The presentation by CBC is superior to ESPN and FSC. The announcers are far more proffessional and don't talk to us like we're idiots. No one is mentioning a players ill grandmother. The announcers are actually talking about the game. Of course TFC's fans are helping by being loud, singing and throwing things on the field. It seems the crowd is mic'ed better than FSC too. When the presentaton is this good it does make a difference in watching the game. It seems more intense. DOB, Stone and Wynalda help make the games seem minor league. We have good announcers (Dellocamra for example) we just don't have them do MLS often.
Anyone who has ever watched Hockey Night in Canada or the Olympics on CBC knows what a superior sports broadcast the network has. I grew up in upstate NY and miss those broadcasts now, I'm thinking of calling Dish and seeing if I can't get a feed.
the Canadian broadcast style is different from the US broadcast style. one could say that it is "more international" and "less domestic/pedestrian" than the US-based MLS/soccer broadcasts. some like the style that the CBC production crew uses to present soccer (and all sports). i certainly do.
No, it's GREAT broadcasting It's a lot more fun to hear an announcer who has a reason to be enthusiastic about the game.
that was well beyond enthusiastic... they were blatently cheerleading for TFC, when the announcer flat out says that he hopes Toronto gets a goal and hopes Toronto wins, that isn't being unbiased. I like enthusiasm... i want enthusiasm... but I also want balanced and impartial... obviously I'm a bit biased because the announcers were rooting against Chicago... but I wouldn't want them to root FOR Chicago either... I can't stand homerism.
Some of CBC's shot selection still really bothers me though. They never get a good shot of the whole crowd. Its always really akward looking and generally just too close. Thats my only complaint though, and much like the team on the field, I only expect them to get better as they become more accustomed to working together. CBC did a great job getting people who know soccer. Nigel Reed I assume knows his stuff because he has such a thick accent. Craig Forrest is really smart as well. Obviously hes a former player so he knows the game; But he also co-hosts Sportsnet's Premiership coverage. Mitch Peacock hosts Fox Soccer Report here (I dont know if Americans get the same show) and knows as much as there is to know. I love the CBC broadcasts though. I feel right at home. They do a great job of having a professional broadcast that feels as 'big-time' as any European game, but still with some Canadiana. Oh, and in 3 or 4 years time, Toronto FC will be a de-facto MNT and they both will be hugely improved. Lombardo played amazing last night, and even better today!
If U're watching CBC, then of course they're going to be cheering their home team on. It's meant for a Canadian audience. If you're watching FSC, fair and balanced
I agree. Take note MLS and please pass it on to ESPN's producers. I could totally like Nigel Reed taking Dave O'Brien's place. And while we're at it will you *please* pass the "Game First" initiative memo regarding in-stadium music and announcements to whoever is in the booth at Crew Stadium? Thanks If the game is presented as important. People will go to games.
Toronto FC is going to be the best thing that ever happened to Nigel Reed. Hes been doing sunday sports updates on Toronto sports radio for a few years now. Im going to watch the Revs-Gals tonight and get a good comparison of broadcast styles.
I watched some of the CBC webcast coverage of today's game. I agree it's much better than the US broadcasts. CBC's Olympics coverage was FAR superior to NBC's schlockfest. Yes, they have a tendency towards homerism, but it's still well worth watching.
I've always enjoyed CBC's coverage of Hockey Night in Canada and the Olympics (I think they lose the Olympics after Vancouver 2010 though ); MUCH better than their American counterparts. Now you can add MLS coverage to that list with Toronto FC. They do an outstandng job with the broadcast. No storytelling, no distractions, just the game.
They lose it after Beijing '08. CBC has also lost it's coverage of the CFL and has lost many of it's on-air personalities to other networks. It's basically on a decline in the Canadian psyche.
I believe that all home announcers should take a page from Hawk Harrelson and cheer blatantly for their team. The broadcast isn't for the entire country, just for that market.
That isn't quite true. CBC has picked up the rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and other FIFA competitions. They've shows quite the commitment to soccer which is nice to see although, as DG points out, that is due in part to the CFL signing on with TSN although that deal does not start until 2008 when their current deal with the CBC expires. They weren't ready to give up on sports and so made the commitment to go after the FIFA contract to make up for their loss of the Canadian Football League. CBC has also recently signed a new deal with NHL, their most important sports property, that lasts through 2014. They have indeed lost a couple of their higher profile on-air sports personalities although the only one that really hurts is Chris Cuthbert who in actuality was fired for some ungodly reason. B
Well, if you're going to watch the HDNet version of a broadcast, then it's no contest for CBC. It would be like comparing John Holmes to Cobi Jones. Balboa is that bad.
I like our American broadcasters better. This is the style I've gotten used to and it's the style I prefer. I like Wynalda, I like Stone, don't really care one way or the other for DOB and can tolerate Balboa...I liked JP, I liked Ley, I liked Malin, I even liked Keough. I absolutely hated (well maybe not hated, but they were annoying) the CBC broadcasters in the first home game for TFC (downloaded it)...they were smug, a little but ignorant of MLS and overly arrogant I felt. (It's ok if any American broadcasters are thay way 'cause...well, they're American. ) I don't really like the British announcers either. A lot of people think they're the best, but I've found (I live overseas and most matches I watch have British announcers) they can be just as ignorant and annoying as some people think American announcers are. (The announcers I was stuck with for the WC games last year had absolutely no clue about the US team or American soccer....and that wasn't just the local team setting up the games, but also the commentators coming through on whatever feed was being used.) If I had my way, it would be Waldo and Stone for every game I watched no matter what league. Edit: I forgot to talk about the accents....when listening to (Craig Forrest?) on CBC, I couldn't get Bob and Doug McKenzie (Strange Brew) out of my head.....how can anyone be taken seriously with an accent like that?.......eh?
British announcers know the game. And they commentate to people like the watcher knows the game. That is why 99% of people watching prefer them over the American announcers. As to the US team and the WC, you have to be realistic. Of course they don't know much about the US team, because in the grand scheme of things, they were a non-entity. If the US team starts to actually contend for international recognition, they will get it. Until then, we're just another country with a sub-par domestic league, in the eyes of Europe