News: ESPN planning World Cup Blowout

RerunStubs · Jul 2, 2009

ttujosh said: ↑

I am not a chick, and I find those stories to frequently be interesting. I think ones that especially focus on smaller countries with players I know nothing of, it gives me some perspective and at least something to make watching those games more interesting. Granted a lot of them are over the top but that's gonna happen with these things. And as others have said, if it's not during the game, cool. I also think those stories help draw in casual fans, who don't spend hours a day on BigSoccer learning the most mundane things about every player every where.
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Agreed. I'll only add that I think that for the World Cup, stories on fans and nations would be especially compelling, as opposed to the typical fare about individual players. A lot of that stuff is what elevates the matches to the level of high drama.

Also, I'm not sure why people get so annoyed by this stuff. It happens with every sport, at least in the US.

Of course, I agree that the focus during the 90 minutes should be on the match itself.

RevHammerBat · Jul 3, 2009

Sebring98 said: ↑

Adrian Healey was a guest on WSD about a year ago, I think right after the Euro's ended.. and talked about that tournament "opening the eyes of the high ups at ESPN". He mentioned then that they felt optimistic about the next World Cup looking very different on ESPN than '06 did.

I'd love to have Rae or Healey calling a US game. Hopefully ESPN can get Gray again too.
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Couldnt agree more about wanting to hear Rae or Healey calling a game. Dont mind JP and Harkes but would like some variety...lol

Bajoro · Jul 3, 2009

Of prominent interest to viewers, Skipper said no final decision has been made on game announcers. But the executive did say, "We will have international talent. Everybody on our air will be a longtime soccer announcer." That will please soccer's chattering class who howled (as well as turned to Univisión) at the selection of Dave O'Brien as ABC's and ESPN's lead soccer broadcaster. Analyst Marcelo Balboa was also widely panned.
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Best news since the capture of Saddam.