Waste of digital space this thread. The answer is sooo blatantly obvious to anyone who knows the game.
The man knows nothing of the sport and is proven countless times per game that he's an idiot when his fellow commentator says "oi, you're wrong!" The only thing he gets right are bloody obvious ones like "GOAL!" Let's get someone in who's going to entice people to continue watching not someone who's due to perform in the circus when he's done commentating..
I think he is fun to listen to. He is a lot like Dick Vitale, he brings enthusiasm and just pure fanaticism. It is soccer not rocket science people...
I didn't know the UN was headquartered in NYC... I always assumed it was headquartered in Europe, because I assumed every country in the world would complain if it was in the US, like it would be some sort of advantage to us to have it in the US... you learn something new every day. As far as Smyth, I don't love him or hate him, but he's certainly much easier to tolerate if the team your are cheering for is winning... Its nice when you have a lead, and then 'put a bulge in the back of the ole onion bag' to put the game away.
the general assembly is in NY - but there is also something in Geneva - where most world bodies have an office.
Smyth is blind as a bat and never admits when he is wrong. His loyalty to certain teams is annoying when trying to be an objective commentator.
I'm embarrassed to say I love him- not for any logical reason- but simply through a pavlovian reaction because he's always been talking at games I want to see. He's like a John Madden in my head, goofy and unique. (Admittedly, its a low threshold because I'm just happy to see the games in the US and subcribed to a "beggars can't be choosers" model for years)