Let's Talk About Fox

Overall ESPN was superior to what FOX has put out so far in just about everyway. But after the US failed to qualify I think they probably tried to minimize money loss. My guess is 2022 and 2026 will get way more money and a step up in talent and presentation.

 

I agree on all points except for Lalas who I am more indifferent about, I think he plays the Skip Bayless role well.

As far as in game commentary Rae and Wagner have been the best IMO. With Mark Followill and Warren Barton next. I don't like Holden, have an indifferent opinion on Strong and I think if they paired him with Barton it would be by far their best pairing. Not much else Id rather listen to call a game for 90 minutes.

 

Can’t stand Barton. Not a fan of Coby Jones, though I’ll admit that that’s partly because I’ve met him and know some people who have known him for a few years and they’re not fans of him personally.

Can’t stand Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, or Lalas. It’s all just schtick with no substance.

Play by play has been good for me for the most part. I thought Wagner was fine. I don’t think Holden is right all that often but he doesnt bother me. I actually muted Meola today. I’m a big fan of Counter Attack but I thought he was completely out of touch with what was happening in Mex-Ger.

All in all, I’m still not the biggest fan of ESPN’s coverage, either.

 

Can you explain to me why or how ESPN was superior? I have been watching World Cups in English since '98 and it is not like ESPN was great when they first started out.

 

I think I heard an interview in which Fernando said he does not care if people call him a clown. Clowns make people laugh and are usually loved by many.


But anyway.

We have to look at things with context. Fernando has been doing this since the late 90's early 2000's with Univision. He hosts light hearted sports shows that usually have very little analytical/statistical sports knowledge and more a passionate fan in a bar with dancing ladies slant and perspective.

I think he has toned things down for the USA (English speaking audience) audience quite well actually and on Copa Tonight (World Cup Tonight) he tries to have people talk about what goes on the field in detailed ways while still keeping things not too serious. (And FOX probably won't allow him to have half naked dancing waitresses in the background.... ... although he has probably lobbied for it.)

I get it,
Some people don't like him and his sorta shtick. It is not everybody's cup of tea,

But he has been established in the market as an Emmy award winner "Presidente" and has a huge following in the US Latin American community.
Just a sliver of Spanish speakers who watch his show or his game commentary is what FOX will love for ratings because it means they will tap into a market that they and ESPN have kind of ignored for decades. The Latin American fans who want to be represented on tv in English too. And that is a huge market when it comes to the beautiful game.

Fernando has come a long way from hosting a sightseeing comedy show with Sofia Vergara in the early 90's in Miami on Univision.

 

For me the nightly recap shows in 2010 and 2014 along with their post game show was superior to Fox's version. I think the announcing pairs were better. The presentation of the studio shows was a pretty big upgrade. And I think they have better correspondents from various countries to garner a more homer perspective of each team (which I enjoy, especially when a team like Germany craps the bed). The feeds are World Feeds, so they are exactly the same there. And fox has done a solid job of mixing sound so you can't tell the announcers aren't there, way better than BeIn does.

So far Fox has been Fox Soccer+ coming to the World Cup, some good and some really bad.

I haven't met Jones, but strictly on announcing, not a fan of him either. Though he is better at the World Cup than he was for BeIn. Bayless Smith and Lalas and to a lesser extent Doug Gottlieb get attention for the loudness and outlandish contrarian opinions, I don't really have any feelings towards them one way or another. I do think they have taken sports talk shows to a bad space, but totally indifferent most of the time.

Agree on Meola, he was awful but at least he didn't call them West Germany today like he did in the opener.

 

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2018/04/...d-cup-mostly-american-commentators-la-studio/

Here was the article that talked about them skimping costs. Basically talks about they were planning on hiring more experienced people, the US failed and they went to cost cutting mode.

 

I haven’t really had a chance to watch the pre/post and nightly recap shows. I will say that I wasn’t a fan of espn’s. I liked the way they brought in former players from other countries, but I felt like they dropped the ball when it came to analysis. It always felt like the former players were just talking from a fans perspective and not from an analytical one.

Most of the shows on espn to me felt like 3-5 guys sitting around talking over a cup of tea. It bores me. Then there’s the constant feeling like espn is trying to shove the sports they actually care about down your throat while you’re watching. Fox does that too, but I don’t feel like it’s to the same extent.

Any time I see Smith, Bayless, Lalas, Gottleib, and you can throw Chris Russo in there, I turn the channel as fast as I can. I have no interest in ever even seeing anything of their faces.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

yea but to me, Holden and even Twellman are entertaining and super-passionate voice personas on the air. Holden on FOX " what a screamer" like Doc Emerys child or something. That's what you need. Liked the john strong and Holden combo.

 

They should've made Derek Rae their lead commentator...

 

I don’t really mind either one and generally like them. It’s just when they opine or break down the game that they bother me. When you’re an analyst and you’re watching the game and then you see maybe 2-3 replays, it’s probably not a good idea to yell like you are the only voice that matters. Holden is more controlled but they both can make some rash decisions without knowing the whole picture at times. But Twellman especially gets way too adamant about his point sometimes when he’s just flat wrong.

 

I can sort of agree with the Nightly recap shows but as I said Fiore has his own way of doing things which I don't mind either.

Announcing pairs probably would have been a little better if the USA would have made it in the tournament. (Something ESPN never had to deal with by the way. Not having the USA made things more difficult to budget and fiscally prognosticate.)
They possibly would have been inclined to spend more money.

 

Yeah he drives me nuts when he gets on some mistake on a goal and starts shouting "YOU CAN'T DO THAT IAN! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" over and over again like a fan at the bar.

 

Especially cuz half the time the player that he thinks made the mistake was actually covering for another player but the replay didn’t show that so he didn’t know.

 

They’ve been better than I expected (7/10). My biggest issue with them is hiring studio analysts who aren’t fluent in English.

 

I like when they go to rules expert Dr. Robotnik.

 

Espn did that plenty

 

Really like that dude. Something about his accent and his tone of voice and his choice of words always has the effect of making everything he's saying seem important and urgent - like you're watching something historic unfold, even if it's actually just a meaningless friendly. Adds a bit of theatricality to the occasion.

John Strong - I'm fine with the guy, but he sounds like ... just some guy. Just some dude telling you what's happening on the field. Doesn't really have a notable voice or anything.

 

Why does Fox put a female announcer for the matches with Muslim teams? Seems political, like they're trying to disrespect.

 

I think it's coincidental. I think what they've done is categorize the games with Muslim nations as lower-tier, so their lower-tier broadcasting teams are the ones that get assigned to them.

They've got to save John Strong and Stu Holden's unique brand of sounding like two dudes chatting on a midweek MLS podcast for the big games, y'know?

So that's why you get Derek Rae sounding interesting and Aly Wagner sounding like she knows what she's talking about for those lower interest matches.

And then back to the studio for Lalas saying something confrontational and Fernando's kerr-raaazy hijinks!!!

 

Really?

Are you trying to disrespect by not mentioning that she is Ally Wagner, a World Cup veteran and Olympic Gold medal winner? Do we really need to respect another country's misogyny by not using a female announcer on an American broadcast?

More to the point - and what I actually came her to say - is that she has been excellent, one of the best of the color commentators

 

Every time I hear Dr. Joe Machnik's name I'm tempted to look up information about him, but then I decide to let him remain a mystery. He's the invisible sage who's voice is summoned during times of confusion.

 

It is better that way.