Is there a sport with worse announcers than tennis? They drive me insane. First, they combine the drama of Olympic figure skaters, with rambling stories that are not related to the match and they don't have a clue what play-by-play means. At least tell us if its in or out on the close calls. We've watched quite a few times where we're guessing, but we don't know until the score is updated. Baseball announcers will talk about the pitch being a fastball, curveball, etc enough that viewers can pick it out on tv if you pay enough attention. Tennis announcers don't talk about the type of shots made. They're also the most critical announcers. SportsCenter showed highlights of a match (Federer-Djokovic?) where the announcers kept saying: This is pitiful. This is ugly. I didn't see the match, so I acknowledge that it could have really been an ugly match, but that's pretty typical of them to berate the players (usually, just one, they praise the other). I appreciate honesty, but there's a difference between an honest analysis of a player and constantly and mercilessly bashing someone.

The Australian Open Final was extra-annoying with the constant talk about Tsonga and how Tsonga looked like Ali. Then they used a boxing analogy at every possible turn (we're going to have a knockout, throw some left jabs, this is definitely going to be a TKO, etc). When both players had a great rally, they'd only compliment Tsonga. I went in to the match liking both players (I don't watch tennis all the time, so I've only seen each one play a couple of times before Sunday) and had to fight off hating Tsonga just out of knee-jerk reaction to the way the announcers were drooling over him and wouldn't complement Djokovic until he'd taken the lead and they decided they better hedge their bets. Even then, the compliments seemd forced and never reached the level of god-like adoration they praised on Tsonga.

Okay, I'm done with my rant for now.

carillo sucks, shriver sucks, enberg is WAY past his prime (not that he was ever great to begin with), and bud collins is pretty much non-existant now. the only people who are worth listening to are john and pat mcenroe, cahill, and courier. mary-joe fernandez is pretty much the only tolerable woman.

that said, tennis coverage on tv is a much different animal than most other sports, and places way more emphasis on commentary than play by play. there is no reason to tell everyone that federer just hit a kick serve, because by the time you have done that there have already been a return, a half volley, and a lob. constant comments on every shot hit would get annoying in a 25 shot rally.

i agree that the fake drama, all the talk about fashion and glamor, and special interest pieces that have become the norm in recent years are ridiculous.

Agassi was awesome the one time he was in the booth for the US Open. Courier brings a big bag of nothing. Pat Mac is pretty decent.

courier is a little cocky and some people think he is too controversial at times, but you can't deny that he knows his stuff.

i am looking forward to gimmelstob eventually making it into the booth. he has personality but not sure if the execs will like him always playing "class clown."

todd martin would be excellent, IMO, but he has a lot of other stuff on his plate.

I like jonny mac