Mary Carillo has known John McEnroe since they were tennis brats together in Douglaston, N.Y. And Carillo, now a tennis analyst for CBS Sports, is concerned about her old pal.
The career of McEnroe, despite his two victories this week at the U.S. Open, has been on the skids since he won at Flushing Meadow in 1984. But Carillo, who teamed with McEnroe to win the 1977 French Open mixed doubles, still has a lot of affection for McEnroe.
”When McEnroe ended 1984, and he had lost only three matches that year, I was convinced that in 1985 he would win the Grand Slam,” Carillo said recently. ”One year later, I thought he could lose in the first round of any Grand Slam. He had fallen so far.”
And McEnroe, 31, is still falling, losing at Wimbledon in the first round to unheralded Derrick Rostagno.
”Since 1985, I always felt he had one legitimate comeback in him, and he`s never done it,” said Carillo. ”Unfortunately for him, it`s four years later. He`s four years older and he still has not committed himself to this comeback. Ever. He`s never given it everything.”
And Carillo said it`s time, Grand Slam time, to give it everything-or give it up.
”He`s lost his taste for the Grand Slams-he skipped two Wimbledons in a row, he bagged the French (Open) this year, he was suspended in the fourth round of the Australian,” she said. ”He hasn`t won a Grand Slam in six years. He`s lost the taste for the two-week fight.
”I feel for him. I think he`s got it in his head that he can win one more Grand Slam and share it with his family, because his kids (sons Kevin and Sean) have never seen him like that. He`s never been able to share a big Grand Slam win with his wife (actress Tatum O`Neal), either.
”But it`s going to be unbelievably tough for him unless he starts from ground level and build it brick by brick. He`s never done that.”
Unlike Jimmy Connors, the one-time bad boy of tennis who seems to change his image to suit the season as he grows older.
”McEnroe never had that love of the game like (Jimmy) Connors,” Carillo said. ”Connors liked practice. The only thing McEnroe liked was the matches. He hated the practice, he never trained. And now it`s gotten to the point where he doesn`t love the matches either. So what are you out there for?”
Carillo sees the Open as do-or-die time for McEnroe`s career. ”If he bombs out,” she said, McEnroe may retire.
”A lot is going to come to the fore at the U.S. Open,” Carillo added.
”I don`t think anyone has to tell him (to quit). I think he`ll know.
”The greatest tragedy of all is that he does know. He knows that he`s goofed off. And he knows he hasn`t paid the dues necessary to reclaim his abilities. That must be the most frustrating part of this whole deal.
”I know what he`s hoping: He`s hoping he shows up at the U.S. Open and it`s all going to come together. He`s going to be inspired and he`s going to be fed and nourished by the fans. I know what scenario he`s hoping for. I think that`s a lot to hope for at a tournament like the U.S. Open.
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”I hope he pulls it together, but there`s just so much to pull together. I don`t like his chances, but I`m doing a lot of hoping.”
– Roger Werner`s sudden departure as ESPN president shouldn`t come as much of a surprise, since it was Werner`s decision to add a costly major-league baseball package (reportedly between $30 million and $40 million in losses this year) to the cable network`s programming. Cap Cities Inc. owns 80 percent of ESPN, and one thing Cap Cities Inc. hates is red ink.
– Former Purdue and Detroit Lions quarterback Gary Danielson will make his ESPN debut Saturday, working with Ron Franklin on the telecast of the Texas A& M-Hawaii contest. Another new analyst, former Pitt coach Mike Gottfried, will join Sean McDonough on the prime-time Baylor-Nebraska contest. These aren`t permanent assignments, because ESPN plans to mix and match their announcers the first few weeks.
– Also on tap Saturday is the season debut of the Northern Illinois Football Network, with Bill Baker calling play-by-play for the 11th season. Locally, WAIT-AM will carry most of the Huskies` games except those at night, such as Saturday`s opener against Eastern Illinois.
– WBBM Radio plans extensive coverage of the Arlington Million Sunday, starting with ”SportsLine,” hosted by Dave Eanet, at 10 a.m. Eanet and Arlington analyst Mike Cronin will cover the race itself starting at 4:15 p.m. WLS-Ch. 7 will telecast the Million at 4 p.m. . . . ”Monday Night SportsLine” returns to WBBM Radio at 7 p.m. Monday, getting a one week jump on the ”Monday Night Football” season, which begins Sept. 10 with the 49ers- Saints contest. In all, WBBM will carry 32 NFL games, including three Sunday night contests.
– The National may not have been around long but it already has its first TV special, ”The National`s Ten Greatest Moments in Sports,” hosted by editor Frank Deford. WMAQ-Ch. 5 will carry the ProServ Television-syndicated show at 3 p.m. Sunday.
– Emmy Award-winning ”This Is the NFL” returns at 10:30 a.m. Sunday on WBBM-Ch. 2. The season premiere will focus on ”Nine for the `90s,” profiling the nine players who may have an impact on the next decade, such as the Lions` Barry Sanders and the Packers` Sterling Sharpe.