U.s. Tv Coverage

[USABlue]

I must say I think the US coverage of the World Cup is poor. The production is terrible, the timing of the camera angle changes shows how little the people understand the game.

The commentating is god awful, Marcelo Balboa is getting right up my nose. For an ex international he is ignorant about the game. Alexi Lalas repeatedly saying Kasey Keller is the best goalie in the WORLD ticked me off too, he may as well have had stupid tattooed on his forehead.

To me they are doing a poor poor job of selling the game to a mostly soccer apathetic public.

Your thoughts ex pats and yankee fans alike. Am I right or have I just been brought up with quality football commentary and being a little harsh.

[philipl]

A very reserved and under stated assessment.

[Drakefyre]

I can't listen to Dave O'Brian and Marcelo Balboa or Glenn Davis and Shep Messing. That leaves two commentary teams I think are okay - JP Dellacamera and John Harkes and Adrian Healy and Tommy Smith. In the pre-/post- game shows, Eric Wynalda and Julie Foudy are pretty good, and Rece Davis is fine as a straight man.

What really bothers me, though, is the graphics that ABC/ESPN throw up on the screen that block so much of the action.

[ChicagoRover]

Just watch Univision and listen to online streaming and you are set.

[Drakefyre]

Yeah, I've just been watching Univision whenever Shep Messing comes on and I just listen to the Spanish.

[greggyk]

JP Dellacamera

That cant be his real name!!

[Drakefyre]

Short for John Paul Dellacamera.

[greggyk]

sounds like a name of this digital camera i just bought

[Philly Rover ®]

I must say I think the US coverage of the World Cup is poor. The production is terrible, the timing of the camera angle changes shows how little the people understand the game.

The commentating is god awful, Marcelo Balboa is getting right up my nose. For an ex international he is ignorant about the game. Alexi Lalas repeatedly saying Kasey Keller is the best goalie in the WORLD ticked me off too, he may as well have had stupid tattooed on his forehead.

To me they are doing a poor poor job of selling the game to a mostly soccer apathetic public.

Your thoughts ex pats and yankee fans alike. Am I right or have I just been brought up with quality football commentary and being a little harsh.

I think that's pretty much spot on. As far as selling the game to the American public goes, I think that's probably why they throw up all the annoying graphics and talk about Kasey Keller as the best goalie in the world (I'd cringe every time I heard that): they're trying not to get too technical with soccer terms and in-depth analysis. For God's sake, they're explaining the off sides rule at the beginning of every game!

It's certainly painful to watch, but the consolation is that I'm getting to watch some good football for a change.

And philip... do you just hate everything American?

[philipl]

No, far from it.

The USA team collected one point more from the toughest Group at the WC than I expected and yes, your TV coverage of soccer sucks as all posters agree.

We all elect turkeys from time to time, just yours' do their droppings in other folks' yards.

[American]

(which you supported at the time....)

The video feeds are all from German TV, aren't they (not the graphics)?

Talking to a few Americans and they said the coverage has been great, in the fact that there was major coverage of the cup and it wasn't pushed to the back like normal.

[USABlue]

(which you supported at the time....)

The video feeds are all from German TV, aren't they (not the graphics)?

Talking to a few Americans and they said the coverage has been great, in the fact that there was major coverage of the cup and it wasn't pushed to the back like normal.

The coverage as in quantity is great, the quality leaves a great deal to be desired. Bit like the England team really.

[Flopsy]

All the coverage is from the one company in germany - the graphics, commentary and analysis is good ol god bless US of A

[speeeeeeedie]

Tommy Smythe is a total and utter fool and has been for the whole time I've been here. The bloke has no idea, unless you are talking whisky (sorry whiskey for him). Balboa doesn't really know his ar$e from his elbow but he's OK. John Harkes is the best.

The coverage has been good, far better than 2002. All the games have been on live and there has been a decent amount of media attention. I like Wynalda (minus his odd idiotic comment) and Lalas, they tell it as it is, unilike fawning British pundits. ESPN has too many graphics, it's like watching a film at the cinema with somone always in your way. ABC is shocking though. My picture quality is bad, the crowd noise is turned down too much, it is about 10 seconds behind and my local station decides to have a quarter of the screen devoted to telling everyone that there is a thunderstorm warning for an outlying county for the whole game. Univision is great, the picture is ace. I'm even learning a bit of Spanish.

[Drakefyre]

Dave O'Brian is the worst, though. He always gets the players and calls wrong, and Marcelo Balboa just goes along with it.

[blue/white]

Univision has always been superior to the american networks, going back to the 1982 cup...

I recall that up until just a few years ago, the american nets would interrupt play to go to commercials (that's adverts to the Brits) while Univision just chugged along. The only thing that get under my nose is the Mexican announcer Pablo Something or another penchant for screaming over the littlest of things.

Thankfully with Mexico eliminated, we that do speak spanish can tune into Univision and not have to deal

with Univision's jingoism. American jingoism was always easy to ignore as it was completely baseless and foolish.

[Drakefyre]

Pablo Ramirez! Overreaction makes it exciting, especially if you don't speak Spanish. And what's a soccer game without a few mentions of Hugo Sanchez?

[speeeeeeedie]

ESPN 360 are showing games online. I think it's a promotion before they start charging for it. How nice of them to do it now.

[blue/white]

Yes.... that's the one: Pablo Ramirez.

Have you seen him up close, he's a big un'.

Apparently he was a goalkeeper in a previous

lifetime, so he's always adding interesting takes

on the position.

Also, does anyone else chuckle at Pablo's ventriloquist

dummy, Jesus Bracamontes?

[Drakefyre]

Not knowing Spanish, I don't know if every time they say "Chilavert" they're talking about the Chilean arquero or if it's actually a common word. Whichever, he says it a lot.

[blue/white]

Chilavert is doing the color commentary for Univision, so I can tell you that

chilavert is not an an action word during soccer telecasts.

You should also count your lucky stars you don't understand spanish as

a. Chilavert prefaces his every sentence with 'si si'.. or yes yes and

b. goes on to repeat his partners' question and

c. Causes Cervantes to roll in his grave with his every comment.

the upshot DrakeFrye: the mute button is a good thing.

[Drakefyre]

I like it mostly because they say which player has the ball, something that the English broadcasts lack (or get wrong too often!).

But thanks for the info about Chilavert.