Mike Schumann is a D#*ck Anybody hear the little dig Schumann had for soccer during the postgame show on MNF? Anyway - they were reviewing the 'play of the week' (that New Orleans multi-lateral touchdown) that brought NO to within one point of the Rams. Unfortunately, after the touchdown, the Saint's kicker missed the PATD, and "Shoe" snidely cracked something to the effect of "Of course, he's a soccer player, and soccer players don't belong on a football field.
Mike Schumann is a D#*ck All the sports reporters on TV are phonies. It just show their ignorance of sports in general. All they need to do is read from a telepromter and look excited, how hard is that? They remind me of used car salesmen.
Beg to differ, Rumbler. Schumann is a former 49er wide receiver...has a Super Bowl ring to prove it. I've seen it because I worked side by side with him as a sports reporter for 10 years. He is anything but ignorant about sports. That said, I am a lifelong soccer fan and Quakes season ticket holder who shares the pain of all on this board that soccer, in general, and the Quakes, in particular, don't get the attention we'd like to see them get. Point A - Schumann is entitled to his opinion, as are the other reporters. It is unfortunate for us that the majority of them are from a generation that did not grow up with soccer so they think little of it. Worse yet, their managing editors are even older and share the distaste for soccer. Someday, the futbol-hating geriatrics will retire and be replaced by younger editors who will hopefully place a greater value on the game. Then, you'll see it start getting more press. Point B - Ever read from a teleprompter? Tough stuff! Try reading without your eyes moving from one end of the line to the other and back again. That is what is required of a TV news/sports personality. It is a surprisingly difficult skill. I'd love to see the local sportscasters be more receptive to soccer but that won't happen until there is a significant public demand and the editors acknowledge that demand. Be that as it may, the announcers themselves (especially in this SF Bay Area market) are definitely NOT ignorant of sports.
Well, it could we worse. We could be fans of curling or (enter any other sport that the mainstream media and viewers like to make fun of because of their complete ignorance and lack of appreciation)..... Next time the Olympics comes around, see what fun they have with the bobsled or the javelin. hwhatthef---:
Yeah, tonight Cal won a bowl game thanks to a soccer-style kicker. So Shuman and the rest of them can kiss our soccer balls. You know, football is full of "non-skill" positions, which apparently describes Shu's position on the local tv sports bench. It will be a pleasure to watch the 49ers miss the playoffs again.
Don't let his bonehead remark's bother you. It's just an old tired joke that's not funny. I think it makes him look like an SS.
Another dinosaur sports writer who doesn't recognize the existence of soccer: Tim Kawakami. Today's article in the San Jose Mercury News titled "A warm look back at those who make '03 worth talking about" didn't even mention the amazing playoff run of the hometown 2003 MLS Cup Champion San Jose Earthquakes! If that wasn't something worth talking about in San Jose sports this year... http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/7590158.htm He admits in the piece that he knows very little about ice hockey--and presumably even less about soccer. Sounds like he missed his wake-up call for the 21st century. Somebody send him the results of that NBC 11 poll.
Well Schu.....you are just one of a kazillion washed up NFL'ers that jumps into broadcasting.....and like a sheep, you just follow the anti-soccer sentiment, that goes hand in hand with the teleprompter thing, not having your own thoughts......oh, by the way, there is nothing in John Carney's bio to indicate he was a "soccer player".....it says he likes surfing and golf. Not all kickers are soccer players, if they were......maybe the 49er's wouldn't have had the problems that they had this season in the kicking dept. I guarantee you that if the MLS had ratings like the NFL....Sheep Boy Schu would be bashing curling as Albany suggested and probably refer to soccer as "The Beautiful Game".
I'm not so worked up about it. A soccer player doesn't belong on the football field, just as a football player doesn't belong on a soccer field. The EarthQuakes certainly don't belong on the narrow football field at Spartan.
      Exactly... they belong on the properly-sized soccer field of a reconstructed Spartan or a brand-new San Jose SSS.       GO EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Just Due Not to be his apologist, but he acknowledged his omission in today's edition of his ten Talking Points: 10. Me, missing the point: My recent 2003 highlights column foolishly omitted the Earthquakes' MLS championship. Rate that 8.0 on the Numskull Richter Scale. He ain't a hater, soccer's just not really on his radar screen. I wonder who tipped him off. At least he came clean about it.
Re: Just Due Well, I did send Kawakami a note reminding him of the Quakes' existence. Glad to hear he's fessing up. I'm afraid this won't be the last time a San Jose Mercury News sports reporter forgets about the San Jose Earthquakes. I don't think he's a hater, but like many other sports journalists, soccer doesn't even enter his conscious mind. He's too busy thinking about football, baseball, and basketball--and he's barely able to acknowledge hockey. The day is rapidly approaching when a serious sports writer cannot be ignorant of soccer.
Funny thing about Shumann is that after the Kansas City game, he started out his sportscast saying something like "Count me in as the newest soccer fan. The Earthquakes are playing some amazing soccer and this run has been fun." Then he turned to the weather guy and said "We're both soccer dads, it's a great sport. Nice to see the Earthquakes advancing to the final." Guess he's still suffering some post-concussion short term memory loss...