Wynalda

Waldo is just a former soccer player who has no broadcasting skills. I'd prefer Paysee---in a thong bikini doing interviews.

 

FWIW, ESPN didn't dump Veronica. They still have her doing "fluff" features at halftime.

As for Wynalda, this is only his third or fourth game, I think, for the network. Give him time to ease into it.

By the way, most ex-jocks possess no prior broadcasting skills. It's more of a "trial by fire" process for them. But knowing Eric, and seeing that he is a recent retiree who knows most of the players on a professional and interpersonal level, it's a perfect fit for the network. Give him time, folks...

 

Wynalda's interveiw skills need work, but when he did comment on the game it wasnt half bad.

 

Are you calling Veronica a fluffer?

 

Not unless she's wearing one of those fluffy sweaters.

Actually, no, only the halftime features she's assigned to do. Which is not saying that she doesn't do a good job on them. They're just "fluff" pieces by nature.

We here in Australia get MLS games on a delay, at 3 a.m. overnight Sunday Melbourne time on ESPN International-Pacific Rim, and I'll tape the New England v Columbus game tonight, to see if there's been any improvement in the form of the two commentators mentioned in this thread. I can imagine that there will be...

 

Wynalda has been a disappointment. He comes across as an inarticulate smart aleck.

John Harkes, however, has been very good. He is articulate and insightful (on Fox Sports World).

I watch DC/Chi on FSQ tonight. Paul Caligiuri's color commentary was the worst I've ever heard. It was so bad it was laughable. I hope they keep him on just for the entertainment value. It's sheer gibberish. Reminds me of Professor Irwin Corey, but Caligiuri isn't trying to be funny.

 

I have figured it out:
TY KEOUGH IS THE ROOT OF ALL MLS BROADCASTING EVIL

Today, Jack Edwards called the Fire/DCU game like a game, not like he was telling a neverending story.

MLS Opener, JP Dellacamera has a not-so-good game. Why? He has to sit and listen to TY babble on about nothingness.

Rob Stone? He's just plain not good. I'm sure TY has an effect on him though.

TY is the root of ESPN's grand conspiracy.

Get rid of TY, bring in Tommy Smyth as analist, let JP do play-by-play, and I think we have ourselves a team.

 

Wynalda was crap and he's been crap as an annoucer. He's worse than Ty and Ty is crap. I thought Stoner did a great job today.

 

Wynalda is 100 times better than the first game. give him time, he knows more about soccer than you do..

 

I thought Wynalda's comments about the Buddle/Cunningham switch and the Frustration NE was showing were very good. And his interviews with the coaches are much better than Veronica's.

I do still like seeing Paysee around, though. But it seems she only introduces the halftime spots. They should film her asking some questions, even if she didn't write them.

 

i like waldo, i thought he and stoner did a good job today.

i always thought it was Jack "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" Edwards that was ruining MLS broadcasts.

 

I think Waldo had a couple of decent insights during the game, and a couple of times, he offered commentary without being cued ("let's go down to the field...") which was nice for a change.

There was one part where Ty mentioned Waldo about something, expecting a reply, but nothing happened. There was total silence from all parties for about 20 seconds or so. It was beautiful.

 

Well, I was extremely disappointed that he and Rob Stone did not call for a direct red on Martino's tackle. Instead it was,"That's going to happen."

************ Rob Stone, the guy is more of a dork than Ty is.

I'm with one of the other posters, bring on Tommy and JP.

 

I agree, I have no problems with Tommy and JP.

On a completely unrelated note....does Tommy remind anyone else of The Butler from Joe Millionaire ?


(photos from the NY Post and MLSnet.com)

 

I think the "Joe Millionaire" butler looks a lot like a local soccer scribe here, Peter Desira of the Herald-Sun in Melbourne. (EDIT: Insert cheesy grin here, but the BigSoccer code won't let me.)

But it's good to see Tommy, someone I've worked with in the past in a past magazine endeavor of mine from a few years back, get more airtime on the MLS broadcasts.

And while I wouldn't mind seeing JP and Tommy doing some actual MLS games, I am one of the few who has no problems with the current crew.

There is nothing wrong with Rob Stone (or Jack Edwards before him), Ty Keough, Eric Wynalda, Veronica Paysee, et al...

My point of reference is the latest broadcast, which aired overnight here and I watched it first thing this morning over my morning toast and tea. The production work is a lot slicker from what I recalled a couple of years ago, and it didn't sound to me like anyone was talking out of their arses.

And believe me, I was trying to find objectionable material such as that, for the purpose of my response on this thread, and I found nothing.

Veronica, while being delectible eye candy, is quite understandable, Rob and Ty work quite well together, and Eric's sideline reporting is a welcome addition to things.

Sometimes I think people here look too closely for things to criticize, and wish they had the equivalent of Martin Tyler and Andy Gray doing MLS games. Relax, people, and enjoy what you have-- and that's a easy-to-listen-to, inoffensive, insightful and entertaining broadcast team. And it's uniquely American, like the MLS brand of soccer itself.

Enjoy what you have. It's actually pretty damn good.

And as for Eric's contributions specifically...

It seemed like it was a three-man booth in that respect. And ideally, that's what I would like to see... a three-man booth with Rob, Ty and Eric, with an additional sideline reporter, and Veronica and Tommy providing halftime features as they do now.

But Eric had some wonderful insights. What I liked most was when he said that Revs coach Steve Nichol "prides his team in their ability to keep their shape defensively" when the game was scoreless (I realize that not everyone may have seen this, due to the other programming on ESPN2 back home), then detailed that Denton's opener for the Crew came about because Jay Heaps "was about a step or two out of position to his right", thus allowing Denton to get the return pass from McBride's backheel delivery in a perfect position to shoot at the far post.

Also, the comparison of Kyle Martino to Tab Ramos... not a bad likeness, and one which could be realized in a few years' time. And also his half-serious, half-humorous recollections of training against Rusty Pierce when he was with the Revs. There are others, but those stood out most to me.

Eric's got some great insights and a great way of thinking about the game, and that really shone through, just as I expect it will throughout the season.

 

I was shocked to find Waldo actually commenting on the game that was being played. Is he allowed to that? I mean I've never heard that before on an MLS broadcast.

 

As a what?
I don't think that's in Tommy's contract.

 

I think no one can beat Wynalda as the analist, Ty tried, hard, but Waldo has this analist thing down.

 

Eric's wife said John Harkes was the best analist.

 

She's an insta-fluffer.

 

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Hey... easy on Erick... he have worked his but off on the USA national team he deserve the chance...What about some sugestion for him so he become a better commentator....don't you think...