, hugs him
Holy Goolagong!
At least youngish sports fans now know how and why tennis was a huge deal in the early 1980s.
What more do you need to know about Sunday's Wimbledon final than that NBC's John McEnroe repeatedly called it the best match he ever has seen?
The fact he cut short his chat with Roger Federer afterward and hugged the fallen champion served as a memorable exclamation point . . . even though that approach is not precisely how journalism schools teach interviewers to behave after big news events.
(Click below for quotes from McEnroe and Ted Robinson that NBC sent.)
MCENROE POST MATCH: "This is the greatest match I've ever seen."
*McEnroe also said, "This has got to be the greatest match we've ever seen. EVER."
MCENROE POST MATCH: "How lucky we are to be here."
TED ROBINSON POST MATCH: "It is official, a changing of the guard at Wimbledon and a new champion, Rafa Nadal."
"BREAKFAST AT WIMBLEDON" STARTED AT 9 A.M. ET. SEVEN HOURS LATER AT 4 P.M. ET:
ROBINSON: "This is now our mid-afternoon nosh at Wimbledon."
MCENROE: "Dinner at Wimbledon."
ROBINSON: "They don't just bring out the best in each other, they bring out Superman in each other."
MCENROE ON FEDERER'S FOREHAND: "One of the best if not THE best in the history of tennis."
MCENROE AT 4-4 IN FIFTH SET: "Do these guys look even remotely tired?"
MCENROE ON FEDERER/NADAL FINALS: "We're going to be seeing this every year...unless a guy 7-feet comes along who hits aces."
ON A BALL BLOWN BY THE WIND:
Ted Robinson: "Look at what the wind did to that ball."
McEnroe: "Phil Niekro was in the house. Knuckleball."
ON A CALL THAT NADAL CHALLENGED AND WON (BARELY):
McEnroe: "He's got a great set of eyes."
Robinson: "That's the best set of eyes since yours (McEnroe's) as umpires all over the world would attest."
McEnroe: "I owe you one." (joking)
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Comments (14)
Johnny Mac was over his head on the post match interviews, though I enjoyed his commentary during the match.
Bud Collins, where art thou?
I thought the post-game was far from journalistic, but when I see McEnroe, I don't expect journalism. I expect to see a former player and former champion talking tennis, and that's exactly what we got. It was a great moment when he actually connected with Federer, because of the mutual respect they share, as opposed to some journalism major who looks good on TV asking the same tired questions year after year.
Good times.
McEnroe became personal during his post round interview with Federer and should have refrained from the idolism and adoration and "come to daddy and give me a hug" gesture.
McEnroe should stick to his game analysis and leave the interviewing which requires journalistic un-biasness to someone else.
Strike 1 McEnroe....
ashley
Bud Collins inexplicably fired from NBC after Wimbledon last year I believe. Now carries water for ESPN with Luc Jensen.
i googled this topic because i was aghast at mcenroe's post match interview - but mike makes a valid point. Nice for something different to happen for a change. I still wonder if hugging federer made him feel better or patronized?...
i googled this topic because i was aghast at mcenroe's post match interview - but mike makes a valid point. Nice for something different to happen for a change. I still wonder if hugging federer made him feel better or patronized?...
......ditto previous comments,
"McEnroe should stick to his game analysis and leave the interviewing which requires journalistic un-biasness to someone else."
who cares if he hugged him during the post game interview? didnt he play in one of the best matches ever on centre court? of course the player came out at that point. who cares about post games interviews anyway? what do you people expect barbara walters? its typical mcenroe. he did whatever came to mind.
Federer should have responded "You CANNOT be serious."
I googled this because I thought it was interesting too, but I thought Federer seemed like he didn't really want a hug, and Mcenroe thought he was doing a nice gesture, but he was really over the top. I couldn't sense a connection between the two of them at all. It was good comentary from him though, but the hug was way too awkrard.
John McEnroe embarassed himself and worse, he embarassed Federer. NBC should have someone else do the post game interview. I'm sure McEnroe would love to compete against Federer and Nadal, but he needn't patronize them. Greatess match ever, I don't think so. Very good match, sure, dramatic, competitive. I've seen better matches at Wimbledon and the Flushing Meadows from Connors, Samprass, Borg, Agassi and even McEnroe. Mac, stay in the booth.
I think Mac's game commentary was insightful and informative. The post game interview, I thought it was good of him to be sensitive and cut the interview short. But it was not necessary to give him a hug, which I think was a little too much "sensitivity" from one champion to another. Federer is a big boy, and he can deal with it, however hard it might be. Atleast he can look on the 12 grandslams that he has already won!
In response to Tour de Farce, apparently you are not a fan of McEnroe...we get it...but stating that he embarrassed Fed? How would you know? And you think this was only a 'very good match'. What match were you watching? Not the same one the rest of us were obviously.
If you don't like the Mac interview, blame the network. They picked a wild card guy to do the interview and, guess what, he was himself. Mac did what you could almost predict he would do considering the circumstances. He had been thru the exact same emotional rollercoaster ride himself. Probably more than anyone on the planet, Mac could relate to what Fed was feeling, and the idea that he was behind a mike at that moment he wanted to hug Fed just might have been the furthurest thing from his mind.
I don't usually put in my two cents on these websites, but a pet peeve of mine has always been the bubble breaker, the balloon popper, the nay sayer, who, no matter how great an event we just witnessed, has to find a way to dampen the spirit and diminish the glow of the achievement. Tour de Farce's comments rub me the wrong way; he/she has the right to his/her own opinion, but what is the point? What is the need, in the afterglow of this terrific match, to find a way to be negative about it? I just don't get why some folks have a need to do this...I really don't. Fifty years from now, we will still be talking about this match.
don't know how to hyperlink stuff, but here is the video of this spectacle...
http://ballhype.com/video/mcenroe_federer/