Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

[o_riverdawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

It is so much better than it was four years ago it's not even funny. They actually brought in guys from other countries who understand the game to commentate and give analysis. No more Julie Foudy and Eric Wynalda. Even Alexi Lalas is more tolerable this year and John Harks has done well as the American game analyst. And the British guy who called the U.S. match today was Gus Johnsonesque. And that's always a plus.

 

[pDigital32Dawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

nm

 

[TheStateUofMS]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

Yes I have thought the same thing. They even have like a 3 hour TV show that recaps the games that were played earlier in the day. That announcer is amazing. He seems to be pulling for the U.S. in our games.

 

[Faustdog]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

He's such a homer it's unbearable. You can't count on him for honest analysis. I wish they would replace him with Wynalda. Ian Darke has been amazing.

 

[o_riverdawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

He is American after all. I like him much better than Wynalda. I always though Wynalda was an overly critical, arrogant prick. Kind of like the Johnny Miller of soccer. And yes, Ian Darke is awesome. Hopefully he'll keep announcing all the U.S. games.

 

[dawgstudent]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

 

[FQDawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

I think he's done a really good job. I'd like to see him take a shot at color commentary during an actual game. My one disappointment, and it's a big one for me because he was my favorite player growing up, is Ruud Gullit. Not so great as an analyst.

 

[o_1984Dawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

Of course you're not going to like every person on the crew but as a whole they're very good, especially considering how bad it was in 2006. WAY too much time for Julie Foudy. Shep Messing was a freakin idiot. I particularly like listening to Klinsmann and the Wigan manager. Harkes isn't the best but it's nice to have former USA players on there and really what are the odds they're also going to be great commentators?

 

[o_riverdawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

The lead play by play man, Dave O'Brien, admitedly didn't know anything about soccer and was paired with Marcelo Balboa who was awful. I had thankfully forgotten about Shep Messing. I also think O'Brien and Balboa were the only ESPN crew actually in Germany. The rest of the games were announced off of monitors at the ESPN studio. Foudy, Wynalda and Lalas were the three amigos of idiocy in the studio. ESPN basically said "We don't give a 17 about the World Cup, we'll just throw some junk together because we have to."

 

[patdog]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

As others have posted, I like the fact they've brought in some foreign analysts to give their perspective on things. And I don't mind Harkes or Lalas at all. I like hearing the views of a couple of guys who have played on the US national team.

 

[MedDawg]

Keeping the World Cup theme going, what does everyone think about ESPN's coverage?

Paraguay the "Runts of South America", and Argentina kept calling Paraguay "The Socialists Up North".