TV announcers part II (R)

[M9fanatic]

After having watched the US/Norway match, and both the PAX game and the Beat game yesterday I have come to a conclusion.

Anson sucks! Plain and simple!!

I miss Wendy. I know some of you have issues with her, but come on!

Anson isn't even in the same league as Wendy. Wendy knows when to shut up, when to speak and most importantly... she doesn't suck like Anson!!!

I hope Wendy gets to do a playoff game and Pax realizes what a big mistake they made. I'm thinking Dave Johnson and Wendy Gebaur-Palladino for the second playoff game.

[FearM9]

Jeez I didn't even think about that until you brought it up. Who would be the second broadcast squad? I guess it all depends on which team is hosting the playoff games. Dino #1 does the Beat matches while Dino #2 does the Coruage matches. Ack...a husband/wife broadcasting team. :eek::D Would that be a first? I guess that maybe the Mowins/Dorrance duo would be at the more "marquee" playoff game (ie..the one involving Mia).

[M9fanatic]

Dino and Dino both do color.

Oh i also forgot to mention... I miss JP!

[ranjeboom]

Now that someone else has reopened the wound,as it were, I kept "power stats" on Dorrance's biases on the 7/27/02 match, SD @ DC.

Granted, the references to DC that occurred in the opening flurry of the game are without time notations due to my initial non-commitment / observational mentality, but here is the bias breakdown for the majority of the game.

<B>FAVORABLE</B> to SD - in order of appearance:
on Pickup
on Smolak, 25' - backhanded compliment
on Fawcett
on Pickup, 39'
on Pickup, 40'
on Team, 43'
on Mac 51'
on Boxx, 70' - backhanded compliment
on Mac, 92'

<B>FAVORABLE</B> to DC - in order of appearance:
on Jones, general gush
on Wambach, general gush
on Moore, general gush
on Jones again, general gush
on Noftsinger, general gush
on Team, 22'
on Jones once again, 35'
on Grubb, 71'
on Team (Hamm/Jones), 80'

<B>UNFAVORABLE</B> to SD:
on Team, 22'
on Team, 24'
on Boxx, 80'


<B>UNFAVORABLE</B> to DC:
on Mullinix, 70'

Now, I believe this breakdown is misleading in terms of numbers, which in the context of airtime are quite equal, because it does not account for the time period devoted to the commentary, or to the level of enthusiasm expressed to one team over the other. Intangibles such as vocal tonation, inflection, and, well, general gushing, belie the numbers.

My conclusion thenceforth, Dorrance = gross and inappropriate favoritism.

I say bench him.

I like Beth Mowins though. She is consistently good, and did a great job at the NCAA Softball tournament and continues her expertise and professionalism in soccer commentary.

[*Crazy_Chastain*]

anyone notice Anson calling someone "anal" during the interview with Clint Mathis yesterday during the ATL/PHI game? I thought he was totally out of line using the word in that context on national television in the middle of the day with children viewing. Who does that?!?! ugh! :rolleyes: hopefully we'll have new commentators next season

[kenntomasch]

"Anal" does have two meanings, you know. If not more (however, considering the whole litigation deal, it's ironic).

Al Michaels said "shot their wad" on Monday Night Football last week, following up the Jack Edwards thing from earlier (or did Jack say "shot their load?") in the year.

[AndyMead]

Yeah. "Anal" is not a "four letter word." That's like the academic who got suspended last year for using the word "***************rdly" which has absolutely nothing to do with the "N word", yet some folks got upset because the sounded similar and complained.

(Edit: Apparently even the BigSoccer censor has problems with spellonyms)

[kenntomasch]

Exactly. We have reached the point in this country where you can't even say words that sound like they might even remotely be related to some politically-incorrect term.

To be honest, I'd never even heard the term of which you speak before that whole brouhaha, but once I found out what it meant, I couldn't believe someone had a problem with it. Then again, knowing how we do things in this country nowadays, I guess I'm not surprised at all.

[FanOfFutbol]

It "could" be MUCH worse. At least Anson does know most of the soccer terms and use them correctly, except for the use of "offsides" which is NOT a soccer term.

In watching the PDL final the moronic announcer kept saying, every time the ball went out, that it went "Out of touch."

Well, in soccer, the ball is "IN" touch when it is out of play. Therefore if it is "Out of touch" it must be in play. Announcers that do this kind of misuse of terms are trying to sound smart but the only succeed it sounding EXTREMELY dumb.

Of course except for the "facts of play" like who is playing the ball etc. (They have spotters helping them with this so the mostly get it right.) I try VERY hard to ignore all American announcers and 80% of the other ones.

I usually watch games with the sound just up enough so I can understand it but I ignore 98% of the "color" commentary as they know very little about what is actually going on. I know U8 players that know a LOT more than most of the people that are on the TV broadcasts. At least the way they exhibit the knowledge.

One other thing, in sports the VERY best announcers are as likely to have NEVER played or coached as they are to have been a part of the sport they announce. I wonder why we think that we must have people that have played or coached soccer announcing soccer. All it really takes to announce the game is a good, basic, knowledge of the game and watching enough where the flow can be read and noted on the broadcast and the ability to think and talk at the same time. The knowledge can come from any of a number of good books and the flow vision can come from just watching a LOT of games.

Soon there may be a LOT of baseball announcers out of jobs. Maybe soccer could recruit next years commentators from those experienced ranks.

Hey, if it was tried we might get some converts as well.

As far as the PC issue. I feel that 99% of what is complained about, like men's soccer being faster than women's, is people just wanting to make themselves feel important. It has no real value nor any real meaning. I once read a post complaining about the word "lady" being offensive to women based on the obscure root of the word. You talk about anal!

[Heeligan2]

Originally posted by ranjeboom
....I like Beth Mowins though. She is consistently good, and did a great job at the NCAA Softball tournament and continues her expertise and professionalism in soccer commentary.

Let her do color commentary and find us someone who will actually give us play by play. Beth and Anson just chat away with little concern for what is actually happening on the field. The play by play was so much better during the men's WC.

[M9fanatic]

Originally posted by Heeligan2


Let her do color commentary and find us someone who will actually give us play by play. Beth and Anson just chat away with little concern for what is actually happening on the field. The play by play was so much better during the men's WC.

Oh good lord. Finally someone agree's with me!!!

I hope Dave and Wendy get to do a playoff game. then PAX will realize what a big mistake they made.

[Heeligan2]

I thought their performance in the final game was bad... not their worst but still bad. There were several fouls and offside calls where I questioned the call or wanted another view. Not only was there no replay, or questioning of the call -- the call was not even mentioned as they chatted about something unrelated to the action. Interrupting the action to interview various founding players made it even worse. And the inane cuts to what Abby Wambach was saying. And in the last 20 minutes almost all they talked about was how the Freedom could come back and score.

I hope we can get someone to actually do some play by play next year.

[*Crazy_Chastain*]

Originally posted by Heeligan2


I hope we can get someone to actually do some play by play next year.


I think most of us will agree with that one! :)