NRC: WC Announcers- Revs Fan Groupthink

[Chowda]

I just got around to listening to my podcast of yesterday's world soccer daily. The word is the espn announcers for the world cup have been determined. They are:

1. Rob Stone

2. Dave O'Brien

3. JP Dellacamera

4. Shep Messing

5. Glen Davis

and Adrian Healey might get a game or two.

Supposedly MLS/SUM, who own the rights, did not want Derek Rae, Tommy Smith, or Seamus Mallon calling any games. They wanted to make sure there was an "american face" at the world cup.

What's everyone think?

My comments to follow...

[Chowda]

My opinion of the announcers:

1. Rob Stone- Has been announcing MLS for some time. He talks over the game, doesn't know how to pace his play-by-play, and his interjections are sometimes silly. Might be a lot better without Wynalda.

2. Dave O'Brien- Baseball announcer who had the wc gig written into his contract. Can Brad Feldman call next year's super bowl? Can I moderate the presidential debates next go-round? This might be the biggest insult to an event since they got rid of the swimsuit competition in the miss america pagent.

3. JP Dellacamera- Improved a ton while calling USMNT games. If they gave him a taser to stun BoBo whenever he spoke for over ten seconds straight, he would be the best american soccer announcer ever. And my hero.

4. Shep Messing- I despise him as a Mutts announcer because he is such a homer. However, he has followed the world game throughout his life. He might have some intelligent things to say about non-american games. I never thought I'd say that I'm looking forward to hearing Shep call a game.

5. Glen Davis- Decent enough announcer. Also has called Mutts games. Houston fans can better inform us on his soccer knowledge. Has a weekly radio show there.


Adrian Healey: What can I say? We know him well and deserves far more than a few games.

[westsidepunk]

I just got around to listening to my podcast of yesterday's world soccer daily. The word is the espn announcers for the world cup have been determined. They are:

1. Rob Stone

2. Dave O'Brien

3. JP Dellacamera

4. Shep Messing

5. Glen Davis

and Adrian Healey might get a game or two.

Supposedly MLS/SUM, who own the rights, did not want Derek Rae, Tommy Smith, or Seamus Mallon calling any games. They wanted to make sure there was an "american face" at the world cup.

1. We know what we're gonna get from the Stoner. I hope that instead of doing games, they use him where I think he is better suited, in the studio for pre/post-game and half time.
2. Dave O'Brien He needs to suck up his ego and instead of spending all his pre game research time getting more stories about the team to tell during play, devout himself to listening to others do pbp of soccer. He has shown in his broadcasts so far that he has a great broadcasting voice and that he does a bit of research, but if he really wants to be good at this he would be better served by studying the game.
3. I am OK with JP he has a solid voice and seems to give consistent performances.
4. Honestly do not know who this is.
5. Glenn Davis Only remember him from one game recently, seemed that he did an adequate job, not quite on par with JP.

One place where ESPN could get a remarkable improvment is by getting Balboa out of the booth. he really is bad. I have been much more impressed with the work of Harkes and if you want a guy to tell it how he see's it, Wynalda.

Forgot to add that I wouldn't mind Derrik Rae doing some games, as long as they lock Tommy Smyth in a box and throw away the key.

[Chowda]

Here's my problem with the list of announcers:

They are not anywhere familiar with over 90% of the players that will be competing. Derek Rae, Tommy Smith, and Seamus Mallon are when they call CL games. Those guys will call the game the way it needs to be called. They will not take sides. Even if their home countries were playing, they know more than enough about the other team and it's players to call it right.

The american announcers could lock themselves in a room for the next five months, watch every wc qualifier game, take detailed notes, and they still wouldn't be capable of calling the games. You know why? They don't follow the club leagues every week like the CL announcers do. For instance, Robben may not have played all that well for the Dutch in qualifiers. However, if you follow him every week, you know what he is capable of. This is especially true for defenders where you have to really watch them to see their worth.

My big question is why MLS/SUM is so affraid of using the CL announcers? Pair them up with american announcers and let them learn from them. I don't think that they need to "educate" the american audience. MLS has ten seasons under it's belt and most people understand that whoever scores more, wins. If they are interested, they will figure out the rest. We don't need to know what players are thinking. The announcers are probably wrong anyway so stop guessing, damn it!

At least Wynalda and Balboa aren't there. Both of them would make good MLS studio analyists. I would disagree with them sometimes, but at least it wouldn't be while the game was going on.

I'm a backup for a friend's brother (who is having an operation) for a quarterfinal game seat. After seeing that list, the three or four days of missing espn coverage may be worth the price of airfare/hotel/admission.

[DREWWW]

I just got around to listening to my podcast of yesterday's world soccer daily.

Where's this podcast?

[Ultra Peanut]

Tune into the games on Univision, problem solved.

[Chowda]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut
Tune into the games on Univision, problem solved.
If I could, I would. I live two streets away from getting cable from a company that carries univision.

I thought the government made it mandatory to carry spanish tv on basic cable? I get two hundred stations, but I don't have the spanish package. $130 a month for digital cable/cable modem is enough.

[Chowda]

Originally Posted by DREWWW
Where's this podcast?

I get it from i-tunes. The subscription to that show is free. I'd hurry. They're about to put up today's show.

[DREWWW]

If I could, I would. I live two streets away from getting cable from a company that carries univision.

I thought the government made it mandatory to carry spanish tv on basic cable? I get two hundred stations, but I don't have the spanish package. $130 a month for digital cable/cable modem is enough.

Directv Bay-Bee :cool:

[Jon Martin]

This is disappointing. I actually think JP has gotten worse - more prone to blithering. DOB is a waste. Hearing that he is a baseball announcer answers all my questions about him. Stone is tedious, though I think his enthusiasm is genuine. I just feel his insights are directed at the readers of Teen Beat. I've never heard Messing or Davis, I hope they are remotely as good as Healey.

I like Derek Rae, though I liked him better as a Revs announcer. Malin is OK. Smyth is obnoxious; never more so than in the Chelsea-Barca match when he was blatantly pro-Chelsea.

I wish there was a way to watch the WC on BBC.

[JohnnyRev]

Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa were just awful on the US Poland game. Do they ever shut up and look at what's going on in the match?

I've been watching a lot of EPL games lately, and I really like the announcing style. Literate, pithy, but none of this "boys-in-the-lockerroom" stuff that we get on FSC. I particularly like Alan Perry as the play-by-play guy and David Pleat as the "color" guy (although they are not teamed together).

I would like to see Seamus Malin, Adrain Healey, and/or Derek Rae.

Speaking of "color" guys, one of the best I heard on MLS games was Simon Elliott. He is a very bright and articulate guy. I note his hair is no longer blonde now that he's starting for Fulham. I wonder what that's about?

I like Tommy Smythe. I still remember his comment from 1998, when he described a French defender as having "deceptive speed:" "he's slower than he looks."

[REVS FAN 1]

I feel even more lucky to be going to Germany!

These guys are all horrible! I guess I'm spoiled after watching games from Europe for so long...The only guy that I can stand to listen to is Eric Wynalda, and that's just because he sticks up for our boy:D

[BrianLBI]

There has to be more than six announcers, no? They work in pairs, and ESPN is supposed to be televising every match. Even if it could physically be done (the whole time-space continuum thing), they'd suck with so little time to prepare.

I've gotta believe this is perhaps part, but not all of the list.

Go Adrian!

[Ultra Peanut]

I feel even more lucky to be going to Germany!

Yeah, that's my main plan for avoiding US English-language announcers. Sure, I won't get to watch as many games as I did last time, but... :)

[peabrainedidiot]

unless I can hear things like "traffic just stopped all over europe", I'm turning the volume down:cool:

[a517dogg]

at least that idiot "it's in the net!" (Dave Johnson?) isn't going to calling any games. If I have to listen to that stupid phrase 14 times for each goal we score against Italy I will shoot myself.

[NER_MCFC]

Supposedly MLS/SUM, who own the rights, did not want Derek Rae, Tommy Smith, or Seamus Mallon calling any games. They wanted to make sure there was an "american face" at the world cup.
Given his accent and his decades long ties to the Boston area, exactly how is Seamus Mallon not an "american face"?

As for the rest, I'm fine Stone and JP; I've never heard O'Brien and I strongly dislike Glen Davis from back when FSN used to carry a lot more soccer than they do now. Messing I only remember as Giorgio Chinaglia's straight man in 02, so I don't expect to enjoy him.

[patfan1]

"American face" ... yes, we need more "Mine eyes have seen the Glory!" :D

Derek and Seamus can do any game as far as I'm concerned. Great duo, fun to listen to and we had the priveledge of having them be our guys for a while. What a joy.

Never forget this:
Revs @ the now-defunct Mutiny. During the game, they show the stage being set up and Derek mentions the 10,000 Maniacs are set to have a concert after the game.

Paraphrasing, but I think I'm damn close:
Derek: So Seamus, are you going to stick around and watch the concert.
Seamus: (laughs) Derek, I live in Harvard Square. If I want to see 10,000 maniacs, all I have to do is open my windows.

[BrianLBI]

Paraphrasing, but I think I'm damn close:
Derek: So Seamus, are you going to stick around and watch the concert.
Seamus: (laughs) Derek, I live in Harvard Square. If I want to see 10,000 maniacs, all I have to do is open my windows.

That's great! Not the kind of wit I would expect from Rob Stone or Shep for sure...

[Popero]

I don't like Stone very much, but the others are all pretty good, in my opinion, and Healy is great. I think you guys are a little hard on O'Brien. I've heard a lot of him because I'm a huge baseball fan, and he's a terriffic announcer. He just needs a little bit of time to get himself comfortable with calling soccer games. He'll get there by the summer.

But I thought Edwards was great last time around, so what do I know.