Would you rather FSW...

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by PaulGascoigne
Cut the infomercials, and we could have enough to make everyone happy...

Yeah, I'm sure they don't need the advertising dollars or anything, right?

:)

[Turk from Pigs Eye]

I like the British play by play men.

I also like the naked guys running out on the field.

[BenchRobSmith]

Originally posted by Canadian_Supporter
I would love to see the Czech league, but I don't think it would be very popular... :(

I'm with you.

Czech league all the way.

As long as we don't have to suffer through a whole bunch of Olomouc games. :)

The TV rights can't possibly cost more a year than the payments on my '97 Neon, can they? I'll chip in ten bucks a month for the Czech league.

Oh, and for once, I'm with Segroves. Unless you're gonna show Hearts or Hibs once in a while, ditch the SPL. I can't stand to see another week of Celtic and Rangers blowout wins.

[Tejas]

Continue the focus on EPL.

Drop the SPL other than the Celtic v Rangers matches.

As for the alternate league games ideally the best would be to have a marquee game from the continent each week. In other words, alternate broadcasts between BL, Eredivisie, La Liga and France. Just choose what is likely to be the best match up. Throw in some Argentine games and Brazilian matches in the same way.

[wu-tang beez]

At least you get FSW. FSWe shows about 1-2 EPL matches, no german, dutch or italian league matches and more honduran/chilean/el salvadorian/mexican gutter ball than you can shake a stick at. And I'm still waiting for my 1st primera match. While you guys all got to see DC United pound an EPL team last year, I got Beisbol Dominicana. My VCR still hasn't recovered.

Woa is me. I used to date a girl that had FSW, Saturdays & Sundays were so much better then.

[rangers00]

Originally posted by BenchRobSmith
I'm with you.

Czech league all the way.

As long as we don't have to suffer through a whole bunch of Olomouc games. :)



Not exactly the Czech league, but Romanian and Yugoslavian leagues are available on Ku band satellite, on TV Romania International and Radio Television Serbia, respectively, free.

Can't think of any people not from these two countries would like to watch those games, though. I watch a couple games but couldn't bear to waste my precious time (I have too many EPL and Serie A to watch). The only one that I would be interested in is Partizan Belgrade x Crvena Zvezda.

[sanariot]

I like FSW's focus on the EPL, but I wish they'd ditch the SPL and La Liga (since they aren't going to show Real and Barca anyway), and bring back the Eredivisie and French games. Some lower division English matches would be nice as well.

[Soccerholic]

Originally posted by Tejas
Continue the focus on EPL.

Drop the SPL other than the Celtic v Rangers matches.

As for the alternate league games ideally the best would be to have a marquee game from the continent each week. In other words, alternate broadcasts between BL, Eredivisie, La Liga and France. Just choose what is likely to be the best match up. Throw in some Argentine games and Brazilian matches in the same way.

I agree with Tejas. Throw in a good Serie A matchup, if possible.

[total_football]

My preferences:

1. Drop SPL. Except for Rangers/Celtic, why does seem like the "A" League to me?
2. Add Zurich Premiership-Rugby Football Union, all the way, baby! For that matter, add upcoming Six Nations also.
3. Bring Back Dutch League, as long as we see one of the big "3" each week.
4. Bring Back Serie A, except of course, for the games we can't see because the match is climactically overwelmed by fog (which seems to be every other game!) From what I had previously heard, though, Serie A had priced itself out of the U.S. market, so it can only be shown by RAI.

[Labdarugo]

Originally posted by Tejas
Continue the focus on EPL.

Drop the SPL other than the Celtic v Rangers matches.

As for the alternate league games ideally the best would be to have a marquee game from the continent each week. In other words, alternate broadcasts between BL, Eredivisie, La Liga and France. Just choose what is likely to be the best match up. Throw in some Argentine games and Brazilian matches in the same way.


I agree with this and with Superdave.

[kevbrunton]

I personally like the focus on EPL.

I agree that other than the Celtic-Rangers games, we could do without the SPL.

I'd like to see the Dutch teams too.

Probably the biggest problem that I have for all games shown outside of the British games are the announcers.

I watch the La Liga and Bundesliga games now and then, but I can barely stomach the FSW announcers doing the pbp. I'd probably watch them more if we had better options for the pbp.

The native announcers for the British games (EPL, SPL, FA Cup, etc.) are far better than the FSW announcers.

[sjjn]

I say, keep what's on already and bring back the French and Dutch. And add some J League and some African Nations cup, or league games as well.
They should try and bring something from each continent onto the channel.

[Dr. Wankler]

Originally posted by kevbrunton
The native announcers for the British games (EPL, SPL, FA Cup, etc.) are far better than the FSW announcers.

I realize that the FSW studio boys have to (and probably want to) earn their keep, but (and I'm surprised no one has said this yet) FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY, PLEASE USE THE TOBY CHARLES FEED FOR BUNDESLIGA MATCHES!!!! I mean, I know it's there because we can hear him sometimes.

So, ultimately, I would rather FSW do this.

[total_football]

I personally don't mind the American announcers (and the Americanized British ones); at times, they're a bit over-the-top and lack the sense of uncanny understatement that seems to be the hallmark of the British announcers ("on the free kick, Scholes, when confronted with a two-man wall, managed to find it"). But this is America of course, where, more-or-less, MORE is MORE, and we have people like Eric Dickerson patrolling the sideline (egads, I was almost going to type "touchline"; new habits seem to be developing!).

I tend to like like Max Bretos--overall, he's pretty articulate and enthusiastic; I find his and the British guy's commentary (can't quite remember his name) to be the highlight of La Liga matches. Even they realize the lemons they've been handed (to paraphrase: when discussing next week's schedule, Bretos remarked, "Which one do you think we'll get--Recreativo"?); and Allen Hopkins, the Bundesliga/Brasilero guy seems to have improved. He may be a bit too understated, overall. Who knows, if he starts to fake a British accent, maybe he'll become an 'overnight' genius. I realized that he does know his stuff when he was paired during the Women's Gold Cup matches with a WUSA player who was, shall we say, quite inarticulate.

[MasterShake29]

Any reason why FSW in English doesn't show Copa Libertadores? FSWE does, right? I'll take that. And while we're at it:

1) English Nationwide, especially the mid-week matches
2) Ice Hockey World Junior Championships
3) One of the European/British rugby leagues (I have no idea what they're called)
4) What everyone else has been saying.

[total_football]

Originally posted by MattBurlew
[B]Any reason why FSW in English doesn't show Copa Libertadores? FSWE does, right? I'll take that. And while we're at it:

3) One of the European/British rugby leagues (I have no idea what they're called)

The English Rugby Union league is known as the "Zurich Premiership"; it's season runs from fall to spring--like the EPL. SKY Sports covers these matches, but apparently FSW does not. I don't know why. (coincidentally, the Englsh Rugby League "league" is known as the Super League, and it's season runs from Spring to Fall; but that's not nearly as interesting, in my book--that is, er, if I were to write one, of course).

FSW does show the 3 nations, New Zealand and South African Rugby Union matches, and Australian Rugby League games. They should get rid of the Aussie Rugby League (and Aussie Rules) and increase the Union matches!

[superdave]

Originally posted by Dr. Wankler
FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY, PLEASE USE THE TOBY CHARLES FEED FOR BUNDESLIGA MATCHES!!!!
What's so great about him? What do you like about him?

Are you planning to go on a game show about the ages and transfer fees of Bundesliga players? (Yeah, I did that joke before, but it still fits.)

[Dr. Wankler]

Originally posted by superdave
What's so great about him? What do you like about him?

Are you planning to go on a game show about the ages and transfer fees of Bundesliga players? (Yeah, I did that joke before, but it still fits.)

It might be because he did "Soccer Made in Germany" on PBS when I was a kid. Or it could be because I like his catch phrases (the best is "that was a bad one"), or it could be because I like his commentary in general, like during an incredibly boring Wolfsburg away match a couple of years ago wherein it was painfully (and I do mean painfully) obvious that Wolfgang Wolf obviously had his boys playing for a nil-nil draw. The referee blew the whistle at 89:50 and Charles said, "what is he doing? There is still time to be played." Then he remembered he'd been lamenting the dullness of the match for about an hour (and it was a killer -- the ball was growing a beard, as they say in South America), so after a pause he said, "ah, dear. He's putting this match out of our misery." So there are a variety of reasons.

[anderson]

I really loved last season's FSW line up - EPL, Bundesliga, Holland, France, Argies, and Brazil. The variety lets you see different playing styles, officiating norms, stadiums, fans, etc. Very cool.

It doesn't bother me that I can't really follow all those leagues to the same extent. I just focus on my favorites and am perfectly happy to enjoy the rest on a less-informed basis.

I agree that Rangers and Celtic domination of the SPL is no fun - and haven't those teams' fans already made out to their local pubs for the Setanta live broadcasts anyway? ;)

I'd also favor dumping the dreadful selection of Spanish games (aka, Villarreal Game of the Week) if they could bring back Dutch and/or French soccer. That weekly French review show was pretty cool, too.

Btw, a couple of people mentioned Serie A - you can get a same day, tape delay game on the International Channel on Sundays at 5 pm ET.

[FlashMan]

i have to agree with someone that toby charles' days have come and gone. last year, or whenever he was, i thought he was awful. i think the fsw guy who does bundesliga games is pretty good overall.

i love the epl games. even this week: man u v. chelsea, southhampton v. liverpool and then arsenal v. west ham over the weekend, and then last night i caught kirovski and friedel in birmingham v. blackburn. not bad.

i like the bundesliga. a lot of great action.

i miss the dutch and french. both leagues, i thought, were exciting, fast-paced games.

KEEP the brazil and argentina leagues. fsw (and i) needs the latin american flavor.

so: ditch the la liga 4th game, and bring back the dutch and french (and serie a, if possible).

of course, none of these are complaints. fsw is a godsend and i count some of my lucky stars every days when i turn it on.

i also love the new fox sports world report. have seen mcbride's goals a couple of times, and the "expert analyst", whoever he is, gave brian mad props and even MLS too. great to see.