I always observe quietly from the sideline. I am more upset that we couldn't get the games on NBC. I mean, NBC would be a perfect fit!
I agree. NBC has had absolutely nothing to be proud of as far as sports goes (Arena Pointyball and Tape delayed tennis doesnt count) since they got rid of NBA. Bob Costas, who is probably the premier sports announcer out there-- he can make curling exciting-- is sitting on his donkey doing nothing except a weekly show for HBO. While I'm sure he's happy making money doing nothing (its the American way) anyone who is a Costas fan knows that he loves broadcasting. Four major networks all with cable affiliates and not one wanted to pick up the english rights for Confed's Cup. Makes me angry.
The reason CBS won't broadcast the Confed cup from France is the same reason everyone at CBS eats "Freedom" Fries. - Seriously, does CBS have the rights to the confed cup??
Unless Galavision/Telefutura are under the Viacom umbrella then CBS doesn't own the rights. According to US Soccer (I actually called to find out) no network has purchased the English-speaking rights to broadcast in America. And we shouldn't be calling them freedom fries. They're french fries because of the way they are cut (french-julienne style)...DUH!!!!
Rome said that he would never let his kid play soccer and that if he did see him with a soccer ball he'd take it away from him....that is until a certain 13y.o. got a million dollar contract. Now, he's hoping his kid will play.
You can't fault him for saying that. It's the American way to capitalize vicariously via your children's talents. Maybe this will turn the outspoken Rome around to see that soccer is worth playing in the US and give it a voice in the media (even though its not a very well respected voice)
In the middle of the US success in J/K02, when all true US soccer fans were up all night, Dan Rather on CBS Evening News ran a story about soccer in the US. It was absolutely horrible primarily because it was 15-30 yrs out of date. The focus was not on the US success or on growth of soccer or anything we might regard as good, but on the "fact" that it is played largely by immigrants in the US and that soccer fans are hooligans everywhere. Done with the usual Dan Rather smirk that I have not bothered to watch since. The fact that such a dated story appeared on the nightly news told me a bundle about the editorial brainlessness of the current CBS.