[gooranje]

Anyone know who we are getting? Derek Rae and Smyth? Are they going to send out teams to broadcast on site? Or are they going to be in the studio in Bristol?

[FIXXXER]

Great question, I'd love to know the answer here. I almost wish ESPN would wise up and hire international announcers. I'm not sure I can deal with listening to Julie Foudy talk about Euro. Not a big Harkes fan either, but I guess beggars can't be choosy.

Memo to ESPN: hire announcers that know more than the general soccer public about these teams & players. Its mind numbing to hear announcers repeat stuff we have been reading on soccernet or Yahoo sports for weeks.... BRING SOME NEW INSIGHT TO THE TABLE....

sorry for the rant...

[BocaFan]

Originally Posted by FIXXXER

Great question, I'd love to know the answer here. I almost wish ESPN would wise up and hire international announcers. I'm not sure I can deal with listening to Julie Foudy talk about Euro. Not a big Harkes fan either, but I guess beggars can't be choosy.

Memo to ESPN: hire announcers that know more than the general soccer public about these teams & players. Its mind numbing to hear announcers repeat stuff we have been reading on soccernet or Yahoo sports for weeks.... BRING SOME NEW INSIGHT TO THE TABLE....

sorry for the rant...

Well, you're complaint (rant) is a bit outdated. Shaka Hislop signed on with ESPN recently (I saw him on ESPN chat a while back), so I assume that means he'll be an analyst for Euro 2008. I think also Frank LeBeouf (sp?) and a couple of other good analysts have joined the team.

[gooranje]

Agree. I understand that ESPN wants to use American announcers in competitions involving the US so that it might be more palatable to non-soccer viewers. But when its only European sides, I don't know why you need an American voice to relate it to the common sports fan. I wish they'd use the internation feed. I was in South Africa during WC '02 and they used the international feed.
I hope they at least send them to the tourney to broadcast the games.

[redbulls1002]

Before you all get worried about them using American announcers, I have read on other forums they are using the ESPN International guys. The ones who cover the Champions League ( ESPN International) are gonna produce the game and use their announcers to call the game. ESPN USA is going to piggy back their feed and use their announcers rather than using their own announcers. So in short no Julie Foudy or John Harkes they will be doing the MLS as always.

[Smoga]

Originally Posted by BocaFan

Well, you're complaint (rant) is a bit outdated. Shaka Hislop signed on with ESPN recently (I saw him on ESPN chat a while back), so I assume that means he'll be an analyst for Euro 2008. I think also Frank LeBeouf (sp?) and a couple of other good analysts have joined the team.

Hmmm, why would Hislop know more about European teams than either Harkes or Jules F.? It's not like England will be there....

I'll be happy with the ESPN International guys, but I'll more than likely will turn the sound off anyway. And since I'm on that tangent, once I was able to get an intertnet feed for a game (I think it was a Setanta signal), that had no commentary whatsoever, only the crowd and the noise from the pitch. It was paradise! I wish all soccer feeds would come with a choice to listen to announcers or to turn them off.

[Cris 09]

Originally Posted by gooranje

Agree. I understand that ESPN wants to use American announcers in competitions involving the US so that it might be more palatable to non-soccer viewers.

Since I live in the US and watch ESPN, I am going to hope the US does not qualify for 2010!!

[BocaFan]

Originally Posted by Smoga

Hmmm, why would Hislop know more about European teams than either Harkes or Jules F.? It's not like England will be there....

I don't know if this is meant as a serious question, but Hislop is a good analyst. I never heard of the other 2 guys you mentioned...

[squidward123]

The best anaylsts in ESPN are janusz michallik, tommy smyth and the announcer with an irish-sounding accent...he's quite old and he is american. I think he used to be a goalie in america way back in the day. He and janusz are the most knowledgeable on a wide range of things and tommy smyth is pretty good too and very accurate with his predictions.

[benficafan3]

Originally Posted by squidward123

The best anaylsts in ESPN are janusz michallik, tommy smyth and the announcer with an irish-sounding accent...he's quite old and he is american. I think he used to be a goalie in america way back in the day. He and janusz are the most knowledgeable on a wide range of things and tommy smyth is pretty good too and very accurate with his predictions.

I assume your talking about Derek Rae, lovely announcer. He's Scottish, by the way.