Nice return! Courier's a top seed in the booth ~ By MICHAEL GILTZ {, ( 1 0 l.)<i GREAT tennis stars don't al ways make great commenta tors.</p><p> Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova all took a shot at it with middling ·t<>-poor results.</p><p> But Jim Courier. who just re tired from his 13-year career on the courts last month, could be the most promising addition to the broadcast booth since bad-boy John McEnroe stunned TV audi ences "ith his wannth and astute insight into the game.</p><p> Courier mnde his debut as a commentator this week at Wimb ledon and has already started to make friends.</p><p> Usually paired with sports caster Marv Albert during TNT's ooon-t0-6 p:m. broadcasts.</p><p> Coud er's famous dry humor is already scoring points.</p><p> In his first days in the booth. the 29·year-old has referred to players hitting the ball "with au thority!" -a teasing reference to one of Albert's signature NBA calls -and had fun with the fan frenzy surrounding up-and-com ing American Jan-Michael Gam bill, a handsome athlete who creates a stir just by chunbring his shirt.</p><p> Comp~l.Iisons to McEnroe are hardly far fetched.</p><p> In 1992.</p><p> Courier was the first American to reach No. 1 since McEnroe held the spot seven years earlier.</p><p> See TlOlS on Page 110 Tennis great makes nice return Courier ultImately garnered four Grand Slams and won him· ~ld a noble spot in Davis Cup hi31ory, with one of the all-time great matches last summer ver· sus Britain's Greg Rusedski.</p><p> But a seemingly endless string of injuries and unsatisfying re sults once he got back into form are probably good reasons he's decided to change careers. -I'd thought about it for years a3 something I'd like to do if I had the opportunity/' says Cou rier.</p><p> Then fatc stepped in. -It was eerie, actually.</p><p> I talked to my agents about (doing TV commentary I and they talked to me about what it would invoke and what tournaments I might bt..> interested in doing. -The \'cry next day.</p><p> TNT called them about Wimhledon." he :::uys.</p><p> Raised in Dade City.</p><p> Fla.</p><p> Cou rier was part of the gencrntion tlut produced Pcte Sampras.</p><p> Andre Agassi. and ~tich:ll'l Chang.</p><p> A city court::;, rough-.md tumble gam{'r.</p><p> C()urler li)ughl for every point (/ fa Connors: But unlike other players. he had a well-rounded life.</p><p> Courier taught himself French on tour and always made a point of exploring the ci tics he was playing in.</p><p> A fan of golf and baseball (especially the Cincin nati Reds), Courier also has <1 passion for music and plays the guitar and drums, So when the tennis ended, Cou rier was not al a loss fol' wh3l to do next.</p><p> Still, being part of the media poses some interesting ironies.</p><p> Just as McEnroe tC1TOriZed umpires on the court.</p><p> Courier was known for his sharp tongu~ on' the court which he used on reporters who were either ill-in formed or mean-spirited. "That was earlier in nw C::J.r('Cr that 1 would get di:,coul:aged by that stuff," says Courier, who never really had a had image.</p><p> In fact. his sarcastic replie:; to dumb qucstions wcre hilanou3 -so rcp{Jrtcrs still IU\'cd speak ing with him.</p><p> From his own experience aT.d watching analy:,ts in other :-;port:'\, COUI;cr knows Wh31 he doc:-:n't like. "I don't like it when people take shois at players who don't W3ITont it. 1 didn't like it when they took shots at lIIe if I was trying," And Courier knows what he likes. "I wanl to tell things from a player's perspective." he says, "things people don't know in gen eral. "'I \\'ant to talk about the way the grass courts change over the course of a tournament; lhe way the balls have gotten heavier and hea\'ier here at Wimbledon in the last six years and how it's amazing Pete keeps \\;nning when they change the variables, "Not cn'rybody knows that. "And if I'm watching some other sport l'm nol so well ~choo led in.</p><p> I like to know that. 1 like to know Tiger has switched golf balls 3nd won his lir;:;t two tournaments with it." 1\'ike probably wants you to know that, too. "They lind that vcry interest ing," bu~hs Courier. "I don't think 1'it1eist docs. though," Courier -playing the baseline in his playing heyday -has teamed up with Marv Albert for his commentating debut at Wimbledon ,
