to: Editor, Daily News
Unfortunately, no one asked me what John McEnroe said to me in front of 4,000 people on March 12 while I was umpiring a tennis match at the Champions Tour Naples.
He apparently didn’t like my call against him on the baseline. After arguing, and insulting the chair, which resulted in a code violation for unsportsmanlike contact, he turned his sophomoric rage on me and called me and obscene name in a loud and clear voice.
I immediately reported the incident to the chair and the director was called in. After a conference on court, he announced to McEnroe if he continued this conduct hew would be defaulted from the tournament.
This incident was only one of many code violations in the prior three days. … He displayed this same outrageous conduct five years ago here in Naples when he was here during the Nuveen.
Then, as now, his conduct is an insult to the game of tennis. Like Texas, Naples should ban him from playing any further tournaments here.
R.G. Sweeney
Naples
USTA Tennis Official