The World Cup 2006, ABC Style
As the 2006 World Cup comes to an end, I think it deserves at least one serious post. In fact, I think that every sporting event that only occurs in four year increments does. That said, there isn't much to say. Congratulations to Italy. Congratulations also to Zidane for becoming the first person to demonstrate how to lose your head and use your head at the exact same time.
A comment for ABC: When trying to keep or even gain a viewership for a sporting event or sport in general, choose competent studio analysts. I don't know if any of you watched any of the games, but why the hell is Brent "Open Container" Musberger in the studio to talk about the World Cup? Ridiculous. I can see him with his wife the night before going over his flashcards, "OK honey, What is a Striker?" To make up for his lack of soccer knowledge they threw in a couple of people with soccer backgrounds, but no experience in T.V. (at least it seemed.) Sorry, but Julie Foudy wasn't given the tools to be a succesfull T.V. personality, World Cup champion or not. It was painful to watch this crew try to give accurate analyses. The only comparison I can come up with is asking the world putt-putt golf champion to team up with the world long drive champion and having them take on Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. It just doesn't work that way.
Despite the lack of competence in the studio, props to ABC for having a couple of good commentators for the game action. I can only think it is because there is actually a need for commentators on a regular basis because the MLS is regionally televised, but there is probably never a situation other than the World Cup where they need to "take it back to the studio." Would it really have hurt to pay a couple of British guys to come over and help out? I would have loved the feel that would have given the game. They could even put the Brits on play by play and color commentary and move the other guys into the studio, like a promotion. I don't know, but I have to think that anything would have been better than what they had. No one can ruin a World Cup experience like Brent.
Does anyone else wish that soccer was as big in the states as abroad? In Berlin they had a MILLION people in the streets watching Germany's last meaningful game. A MILLION. I wish I could have been there just to be part of that. Can you imagine a million people gathering here to cheer on Team USA? It's like HuskerNation times 10. I wish soccer was that popular here just for that experience. The sad thing is that it will never happen. At least we can get somewhere close on a regular basis in the fall.
A comment for ABC: When trying to keep or even gain a viewership for a sporting event or sport in general, choose competent studio analysts. I don't know if any of you watched any of the games, but why the hell is Brent "Open Container" Musberger in the studio to talk about the World Cup? Ridiculous. I can see him with his wife the night before going over his flashcards, "OK honey, What is a Striker?" To make up for his lack of soccer knowledge they threw in a couple of people with soccer backgrounds, but no experience in T.V. (at least it seemed.) Sorry, but Julie Foudy wasn't given the tools to be a succesfull T.V. personality, World Cup champion or not. It was painful to watch this crew try to give accurate analyses. The only comparison I can come up with is asking the world putt-putt golf champion to team up with the world long drive champion and having them take on Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. It just doesn't work that way.
Despite the lack of competence in the studio, props to ABC for having a couple of good commentators for the game action. I can only think it is because there is actually a need for commentators on a regular basis because the MLS is regionally televised, but there is probably never a situation other than the World Cup where they need to "take it back to the studio." Would it really have hurt to pay a couple of British guys to come over and help out? I would have loved the feel that would have given the game. They could even put the Brits on play by play and color commentary and move the other guys into the studio, like a promotion. I don't know, but I have to think that anything would have been better than what they had. No one can ruin a World Cup experience like Brent.
Does anyone else wish that soccer was as big in the states as abroad? In Berlin they had a MILLION people in the streets watching Germany's last meaningful game. A MILLION. I wish I could have been there just to be part of that. Can you imagine a million people gathering here to cheer on Team USA? It's like HuskerNation times 10. I wish soccer was that popular here just for that experience. The sad thing is that it will never happen. At least we can get somewhere close on a regular basis in the fall.
posted by D at 4:40 PM
14 Comments:
I couldn't agree more. Pussy mothertrucker Brent "open container" musberger?? R u kidding me? The guy is a talking sausage with strange lesions on the skin. No Thanks, and as far as the popularity of soccer, i think it's a must we visit a world cup soccer match. A MUST. I'm liking the whole South Africa thing the more I think about it, and yeah i know apartheid has ended so what's the point, but i'm interested to see what its like. Book ME a ticket bitches.
out
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I'm glad that it is finally over. I kept tabs on it every so often, but I finally reached critical mass.
I'm not bothered that soccer will never be as big here as it is in other countries. There's a reason why everyone in all of these countries loves the game - because they have no other sporting event to watch because they were too lame to think of other great sports like football, baseball and basketball.
Musberger does suck though, there is no question about that.
I'm siding with D and Graham in most everything regarding this post. It's not that we don't go crazy over football/World Cup, but it's the sentiment that Sto took, which a lot of Americans take, that somehow football (not to be confused with American football) is less of sport simply because America, as a whole, doesn't embrace it like we embrace other sports. We're not all high and mighty here in the states, we make mistakes (see our president), and if everyone else in the world (including the 1 Billion people who watched the World Cup Final) say were wrong, than I'm going to believe them, and not some old fart on KFAN who trashes the sport and the Cup.
I really got into this World Cup, even after the US bowed out. I was as enthralled with the semifinal and finals as I am with the Super Bowl, March Madness or anything else. I am now determined to become a football fan, watch all those games from the European leagues on FSN, cheer on the New England Revolution and may just become crazy enough in 4 years to join Graham in South Africa.
Note to D: please don't think I'm a hypocrite because when I initially wrote that message on Facebook, I was still pissed off USA had lost and wanted no part in any of it. Once I cooled down, I came to my senses.
Sto, don't you think soccer being numero uno was more due to the issue of not having wealth in 3rd world countries? I mean all they have to do is find a ball near an emptiless field that doesn't produce crops thanks to over use, and find half starving naked children to play. I mean it is so easy to play soccer. I think it developed out of simplicity.
BUT i will say we have improved the game of soccer. I love americano footballo so much more than soccer, it just happens to be soccer is during the spring when football is not, and I have no problem turning my attention to my 3rd or 4th favorite sport to stay entertained till footballo season kicks offo.
Audioso, Lame-o's!!
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Bravo TC, Bravo. I hope everyone sees the light and joins us as New England Revs fans. I want to go to the World Cup as much as the next guy, but South Africa? I don't know about that. If it was in Europe or North America, you could consider my ticket punched already, but I'm for some reason not in a hurry to make a trip to Mandella's Paradise, as some call it. Let's hope that falls through. Join the Revolution, Sto. U.S.A. in 2042!
2042? That's pretty ambitious. I'm thinking more like 2076, on America's 300th birthday.
Now that would be one hell of a party. Here's to long life my friends.
TC, read my post. I didn't say it was less of a sport. And what the hell does politics have to do with this???
And just because the rest of the world likes soccer, that's not enough to convince me that I should too. If that's all it takes for you, then fine. As to D's original comment, the fans and crowds are probably awesome (unless you get trampled by them), but it's just not for me.
In general, I don't know what it is, but the international competition thing hasn't caught on quite as much for me as it has with you guys; ie- olympics, world cup.
Sto,
Don't worry. It's okay to be a typical U.S.-style isolationist. As a side note, I think the World Cup is much more exciting than the Olympics.
Much more exciting, it doesn't even come close.
The Olympics SUCK.
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