Bill Simmons and Colin Cowherd

One thing that I disagree with that interview was Simmons' thought "why MLS won't make it" was because of the "Americans want to watch the best" meme, conveniently forgetting that college football and basketball are also huge in this country without having the best players. Not that this means there might not be other reasons why the league wouldn't make it, but it's still lazy logic on the Sports Guy's part.

 

Fair enough, but unlike most ESPN people, I don't think Simmons cares much about college sports, other than the occasional Holy Cross (his alma mater) run in basketball.

 

I listen to almost every "BS Report" and my head nearly exploded like when Clayton Bigsby ripped off his hood to show his KKK brethren his face.

I don't know much about Colin Cowherd, but I thought he was a Jim Rome type that usually bashed soccer?

 

Cowherd's an idiot in general.

Simmons is one of the funnier guys out there (his twitter feed during the Jackson funeral was pure quality). He started following Spurs a few years ago because he felt like he was missing something. There's a good column in his archives about how he came to pick them.

 

I never realized Bill Simmons sounded like a 17-year-old girl on "The OC." I half-expected to hear him say, "I know, right?"

But great to hear these guys getting bit by the beautiful-game bug.

 

Conspiracy theorists who listen to that will cite it as proof ESPN is going to convert Classic to International and go after the Prem or La Liga.

 

I'm going to listen to this in the afternoon, but Simmons said he was going to start watching Spurs after the '06 World Cup and that he would write about them and soccer in general and he didn't.

 

He actually brings that up during this podcast. Claims that it was lost to the rigors of parenthood and all, but that he really does want to follow them more closely.

Only thing that bugs me there is the way he says "Tottenham", pronounced like "Totten Ham Sandwich" or something.

Yeah I've seen him write that several times, been meaning to write him an e-mail about that. I sent him one a number of years ago that he replied to, but this was well before his current popularity so I'm sure he'd be less likely to get back to me this time.

I'd never heard of Colin Cowherd before the podcast came out, but if he really was a soccer-basher before and has now been converted to being a fan, there might be hope yet for all of them.

 

I see nothing wrong with that logic. I think in order to get people interested like myself they need to see the game played at this highest level in order to peak their interest.

 

What about Drew Carey?

 

Drew is a sports fan with an open mind. There are some out there but we have those that arent so open minded. I think Drew's passion for the game grew when he got into International Soccer (supporting the US). He is also a big Big Barca fan too? I will say yes there will be some that game into the game because of MLS. But when you see a US WC game or EPL game with passion of the fans its hard not to fall in love.

 

Not really, he goes with whatever makes him feel popular. He had some slight negative views until it became a company priority (and he had a new TV show to pimp) and all of a sudden he appreciated the sport.

I haven't listened to this episode yet and am debating how much I want to. I usually like Bill's podcasts, but cannot stand Cowherd.

 

But that's not what he's saying, he's saying MLS WONT make it because it isn't up to the standard of the big Euro leagues or the international game because "Americans only want to watch the best". That's the logic I was calling out.

 

I have never heard Cowherd before, but it came across as genuine; worth a listen to, a good all round conversation for 1 hour.

 

It is also empirically wrong as MLS has worked. For a league starting from scratch in 1996, to still be going in 2009, with all these stadiums, an ever improving standard of play and an ever growing fan base it has done well. No, it hasn't turned soccer mainstream like Bill imagines, but it has been a success.

 

He's totally changing his schtick then to promote his new TV gig.

 

No, he actually talked about it extensively, now that you mention it. how he finds he can do 4 minutes, but struggles with the older formats where he had to fill up to 14 minutes, why he does not have a partner on air, and his whole approach. In fact he got pretty personal, a little too personal at times, but it was pretty interesting what he thinks makes him successful.

Since you know him, I would like to hear your take.

 

thing with college sports is the alumni connection and the feeder league status. College sports is a multi-billion dollar industry even if the players are considered amateur and can't work (wink wink). MLS doesn't have the deep community ties that college sports has. Remember - American football started on college campuses and didn't go pro until early 20th century.

 

True, but BCS schools (especially) have plenty of fans/fanboys without those connections, or even living near said institution, and none of those people are turned off by the level of play compared to the NFL and NBA.

 

BCS schools also have lots of money/connections to control the narrative. They don't spend that multibillion for nothing.

Plus there are subtle differences between the college and pro games that don't exist in MLS vs EPL. The players are all young, there's pomp and circumstance (??), they don't get paid (allegedly), and there is no playoff so every game is built up as the game of the century. Plus there are established rivalries along historic, geographic and class lines that don't exist in MLS. Auburn - Alabama and Michigan - Ohio State are like Liverpool - Man United and Arsenal - Tottenham.

MLS needs time to grow/expand traditions. Look at the Canada Cup or the Portland/Seattle/Vancouver cup - we need those rivalries in all cities and need them to grow. Takes time.

 

How was the vacation?

 

well was listening to coward and he talked about his bar.. and since the USA game is not on english speaking channel or one he gets, he is not having the party and was calling soccer and embarrassment.. he also was calling it the biggest soccer game ever... which is ridiculous.. I tried calling in, but couldnt get thru. He also said soccer is only getting big because of the "browning of america" do you think he would still be employed if he said basketball is only big because of the blacking of america? I dont. What an idiot.

 

Why is soccer an embarresment just because ESPN didn't put up the money to show the game? That is Monty Python like logic.
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That's typical Cowherd. On the BS report - smaller audience, much less posturing, man of the people, open to the game. Get him in front of a bigger audience and he's the meat head again.