Espn and The Euros

[johndaly]

Andy Gray mistakenly identifying the Czech Republic was certainly disappointing. An announcer of his undoubted ability should have been better prepared. However, his analyzing and powers of observation put him in an entirely different league to any commentators we have ever had in the US.

Is there any chance that ESPN will keep Tommy Smyth doing the less important game during these third games? Or, better still, get rid of him before the quarter finals begin? I do hope so!!!! On Saturday, I tried muting the tv just so that I did not have to listen to his inane rambling, but the words come up in print across the screen! I then tried it with the volume turned down so low that I could not hear him. That made for a bland, uninspring experience, so I had to bite the bullet and turn the volume up.

I could not imagine the possibility of him actually becoming worse, but he has! Surely, ESPN must realize that he is a very poor commentator who relies on his Irish accent to impress people. Most soccer savvy people recorgnize that he is absolutely awful.

[Crimen y Castigo]

Apologies if this has been covered here or elsewhere, but has there been any discussion of who's calling the final?

First off: Full credit to ABC/ESPN so far. All in all, excellent coverage.

That said: The final is on ABC, and they do have a very dark history of dropping in awful, awful, football-ignorant jerkwad hosts like Brent Musberger and well-intentioned but overmatched PBP men like O'Brien for matches like this.


Here's hoping at least Rae will get the call. I'd be satisfied with at least that -- they can throw in whoever the hell they like for the color, but please give us a decent match call .

[Rainer24]

Andy Gray mistakenly identifying the Czech Republic was certainly disappointing. An announcer of his undoubted ability should have been better prepared. However, his analyzing and powers of observation put him in an entirely different league to any commentators we have ever had in the US.

Is there any chance that ESPN will keep Tommy Smyth doing the less important game during these third games? Or, better still, get rid of him before the quarter finals begin? I do hope so!!!! On Saturday, I tried muting the tv just so that I did not have to listen to his inane rambling, but the words come up in print across the screen! I then tried it with the volume turned down so low that I could not hear him. That made for a bland, uninspring experience, so I had to bite the bullet and turn the volume up.

I could not imagine the possibility of him actually becoming worse, but he has! Surely, ESPN must realize that he is a very poor commentator who relies on his Irish accent to impress people. Most soccer savvy people recorgnize that he is absolutely awful.



I don't think preparation has much to do with it. If you call it Czechoslovakia for thirty years, it's hard to change that, especially when the average person doesn't have any reason to talk about the country on a daily basis.

[Munich_Lex]

Andy Gray mistakenly identifying the Czech Republic was certainly disappointing. An announcer of his undoubted ability should have been better prepared. However, his analyzing and powers of observation put him in an entirely different league to any commentators we have ever had in the US.

Is there any chance that ESPN will keep Tommy Smyth doing the less important game during these third games? Or, better still, get rid of him before the quarter finals begin? I do hope so!!!! On Saturday, I tried muting the tv just so that I did not have to listen to his inane rambling, but the words come up in print across the screen! I then tried it with the volume turned down so low that I could not hear him. That made for a bland, uninspring experience, so I had to bite the bullet and turn the volume up.

I could not imagine the possibility of him actually becoming worse, but he has! Surely, ESPN must realize that he is a very poor commentator who relies on his Irish accent to impress people. Most soccer savvy people recorgnize that he is absolutely awful.

Bold and underline added.

I listen to Andy Gray and keep thinking he's looking in the mirror and patting himself on the back during the entire game. When he and Rae commentate, listen to how often Andy uses "I" or "me" compared to any other commentator. He thinks we care about him or what he thinks? And his power of observation reaches a climax when one team dominates and scores, and he triumphantly says "I saw that coming" then he points out the completely obvious as if to claim nostra damus like prediction qualities. He also likes to laugh at his own jokes, which is lame when your not in front of an audience. I know the US announcers aren't great. Nobody cares about his personal stories of no real soccer historical consequence. This guy belongs in a boisterous pub, so he can be drowned out. Oh how I wish I spoke spanish.


Does anyone agree that Andy Gray is one loud annoying SOB?

[zippy85]

Bold and underline added.

I listen to Andy Gray and keep thinking he's looking in the mirror and patting himself on the back during the entire game. When he and Rae commentate, listen to how often Andy uses "I" or "me" compared to any other commentator. He thinks we care about him or what he thinks? And his power of observation reaches a climax when one team dominates and scores, and he triumphantly says "I saw that coming" then he points out the completely obvious as if to claim nostra damus like prediction qualities. He also likes to laugh at his own jokes, which is lame when your not in front of an audience. I know the US announcers aren't great. Nobody cares about his personal stories of no real soccer historical consequence. This guy belongs in a boisterous pub, so he can be drowned out. Oh how I wish I spoke spanish.


Does anyone agree that Andy Gray is one loud annoying SOB?
Andy Gray is crap, get over it.

He is still not as bad as Robbie Earle who is far and away the dumbest commentator on English tv, even the Radio stations make fun of him, i actually feel a little sorry for him but he gets paid.

British ex pros know hardly anything about football, all they talk about is heart, passion, effort etc its probably why we suck so much.:(

[gumbacicc]

Wasn't Tommy Smyth the color guy for the Italy game?

I know Andy Gray was calling Netherlands-France that same day and they split duty, and now that I think of it I'm sure it was Smyth calling Italy-Romania. I assume this was the game you were referring to based on your profile. Smyth has an Irish accent, Gray speaks Scottish (a bizarre form of English..just listen to him!), but I can understand the mixup if you haven't listened to either of them routinely.

I only point this out because in my opinion Gray is substantially more knowledgeable, insightful and entertaining than Smyth. Both of them are anglocentric in their focus, but Gray is still infinitely better for my money.

Gray did our opener and I switched over to the Spanish broadcast in the middle of the first half. I watched the Romania game at a bar and could not hear the commentary. My criticism of Gray pertains to all of the games I've watched where I was forced to put up with him. Frankly, I have detested the guy since the last Euros which I believe Setanta picked up. In any case, it was clearly a British broadcast and he was one of the commentators.

I tend to disagree about your comparison with Smyth. Smyth is far more knowledgeable about the "world" game and less biased than Gray in my view. Though I know many don't like Smyth, I've never had a beef with the guy. I guess it boils down to what a person finds entertaining. I find Gray more annoying than anything else. But enough from me on this topic because I am bored and my whining is becoming annoying as well.

[Rainer24]

Less biased?


If Tommy Smyth were any more biased in his adoration of Celtic and Manchester United, he would...he would...I don't even have anything because he couldn't be. Add that onto his constant lauding of certain players when they are obviously playing like crap ("Puyol is the rock in the back!") and his inability to admit when he is wrong (Panucci mugging Niculae in the box for the penalty call) and he can be insufferable!

That said, I don't mind Tommy Smyth most of the time, but Andy Gray has a far greater knowledge of the game and the ability to bring the casual or neutral fan into the match.

[ultraprime]

Does anyone agree that Andy Gray is one loud annoying SOB?

No. Find him rather enjoyable in fact. :D

[Crimen y Castigo]

Attention, Attention:

Ruud Gullit likes Julie Foudy.

OBEY RUUD!

That is all....

[Pottertons]

That may be the case, but it certainly doesn't dictate my opinion of the guy. I suspect the reason he is held in such great esteem in the English-speaking world, as you say, is because he has such a heavy bias toward EPL-based players that compete in this competition as do most of the rest of the English-speaking world.

I will admit that I have an Italian bias; however, I must say that I was surprised at his lack of knowledge with regard to the Italian side and his outright bias toward certain sides in general. That is very annoying but unsurprising given ESPN's mickey mouse coverage of international football. In the past two major tournaments we have been lambasted with the ignorance of July Foudy, Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda who seemingly have only been hired due to their past affiliation with USA international football and do not provide great insight. The only thing I do like about it is the high definition when the games are aired on ESPN or ESPN2.

I general, I prefer to watch the games with certain Spanish commentators as they tend to have a better overall understanding of what is going on.

Sorted then! so what's the point of the rant.

[vawn12]

You don't know what dumb is until you've heard Phil Schoen on Gol TV.
Some 'Schoenisms': 1. He speculated if Zenit St. Petersburg would have a home advantage in the UEFA cup final vs. Rangers since they would be playing in Moscow 2. He seems to really believe away goals in some cup competition count double, i.e. does not grasp that they are tie-breakers only. 3. He announced that a Germay-Belorussia match was being held in "Kaiserslautern, Belorussia". 4. He said Schalke's Kevin Kuranyi was "arguably the best player on the planet." 5. After a 2-0 match in Spain, he said both sides would feel happy with their one point.

His favorite partner Ray Hudson, is incapable of stringing 2 thoughts togather. Babbles about players in tutus, bellydancing, and in ballet skirts, making orgasmic goals. About the only thing you learn from Hudson is what latino boys he would like to spend the night with. When his Argentina pretty boys bowed out of WC 06 and were hammered in the Copa America by Brazil, he had no idea or expalanation for what happened. His only comment being 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' (I know, it doesn't make any sense). Pretends to be some kind of in-the-know expert on Spanish football even though he never announces from Spain, and cannot speak or read Spanish. Plus he has one of the most grating lawn-mower voice and accent imaginable. He makes listening to Billy Mays almost pleasurable.

[Jay510]

Andy Gray is crap, get over it.

patently false.

He is still not as bad as Robbie Earle who is far and away the dumbest commentator on English tv, even the Radio stations make fun of him, i actually feel a little sorry for him but he gets paid.

who?

British ex pros know hardly anything about football, all they talk about is heart, passion, effort etc its probably why we suck so much.:(

actually, he talks about it a lot, but he still talks about the play on the pitch. He's rather good at it too.

[M]

patently false.



Zippy dislikes him because he refuses to suck up to Man Utd.

[Jay510]

Zippy dislikes him because he refuses to suck up to Man Utd.

now, not only do i like him, I respect him.

[dundee9]

Andy Grey is awesome

best color commentator ever

[zippy85]

Zippy dislikes him because he refuses to suck up to Man Utd.
None of the commentators suck up to United, its just he completely changed his angle over night because of insecure liverpool fans.

[Cris 09]

None of the commentators suck up to United, its just he completely changed his angle over night because of insecure liverpool fans.

just wake up?

[zippy85]

just wake up?
You don't make sense.

[Cris 09]

You don't make sense.

Did you just wake up?? What don't you get about it?? :rolleyes: Lay off the weed, stoner!

[Amsteldam]

The biggest sport tournaments in the world.

1. The World Cup
2. Euro 2008
3. Champions League
Since when did number 2 and 3 take over from the Olympics??? :confused: