I'm sorry, but I've absolutely had it with MLS 'commentators'

Why don't you email the league and apply for the position? Then you can espouse all of your knowledge to the TV audience.

In short, if you aren't willing to do something about it yourself, then stop complaining.

 

You don't even have to be the commentator...just apply to sit behind the commentators and pass them notes...occasionally hit them.

 

While you're at it, why dont you teach Efan Ekoku that you cannot be offside on a goal kick and that the keeper counts as a "defender" when considering Law11.

Martin Tyler is a pleasure to hear but yes - Generally MLS announcers are horrible. I remember watching most of the games in 2006 on univision because JP delacammera and Dave Obrien are prats.

I dont understand a word Andres Cantor says but man is it beautiful

 

Half the fun is waiting to see what pearls of wisdom will next fall from Efan Ekokitallup's lips.
Andymoss has hit a nail very squarely on the head. The laws aren't that complicated, you'd think somebody would mark their card for them. And it does have knock-on effects, "it can't be a foul, the man on the telly said so".

 

In Kyle Martino's defense, there wasn't any contact that would be considered serious foul play during the run of play.

Having "touching the face" be VC is only a convention of current LOTG enforcement. Has it always been applyed this way in the 100+ year history of the game? I doubt it.

(Yes, De Guzman's was worse, but even it was only an open-handed push in the face, and it is extremely doubtful Martino saw it in real time.)

 

Then he's bad at his job. There are commentators who care about their jobs and do research into what the fouls are and what does it mean when the referee is doing this or that. Not so in Soccer I guess.

 

He never said "I don't understand."

He said "You know, it's tough." He said "But the referee really wasn't close when the action started happening."

"Both of them going at each others' throats."

"No real punches thrown. You can kind of see Ngwenya throw a punch."

He only described what happened. He never indicated that red cards were inappropriate.

I don't see how you can argue with his coverage, other than that maybe that he should openly agree or disagree with the referee's decisions.

 

But even Martin helpfully explained how the quick free kick works during a WC game. Something to the effect that "the player must ask the referee to take the free kick, and may only take it when authorized, otherwise it is a quick free kick".

Unbelievable.

 

I agree it was unbelievable. It was more along the lines of a player can take a free kick quickly if he asks the referee prior, otherwise the referee will very likely bring it back. Because a team did attempt to take the free kick quickly and it was brought back--I can't recall the real reasoning the kick was retaken.

 

Not the LOTG, but sort of close to what they do in the EPL.

Andy, the solution is obvious. Make a recording of yourself playing a vuvuzela and play it on an endless loop while watching the game.

 

Anyone see the vuvuzaela button on youtube lately?
Not sure about when it appears, but many vids have a button that you can push if you miss the familiar buzzing and need to hear it.

 

And how about the announcers in the world cup discussing the procedures for Kicks from the Mark after the 2 OT periods. Something to the effect of, the referee will conduct 2 coin tosses, the first one will determine which goal is used and the second coin toss will determine who kicks first. And of course they kept referrring to the "penalty kicks" to decide the outcome. Then again, it was John Harkes.

 

Yeah that comment by Tyler drove me nuts too. I think the kick was brought back because it wasn't originally taken anywhere near the original spot of the foul. It was hard to tell though since the camera was elsewhere when it was originally taken.

 

But he was right, he was being too fussy!

I don't know if FIFA refs are told to make sure the ball is actually touching the spot, but I have seen them on a number of occasions force a player to move the ball after they had placed it just slightly off the spot, but still with a large part of the ball overhanging the spot, which as we all know is a properly placed ball.

 

I've always been taught that even though this is legal because the spot acts like a line unless there's something wrong with the spot to make sure the ball is all the way on it. I always thought it was strange but my National Instructors were pointing out how important it is and to make sure I do it.

 

I thought I saw DeGuzman throw 2 punches.
I thought the refs handled the fight pretty well. They were all 3 away from where they could get punched and taking notes on did the punching.

What I wondered is whether they did anything about the sub that came on the field to get involved. I thought that was major no-no?

 

there's always Fanzone in the EPL...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y56quTJ88O0"]YouTube- FANZONE - Top 10 Funniest Moments Of 2008 HD[/ame]

 

So many of these commentators/announcers come to the game from a fan / player's point of view. They 'know' the rules but not really nor why/how that rule came about. Unfortunately their explanations of what happened and why the consequences are what they are often mislead the audience.

I too often shake my head at the crap that comes out of their mouths about the game. Makes me think of John "Rambling" Madden.

And I don't think it's the league's area per se... I think it's mainly up to the broadcast network who usually wants telegenic, recognizable mouthpieces.

 

John Madden at least knew why certain Rules were in place and what the Referees were looking for when they called them. He was much better at interpreting foul calls than anyone in soccer commentating.

 

Funniest thing I ever heard John Madden say... It was the year they put in the rule about stopping play when a defensive player is proceeding unabated toward the QB... The other announcer says, "He was unabated toward the quarterback" and John Madden says, "Unabated? He was baited! The offensive lineman moved!" I don't think he understood the word "unabated"...

 

The worst part about Madden was - he liked to talk... often to the point that he was no longer watching the game he was telling us about... we'd see exactly what happened in replay all the while he's blithering on about what he thought happeto ned. He loved to hear himself talk, often to the point where he came across as clueless and to the point, wrong.

I feel the same way sometimes about our commentators - especially as it relates to the LotG.

 

A 38:38 of the DC-SJ game, the announcers (John Shrader and Jim Kozimor) couldn't figure out why Quaranta wasn't called offside, while the ball was finally played by Cristman. A good non-call IMO. Can't somebody inform Shrader of what the rule is?????

At 82:45, a possible goal for DC was prevented when Santino Quaranta was incorrectly called offside (but I digress).