re: Jimmy Connor's 30 for 30

quote:

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There's not another American sports broadcaster who do tennis the way Fowler can. He's absolutely brilliant. I've watched tennis all over the world, and even when I was in London for Wimbledon I found myself missing Fowler's broadcast. I have no idea what ESPN is going to do when he hangs them up. He's their best broadcaster by a country mile.

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I agree. What's so great about Fowler is his ability to keep the discussion at the level of the common viewer. I can't think of a good example off the top of my head, but numerous times when, say, Patrick Mcenroe starts making a point that might be obvious to hard core tennis fans or former pros but not to a casual tennis fan, I've heard Fowler pose to him the simple question of "why is that?", which makes P-Mac explain his point in a more relatable way.

That may not sound like a big deal, but I think it is. Being able to recognize when the announcers are beginning to speak in colloquial terms and quickly bringing the discussion back to good old fashioned simple man's English is a hugely important skill for an announcer.