Article 7

Note: Thanks to Alankar for this article

Courier Superb In Delivery by Tom Tebbutt ( from http://www.globeandmail.com, September 3, 2003)

NEW YORK--Jim Courier has been a refreshing addition to the tennis broadcast booth over the past year or two.
The four-time Grand Slam event winner--two French Opens (1991 and 1992) two Australian Opens (1992 and 1993) -- and former No. 1 player in the world is part of the USA network's U.S. Open coverage.

A member of the greatest generation of American players along with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Michael Chang, Courier, like those three, did not attend college.

If there is a correlation between going to college and appearing bright and well-spoken on air, Courier's abilities argue the contrary. "I read a lot," he said in response to a compliment about his
broadcasting perspicacity. "I think by reading and travelling and being genuinely interested in what people have to say, you can learn. I don't feel like I missed out by not going to college, let's put it that way."

Courier's wit and eloquence came through in a comment he made in the booth last week about Andy Roddick and his new coach, Brad Gilber. "You can't take a donkey to the Derby," Courier remarked. "You've got to have a great horse to get you where you're going, and he [Gilbert, after separating from Agassi in 2001] waited for his guy, Andy Roddick. Now Gilber is trying to put his brain in Roddick's body and do just what he did with Agassi: teach him to play proper percentage tennis, teach him to use his weapons in the best possible way. And so far it's worked brilliantly."

Now 33 and living in New York, Courier selects his sports commentator role model from outside tennis. "My favourite broadcaster would be [baseball's] Joe Morgan," he said. "He fits that bill as being incredibly true to himself, very much an insider and very knowledgeable. I feel like I learn something about baseball when I listen to him.

"That's a goal of mine: to let people see something that they're watching and that they're not aware of. Let them understand the game in a different way every time."

Working in television is not every former player's idea of what a career after tennis is all about. Sampras, for example, has expressed absolutely no interest in a transition from the court to the analyst's chair.

"I think Pete has a wealth of knowledge that he could share if he chooses to do so."

As for Agassi and his possibilities for a television career after tennis, Courier is unequivocal about the man he beat at Roland Garros in 1991 to win his first Grand Slam title.

"Andre will be phenomenal at this because he's got the experience," Courier said. "He's got a fantastic vocabulary and he's a great storyteller. People are drawn to him like bees to honey. Andre will be a home run if he ever wants to do this."

Courier has displayed a willingness to speak his mind, so it is not surprising to hear his thoughts on his work. "A responsibility to tell the truth is my credo, as I see it," he said. "That's my responsibility. I don't sugar coat. Whatever it looks like through my eyes is going to come out through my mouth."

It would be nice if the tennis world had the opportunity to hear more of Courier's take on tennis.

Unfortunately, he was not able to agree to a contract with ESPN to do the French Open and Wimbledon.

"They had some provisions in their contract [offer] that would have prevented me from working for other people," he said. "I felt for three tournaments [Wimbledon and the French and Australian Opens] it was a lot for them to ask me to be exclusive to them.

"I really wanted to work for them badly and I am very disappointed I was unable to come to terms. The provisions in the contract were not acceptable to me.

"I understand they have plenty of good talent already and they felt like they don't need me. And I'm in a position where I don't have to work. I get to choose to work. As much as it hurt me not to work for them, I chose not to."

Sitting behind the court with headphones on these days, Courier, who assists U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe as a coach, said he feels a connection with some of today's stars.

"You see pieces of yourself in players. The one for me that there are a lot of clear comparisons to is Andy's [Roddick] transformation with Brad Gilbert and my transformation with [former coach] Jose Higueras. Our styles of game -- although he's obviously got a much larger sense than I ever possessed -- the way he earns his points once he gets into a rally, is virtually identical to the way I would win my points. And the way he's learning how to use that more efficiently is very reminiscent of what Jose was able to bring to my game."

Courier still loves to bang the yellow ball around, but a mishap four weeks ago in California has his left shoulder in a sling.

"It was an unfortunate accident with a golf cart," he said. "I wasn't familiar with the course and the terrain. I hit a ditch on the course and flipped the cart over It could have been a lot worse, so we count our blessings for that."

He suffered a compound fracture of the shoulder that will take months to mend.

Informed that the accident had made CNN's lower-screen news crawl when it happened, Courier said jokingly: "That's not the kind of thing I want to be on. You're usually on there either for being arrested or being killed. It's not a good thing."

It has caused a serious crimp in his daily, weekly and monthly routine.

"I'm a professional freelance lifer at this point," he said of what he does with most of his time these days.

"I do a couple of weeks of broadcasting here at the Open, and I probably won't do any more television for a year.

"I would be playing some tennis exhibitions this fall. I would be playing a lot of music [guitar], a lot of golf and a lot of tennis. But those things are on hold right now. I'm a full-time rehab guy/"

As for more television work, he leaves the door open. "People know where my agent is," he said. "They can always call."