In a controversial move, NBC waved goodbye to the dean of American tennis journalists, Bud Collins, at Wimbledon. To many a beloved figure with a generous spirit, Bud was told just before Wimbledon that he would no longer be needed.

Collins, 78, who celebrated his 35th year with the network and his 40th year reporting for the Boston Globe, was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame 13 years ago. He expected that when he arrived at Wimbledon he’d be part of the NBC team again, just like he was at the French Open. But he was told that he wouldn’t be needed because of a “management decision to save money.”

However, after a number of highly critical stories were published that ripped NBC’s decision (some accused the network of ageism), NBC relented and allowed Collins to do a few on court interviews. What was shocking about the development was the timing, as Collins has been part of the “Breakfast at Wimbledon” theme that made the network’s coverage special. In America, his name is synonymous with an early weekend rising, a quick cup of coffee, and a chair in front of the TV anticipating the magic that is to come.

Of course, since the arrival of John McEnroe in the NBC booth, Collins has been marginalized and

there have been far fewer soliloquies on Fingers Fortisque.

Some fans adore Bud, others don’t, but as some critics pointed out, NBC lost a lot of face by failing to keep a place for a man who has made it his life’s work to popularize the sport. Coldly pushing aside committed tennis historians like Collins (he wrote the Encyclopedia of Tennis) is akin to a Slam having every match decided in a one super-tiebreak.

“Talk about penny-wise and pound-foolish,” said SI’s Frank Deford. “The guy is utterly unique. There isn’t another American journalist so identified with his sport as Bud is with tennis. He is the very soul of the game — as historian, as authority, as devotee, as enthusiast. He has been at the heart of tennis for half a century, and he holds the respect and the affection of everyone in the game. What’s the point of abandoning such a rare resource?”

In an awkward tribute to Collins during the men’s final, the veteran scribe and broadcaster thanked the network, but promised that he wouldn’t be stepping away from the sport. Funny, it seems like in letting go of Collins, NBC took a step back itself. Quick call CBS.