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Tennis Mourns the Passing of Bud Collins

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Buc Collins ASeitz courtesy of the Hall of Fame

(March 4, 2016) Tennis journalist, historian and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Bud Collins died at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts on Friday at the age of 86.

Arthur “Bud” Collins covered tennis for almost 50 years and was the first print sports journalist to cross over to television on a regular basis.

His obituary in the Boston Globe.

In Memoriam: Hall of Famer Bud Collins

June 17, 1929 – March 4, 2016 
Today the International Tennis Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Hall of Famer Bud Collins. Bud had an incomparable impact on our sport as a journalist, broadcaster, and historian. He exuded a genuine passion for tennis that was second to none. His commitment to preserving its history and sharing the stories of its greatest champions will leave a permanent positive impact on our game. In recognition of his tremendous contributions to tennis, Bud Collins was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.
Statement from Stan Smith:
“Bud made such a huge impact on our sport because he was one of the most knowledgeable people in tennis and he was so committed to always learning more about the sport and its characters. By combining his knowledge with his one-of-a-kind color, he really made the game fun and interesting for the fans and the players. He was responsible for growing interest in our sport tremendously,” said International Tennis Hall of Fame President and Hall of Famer Stan Smith.
He continued, “On a personal level, Bud was partially responsible for launching my career and my partner Bob Lutz’s career. One of our first big wins was in Boston and Bud never let me forget how much he talked us up on the air and how much great promotion he gave us. And every time he reminded me, I was grateful to have been part of Bud’s memories. He was probably one of the most giving people that I met. He would do anything for people around the game, and he will be sorely missed.”
Statement from Todd Martin:
“Bud will be greatly missed, but his impact on the game will never be lost. He documented and commented on our sport’s great moments and history every day, and in doing so – he made history himself. As a player, one could count on Bud to be fair, easy to speak with, and able to see past the surface on any subject,” said Todd Martin, International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO. “His heart and passion for the sport were just as great as his pants were bold. He drew fans into our sport and he kept every one of us in the industry engaged in the news.
“While we are saddened today, it is impossible to think of Bud and not smile. He will be greatly missed, but always remembered with happiness and admiration.”

From Ken Solomon, president, Tennis Channel:

“With the rest of our industry and tennis fans everywhere, we at Tennis Channel are saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague Bud Collins, the game’s most passionate, pioneering voice, and the gentleman who introduced this great sport to so many over the decades. Our network, televised tennis and sports coverage in general owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bud’s effortless blending of traditional newsprint storytelling with a then nascent television medium as it gained ever increasing importance on the American cultural landscape. In doing so he elevated tennis to a previously unimaginable plane of awareness and enjoyment for fans the world over.

“Tennis Channel was blessed to have benefited from his professional expertise on our air and online, but even more fortunate to know his kindness, friendship and generosity of spirit. Our hearts and thoughts are with his wife Anita and their family and friends. Bud will be sorely missed, but his humanity and mountainous achievements remains with us, always.”

From the USTA:

“The USTA is deeply saddened by the passing of legendary tennis journalist Bud Collins. Bud was larger than life, and his countless contributions to the sport helped to make it the global success that it is today. Bud was a mentor to many, and a friend to many more. Our sport was most fortunate to be associated with a man of such character and class, and we were privileged to have had the chance to honor his lasting legacy to the sport by naming the US Open Media Center in his honor last year. He will be sorely missed by all of us who loved him—and by the sport he loved so dearly.”

 

Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman, CEO and President:

“I am heartbroken at the news of the passing of Bud Collins, a great friend to me personally and an irreplaceable presence in the sport of tennis.  Bud was truly one-of-a-kind, and his good humor and great grace, coupled with his unmatched knowledge of our sport and his love of it, helped to make tennis more popular and more fun for fans in the U.S, and throughout the world. He was a colorful character, a true gentleman and a passionate proponent of our sport, which was most fortunate to have counted Bud as a member of its family. There will never be another quite like Bud, and I know that our entire sport, its players, and its many fans deeply mourn his passing.”