Espn and The Euros

[LaxBandit]

Justin tv is not longer allowing EURO games :(

huh? probably was an error with the channel you trying to access - I'm able to pickup the Italy-Romania game from quite a few channels - justin.tv/drofstyle for one which is showing the ESPN2 feed.

LB...

[mulkman]

The biggest sport tournaments in the world.

1. The World Cup
2. Euro 2008
3. Champions League

[Tejas]

Well full marks to the play by play guy in today's Netherlands/France match when he said...

"...and the French are toast!"

[David-G]

I really enjoy the Healy/Gray broadcasted games. Gray is one of the best commentators around, good job ESPN bringing him on. I guess they figure the Euro's is more of a purist event (by American standards obviously) so they're not pandering to the average sports fan like in the World Cup. The studio is a different story but at least the game coverage has been very enjoyable.

[Nicodemus145]

- SPOILER WARNING: France/Holland -


Julie Foudy recapping the thrid goal from Holland: "The cracker at the near post!"

Shouldn't it be 'from' the near post? I think she called Robben a cracker. I LOL'd anyway.

And the hostess of 'Headliners' keeps pronouncing George Weah's former club "AC Millin' "

[code1390]

And the hostess of 'Headliners' keeps pronouncing George Weah's former club "AC Millin' "

Wow. You don't need to be a sports fan to know how to say Milan.

[Ghost]

It's been a vast improvement over the World Cup.

I think Julie is fine. She's intelligent, articulate, good on camera, and brings something to the table, which is a lot more than some American male commentators can say.

What I like most is that Gray and also Foudy are going back, breaking down goals, explaining them to the American audience, and helping new viewers who might be checking in to understand the game within the game. That's what John Madden really brought to the NFL in a fun way. Try finding any of that sort of analysis from Marcelo Balboa at the 2006 World Cup.

I think that sort of detailed analysis really helps novice American viewers get into it a lot more than stories about players' dating lives.

[GoodDead]

I still can't believe there are tons of clips on youtube in so many languages but nobody who watches the games on ESPN knows how to put up one clip on youtube. Weak.

[Cris 09]

It's been a vast improvement over the World Cup.

I think Julie is fine. She's intelligent, articulate, good on camera, and brings something to the table, which is a lot more than some American male commentators can say.

Just because there aren't better male American commentators available does not make "Julie" intelligent, or I should say; knowledgable in the sport. Yes, she is articulate and also good on camera and she does bring something to the table, absolute mediocracy.

Nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman - but she's pretty clueless at times and unfortunalty it shows.

I'm not bashing her for the sake of bashing...I would prefer her to do well, ESPN has been my source of football for some time now...my eyes are just getting tired of rollong :rolleyes: everytime she decides to have an opinion

[Oceans of time]

It's been a vast improvement over the World Cup.

I think Julie is fine. She's intelligent, articulate, good on camera, and brings something to the table, which is a lot more than some American male commentators can say.

What I like most is that Gray and also Foudy are going back, breaking down goals, explaining them to the American audience, and helping new viewers who might be checking in to understand the game within the game. That's what John Madden really brought to the NFL in a fun way. Try finding any of that sort of analysis from Marcelo Balboa at the 2006 World Cup.

I think that sort of detailed analysis really helps novice American viewers get into it a lot more than stories about players' dating lives.I agree. The discussion about the 2 on 2 and the split second decision making prcess by a defender crystalized how fast a game soccer truly is even to the most casual of observers.

[JeremyEritrea]

I still can't believe there are tons of clips on youtube in so many languages but nobody who watches the games on ESPN knows how to put up one clip on youtube. Weak.
Why don't you post Euro 2008 youtube clips from other countries' broadcasts then?

Oh wait, there aren't any. Hmm, could it be that UEFA is making sure to get them deleted as soon as someone posts then on the youtube site?

:rolleyes:

[um_chili]

I am fairly indifferent to soccer announcers; I often turn commentary off because it doesn't add much. So as long as an announcer is basically inoffensive, I don't care much either way. Julie Foudy, for example, adds nothing interesting in terms of style or substance, but is basically easy to ignore so I'm not bothered by her.

But Reese Davis has to be the worst studio host (for soccer, at least) that I've ever seen. His style comes off like a caricature of the sports announcer, with the deep basso voice and the labored diction and fake enthusiasm.

But worse than the off-putting style is that the man just doesn't seem to know what he's talking about when it comes to soccer. He's forever stumbling and bumbling to try to express what's happening when he narrates highlight reels, and he forever mispronounces names (he kept calling Libor Sionko "Sironko" even after Julie Foudy of all people corrected him on-air).

The only thing Davis does seem to want to add is the kind of hysterical, overblown scandalous non-story that the low-end American media (and its viewers) thrives on. He got frothy with excitement over the Swiss/Turkey bad blood from qualifying years ago (which turned out to be no issue in the game itself), and more recently he started the day's telecast with hyperactive commentary about Fernando Torres' apparent displeasure at being pulled from the previous game (which Julie Foudy, of all people, had to tell him he was blowing all out of perspective).

I normally don't care about announcers, but Reese Davis on soccer seems an utter abomination (the innocuousness of Rob Stone is a blessed relief in comparison). Am I alone in this opinion? I've talked to others who like Reese Davis' work in the context of college basketball, so maybe he's just bad when it comes to soccer.

[Rainer24]

On the one hand, I appreciate that ESPN recognize the importance of the event enough to put one of their big guys on it, but he doesn't know anything about the sport. I have despised David ever since he developed some sort of little analogy re: some sporting event, comparing it to the theory of evolution, with a quick aside pointing out that he didn't believe in it. I couldn't believe my ears. Everyone is welcome to his opinions, but he was so smug in saying it, and what place did ever really have in the discussion anyways?

That said, he bothers me less than Rob Stone, who simply should not be on television. He has no voice, no presence, and seems either stoned or just plain stupid most of the time.

[Cris 09]

I think everyone is happy with ESPN and what they have done, I am...


It's 'Frodo' and some other issues with anouncers.

[ztnjv]

I am very satisfied with the way ESPN is handling the coverage. I like the way they went and got better talent to do game commentary. I think it shows that they are listening to fans and not thinking they have to use dumbed down American commentators.

Their post-game analysis has also been good. I really the technology that they are employing to freeze frame action and move camera angles...ala "The Matrix"...to demonstrate what's going on. Good stuff.

It's high time for an ESPN Soccernet channel on TV....if they just felt it worth the money to buy some TV rights to games in the Top Euro leagues.

FSC is OK but Gol TV is pathetic. I could a better job with a camcorder in my garage with some friends.

[Cris 09]

Besided...the HD is amazing!!

[usasoccerhooligan]

i said this in another thread, but if i hear Rece Davis mention Panucci one more time, i'm going to drive to Bristol, CT and stab him in the face.

the coverage has been very good especially the Healy/Gray team like others have said. my biggest problem though is how it appears that no one in the studio knows the damn Laws of the Game. even worse, when they are corrected on it, they act like the rulebook is wrong, especially Julie Foudy.

oh how i loathe her...

[Visca...]

I am fairly indifferent to soccer announcers; I often turn commentary off because it doesn't add much. So as long as an announcer is basically inoffensive, I don't care much either way. Julie Foudy, for example, adds nothing interesting in terms of style or substance, but is basically easy to ignore so I'm not bothered by her.

But Reese Davis has to be the worst studio host (for soccer, at least) that I've ever seen. His style comes off like a caricature of the sports announcer, with the deep basso voice and the labored diction and fake enthusiasm.

But worse than the off-putting style is that the man just doesn't seem to know what he's talking about when it comes to soccer. He's forever stumbling and bumbling to try to express what's happening when he narrates highlight reels, and he forever mispronounces names (he kept calling Libor Sionko "Sironko" even after Julie Foudy of all people corrected him on-air).

The only thing Davis does seem to want to add is the kind of hysterical, overblown scandalous non-story that the low-end American media (and its viewers) thrives on. He got frothy with excitement over the Swiss/Turkey bad blood from qualifying years ago (which turned out to be no issue in the game itself), and more recently he started the day's telecast with hyperactive commentary about Fernando Torres' apparent displeasure at being pulled from the previous game (which Julie Foudy, of all people, had to tell him he was blowing all out of perspective).

I normally don't care about announcers, but Reese Davis on soccer seems an utter abomination (the innocuousness of Rob Stone is a blessed relief in comparison). Am I alone in this opinion? I've talked to others who like Reese Davis' work in the context of college basketball, so maybe he's just bad when it comes to soccer.
He's better than the first 2 they had before.

[Jay510]

i said this in another thread, but if i hear Rece Davis mention Panucci one more time, i'm going to drive to Bristol, CT and stab him in the face.

the coverage has been very good especially the Healy/Gray team like others have said. my biggest problem though is how it appears that no one in the studio knows the damn Laws of the Game. even worse, when they are corrected on it, they act like the rulebook is wrong, especially Julie Foudy.

oh how i loathe her...

dude, Panucci almost died by being booked on TWA 800. American media love stories like that. They keep after it like he's some sort of ghost who's returned to have his revenge, only the guy didnt die.

[usasoccerhooligan]

dude, Panucci almost died by being booked on TWA 800. American media love stories like that. They keep after it like he's some sort of ghost who's returned to have his revenge, only the guy didnt die.

i haven't heard him say anything about that. i didn't actually know that that happened. Rece keeps bringing up was the correct offside no-call on the Van Nistelrooy goal versus Italy. at least, i haven't heard him bring up the TWA 800 flight.