ESPN's World Cup performance

Discussion in 'TV, Satellite & Radio' started by tambo, Jun 8, 2014.

  1. Ferdinand Cesarano

    NYCFC
    Sep 21, 2005
    New York City
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    De-lurking to say that, while I don't think much of McManaman's analysis, I find Ian Darke's commentary to be excellent. Darke is almost as good as Martin Tyler, who is the Vin Scully of football. And his practice of listing a player's Premier League experience is a bizarre thing to criticise him for, because that is in fact the first thing that I want to know about any player.

    I've caught a few games on the radio; and there the English don't fare as well. Ross Dyer has been just that -- dire. Meanwhile, J.P. Dellacamera has been much better than I had remembered him from the MetroStars days. Particularly good was his call of the the Spain-Chile game alongside Tommy Smyth.

    Regarding Fox and the next World Cup: I don't understand the dislike for Eric Wynalda around here. (By contrast, the dislike for Alexi Lalas and Kasey Keller I understand and share.) I have always enjoyed Wynalda's brashness; and I will be perfectly happy if he is the lead analyst. Tim Howard has been very good on NBC doing analysis on Premier League matches. If he's retired by then, I wouldn't be surprised if Fox tried to bring him in.

    As far as play-by-play is concerned, Fox once had a great American broadcaster on the Fox Soccer Channel, a fellow who now works for ESPN. Where he will be working in 2018 is anyone's guess. I am referring to Max Bretos, another guy who gets knocked around pretty good in this forum. Bretos is hugely talented; he brings wonderful enthusiasm and a great depth of knowledge. I hope that he returns to Fox for the next World Cup, and that he is one of the main match commentators.
     
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  2. The411

    The411 Member

    Oct 12, 2013
    It's too bad the ESPN FC guys have been relegated in a manner of speaking to the highlight show. Love Burley, Hislop is pretty good, Nichol is less out of control Tommy Smyth.

    Lalas used to be ok but he's become intolerable. Twellman is absolutely terrible as all he does is spout US rhetoric and never acknowledges what the opponent may try to do.

    Ley is class and he's really the original US soccer host and should go down as a legend for having to endure so dark era in American soccer.

    I'm petrified of Fox having the World cup in 2018.

    Despite my criticisms of ESPN's analysts the production value is top notch.

    Fox's production value is atrocious and it was even blown out of the water by a virtual newcomer NBCsports when NBCsports took over the PL.
     
  3. Desert Rain

    Desert Rain New Member

    Aug 5, 2012
    I really wan't talking about the announcers in the booth for the WC. I understand why they hire English announcers. I was talking about the Men is Blazers who work behind the scenes at Espn and Fox producing shows not even related to soccer from what I understand. Many Americans can do those jobs.

    Mike and Mike at ESPN also have an English producer. I don't know his background. But if he came here to go to college and then got a job a ESPN then that bothers me. Any competent broadcasting major can do his job. We don't need a foreign import for his job.

    I also don't like how the English announcers will say: He has been playing well today, Michael Bradley. They always say the name after the statement instead of saying Bradley has been playing well. Most of the time we know who they are talking about anyway. Maybe it's just me and nobody else cares. I asked my brother and it didn't bother him.
     
  4. Desert Rain

    Desert Rain New Member

    Aug 5, 2012
    I don't mind Wynalda either. I'd rather have him than Macca. I didn't like Darke and Macca doing England's games because they seemed to always bring up negative things on England. It's like they didn't want to be biased so they became biased the other way. I'm not English either.

    Bretos was a good play by play man on FSC.

    Martin Tyler might be passed it. I never heard him in his prime, but he always seems out of breath.

    I like Clive Tyldesley. He's done some Champions League games I watched.

    My favorite team would be Clive Tydlesley and David Pleat. Some of if is just the announcers voice not being irritating to me not even what he says.
     
  5. Lithium858

    Lithium858 Member

    Aug 11, 2002
    Baton Rouge
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Maybe they are genuinely disappointed with England and were able to vent their frustration on air without being bashed by everyone else lol
     
  6. sitruc

    sitruc Member+

    Jul 25, 2006
    Virginia
    I'm so afraid of FOX ********ing up the broadcasts of the games in 4 years. You know... the same International feed that every country in the world gets. They're going to ******** it all up.:rolleyes:
     
  7. Ruud11

    Ruud11 Member

    Dec 2, 2009
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Like the beIN The Express Xtra Brazil. Last night they had Harkes, Adams & Saha. Worth watching!
     
  8. corolla

    corolla Member

    Jan 8, 2008
    Club:
    Olympique de Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Yes but what they do with the feed is what Im concerned about. They also have the feed that everyone uses and then throws Gujo and Wynalda shit commentary over it.
     
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  9. tambo

    tambo Member

    Jun 9, 2007
    ESPN's little musical tag from South Africa 2010 still pops up in my head from time to time.
     
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  10. TJNash

    TJNash Member

    May 22, 2012
    San Diego, CA
    Club:
    Manchester City FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, all those damn English sneaking in and taking AMERICAN jobs! How do we stop the scourge of illegal British immigration?

    Dude, are you serious? All those people you mentioned are here legally. They have every right to whatever jobs they have.
     
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  11. beInSchwartz

    beInSchwartz Member

    Aug 20, 2012
    Club:
    ABC Natal
    Yep, goal is to fully learn Spanish before the '18 WC.
     
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  12. PaulieJay

    PaulieJay Member

    Sep 10, 2013
    Iowa, United States
    Club:
    Wolverhampton Wanderers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have found this show to be worth watching throughout the entire World Cup. Of course the other night they gave the most coverage to the US, but they also covered Switzerland, Belgium and Argentina in due time and gave them a fair shake. I understand both ESPN and bein are in the United States, but it doesn't have to be a wall to wall hour of just us. I've scarcely even missed a US friendly in the last 20 years, and I guess part of me just didn't want to hear the same stuff rehashed over and over by the Mothership hours after our elimination. But I don't want our loss to put a total wet rage oon what we're about to see in the next 10 days.
     
  13. To the Byline

    To the Byline Member

    Jan 27, 2014
    United States
    Club:
    Olympique Lyonnais
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. ATL_Bayern_Fan

    Apr 29, 2013
    Atlanta
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    lulz
     
  15. LaxBandit

    LaxBandit Member+

    Aug 27, 1999
    North Tonawanda, NY
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  16. nick p

    nick p Member+

    Jul 11, 2009
    Baltimore Maryland
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fox has to make some real moves before 2018 World Cup
     
  17. Lithium858

    Lithium858 Member

    Aug 11, 2002
    Baton Rouge
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The 2015 WWC and Gold Cup would be a good start if they put some money into the telecasts. It will be interesting to see how they handle these tournaments since they are back-to-back (the GC starts two days after the WWC ends lol)
     
  18. corolla

    corolla Member

    Jan 8, 2008
    Club:
    Olympique de Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    By real moves do you mean like put rat poison in Gujos's coffee or make a CGI of the USMNT into Simpsons characters?
     
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  19. stingbee30

    stingbee30 Member

    Mar 16, 2006
    If anything, Rupert Murdoch has promised that the WC2018 will be even bigger. I'm not a fan of him or his organization, but one thing is that FOX is not going to spend this much money to butcher the WC. I think they have the resources and the experience to go after a top notch production. They have a long time to get their act together.

    They are working with ESPN crew at this moment to learn more about the WC and how to produce.

    We might even see more games pushed to FOX. The time zone is going to be an issue for the viewers in the US, especially the West Coast.
     
  20. stingbee30

    stingbee30 Member

    Mar 16, 2006
    Fox is going to go All-in for the Women's World Cup because of favorable Time Zone, and will probably utilize FOX for some primetime games. Soccer's popularity has reached an all time high, and the momentum from WC2014 is going to bleed into the Women's WC and Gold Cup. As a business decision, they are going to tab into the US Women's legacy and promote the event.

    Gold Cup 2015 is going to be an important for all the teams. The winner gets a ticket to 2017 confederation Cup in Russia. After a successful performance by the US, Mexico, and Costa Rica, the 2015 version could attract more viewers. Fox could put the US games on primetime attracting millions.
     
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  21. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They can claim whatever they want, but once they made the Gus Johnson choice, they committed to a mistake that ESPN made and learned better from two World Cups ago....
     
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  22. corolla

    corolla Member

    Jan 8, 2008
    Club:
    Olympique de Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Not true. Whoever wins the GC next summer faces the US in a playoff for the Confed Cup spot in 2017. Unless the US wins then theyre automatically in.

    And yes, what of Gujo? Unless Murdoch steps in he's your lead announcer. Im still hoping that Fox goes bust before then or I better start brushing up on my espanol.

     
  23. Non-dairy Creamer

    Feb 28, 2007
    as long as they don't put any NFL personalities on their coverage or hire a guy to call the US games that has no real experience or skill in broadcasting soccer I'm O.K.

    because espn would never do that..... :cool:
     
  24. corolla

    corolla Member

    Jan 8, 2008
    Club:
    Olympique de Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Who did espn hire tyrico? They guy is a studio head. Hes not an expert neither was Karl Ravech but they never called a match. If the person fox has in the studio is not a clown like terry bradshaw or a joe buck im fine with it.
     
  25. TobaccoMonopolyFC

    Oct 12, 2011
    Club:
    AS Monaco FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Bahamas
    #175 TobaccoMonopolyFC, Jul 7, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2014
    Fox doesn't worry me for 2018 as much as they do for the WWC in 2015. I get the feeling they're going to shit the bed so badly in 2015 that they'll be raked over the coals and forced to up their game for 2018. If they show no desire to improve upon the crap they have now then people should look into Comcast stock because Telemundo will do huge numbers.

    Wynalda has to go, he's a non-entertaining soccer version of ESPN's midday screamers.
     

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