It drives me crazy when they don't know how to pronounce the names of the players... ie Freddie Ljungberg of Sweden / Arsenal being called Loongberg instead of Yoongberg... EDIT: I'm checking on other forums and apparently nobody knows how to pronounce Ljungberg's name. maybe the announcers got it right after all and I've been wrong all these years...
I don't think Rob Stone's crew has done a game yet. Maybe they should break them out for one. Tommy's repeated references to the "old onion bag" are getting a little tired, and what time is the US-Czech game again? I don't think the 372nd time I've been told about it stuck.
I was watching the Germany/Costa Rica game with a friend who rarely watches soccer but is a huge baseball fan and he asks me "Hey, this announcer seems familiar, who is he?" So I tell him and after a puzzled look he goes, "Well why is he doing soccer? Can't they get a soccer announcer?" Pretty much sums up my entire thoughts on the situation. To the casual fan, I'm sure they don't mind DOB and Celo because they do provide alot of insight that someone who never watches soccer would like to know...but cmon there's gotta be a more soccer specific team who can drum up more interest and be a little less bland. ESPN/ABC really dropped the ball on this one. My main problem with the US TV coverage has been the lack of in depth looks at the tournament. Sure, they've beaten us to death with "Don't forget, the US plays the Czech Republic..." every five minutes, but when has ESPN done an in depth look at the US team? Or any team for that matter...how are people supposed to care about the World Cup if they don't know any of the players or which teams are good? You'd think ESPN would have done a World Cup Special before the tournament, or at the very least given it some quality time early in Sportscenter. Clearly their marketing people are not very good. They have done next to nothing on the US team, except for a token minute long report that seems like show filler. If ESPN are paying so much for the rights, you'd think they'd give a crap about people watching these games. The hardcore WC fans will always tune in (Although now the TV's will be on Univision with the crappy announcing), but the hook the "every 4 years fan", the network needs to do a bit more than reminding us when the games are. I also like American Eagle's suggestion that Rob Stone's crew should do the games, him and Wynalda are better than anyone I've heard so far. BOOM!
I've been watching all the matches on Univision and I don't speak a lick of Spanish. The picture color is better and they actually have a pregame with the teams in the tunnel and the national anthems. I have watched a couple halves on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2, but I turned back to Univision as soon as they started showing U.S. statistics and graphics every two minutes during the second half of a 1-0 game featuring one of the best teams in the world. It was disgusting. I don't know if Univision is everywhere within the States, but we have plenty of Spanish language channels here in California. It is a little ironic that I can't stand the ESPN announcers except for the team that is doing the US game tomorrow (I'm guessing it will be Tommy Smyth since they did the Poland-Ecuador match at the same stadium).
First of all, as an aspiring Journalist and (God willing) sports broadcaster, the performances being turned in by this World Cup broadcast team make me feel infinitely better about landing a job in the business. Good grief, these guys have been terrible... personally my favorite, aside from all the baseball references, was the whole 360 degree comment. It's really bad when the announcers feel the need to try and relate to the non-soccer fan by making comments like that... I want announcers who know the game. I actually have enjoyed the Healy/Smyth team the most, Healy does seem to know when to just shut up and let the viewer watch what is happening for the most part. Soccer is interesting to call in that it's not a fast action call like say basketball or football is. It's refreshing at times to hear commentators just sit back and let the fans soak in what is happening in front of them instead of hearing a call on every square ball in the team's own third that doesn't result in anything meaningful. Dead air in soccer is a good thing, and I think that's one area where O'Brien/Balboa can improve on certainly. Also, bringing politics into the World Cup just isn't right... if I wanted a political discussion, I'd turn on CNN. Focus on what's happening on the pitch, that's what the viewers care about. I'm sure we can all have empathy for the civil war that has gripped the Ivory Coast, but again if we wanted coverage of that we'd flip on CNN. The World Cup is meant as a distraction from that, and I feel that Dave O'Brien constantly bringing that up was really out of place. Certainly not a flying start to this Cup, but there are most certainly more hysterical comments to come. But I pose this question to my fellow Bigsoccer fans... I'm trying to think of a drinking game for the US-Czechs tomorrow, and I assume Dave O'Brien and Balboa will call it. I just have to use their sheer idiocy to inebriate me even more, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them. GO USA!!!
My favorite moment had to be after the Germany-Costa Rica game when July Foudy accidently said that Germany did well only because Costa Rica wasn't a "Real Team." Talk about professionalism. Ironic thing is Costa Rica has a better chance of having a better cup than the U.S. Seems like ESPN is hyping this World Cup a lot, especially the US squad. I wonder if the US performs badly, will there be a backlash against soccer in the US permanently? ESPN is putting a lot of chips on the table for the US team with the hype.
You may have a point here. ESPN is trying to really generate interest in a US squad that, realistically speaking, may well fail to get out of it's own group judging by how tough it is. ESPN is banking on the fact that the US repeats it's run of 2002 and wins even more fans in the process with the amped up media coverage. If the US makes it out of group, then this will work... if not, the average American sports fan won't have any more reason to support his local MLS team or the USMNT than he did prior this WC.
wow what a bitch! how much more amateurish can you get?? This is going to be a goldmine of quotes and anecdotes. An entire month of this - depressingly sad yet so hilarious
On a related note, I am somewhat worried by the smugness of Lalas and Wynalda when they talk about our chances. I wish they were more realistic and didn't build false expectations. We all want the team to do well, but we are in a very tough group and I don't think this has been made as clear as it should be to the average, non-soccer fan.
Setanta is showing the games with German commentary. These guys are great, if only because they only speak every 30 seconds or so. I love that.
One problem -- she's pregnant, and could be giving birth any day now. from the San Francisco Chronicle from the San Jose Mercury News Brandi had originally planned on being part of ABC/ESPN/ESPN2's plans, until she heard of her delivery due date...
That would of been a treat. I might actually of considered watching ESPN/ABC for those award winning sideline reports.
We're only 3 days and 8 games into the cup and there's already 8-pages worth of complaints about the announcers!!! Someone should organize this and send it to ESPN/ABC so they know what a joke they are. Even my friends who aren't "soccer fans" think the commentary is ridiculously dumbed down and ask me "are all soccer matches announced like this?". I tell them "of course not" but I don't think they believe me after seeing this crap day after day. I'm just wondering if tomorrow during the Czech game, will they sit there and hype up the USA-Italy game like they have been doing for the Czech game in all the other games so far (with all those popups and talking about that instead of the game going on), or will they actually focus on the game on the field? My guess is they will probably mention the upcoming Italy game every 3 minutes (and then during the Italy game, will hype the Ghana game... and then during the Ghana game they will constantly talk about when the 2nd round games are and when the USA could possibly play...) Why can't we get people like Gary Bloom (english commentator for BBC) who actually talks about the game on the field?!?
Is it true that ABC almost missed Mexicos second goal because they where showing some clips of the US team training?
yes, yes it's true. that said, espn does this with every sport. and it's not just espn, it's abc, fox, everyone. it seems, and correct me if i'm wrong, the only prerequisite for being a sports announcer is to have played a sport. really, you don't even have to be able to speak. sean salisbury just isn't good. his gig is to speak as loudly as possible b/c of the obvious correlation between volume and knowledge. (and just as an aside, joe buck and troy aikman aren't very good either. but aikman is much better when he's with dick stockton, and buck is doing baseball. thank goodness i don't watch much baseball any more. heard magic johnson or scottie pippen recently?) geez, give me vin scully doing dodgers games alone. now that's class. but espn isn't blameless. they've done little good for sports: this started when they decided they were part of the action rather than just ppl covering the games. they've gotta be rockstars, and we've suffered for it ...
Come on people. ESPN paid a lot of money for the rights to the world cup. Their job is to get the highest ratings possible. 99% of people in America don't know a damn thing about soccer, and they'll only watch to see how the US does. Because of that it makes sense for ESPN to hype up the team USA matches to get the highest ratings possible. Criticizing them for it is utterly retarded. You can't tell me British TV isn't spending 60% of the air time talking about Rooney's foot? Give me a break. As to the smugness of the former American players about our chances, what the hell do you expect? They're working for ESPN, their job is to draw people in to watch the USA games. If they said the USA was terrible and they are going to get blown out they wouldn't be doing their jobs. Plus I bet they geniunely believe they have a shot. If there's one thing the citizens of the US have plenty of it's confidence.I have no problem mocking announcers for their little screwups and making funny commentary, but a lot of people here seem to have a genuine dislike for all things American and if you expect an American network to focus on anything but America you're kidding yourselves....
Funny. I tuned in 2 mins into the game and was psyched to see Hislop playing. But they kept calling him Jack, leaving me to believe that Jack is a Soca nickname for Shaka.
Notice how Balboa starts every cogent intervention with: 'You know what?" Example: "You know what? Iran is really settling in."
I saw that. I don't think it was an accident. Instead of an "Oh my God. I cant believe I just said that" look, she sat there waiting for someone to react. I'm sure she saw herself as being hardhitting, no-non sense, tell it like it is.... I didn't see her for a while after that - I was hoping they dumped her. And someone mentioned Lalas, Foudy, and Musburger(sp) wearing tennis shoes in one of their segments. As it closed, Lalas had this look of, "How am I going to get through this whole month?"