Mary Carillo

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Mary Carillo (born March 15, 1957 in Queens, New York) is an American writer, sports commentator, and former tennis player.

Carillo served as a reporter for CBS Sports' coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games and as a reporter for the network's coverage of NCAA women's basketball and gymnastics.

Prior to joining CBS Sports, Carillo provided tennis analysis for the USA Network for six years beginning in 1980. She currently fills that role for ESPN. Aside from her commentary duties, Carillo serves as a correspondent for the HBO Sports magazine program Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

Carillo played on the women's professional tennis circuit from 1977 to 1980. She was ranked as high as No. 33[citation needed] from January through March 1980, when she retired due to knee injuries. She won the French Open mixed doubles title with partner and childhood friend John McEnroe in 1977. Carillo and McEnroe then made it to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, and later that year Carillo was a doubles quarterfinalist at the U.S. Open.

Like McEnroe, Carillo is known for her colorful turns of speech. Once, in a post-match interview during her playing days, Carillo was asked why she had lost. She said, "I blame society."[citation needed] She is credited with coining the phrase "Big Babe Tennis" to describe the era in women's tennis dominated by large, powerful players such as Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams. [1] Carillo's unabashed style of tennis commentary has drawn criticism from several top players, notably Andre Agassi, Serena and Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova.[1]

She has also long been known for her quick wit and pointed sense of humor. During her playing days, she was once asked whether she thought Renée Richards, a transsexual, should be allowed to play on the women's pro tour. "I don't see what all the fuss is about," Carillo said. "So what if she's Jewish?"

During the 2006 Winter Olympics, she co-hosted the critically acclaimed daily figure skating television program Olympic Ice, on USA Network with co-hosts Scott Hamilton, Dick Button, and Jamie Salé & David Pelletier.

A former member of the Women's Tennis Association Board of Directors, Carillo was named Best Commentator by Tennis Magazine (1988–91), Best Commentator by World Tennis magazine (1986) and Broadcaster of the Year by the WTA (1981 and 1985). She has written two books -- Tennis My Way with Martina Navratilova and Rick Elstein's Tennis Kinetics.

Carillo splits her time between Naples, Florida, and Greenwich Village.

[edit] Awards

  • Won Peabody Award for co-writing (with Frank Deford) the HBO documentary Dare to Compete: The Struggle for Women in Sports
  • Twice named "Broadcaster of the Year" by Women's Tennis Association (1981, 1985)
  • Named "Best Commentator" by World Tennis Magazine (1986), Toronto Star (1986), and TENNIS Magazine (1988–91)

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ John Maffei, These voices don't mince words. North County Times, June 22, 2006.