John McEnroe was a big name in tennis back in the 70's & 80's, but known more for throwing tantrums on the court than winning championships. In recent years, McEnroe has mellowed some, but remains as outspoken as ever. Unfortunately, his mouth has gotten him in trouble again.
With the US Open starting on Monday, McEnroe, in a conference call on Friday, made some ill-advised remarks about the women's game, according to an article that appeared in today's New York Daily News. What earns McEnroe the dunce cap is that his broadcast partner, and one-time mixed doubles partner, Mary Carillo, was in on the call with him. That should make for some interesting dynamics in the booth when coverage begins on ESPN on Monday.
You see, McEnroe believes that today's female players don't have the toughness to endure a heavy schedule of tournaments. Watch. By tomorrow, he'll claim his remarks were taken out of context. Either that, or some enterprising soul will try to arrange a battle of the sexes exhibition match to exploit the situation to its maximum degree, a la Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King way back in 1973. Fact of the matter is, McEnroe was out of line here, not just with a mouth fault, if you will, but not having enough sense to check his opinions at the door.
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