From the MLS report of the Kansas City Wizards' Preseason trip to South Africa. It's incredible that they can get Preseason games from halfway around the globe broadcast live, while we get less than half of our games on TV last year, and many of those were home games. Here's the link: http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/kc0209swallows.html
Exactly why is it ridiculous? And what does MLS have anything to do with it? Be pissed at Comcast, not DC or MLS. Perspective, people. Perspective.
Ridiculous that they can get preseason games from South Africa live and we can't get regular season away games on tape delay even. MLS doesn't have anything to do with it, I don't think I said they did. Who said I wasn't pissed at Comcast?
You do have a valid point. Perhaps I was a little hasty in responding, but who exactly worked out the television deal for DC United or MLS? Why did they choose Comcast? I do stand by my second post. Kansas City has struggled in 7 MLS seasons to break the 10k fans mark. How many KC fans are going to watch those pre-season games anyway? While MLS is doing many things right (salary cap for one, although they should raise that a little more), MLS needs some constructive criticism as they are doing many things wrong (such as, but not limited to favoring some teams, i.e. NE & NY, when it comes to signing incentive heavy contracts, eg Twellman & Howard).
If the South African team is broadcasting it anyway (and they are -- the story says it's being broadcast in that country), the KC folks can probably pick up the feed for very little (maybe even for free as part of the contract for the tour?) and have their broadcasters "call" the game from a studio in Missouri. If that's the case, I'm not sure how it relates to our situation at all.
That is probably correct. Thanks for pointing that out. My apologies to monster for getting all bent out of shape!
I was addressing it to both responses. Look at the Royals broadcast situation and the Orioles and you get a very simple answer to why the teams have different TV deals. And regarding these three games, you also have the fact that they are early morning games and Hunt is throwing his weight around in KC. Sure, Comcast screws DC, but where else will they get the coverage for the whole market? Would you prefer to limit the televised fan base to Channel 8? The reality of the situation is that DCU has very limited options while KC doesn't. The TV deal could be better, but it could be worse. Bitching that another team is making strides - especially with SUM hopefully gaining steam - is pretty shortsighted in my opinion.
That was the one season I didn't really follow DC since we didn't get News Channel 8 down in Blacksburg. I'm glad they stopped doing that.
3 years out of the playoffs is ridiculous! It's not just a preseason game, it's part of a "prestigious tournament," right? Maybe if we're good this year, we'll be participating in something like this next year. This would also alleviate the concern expressed in another thread about not playing foreign competition and missing out on whatever male bonding goes on on these trips. And I agree that it's extremely unlikely that anyone from KC is sending camera crews to South Africa.
To be fair, let's not forget that we had a post-season friendly against Spurs televised nationally on FSW two months ago. That ain't bad -- although I'd gladly trade it for one more televised league game or english language webcasts of the non-televised league games. Also, to the Wizards credit, they took Sean Wheelock with them to SA to cover the trip and broadcast the games (when, presumably, they could have just picked up the feed from SA and had him call it from his living room). That's more than DCU did for the Spurs game (not that I'm complaining, however, since it was fun to hear the British announcers take on DCU and the game).
The more exposure the better. The more absurd it is the greater chance of people over here watching it. Plus, if South Africa acutally does get the 2010 World Cup, there will probably already be a receptive atmosphere for the US players from the KC Wizards laying the groundwork. All positive things for the league, US soccer, and the Wizards it sounds like. -Tron
Credit to them for bringing the "Voice of the Kansas City Wizards" with them. Below is the link to the stories he's written from there (good stuff): http://www.kcwizards.com/news/interiornewspage.asp?story_id=SP5GMWJ4NEI7RB6IAC2PARX84W
I hate Comcast just a hair less than the NY/NJ/CT/RI/DE/PA/LI/BS MetroStars. That being said, for the record, they did broadcast one DC United preseason match from Japan. That was a tourney of sorts, but not important. I wish they would do just one of this pre-season's matches. Moreover, I wish that we might get a sort of "intro", pre-season, parade the new guys around show that they'd show a few times in March in place of an infomercial. Is that so much to ask? I guess so. And for what it is worth, Fox Sports World has been known to show international matches and friendlies involving MLS teams. There is of course the Vasco series, but they also showed LA beat an Argentine club in Argentina once (can't remember who at this point). So. In Summary. Comcast blows. Cheers, Tim