Not sure what happened there. Hopkins does just about every Budesliga game that I watch. I don't like him.
It reminds me of the episode on F troop many years ago when they were auditioning for a new bugeler. This guy comes on a please effortlessly and the next guy blows the horn like Dobbs. Guess who Dobbs chooses. BBBBAAHHHH! RRRRaaahhhh! Hopkins is so banal. He reminds me of an accountant or mortician. No sense of humor or zest for what he's doing.
Re: Lionel, where for art thou? i used to email back and forth with lionel and believe me, that man had never even watched soccer before doing the epl show. he would basically admit that what he did and said was purely for entertainment value. he was funny on the show (i personally didn't like his style though), and very sarcastic and funny via email, but that guy certainly didn't play soccer professionally anywhere.
Hoax? I seem to recall either last year or the year before, he responded on air to an email asking if he had ever played pro and he showed a pic from some team in England (which div. I'm not sure.) Perhaps a bit of chicanery?
Lionel Bienvenue, on the late lamented (by some) EPL show, once claimed that he played in the old English first division under an assumed name. The assumed name was... wait for it.... hold on... now: Wankler. It hasn't happened for about six months, but there have been some really frighting Lionel fans who are convinced that I am Lionel Bienvenue because of that moment on his show (and you four people so far know who you are). But alas, I am not currently working as a sports anchor in Denver.