Readers Brush Up on French Open Thoughts

Label me “madder ‘n hell, and I’m not going to take it any more.” I just turned off the French Open after the opening set. Why? NBC has just set back TV journalism and sportsmanship 50 years. Why? John McEnroe.

You talk about the Murphy Brown incident a la Dan Quayle. How can we justify to our youth glorifying this guy on the team of Bud Tucker and Dick Enberg? Here’s a lousy sport who has abused tennis officials-linesmen, umpires, and referees; cursed fans and photographers; gotten thrown out of Australia for disgusting behavior; and, most recently, picked up another $7,500 fine for racket abuse, etc., in this tournament. And he still warrants recognition?

I don’t care if he is a Stanford graduate, or even had he been a Rhodes scholar. A good vocabulary and the ability to analyze and play the game of tennis does not cancel out his track record. The more I see of him, the more I think of Chrissie Evert--what beautiful conduct and ladylike performances with nary a black mark.

BOB PITTSFORD

Carlsbad