I am not sure if this email will reach the right people but I just wanted to express my deep disappointment and disgust with the commentary during the Wimbledon semifinal aired yesterday, Thursday July 6, 2006. I was wholly unable to enjoy the match due to the unprofessional and venomous verbal attacks consistently doled out by Mary Carillo and, to a lesser extent, by John McEnroe. Mind you that I have always been quite fond of Mary Carillo's commentary but it seems that in the last few years she has made a habit of bashing female players. First it began with her consistently bashing the Williams sisters and now her new favorite target is Justine Henin-Hardenne. Unfortunately, as a viewer who admires and enjoys Justine's game I am forced to listen to Mary Carillo's unprofessional vitriol. Apparently, several tennis players already refuse to interview with Carillo, including Andre Agassi and the Williams sisters.
I want to ask Mary to please learn to move on and comport herself respectfully and professionally. Those of us who are viewing have feelings too. I am deeply offended by her venomous comments. Truly, it makes me not even want to watch the NBC coverage and just wait to watch the match on ESPN2.
What horrible thing did Mary say and why didn't you cite any specifics in your letter of complaint? If I were NBC, specifics would be the first thing I would look for in such a letter. As for some players not talking to Mary, you didn't say how you know this. Is this from first hand, personal information. Because I sincerely doubt that if you asked Venus or Serena Williams and Andre Agassi, they would say they are not talking to Mary Carillo.
There isn't a Manager at NBC who knows who Justine Henin is. Though they've heard of "venus" and "serena" they probably thought the "Williams Sisters" was a black cabaret act you were referring to.
What horrible thing did Mary say and why didn't you cite any specifics in your letter of complaint? If I were NBC, specifics would be the first thing I would look for in such a letter. As for some players not talking to Mary, you didn't say how you know this. Is this from first hand, personal information. Because I sincerely doubt that if you asked Venus or Serena Williams and Andre Agassi, they would say they are not talking to Mary Carillo.
Yes, I agree that this letter needs a lot of work before you send it. I support complaining to networks about their performance...... maybe not on this particular issue but that is your call. But the letter needs a new twist on it's perspective, and as TonyP says, facts.
I sent a similar e-mail this morning! I went to msnbc tennis section and used the form they have to "Ask John McEnroe and Mary Carillo a Question". My question was something like this: Are you planning to trash the character of JHH during the whole final, or did you get it out of your system? Then I went on to mention specifics.
I'm glad they put the form there, even though my message was more of a gripe than a question. Hopefully they'll read them or at least read summaries of them.
I don't mind if the commentators have criticisms of any player; no one's perfect, either commentator or player.
But the way all 3 commentators joined together to keep piling on Justine yesterday was really beyond all reason. It's not unprecedented, of course; Mary has been extremely hard on Serena and Venus in the past. But this time, all three commentators seemed to be positively gleeful about dragging up "incidents" as far back as Justine's earlier appearance in the Wimby final, when she was a nobody, and they put a sinister slant on her every word and deed. It was just too much.
No I did not like her comments back then either. But I thought she at least had moments of redeeming quality and insight. Now she is pure hatred. Pure cynicism.
How can you expect the management of NBC to evaluate this complaint if you don't cite specifics? Do you expect them to discipline or fire famous commentators based on vague complaints from a few listeners? It sort of seems like you really don't have anything solid and you are just whining. I have heard both Carillo and McEnroe praise Justine to the skies. And the stuff about Venus and Serena is nonsense. Agassi? I have never heard Mary Carillo do much of anything except speak of him as if he should be sainted.
So come on, share with us. What terrible thing was said about Justine?
What horrible thing did Mary say and why didn't you cite any specifics in your letter of complaint? If I were NBC, specifics would be the first thing I would look for in such a letter. As for some players not talking to Mary, you didn't say how you know this. Is this from first hand, personal information. Because I sincerely doubt that if you asked Venus or Serena Williams and Andre Agassi, they would say they are not talking to Mary Carillo.
I agree TOTALLY!!! I wish I had a firm email address to send my complaints. The coverage is disgusting. They act like we live in the stone age. Do they know people can get scores on cell phones & the like.
If you want NBC to take your complaint seriously, then you must state the facts of your case with specificity/particularity. Think: Who? What? When? Where? How?
Who made the comment?
What did they say?
When did they say it? During which SF?
Where were they when they said it? this one's easy
How is it offensive?
You didn't feel the urge to write your letter until Justine was being bashed. Don't use the Williams sisters names in this or try to put them in the same boat as Justine, because you didn't care about their bashing
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