I would like to see who people think is the best and worst soccer commentator in the US. I think the best has to be Max Bretos easily. His knowledge and improvement over the years is above all. The worst to me is Tommy Smyth. The number of mistakes I could write are endless yet he thinks he is something special. Commentary can really add to a game and also make it painful. Commentators like Martin Tyler, John Motson, Andy Gray, Alan Hansen, Jim Rozenthal and Brian Moore are in a class of their own if you know who they are.
I liked Bob Ley in WC '94. He didn't know much about the game, and didn't try to hide it. And it made him pretty funny. One particulary nasty tackle and he said: "Just about took his shorts off on that one."
I like Bretos' enthusiasm but for as much as he knows, he makes a LOT of niggly errors that can drive you batty after awhile. For play-by-play, I'm a JP Dellacamara fan. He knows the game, he knows the players he's covered he doesn't make many mistakes and he lets the game do most of the talking and doesn't try and pimp up the event you're watching. For color commentator, the best I've heard, for US soccer, is Marcelo Balboa, who does the games with Glenn Davis on HDnet. 'Celo sees the game like you'd think a veteran of three World Cups would and explains what he sees. He breaks the game down and isn't afraid to criticize or take a stand and give an opinion. And, he's got the cred to back it up. He's also got a nice sense of humor so he's not boring to listen to but he's not acting like a clown, either. From the Quakes games I've heard on the shootout, I like John Doyle as a commentator for much the same reasons. And, I think Waldo has a lot of potential, particuarly because he isn't afraid to spout off. I think he needs to take an expanded role on the ESPN broadcasts and Ty needs to take a smaller one. (Or, Ty should shift to play-by-play.) With the proverbial Old Guard now having hung up the boots or about to do so (Lalas), there are plenty of good commentators. What we need now is more, and better, soccer play-by-play guys. BTW, Heather Mitts, doing the WWC games on ABC, is the easiest to look at - even better looking than Harksie!
Right on. Damn she looked good. Back to the topic though. Martin Tyler, John Motson, Andy Gray, Alan Parry, not American but pure class. J.P. Dellecamara is wonderful. Great understanding of the game and terrific TV voice. And I like Bob Ley on Sunday morning's SportsCenter, but can't see him doing soccer matches!
Wynalda.... I think Milbut is onto something with Wynalda. He knows more about the game than any other ESPN commentator and it is pretty honest. You put Wynalda and Bretos together and you have a winning team. JP Analcamera can be highly annoying but at least it means Tommy Smyth isn't commentating and he does have a good goal voice. WUSA's downfall was not having a hot sideline commentator that men would have tuned in to see but then again the players would have been distracted. Who was the guy who was on ESPN for World Cup 2002 and then got fired? He was absolutely terrible
Announcers No doubt, the incessant jabbering of annoying TV commentators is one of the biggest hurdles we have to overcome in gaining a wider audience for soccer in America. "Best" and "worst" are hard to measure, so I'd change it to: "most enjoyable" and "most annoying." Most enjoyable: Martin Tyler, by far. (Not U.S., I realize - Bretos is probably most enjoyable for me in that category.) Most annoying: Ty Keogh, by the same margin. (My 11-year-old calls him "Turkey Hole," as in "please shut your turkey-hole.") But I'm surprised no one has mentioned the incredibly annoying Rob Stone. I can't stand the way he says "emmeless" when he means "MLS."
I wonder if Stone is a "day-tripper," doing MLS only until the College Football (which he is already doing as a field reporter), or other sports gigs take him to greener pastures (from a financial perspective). He's good in small doses, but annoying in large doses. Although Bob Ley isn't knowledgeable, he's good for major events such as the world cup because he's on the level of the average casual fan. I actually enjoy having him because he doesn't overdo it. But of course you don't want that to be the status quo in this country. I can't get enough of Julie Foudy, personally.
I like Allen Hopkins, personally. He lets the game dictate the commentary and not vice-versa. The worst? Sad to say, but it has to be Caligiuri. Haven't heard much of him lately - maybe the powers that be read too much Bigsoccer. Heather Mitts on The Best Damn Sports Show the other night looked outstanding. Bretos is also good for his obvious enthusiasm for the game and he does show a lot of knowledge about the South American leagues and players, which is something most announcers know nothing about.
i also have to go with Max Bretos as the best. He just makes me feel like i'm closer to the action in his broadcasts. He's one of the few guys who is decent doing a broadcast by himself. Heck, Ty Keough has 2 other guys around and he STILL is inadequate.
Best: Max Bretos Worst: Max Bretos He's a riddle wrapped inside an enigma that Bretos. I have to second the Bretos and Wynalda commentary team. The resulting chaos would often be more entertaining than the game. I think Hopkins does a fine job as well.