CBS: Dick Enberg Handled Interview With Juan Martín del Potro Correctly

Dick Enberg has been called everything from rude to racist for his handling of the post-match interview with U.S. Open winner Juan Martin del Potro on Monday night, in which he initially discouraged del Potro from addressing the crowd in Spanish. But Enberg's employer, CBS, says he did everything right.

The New York Times reports that CBS is backing Enberg:

"Dick had a number of elements that he had to get through on a very tight schedule," said LeslieAnne Wade, the senior vice president for communications for CBS. "It was Dick's job to get through those as quick as he could. And in the end, he did give him the opportunity to make his comments. ...

"Anybody who knows Dick Enberg knows he celebrates champions better than anyone," she said. "Those are his kind of moments."

I find it annoying that announcers have to bend over backward to mention corporate sponsors, and so in that respect I wish Enberg hadn't gone out of his way to talk about Lexus when he should have been talking about del Potro's stellar play on the court.

But I agree with CBS. Enberg did the best he could while pressed for time, and del Potro got to say everything he wanted to say in Spanish. To suggest that he's racist for trying to conduct his interview in English is ridiculous.

What did you think of Enberg's interview? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.