Hope Solo going hard on criticism of Brandi Chastain re Olympic commentating

Discussion in 'TV, Satellite & Radio' started by futbolista918, Jul 28, 2012.

  1. futbolista918

    futbolista918 Member

    Jul 16, 2009
    Fan:SerieA,ItalyUSNT
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    US women's GK- from Twitter


    Not sure if this should've just gone in the Olympics thread (please merge if necc)

    Not that I'm a big fan of Chastain, but I think it's kind of sad when athletes can't take criticism. And maybe have some respect for people who paved the way for you. Because previous US women's teams went through less popular and worse times. Without them maybe even less people care about the team and sport.
     
  2. Emperor Adriano

    Emperor Adriano Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Utica NY (the refugee city)
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    womens soccer is so annoying regardless..........
     
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  3. TarheelJTK

    TarheelJTK Member

    Dec 14, 2004
    Jersey City
    She was defending a teammate. The criticism wasn't aimed at her but rather one of the defenders from what I've read. Still a huge overreaction though.
     
  4. huhe888

    huhe888 Red Card

    Oct 3, 2007
    What would be interesting:

    Putting Brandi and Hope in the studio together as pundits.

    First opportunity I can think: Barcelona vs Real Madrid on October 6 on beIN SPORT 1 USA.

    (I am not joking: I understand that the executive producer of beIN SPORT LLC is interested in Brandi's services after Kasey Keller turned him down.)

    Those two can be like Lalas vs Ballack all over again, as long as they are willing to do the preparation prior to going on camera.

    I know that Brandi likes to watch a lot of men's international club soccer (particularly EPL, but she watches el Clasico as well), but I don't believe Hope does.
     
  5. MLSFan123

    MLSFan123 Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Boston Area
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Please, this has nothing to do with defending a team mate. Chastains comments were as mild as can be.

    This is 100% about Solo doing what she can to create as much attention on herself as possible as she is releasing a book two days after the Olympics is over.

    For the record, this is the comment that caused Solo to act like an idiot

     
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  6. huhe888

    huhe888 Red Card

    Oct 3, 2007
    Yes, Hope does have an ego and a big mouth that will get her noticed by the media.

    During my days as a poker agent, I had a opportunity to evaluate Hope for a spot in the NBC Sports National Heads-Up Poker Championship. A sponsor was ready to pick up her entire tab if she knew anything at all about Texas Hold'em. I had received explicit instructions from the executive producer before my meeting with her. Unfortunately for Hope, I had to make the decision to pull the plug on the entire idea in less than 10 minutes.

    One thing we do know: Hope Solo's services as a pundit, for both men's and women's soccer, will be in demand if and when she decides to retire from competitive soccer.
     
  7. TobaccoMonopolyFC

    Oct 12, 2011
    Club:
    AS Monaco FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Bahamas
    Hope is a jerk.
     
  8. huhe888

    huhe888 Red Card

    Oct 3, 2007
    "Immature" would be a better one-word description.

    The back line of defenders have always been a weakness for the USWNT, going back to 1999.

    The USWNT got away with having a weak back line for a while before the rest of the world caught up. Best example: Brazil smoked the U.S. 4-0 during the 2007 World Cup.

    The women's tournament doesn't become interesting until the knockout stage.

    Japan gives its opponents fits because it has adopted the "Ajax/Barcelona" style of play.

    U.S. has athleticism up front but has a very suspect back line. Same issues with defenders since 1999.

    Brazil just can't close the deal when the stakes are the highest.
     
  9. Clenbuterol

    Clenbuterol Red Card

    Aug 25, 2011
    Club:
    --other--
    I am trying not to laugh at the title of this thread. I am so trying...
     
  10. Schapes

    Schapes Member

    Aug 20, 2001
    Maybe Hope Solo realizes her fifteen minutes are just about up.
     
  11. matty311

    matty311 Member

    Jul 2, 2003
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Do you have any suggestions on what they should wear in the studio?? They will probably check on here for what to wear if they go into studio together.
     
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  12. Non-dairy Creamer

    Feb 28, 2007

    Bingo.

    Solo's act has long since become tiresome. And Bueller does look slow and cumbersome out there. We have had some problems defensively at the back, Chastains comments are on the mark IMO. I favor Sauerbrunn (sp?)

    And re: people who don't like Chastain's commentary, well, every single commentator is skewered from time to time from color to PBP, nobody will ever please everybody.

    Doesn't Chastain have like 200 caps? and she was a defender, don't think the game has changed that much in 10 years.
     
  13. Carson Galaxy

    Carson Galaxy Member

    Jun 14, 2001
    Downey, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hehe, cut Oliver some slack....this thread has some actual soccer insight by him outside of the television realm. That's a first in my book.
     
  14. huhe888

    huhe888 Red Card

    Oct 3, 2007
    Frankly, my soccer insight isn't my strength, not even close. I don't pretend to be an expert on what happens on the field.

    --

    Back to Hope vs Brandi:

    At this point in time, Brandi has shown me more than enough (knowledge of int'l soccer, spending time and effort in preparation, putting the viewers first ahead of all others, etc.) for me to recommend her to the executive producer of beIN SPORT 1 USA to cast her as a studio pundit for the weekend of October 6 with two massive heavyweight bouts: Barcelona vs Real Madrid on October 6 at 2pm or 4pm ET, and AC Milan vs Inter Milan on October 7 at 2:45pm ET. This particular assignment will be a major professional challenge for Brandi if she were to accept it, as she knows that the audience for big time international club soccer is generally much more demanding than the audience for women's international soccer.

    (Julie Foudy is NOT available as she is under contract with ESPN, Inc. The consensus first choice, Kasey Keller, turned down the opportunity several weeks ago.)

    Right now, I do NOT trust Hope Solo enough to recommend her to a studio pundit role even though she has the raw skills that are required to succeed. I have serious doubts whether Hope will be willing to put in the necessary hours to prepare properly for such an assignment.

    (For the record: I recommended the young Canadian female talent who has come to terms for the studio host role of beIN SPORT 1 USA to the executive producer and the talent coordinator. They are waiting for her O-1B visa to be approved and they can't wait for her to start. If you have watched soccer news in the U.S. and Canada in the not-to-distant past, you know her and her husband. Tracking them down was not difficult.)
     
  15. Dante

    Dante Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 19, 1998
    Upstate NY
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I wouldn't want Brandi Chastain anywhere near the Milan derby, or el clasico.
     
  16. Schapes

    Schapes Member

    Aug 20, 2001
    Nobody said Brandi Chastain was good enough to be a studio pundit for the Milan derby or El Classico. Is she good enough for the Olympics? Yes.
     
  17. Schapes

    Schapes Member

    Aug 20, 2001
    Why does Hope feel the need to defend a teammate? Is that teammate not able to take criticism. It seems the rest of the team didn't feel the need to defend their teammate. Does that make the rest of the team poor teammates? Don't think so.
     
  18. huhe888

    huhe888 Red Card

    Oct 3, 2007
    That's for the executive producer and the talent coordinator to decide after a thorough interview and audition.

    All I know for now is that the EP of beIN SPORT 1 USA is interested in Brandi's services as a studio pundit for Barcelona vs Real Madrid and AC Milan vs Inter Milan. I also know enough about Brandi's work to recommend that she interview and audition if she wants to take on such as challenging professional assignment.

    (There are plenty of skeptics out there, but that has never stopped Brandi in the past.)

    We don't make the hiring decisions. The EP does.
     
  19. Dante

    Dante Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 19, 1998
    Upstate NY
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Did you read what Oliver wrote? That's what I was responding to.
     
  20. TJNash

    TJNash Member

    May 22, 2012
    San Diego, CA
    Club:
    Manchester City FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is that the "royal" we? Delusional.
     
  21. Redbullsnation2012

    May 26, 2010
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Oliver should be the chief sports director for BeIn, that is all...
     
  22. TarheelJTK

    TarheelJTK Member

    Dec 14, 2004
    Jersey City
    So now Oliver wants to ruin bein before they even start? Having Chastain on the coverage for any big men's game would be a disaster. She's barely good enough for the women's game which she actually has some knowledge. I guess he's just trying to make them look bad because they won't talk to him because he's just some guy on the internet.
     
  23. huhe888

    huhe888 Red Card

    Oct 3, 2007
    Quite the contrary.

    I referred 3 female studio host candidates for beIN SPORT 1 USA (and Canada) to the executive producer: 2 Canadians (both from Manitoba) and 1 British who has lived in the U.S. for 17 years. Both Canadians were interviewed and one was hired. The EP and the Talent Coordinator/Coordinating Producer can't wait for her to get her O-1B visa so that she can start working.

    --

    The consensus first choice of almost everyone associated with beIN SPORT 1 USA for studio pundit who wasn't under contract with ESPN or FOX was Kasey Keller. Unfortunately, Keller is under a personal services contract with one of the owners of Seattle Sounders FC and he indicated to the EP several weeks ago that he would NOT be available on October 6-7.

    Keep in mind that there will be a full slate of MLS matches on October 6 so none of the local MLS analysts will be available either.

    None of the guys associated with ESPN International (Caribbean, Australia/New Zealand) in Bristol will be available either as they will have either Bundesliga or Brasilian matches to call.

    The "big names" who are based in Europe won't be available either, as they all have Europe-based gigs that weekend.

    After you eliminate all of the above, you aren't left with much to choose from if you are looking for a studio pundit/analyst with both experience and enough name recognition to draw viewers to a startup youth-oriented U.S. soccer-centric sports TV network who would be willing to spend a weekend working from a TV studio in Miami, for a nominal amount of money (I am guessing around $1200-1600.)

    Brandi Chastain is the best available name I can think of for the executive producer of beIN SPORT 1 USA given the above constraints.

    If you can come up with better names (that young U.S. viewers will recognize) who are NOT already tied up with other gigs, by all means post them here.

    (Some of you may suggest Bobby McMahon, who does not have an O-1B visa so there is a cost issue with having to spend the money in legal fees to apply for a visa for a short 1-weekend assignment. McMahon may be willing to work cheap, but the cost of getting him U.S. work authorization for just 1 weekend may be cost-prohibitive. Remember that Imagina U.S. is a low-cost TV production company with roots in the Spanish-language market so running an English-language sports TV network is a new experience for everyone associated with beIN SPORT LLC USA.)
     
  24. SYoshonis

    SYoshonis Member+

    Jun 8, 2000
    Lafayette, Louisiana
    Club:
    Michigan Bucks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh boy. Oliver takes another thread (ironically enough, one about alleged attention whoring) and makes it about himself.
     
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  25. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Huhe88 the Hope Solo of Big Soccer.
     

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