2010 Wimbledon TV Schedule – ESPN, NBC

Somehow the broadcasts always seem more enjoyable with the volume on mute, as I rarely ever agree with anything the commentators say.

Can anyone stand Brad Gilbert?

June 19th, 2010 at 12:22 pm

I’m always at least interested in what former top players turned coach have to say.

June 19th, 2010 at 2:20 pm

Gilbert is the best.

June 19th, 2010 at 2:36 pm

I’m irritated beyond belief by the constant yakking during points. Do the commentators get paid by the word? Too bad they can’t extend the same courtesy and respect to the players that is expected of all of the spectators. We can SEE what’s going on!!! My favorite commentator experience: Years ago, watching the BBC in a London hotel. Steffi Graf, serving. Not a word was uttered, even between serves, until the end of the point. Then, “That’s done it!” Until Pam, Mary Jo, Brad, John, etc., etc. shut up, I’ll continue to always use the mute button, although I wish I didn’t have to. I am not the only one with this opinion, either! Regarding women’s fashion: Some, horribly ugly, too tight, too short, too much exposed skin (has anyone heard about melanoma?) or inappropriate fabrics. The men’s styles are much better: loose, longer shorts, and T-shirts. I vote “No” on muscle shirts for the same reason-cover your skin! Shaved heads: use sunscreen like crazy! Hats are better than caps–need to cover ears. Sunglasses, too. How many ex-competitors have Melanoma?

June 19th, 2010 at 3:23 pm

I am just wondering how can we make the people at Wimbledon understand the constant yapping by the commentators during the matches has to stop if they want the ratings to continue to rise. I love tennis and always look forward to Wimbledon but,several of the commentators are driving me away because they comment on every little thing and it’s very annoying. Good commentators knows that’s not needed. Plus, it’s unnecessay talking. We should not have to mute our TV’s all because commentators don’t know how to zip it. Martina Navratilova is the worse to me because she will comment on every little thing and continue on like she’s the energizer battery. Plus, it’s hard to understand what she’s saying which makes it worst. I think this is the worst group of commentators I’ve seen for tennis and you would think the sponsors would see this is a issue and get someone else or send these people back to school. I really feel ripped off because I’m paying extra to have these channels. Also, tennis need to have guidelines on the type of fashion that can be worn on court if you are playing because unfortunately, the attire has become outrageous, inappropriate and way out of control for the women. The shorts,skirts, whatever the women are wearing are too short or it exposes too much. Underware is called underware for a reason. Come to play tennis, wear decent clothing for matches and leave inappropriateness off the court.

June 19th, 2010 at 11:30 pm

I use my mute button as much as anyone else, especially for John. Attire – Wimbledon is the most conservative of the Opens and the attire does not bother me. An effort needs to be put forth on the line judging and scoring so what happened a couple of years ago doesn’t happen again. Attire does not compare to a score or line error of that magnitude. Now, if you can just get Nadal to stop his personal habit … I’d really appreciate it. The cameras make an effort not to show it, but it is constant and before every serve. I wonder how many bets are placed on how many times he will ‘perform’ every match?

June 20th, 2010 at 8:00 am

I enjoy watching and are ‘glued to’ all of the opens and have no qualms regarding the chit chat of commentators..who have definite professional personalities. Yes, some players have their ‘guirks’ and the only one I was dissappointed in was the outrageous outift worn by Venis Williams at the French Open in 2010.

June 20th, 2010 at 11:11 am

Like everybody else here, I could not stand the constant yapping of the US tennis commentators. If I can get through one major tournament without hearing Mary Carillo’s voice, I would be very happy. I remember when Wimbledon was covered by HBO when commentating was kept to a minimum. I think they had British commentators, like Virginia Wade.

June 20th, 2010 at 12:47 pm

you guys who mute TV when watching tennis, how do you enjoy that? I need to hear the ball to enjoy the match…I agree about commentators constant yapping, its very annoying but most of the time i just have to live it..sadly :(

June 20th, 2010 at 1:01 pm

I appreciate the men’s tennis commentary a lot, actually. Both McEnroes are very insightful and so is Brad Gilbert. I also like Mary Carillo’s commentary.

June 20th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

Perhaps if enough people comment on it, the commentators will respect the players/viewers and refrain from comment during the point.

June 20th, 2010 at 2:15 pm

i liked radio RG last year and would mute TV to listen to “Eli” and a british commentator.

matt cronin was annoying this year. he drowns out everyone commentating with his non-stop personal stories. but he wasn’t bad for the semi’s and finals.

i prefer radio wimbledon in general to ESPN and US network commentating.

wimbledon radio does a great job of covering not only center court but all the courts.

i mute the TV or stream and have the radio turned up on my laptop.

June 20th, 2010 at 2:18 pm

david says – “I also like Mary Carillo’s commentary.” lol david. you are probably the only one.

June 20th, 2010 at 3:25 pm

cahill is great.

my biggest complaints are when coverage goes to network the second week….you miss so much due to commercials, the yapping accelerates and i still have not forgiven the old guy who kept talking and cut delPo short on his spanish thank-you to friends in argentina.

i like to watch the players during changeovers and livestreams are better than either ESPN2 or network for that.

June 20th, 2010 at 4:33 pm

I agree. Gilbert is a flip flopping buffoon. I prefer Jim Courier. He’s direct, resonably eloquent and he doesn’t pull any punches. And unlike many of the commentators spewing away, he knows what it takes to win a major.

June 20th, 2010 at 4:40 pm

I don’t mute the sound on my TV all the time. I keep the sound on when they show the players. As soon as they focus the camera on the commentators, I hit the mute button immediately (especially if it is Mary Carillo). I end up seeing faces yapping away with no sound coming out of their mouths. This makes them look like buffoons and causes me to laugh heartily. Even my wife enjoys this part and joins me in laughing at them.

June 20th, 2010 at 6:56 pm

You are all full of negative sh#%@. None of you must play tennis. Go watch old tennis classics and see how boring they were. As for fashion you must all be old gas. Todays players are better looking, in better shape and should strut their stuff! Go watch bowling!

June 21st, 2010 at 12:10 pm

I do play a lot of tennis, as well as watch a lot of it on TV — I think the commentators are getting a bit of a clue to stop talking while the players are actually playing, thank goodness, but there is far too much yakkety yak by all the talking heards during the broadcast, especially on espn — today, I fast forwarded the espn coverage forty minutes of chit chat/analysis before there was any actual play – that’s is just absurd! keep carillo, maybe fernandez, johnny mac for the finals, and we can all live without the rest….

June 21st, 2010 at 5:34 pm

oops! I meant to say (in my above comment) keep Cahill – NOT carillo — she drives me nuts!

June 21st, 2010 at 5:36 pm

Don’t understand why everybody has such a problem with Mary Carillo. She’s an excellent commentator with a great disposition, and she yaks less than any of them by far.

June 21st, 2010 at 7:33 pm

TOTALLY AGREE ,,,,, IF THESE SO CALLED COMMENTATORS WERE PART OF THE AUDIENCE COURT SIDE, FOREVER RABBITING ON ON AND ON,, THEY’D BE REMOVED NEVER TO RETURN ,,, UNLESS THEY COULD PROMISE TO KEEP QUIET, ( WHICH SO FAR SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE) AND LET EVERYONE ELSE “WATCH” THE BEST TENNIS IN THE WORLD … PLEASE KEEP QUIET !! OR AS AMERICANS SAY “PUT A SOCK IN IT”.
PLEASE SEND THESE COMMENTS TO THE PRODUCERS AT ESPN AND NBC …
THANK YOU,
R

June 21st, 2010 at 8:32 pm

I agree that there is too much commentary. I don’t appreciate their personal opinions about the players, especially the negative ones. Patrick McEnroe seems to bash Roger Federer every opportunity he gets and promotes Nadal.

June 21st, 2010 at 11:37 pm

I think John and Mary are the best. Their commentaries are interesting and insightful, and unlike several commentators, they know what they’re talking about. I do agree we could do without the second week commercials.

June 22nd, 2010 at 2:29 am

I agree there is too much chatter but the one that irritates me the most is Luke Jensen. That’s when I mute my tv..

June 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 am

Oh yeah, I agree the “costumes” are horrid..

June 22nd, 2010 at 9:24 am

I am p#*%&d wimbledon on espn2 just went to espnu. who gets espnu?? I wish the tennis channel could just have it all and let the espn channels have golf.

June 22nd, 2010 at 9:39 am

ABrossman, TV stations in the USA do not have respect for tennis and its fans. This is why we get this kind of shabby TV coverage. And commentators like Mary Carillo. Crap, pure unadulterated crap.

June 22nd, 2010 at 9:50 am

The Tennis Channel will also provide a nightly taped highlight show.

June 22nd, 2010 at 5:13 pm

I get ESPNU & I’m watching, so I don’t care who’s talking

June 23rd, 2010 at 2:47 pm

Isner Mahut are still in the 5th. Forgetr the talk, enjoy tennis

June 23rd, 2010 at 2:48 pm

I couldn’t agree more about the yapping commentators. It’s NONSTOP. Mary Carillo loves to hear herself speak. It’s torture. How does she have a job?

June 23rd, 2010 at 6:44 pm

Yes, the mute button is VERY handy, esp during the match between Li Na and Nara that I am now watching. The female commentator is not only rude, but biased and unkind! She’s not the first one I’ve heard who is like there…

I watched an earlier match and it had Davenport and some guy commentating and it was actually a JOY to listen to their comments.

June 24th, 2010 at 2:46 pm

I agree with Brossman & all the others who want Tennis Channel to show slams – we need to contact Tennis Channel and have them partner with NBC. Let’s do it before the next World Cup. I think Cahill is spot on with his insightful commentary. Is there a channel available to watch BBC coverage? All tennis fans – let’s start movement for Tennis Channel to handle the slams so we’ll have a reliable channel to go to!

June 25th, 2010 at 11:51 am

John is the best commentator….and his brother is not bad.

The worst offense of all by the commentators is talking about anything other than tennis.
I don’t want to hear about what they had for dinner.
PLEASE skip interviewing “celebrities” unless they are the retired tennis players.

June 26th, 2010 at 3:38 pm

I believe the networks will only respond to economic pressure, so, I propose that all those who are unhappy with current tournament coverage should commit to not supporting the corporations buying advertisement coverage (not the sponsors) until there is a significant change in the way those events are covered.

June 26th, 2010 at 11:19 pm

I too get tired of the chattering…..sometimes there is too much information. but the thing that really annoys me is the screeching from Sharapova & a couple of others…that’s when I use thre remote.

June 27th, 2010 at 4:04 pm

John McEnroe is the best. He’s knowledgeable with a sense of humor.

June 27th, 2010 at 5:21 pm

US tennis has little respect for our best – Andy Roddick. I am watching it now on my computer as ESPN/NBC will not show his match other than 5 minutes at a time and only if he is losing. They will show an entire Williams match without interruption and just about anybody but Roddick.

June 28th, 2010 at 12:29 pm

I’m going crazy trying to watch the matches. From ESPN2 to ESPNU to NBC. And today, which is supposed to be the biggest day of Wimbledon, there was no coverage between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. O.K. they say you can watch online – but I couldn’t make this work on my ipad. Are we missing the Querry/Murray match? So frustrating. I called ESPN and all they said was they didn’t have the license to televise between 8:00 and 10!!!! What. Who gives out the license? What’s this nonsense??
I love John McEnroe and Mary Carillo. Can’t imagine why some of you don’t. They’re the most informative, entertaining and interesting of any of the commentators. Also enjoy Pam Shriver.

June 28th, 2010 at 1:01 pm

Listen, I can understand you wanting to see Andy Roddick play; he is a good player. However, let’s be really clear Venus (5 Time Champ) and Serena ( 3 Time Champ and reigning Champ) Williams are Wimbledon champions as well as fellow Americans. When Andy wins the same number of slams as Venus and Serena then maybe they will should his matches in their entirety. By the way, the Williams Sisters won today and Roddick lost.

June 28th, 2010 at 6:41 pm

LOVE Mary Carillo, insightful,clever and knows tennis–she’s terrific! I really like the commentators (maybe Luke and Brad not so much).
Okay, maybe a bit less chatter from the commentators but really, all the screeching the females do, that is ANNOYING. but not much to be done about that.
It is crazy to keep switching channels! We get ESPNU thank goodness, of course this is the first time I even noticed we did.

June 29th, 2010 at 5:59 am

How can anybody stand the constant, meaningless and mostly irrelevant babbling of the sports casters?

June 29th, 2010 at 10:31 pm

Why don’t they show live matches? Don’t they understand that it is meaningless to watch taped matches unless someone is interested in taping them?
-hs

June 30th, 2010 at 3:51 am

The constant change of networks broadcasting and the constant chit chat of the commentators is very annoying. A little chit chat is ok but this year is way overboard. Trying to follow the matches from channel to channel is difficult at best. Some matches are cut off before they are finished like the match today between Federer and Berdych (sp) ?? What ?? Somebody at the top needs to reevaluate and make this a more professional program where the audience can actually watch the players play the game and not have hours of commentators talking about the games.

June 30th, 2010 at 12:26 pm

Someone please inform the commentators (who are doing a great job) that Rafa’s last name is pronounced “Nah Doll”; same “ah” sound as “Rafa”.

June 30th, 2010 at 2:25 pm

John McEnroe, Ted Robinson and Mary Carillo are EXCELLENT! I’ve been watching and listening for years (partly just because of them) and want to say THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU!!! I’m shocked and disgusted by all the obnoxious, uninformed, rude comments about them.(commentators aren’t supposed to talk???) Don’t watch or lisen to them then, there’s lots of other coverage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 30th, 2010 at 2:41 pm

Me oh my….complain complain. Commentating is part of EVERY SINGLE SPORT there is that’s worth watching. Unless you know it all, then listen up…you just might learn something. I say “Go Commentators!!!!”

June 30th, 2010 at 7:59 pm

Why are all you people so touchy & picky ?? We seem to be a bunch of whiners & complainers and spoiled, small people. Be glad you have eyes to see and ears to hear. Many people don’t.!!…..Just use the mute button OR go help feed some homeless people & don’t watch the fantastic tennis.

June 30th, 2010 at 8:34 pm

I’m astonished that so many people are concerned with the quality of the commentary and so few with the lack of commitment by NBC sports to provide live coverage of grand slam tournaments. Tennis fans on the west coast dread the second week of the slams. Having had the choice of as many as 6 courts (from Direct tv) in the early rounds, we are condemned to watching the quarters and semis in taped fragments, oftten hours after the results have been inescapably disseminated via other media. Does anyone know how many more years NBC will own the right to insult our sport and its followers and when they will cede that right to a broadcaster who takes tennis seriously?

June 30th, 2010 at 8:40 pm

Why is ESPN2 right now covering Roger losing match AGAIN, especially when there is a great mens doubles semifinals dogfight match going on.

July 1st, 2010 at 10:41 am

And why is Serena’s semi final match not being covered live by anyone??? We are watching reruns of old matches instead! That is just horrible. What’s with ESPN2 and NBC.

July 1st, 2010 at 11:27 am

Personally I love all the comments especially from Mary – she is comedic as well but knows her tennis or the researchers as well. The comments they make to me are really legitimate considering most or all of them have played in tournaments and know exactly how tennis has changed throughout the years even to the designing of tennis balls and racquets… My mom who is 97 years old loves to watch the tennis especially the Willaims’ sisters and now with the influx of these tall -tall drink of water tennis men on the scene the game becomes even more curious and evolved. I loved Mary’s comment on it was “Big Babe Tennis”… now “Big Boy tennis”… I happen to think these commenters keep the game alive and let it be so – we need a refreshment after all the doom and gloom of the news across the world…….Thank you and bon Jour——

July 1st, 2010 at 2:46 pm

One GIANT question! Why does the Tennis Channel keep announcing that they are the Home of the Slams when they don’t show a doggone one? Is that false advertising?

July 1st, 2010 at 8:34 pm

And they did it again today. Not showing Live Match with Nadal and Murray. NBC showing tape delay. What crummy coverage. All about bucks!

July 2nd, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Can anyone tell me how/why a win by Murray would be considered an English win? Isn’t Scotland and England two seperate countries? They keep putting the British flag on Murray’s side of the court at the beginning of play…….Scotland’s flag does not look like Great Britain’s. What’s the deal?

July 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 pm

I too get SO angry at the constant chatter of the tennis commentators during matches. I do not want to know what shot should have been played, or hear what tactics they would implement – I want to watch and enjoy the actual game. It’s no fun watching the match on mute.One commentator did actually stop in mid sentence during the ladies finals, while an ace was served. Thoughtful!!! Please make sure Mr Mcenroe, Tracy Austin etc. are made aware of just how irritating their ‘know it all comments are.

July 3rd, 2010 at 12:47 pm

Complain all you want, but in reality the commentators are all for the ratings and probably significantly raise them. Yes, I myself am a tennis player and a huge fan of watching the sport…But, those who don’t really care for the sport except in the biggest tournament need something to keep their attention because they definitely aren’t sitting and watching every point with the same excitement as some of us. Commentators provide some chit chat to entertain the majority of people in this category and give them somewhat idea of what’s going on currently and has happened in the past.

July 4th, 2010 at 3:08 am

I agree with Michael. The thing is, there is always some commentator you don’t like. In England – on the BBC, anyway – we have to put up with a dreadful man called Andrew Castle, dripping with oleaginousness.

Definition of a bad commentator – one who is doing it to promote himself. It’s almost impossible to hear a word from Castle without catching the sound of a man giving a performance. That’s horrible. The performance you are interested in is the tennis. So a good commentator, among other things, should be kind of invisible.

July 4th, 2010 at 5:50 am

I actually enjoy Brad Gilbert and the other commentators when they are in the booth. I appreciate their tennis knowledge and insight into the players. They also seem to have developed a nice rapport over the years. I would prefer that they comment before or after the point, but listen either way. However, there does not need to be a courtside commentator during a match. Why should a player have to endure the constant chatter? Pam Shriver bashed James Blake with endless negative comments while he was playing Haase in the 1st round of Wimbledon until he shouted up at her from the court! Everyone else is instructed to remain quiet and not to move about, but the commentators can yap on?? All courtside talk should be prohibited. As for the clothing and the squealing–I don’t want to see excessively baggy shorts or accentuated body parts. There needs to be a strict dress code so that those who cannot exercise appropriate discretion have a clear guide. Males and females should be neat and adequately covering the body parts. Also, the excessive grunting and squealing seems to be growing–let’s impose some noise restrictions. Why is there a loud squeal/grunt on a drop shot?? I do agree that there are occasions when some grunting is to be expected.

July 4th, 2010 at 9:18 am

Hannah Storm is a lovely and accomplished woman, but she is nearly unbearable with her smiley, smarmy, insider bearing on the recently completed Wimbledon coverage of ESPN. I thought the less glamorous, but very sharp and withit and without the fawning Chris What’shername who did the Aussie and a few other tennis tournaments was way better than Ms. Storm. Why must the physical appearance trump a very insightful and skilled host (who happens to not be bad looking either)? Bring Chris What’shername back!

July 5th, 2010 at 12:50 pm

We have all been amazed at Federer’s two between the legs strokes. The commentators refer to them quite often. Why haven’t they paid similar attention to the female player who managed the same feat? Since she (I don’t recall her name) has only managed one such stroke, she merits at least half as much kudos as has gone Federer’s way. So let’s hear our commentators, especially the ladies, give credit where it is due with all political and sports-person-like correctness.

September 7th, 2010 at 11:15 pm