Soccer fans: ESPN World Cup coverage earns penalty

post gazette ^ | July 05, 2006 | Stefan Fatsis

[stainlessbanner]

The World Cup is generating record television audiences for soccer in the U.S. But some diehard fans think the coverage deserves a red card.

Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN and ABC have been hit with complaints from soccer devotees that their telecasts are unsophisticated and mistake-ridden. The popular Web site Big Soccer has a thread titled "Pick your favorite insane thing said by the announcers so far."

A major gripe: ESPN selected an announcer, Dave O'Brien, who had never called a soccer game before this year to serve as the tournament's lead play-by-play man. Some English-speaking viewers have switched to Spanish-language Univision, which has out-rated ESPN and its sister cable network ESPN2 on average for the tournament in Germany.

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"They're trying to give us all this information to show us how much they know," says Steven Cohen, who has bashed ESPN on his "World Soccer Daily" show on Sirius Satellite Radio. "All they're showing us is how much they don't know."

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The soccer executives opposed the appointment of Mr. O'Brien. Their argument: using an announcer unfamiliar with the sport might not help ratings but certainly could hurt them. "Would you ever put a guy who had never called a sport before ... in the World Series, the Super Bowl or the Olympics?" a senior U.S. soccer executive says. "Never."

[winodog]

So in soccer its called nil nil? I have just always felt the announcer should be bright enough to get the score right. Pet peeve I guess. Whats the pitch?

[OldFriend]

LOL.....the pitch is the playing field.

[OldFriend]

And booking......is the yellow or red card by the ref.

[notfornothing]

"The 76uhs are TERR-I-BOW!"

[FostersExport]

The pitch is the field the game is played on.

[FostersExport]

Don’t hate me, but I’m going to be pedantic! ‘Booking’ only applies to a yellow card.

[winodog]

Thanks. I watched some of the games in 02. This year I have watched most of them. I actually find myself sitting there for the entire 45 minutes. (almost) With "American" sports everytime a commercial comes on I lose interest. Soccer is easy to follow, the ball is easy to see and I find the matches exciting without scoring.

I am actually becoming a fan. But 4 years is too long to wait.

[KC_Conspirator]

When his show first started, I watched him as he let NFL players and agents come onto his show and basically lobby for higher salaries and re-negotiating their contracts. Whether the players deserved it or not, his show is supposed to be a journalistic and entertainment venue. Piss poor, I tell you.

The same goes for Woody and Jay Marriot. And Ozzie Guillen was right! Also goes for the Sunday clown, like Jason Whitlock, who used to be a guy with promise.

[SmoothTalker]

It has been bad. Way too many graphics and statistical pop-ups blocking the view of the play, and really bad commentators.

[rb22982]

Nope, in my neck of the woods and from my experience, far more kids played soccer all the way through high school. The only sport anyone "picked" up in HS was football. Most of the other sports you ahve to start at a young age to be any good.

I played basketball, track, baseball, football and soccer competitively growing up. The only one with close to as many people I know that played either competitively or casually with friends was basketball.

[notfornothing]

You don't have to wait four years, bro. One of the perks of being a soccer fan is that there's always something to watch.

Euro 2008 qualifying starts next month, as do most European leagues. The MLS playoffs will be starting soon. Copa America is next year. World Cup 2010 qualifying begins in 2-2 1/2 years. I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing Freddy Adu play some meaningful matches for the full national team.

[winodog]

Thanks. I will see if I like those matches as much as World Cup.

[Gaetano]

Every Soccer Pleasure Negated

[FostersExport]

The best quality soccer you'll find should be in the latter stages of the Champions League. It's the top competition for European club sides.

[stainlessbanner]

Will Adu play US or Ghana ball? I heard some rumors that he was undecided.

[1rudeboy]

Metirc Football where mommy packs Capri-sun drinks and orange slices for all the 5-year old girlies to run around and socialize for a coupel hours, while the mommies eat donuts and drink super-sweetened coffees and when it's all over, hop back in their range rovers and go home to complain to their girlfriends how exhausting life is over many many margaritas while their daughters are off on a play date.

Yup, that's what Americans have done to the sport. Thanks a lot, everybody.

[notfornothing]

I know for sure he's played several matches for the U-17 team, and I believe he's already made an appearance for the full national side, which I believe means he's committed to the USA. I'll have to check though.

[Gaetano]

Unfortunately the UEFA CL is broadcast by ESPN. And, although they do provide a well informed leprechaun for an announcer (Tommy Smythe) they only show one game per match day EVEN DURING THE SEMIFINALS, I mean WTF ?

Why not get out of the business and let Fox Soccer Channel do it right ?

[winodog]

Didnt someone just post here about American women ruling international soccer for the past umpteen years?

Whats in that caprisun drink?

[stainlessbanner]

Adu leaves Ghana door open

Freddy Adu Adu failed to make the 2006 World Cup team

Ghana-born midfielder Freddy Adu says he could ditch the USA to play for his original homeland.

The 17-year-old, who has already played for the USA at youth level, failed to make the 23-man squad for the ongoing World Cup finals.

"I have not played an international Fifa-sanctioned friendly for any country yet.