Bud Collins passes away at 86

[gzhpcu]

http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/en/med...collins-passes

Arthur “Bud” Collins, a journalist, tennis historian and one of the most influential figures in the sport of tennis, passed away this morning, March 4, at the age of 86. He was a fixture for decades at the BNP Paribas Open, and he will be missed in Indian Wells – both this year and for years to come.

He'll be missed... hitching up with Vic Braden up there...

[stotty]

Bud

I don't know much about Bud as he never featured on any British commentaries. He seemed like a bit of a card the bits and bobs I saw of him. Was he knowledgeable about players and the game? Did he have respect in this regard? His dress sense seemed eccentric?

[klacr]

I am just getting back from Washington DC and missed this news while I was gone. He had a knack to wear wild pants, but what was more extravagant than his pants was his knowledge of the game and its rich history of the sport. The relationship and respect he gained from the players and fellow journalists was unmatched. Bud's love for tennis and to share great tennis stories was legendary.

Tennis has lost another legend.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

The Pants made the Man…Bud Collins

I don't know much about Bud as he never featured on any British commentaries. He seemed like a bit of a card the bits and bobs I saw of him. Was he knowledgeable about players and the game? Did he have respect in this regard? His dress sense seemed eccentric?

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/04/bud-collins-tennis-authority-print-and-dies/9Yl6HbTvGJrEQB4IRT20vL/story.html

He was a character…no doubt about it. I wonder if he and Vic Braden might have been great friends. They both seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Both seemingly jovial and entertainers to the bone.

I was brought up on Bud Collins but I think when it comes down to it I would have preferred the staid commentators of the British. Bud made tennis so American.

As a tennis historian he may have been unparalleled. His commentary was probably lost on the not so informed among his listeners. He was a master of the oblique and the obscure. Apparently he was a pretty darned good player as well…at least in mixed doubles. He won a national U. S. title and I believe he was a finalist at the French as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i23SDmUtOGE

He was sort of a hot dog in a way. His flashy and outlandish attire screaming look at me. His commentary showy and show offish. I wonder if he didn't sometimes rub the players the wrong way although every one of them wanted to be interviewed by him. I love that interview with him and the young John McEnroe. He is skewering young Johnny before he doesn't show up for an interview and then suddenly there he is and Collins has egg all over his face. Bud to his credit doesn't miss a beat and offers for McEnroe to hit him over the head. The interview turns into a memorable classic.

During the course of Bud Collins career he found his deal fatalistically entwined with that of John McEnroe. When Bjorn Borg disappeared John McEnroe was left with a void in his professional life that could not be filled. The same might be said of John for Bud…John had a special place in Bud's heart. More than professionally speaking. The earlier interview was of a blossoming McEnroe…here we see him in decline. Bud certainly makes him seem all the more human.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlwUI3Hzz4g

The "Breakfast at Wimbledon" was a yearly performance. He must have really geared up for this spectacle. Like I said…some of it was too over the top. But it endured and it ushered in the era of Open tennis and it hung around forever. But forever never lasts forever…now he has passed into the next world. Rest in peace Bud Collins. I wonder what kind of pants they buried him in.

[bottle]

The more of these interviews you-all put up, the less easy it is to put any credence in forum posts that use the noun "hole" to describe such big personalities in the game. (Why make any distinction among the body orifices?)

We all have a capacity for reactionism but how often is it a good idea to give in to it? I can remember a time when I liked John McEnroe less than I do right now, but the interview with the three of them-- McEnroe, Collins and Connors-- is, frankly, quite fabulous, as is "John McEnroe vs. Charlie Rose" which in my computer effortlessly follows.

Look at the pensive Collins knowing when to sit back and not get in the way. And the pensiveness of both Connors and McEnroe along with a surprising number of good laughs. And the totally relaxed nature of all three guys indicating that each is at home.

This was great stuff for a Sunday morning. Thanks. Also, DENNIS RALSTON'S TENNIS WORKBOOK just jumped out of the mailbox.

[don_budge]

Amen…to Bud Collins

Look at the pensive Collins knowing when to sit back and not get in the way. And the pensiveness of both Connors and McEnroe along with a surprising number of good laughs. And the totally relaxed nature of all three guys indicating that each is at home.

That's right John. Explosive personalities on the court aside this interview gives another look into the inner workings of great tennis players. It is a selfish endeavor as they admit…but they are human beings. They have their emotional problems and physical maladies just like you and I.

I like that interview with young McEnroe after Bud has been bashing him about not showing up and then suddenly he's there. The candour and sense of humour he exhibits at such a young age belies his years.

I grew up on Bud Collins. His personality sometimes matched his pants. He was a bit loud and excitable as well. His love for the game was unquestionable and he came into his own when sports in general were transitioning between solely sports into sports as "entertainment". He was often the bridge between the two eras and it defined his role in the sport. Even more so than Vic Braden I think although I am beginning to become a bit more acquainted with Braden and his role.

Vic Braden and Bud Collins were two personalities that were somewhat larger in life. I found them to be a bit loud and just a little too gregarious on the air at times. But beneath their public personnas they were human as their passing away within a year of each other further demonstrates. I guess we can thank God for their contributions…both had their roots in Classic tennis which speaks largely on their behalf as well.

Amen...

[stotty]

Thanks for the insight into Bud Collins, don_budge.

I like the way Bud took McEnroe showing up late in his stride. He backtracked perfectly, didn't he? Taking things in your stride is a great quality to have.

The interview was tightly spaced. By that I mean the three men were almost knocking their elbows together. I think this had a positive affect. McEnroe relaxed quickly and the interview soon became friendly and intimate. It's interesting how a simple thing like a setting can change a dynamic.

About 5:10 McEnroe says: "My serve was going well so I went with it...maybe next week I'll have different serve" bottle must have loved that comment.

Like bottle says, Bud was a good interviewer because he knows when to get out of the way.

He seemed like a commentator who might need the expertise of others to interject during matches. He seems a people man more than tennis expert. These are
just my initial thoughts...not sure I would trust his insights or tennis knowledge for some reason...but could be completely wrong.

[JeffMac]

Raconteur and Expert!

What an interesting and flamboyant person. A true tennis expert! He was kind and generous enough to endorse my first book Two-Handed Tennis. This really helped me because it gave my book added credibility. He did it enthusiastically (and for nothing! $), not necessarily because he liked the book so much (although he said he did! and I have to take him at his word), but certainly because he was a tireless promotor of all things tennis.

He had much in common with both Braden, and Billie Jean King. Pied Pipers who constantly preached their passion for the game. I'm sad. RIP. Braden and Collins.

Thanks for the insight into Bud Collins, don_budge.

I like the way Bud took McEnroe showing up late in his stride. He backtracked perfectly, didn't he? Taking things in your stride is a great quality to have.

The interview was tightly spaced. By that I mean the three men were almost knocking their elbows together. I think this had a positive affect. McEnroe relaxed quickly and the interview soon became friendly and intimate. It's interesting how a simple thing like a setting can change a dynamic.

About 5:10 McEnroe says: "My serve was going well so I went with it...maybe next week I'll have different serve" bottle must have loved that comment.

Like bottle says, Bud was a good interviewer because he knows when to get out of the way.

He seemed like a commentator who might need the expertise of others to interject during matches. He seems a people man more than tennis expert. These are
just my initial thoughts...not sure I would trust his insights or tennis knowledge for some reason...but could be completely wrong.