BUD COLLINS - ONE OF A KIND...

They don't make 'em like Bud Collins anymore...they really don't. I like to say, and often tell myself, that I love the game. And then I think about Collins and the integral role he played in brining the US Open, to television, the multiple and essential books on tennis history that he penned, and the thousands of hours he spent on television, over the last 50 years, putting the "color" in color commentary.

And he kind of makes me feel like I don't know what the meaning of love is.

I don't want to bore you with an obituary - the idea of attempting to sum up the life of one man, so varied, so mercurial, in so many words is as intimidating as it is useless. That doesn't tell you who the man was. I my opinion, the devil is in the details. The way he spoke, the way he wrote, the way he pondered before asking questions of the some of the greatest players in the history of the game, a history with which he was so intimately familiar.

To me that's what I remember and have always loved about Bud Collins.

In 2009, Andy Roddick lost a 6-hour, five set Wimbledon final to Roger Federer - his third final, all loses to the same player, but this one painfully ended with only his second break of serve throughout the grueling encounter, 14-16 in the final set. Reporters packed the room to ask innumerable questions and Roddick, while gracious with his time (if not always his behavior on court) did what men do under the circumstances and answered every question honestly, analytically and completely. By the end of the press conference it seemed he was more fatigued from talking about it that from the match. Although he had suffered a debilitating hip injury during the match (which he never mentioned), Bud Collins had to know that he was hurting physically and in his heart, and that by the end, he he needed nothing more than for it to end.

The human in him insisted that his "question" be that last, in his own inimitable way, when he interrupted yet another question with this suggestion:

"Bud Collins: Liberate this man. Well done, Andy
Andy Roddick: Thank you."

I have a feeling that Roddick's "thank you" was directed at Collins for doing just that.

And I suspect that the reason Bud Collins was so good at what he did, at least in part, was because of how good of person he was. I doubt anyone who had the pleasure of meeting or knowing him would disagree.

And there's nothing better you can say about a man on the occasion of his passing.

http://tennis-column.blogspot.com/2016/03/bud-collins-one-of-kind.html

I like his clothing, anyone who wears clown pants to tennis matches is worth a bump.

And that was Roddicks first drop if serve in that match, not the second.

I hadn't heard Collins did that, that's quite classy. Those press conferences can be inane at the best of times.

A gem of a person. Philosopher and journalist, extraordinaire. He will be missed.

A life celebrated - http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/friends-celebrate-bud-collins-in-boston-2016 .