Tennis • Richard Pagliario Shares His Thoughts On Bobbie Faig’s Passing

Here’s Bobbie at the U.S. Open in The Tennis Week Suite  (Photo by Nancy McShea)

 

 

Bobbie was a beautiful person who welcomed all into the Tennis Week Family.

 

She was very devoted to her Family, loved sharing stories about her grandkids, and she had a natural, easy rapport with people. She was the kind of person who knew all of the names of the security staff and cleaning crew and UPS delivery guy who came through the old Tennis Week office at 341 Madison Avenue.

 

Bobbie was the person who remembered everyone’s birthday, got everyone on staff to sign the birthday card, bought the birthday cake and made sure everyone had their special moment. She was the one who explained the rules to new staffers, knew everyone’s schedule and she loved to talk tennis.

 

When I think of Bobbie, Gene Scott and Carole Graebner all gone, it’s really very sad. End of an era.

 

For me, they were the really the heart and head of Tennis Week. The three there for the duration. They always showed up. They came to play. They were very different people but never shrank from challenges: Day after 9/11 they were all there in the office working.

 

Funny thing is they were together so long there was no filter between them. They could all be brutally blunt with each other, sometimes even feuding, but of course a true loving bond between them.

 

On a personal level, I will always remember the old T.W. Christmas parties with everyone there and how, after a few drinks, stories could flow.

 

Bobbie helped me many times with projects for the TennisWeek.com website.

 

Gene did a deal with a sports network, Rivals.com, that put TennisWeek.com on the rivals network.

 

We were discussing different content ideas and projects. His idea was we host online live chats featuring prominent players so T.W. readers could connect directly.

 

I believe the first two we hosted were with Stan Smith and Tony Trabert. I remember Bobbie flipping through her rolodex pulling the phone numbers.

 

She personally called Stan Smith: “Would you do an interview with our web editor and the readers?” And he agreed on the spot.

 

She had the sort of relationship with many so many people – she could pick up the phone and pick up a conversation with someone she hadn’t spoken to in years like they just left off yesterday.

 

Editors Note: Richard absolutely described Dear Bobbie to a “T”. That’s funny cause it was her middle initial. Roberta T. Faig… Not sure what it stood for. But I’m saying TENNIS!

Bobbie you be sure to keep Gene laughing

 

EDITORS NOTE: there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Tennis Week. What Gene Scott created was truly amazing.

I often wonder how many of “us” have the character that we do because of Gene. The dedication with the endless invisible hours devoted to tennis.

Are there 500 individuals “us” out there that consider Gene our mentors?

A thousand?

More?

And for certain.

Gene would have been the best tennis commissioner! The BEST. A GOAT in his own right in so many areas.

Bobbies spirit and warmth and love and propelled Gene to produce the finest product of its kind.

Have fun in the big tennis court in the sky. The tennis family loses a really kind, sweet person. We need more Bobbie Faig’s in TENNIS and in the WORLD! Laugh more. She would like that. (LBS)