http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/richard_deitsch/07/01/espn.soccer/index.html Remember: This is the channel that hates soccer. Continue meltdown.
-Sportscenter on site. -4 reporters: 1 with the US, 1 for South America, 2 for the rest of the field -announcers are not set (and looking for experience) -got the guys from Once in a Lifetime to interview every living World Cup goal scorer (I can't wait for the Jeff Agoos session)
As seen in other places the studio crew will include Chris Fowler (ESPN's best studio host) and Mike Tirico (their go-to guy for big events. Bob Ley will be in SA with them. This is a big damned deal.
In the article, they said World Cup final. I think it was a bit of sloppy journalism. Does that mean goalscorers in the WC Final (the final match) or just in the WC Finals as opposed to WC Qualifying (any round).
i'm guessing poor reading on my part way more than 50 living goal scorers in the world cup possibly around 50 living guys that have scored in a final though
Well as I have little else to do at the moment... Zidane (1998, 2006) Materazzi (2006) Ronaldo (2002) Petit (1998) Brehme (1990) Brown (1986) Valdano (1986) Burruchaga (1986) Rummenigge (1986) Voller (1986) Breitner (1974, 1982) Rossi (1982) Tardelli (1982) Altobelli (1982) Kempes (1978) Bertoni (1978) Nanninga (1978) Neeskens (1974) Muller (1974) Pele (1958, 1970) Gerson (1970) Jairzinho (1970) Carlos Alberto (1970) Hurst (1966) Peters (1966) Haller (1966) Weber (1966) Amarildo (1962) Zito (1962) Simonsson (1958) Zagallo (1958) Ghiggia (1950) Those would be all the living World Cup Final goalscorers I can find. Certainly less than 50 of them. Unless they count penalty shootouts.
That is indeed some very good news. After the success of Euro 2008, the writing was on the wall for this. They get it at ESPN; it's about time.
i wager you can say dave o'brien will not be doing the pbp however, i cannot say that that jp or harkes will not be calling something at the tournament i haven't the foggiest... but they definitely have experience
hardly the last world cup was the writing on the wall that showed espn that they can get huge audiences for soccer they've just been steadily ramping things up on their end since
Great news. If there is a time that mass numbers of sports fans who are not soccer fans get converted, it's during the World Cup. That was the case for me. Having Tirico and Fowler will help with that so it's ok that they're not soccer guys, and Bob Ley is a soccer fan. I am surprised that Reece Davis won't be involved because I thought that he did a very good job for both the Euros and the Confed Cup. If Tirico and Fowler approach things with the same professionalism as Davis, which I imagine they will, the studio work should be good. I think this decision, in part, reflects the fact that the US has become a World Cup nation if not a soccer nation yet. The former was always likely to lead the latter so this is good progress. My first exposure to the World Cup was on TNT in 1990. The difference in coverage will be light years apart!
this is all very awesome. on a related note, if Mexico qualify, they'd be smart to spend a lot of time with their team too. certainly a lot of their fans will watch UNI or TEL (not sure which has the rights, I'd assume UNI), but many 3rd generation M-A's don't speak Spanish and are interested in El Tri. plus many other people in this country have a general interest in them as well. i hope this comment doesn't elicit any groans from the peanut gallery ... i just want ESPN to get as high a rating as possible from this all-out coverage. for two reasons (kind of three): 1. so Skipper is proven right (Skipper is DA MAN) 2. so ESPN is motivated to put this effort into future soccer offerings 3. so ESPN learns that there is a correlation between "quality" of soccer coverage and "quantity" of viewers as for #3, it looks like they're learning their lesson ... as it looked like they essentially admitted that putting Dave O'Brien in the lead role was a huge f'ing mistake (which it was).
i agree. small comment though: and this is nothing against Rece, because I think he is one of the best ... but, as far as the CC went, I don't think he quite comprehended the significance of the moment, at certain times. you could clearly see that he's not a soccer fan (or all that knowledgeable about the sport), by his lack of enthusiasm at times like: HT of the Spain game or HT of the 2nd Brazil game. he's not supposed to be jumping up and down, but as the studio host, you're supposed to at least convey the significance of the situation, and add a little suspense. but rece was just stone faced, like he just got out of bed. if you watch British TV or Spanish-language TV, and their countries were leading Spain 1-0 at the half or Brazil 2-0 ... you'd freakin know it by looking at the host's face. it kind of boils down to the whole thing 3 years ago, when a team would score the most cracking goal and Dave O'Brien would nonchalantly call it. he's not trying to be an ass, he just doesn't know the significance of what he just saw. reason i bring this up is i think fowler will do a much better job of this. he is the best in the business at this type of thing in both CFB and tennis.
And people will still find a way to complain. Cant wait to see that. In honesty though this is big and I'm excited that ESPN is really going all in with this. And best news of all is Jim Rome's head must be spinning.
I don't doubt that Harkes and Dellacamera will still be doing the U.S. matches. That doesn't piss me off as much as it does some others, but someone tell these guys that they are allowed to get excited when we score a goal. Objectivity is not necessary.
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. I've got so many friends on the fence about watching soccer, and when they see quality coverage that helps them appreciate the history and nuance of the game, they will get into it. With crappy coverage, it's just a way to marginalize the game. What a godsend to have a passionate soccer fan at that level of ESPN's management.
I think ESPN pushed Rome to stop ragging on NASCAR when they started ratcheting up their coverage several years back. Maybe they'll do the same f/ soccer (although I won't hold my breath).
What happened to the good ol' days when I had to finagle with that stupid round antenna on the tv so I could pick up a signal from somewheres in New Jersey? And while the picture would come in and out depending on the movement of the clouds, I could listen to the announcers speak in a language I didn't understand. Now look at the mess we got ourselves into. We are just like any other sport, how degrading.
Nothing "sloppy" about it provided your command of the English language is adequate. World Cup FINAL means just that....the FINAL game.
Adrian Healey was a guest on WSD about a year ago, I think right after the Euro's ended.. and talked about that tournament "opening the eyes of the high ups at ESPN". He mentioned then that they felt optimistic about the next World Cup looking very different on ESPN than '06 did. I'd love to have Rae or Healey calling a US game. Hopefully ESPN can get Gray again too.