The color commentators are always a little garbage, in all sports leagues around the world. So Marcel is as good as anyone, I guess.
But if ESPN is serious about sports, then they need a play-by-play man who understands what it is that people like about soccer.
If the knuckleheads at ESPN don't have Derek Rae calling the matches, it's going to be a Spanish language World Cup for me. Time to learn more Spanish anyway. JP and the rest of them never know what they're talking about and ESPN apparently has no idea that soccer demands a different commentary style than other American sports. Figure it out, or myself and everyone I know will be seeing all the goooooaaaaaaalllllls en Español
I support this petition.
The announcers that ESPN are planning on having commentate the WC are absolutely atrocious.
I will not watch with these announcers. I will watch SETANTA in a foreign language over these guys.
I support this petition, please use knowledgable people.
ESPN is not alone in having soccer commentators who do not understand teh finer points of two Laws - Offside and Handling. Attending an 8 hour referee class given by AYSO (free) or USSF (cost unknown) would do wonders for them.
I support this petition.
American announcers just dont no how to exprece the true love of soccer. Soccer is a way of life not just a game. For the world cup we NEED announcers that no what the game is about. They have to have true passion for the game the way marv alber does for basketball. Not this crap we have to deal with right now
The bottom line is that we are now at a point with a tremendous amount of soccer and WC viewers in the US. We diserve a quality product in our announcers. Please provide what the WC deserves...quality.
I support this petition. Tommy Smith is one of the best that we got right now even though he's biased most the time. America yet again ruins world's most popular sport
Do not ruin the broadcast. PLEASE! ESPN is fortunate to have made a deal to air such an extraordinary event. My children were too young for the last world cup and I hate to see it ruined by the lack of color provided by announcers/commentators. Fortunately, our football matches come to us from Fox Soccer and GOL, and if needed we will watch the worldcup in another language than have our sport ruined. SO PLEASE rethink your position.
I support this petition even though
I live in England, we get coverage of American Football here and if we had to watch it with Association Football commentators it would not be worth watching, thankfully they always fly a few Yanks over to help us along
I support this petition. Even though Derek and Tommy Smith are very biased when they are announcing (especially tommy, and this can be seen in the CL matches), they both are still the best announcers. The again, Americans ruining football is nothing new...
I support this petition. i would rather watch the game called by english announcers who know how to call the game please don't make me watch the game with my english to spanish dictonary.
With the resoursces ESPN has at their disposal,why can't ESPN come up with a World Class announcers for the World Cup? Pay a little more attention to the worlds game and subcontract it out to Fox Soccer Channel or have Nick & Steven do the games.
I support this petition.
I support this petition. Not only are the ESPN announcers unqualified, ESPN has ideal announcers on staff doing Champions League games. Of course, ESPN ruins those games as well by telling us who wins while the tape delayed games are going on. I am learning Spanish fast.
I support this petition 110%. Not only are Rob Stone and Dave OBrien not good soccer announcers, they not good announcers to begin with. Having these second rate announcers for the most popular sporting event in the world (the World Cup of course)is unacceptable and grossly disrespectful to the game of soccer and should have at least first rate commentators calling the tournament. ps. having Derek Rae and Tommy Smith call the games instead of reporting would be a start.
I support this petition. Get real announcers and not some converts!! Derek and Tommy Smyth would be perfect since most US fans get their UCL coverage from them anyway.
I support this petition. Having announcers who really know the game will only add to the excitement of the WC and draw even more fans to watch this beautiful game! Otherwise you'll alienate many fans & players.
Although I won't have to deal with your problem watching from Australia i support the petition, this is the single biggest sporting event in the world and deserves the best of the best to present it.
I support this petition. Espn has been going downhill for a long time now. It is evident with their apologist radio programming (Mike Greenberg), Sportscenter and really just their sycophantic attitudes towards athletes. It's sad. The less talking the better for the broadcasts. It doesn't matter where the announcers are from (as long as they know the game); hopefully they won't talk through the whole match. Although, there is one annoying "analyst" on sky sports...don't know his name though.
I support this petition. Come on, seriously. I mean, I've never heard the dude do commentary, but if he does baseball, he might, repeat, just MIGHT be able to pronounce the foreign player's names. Come ON! Get someone who knows SOMETHING about soccer to do commentary! You wouldnt get people who do CRICKET to comment on BASEBALL, would you? NO! That would be outrageous! They would constantly be wondering why the guy is swinging the bat in the air! (No offense to cricket players around the world) You get people who KNOW the sport to do commentary. Seriously. The Beautiful Game should not be insulted so.
Come on boys get real here.
This is slap in the face to fans of the biggest sport on earth.
If you take this serious and handle this with class, it can put
You Espn in a good position to compete with other soccer channels,
for a fast growing world audience.
I support this petition. the idiots over here in america don't respect the world's game. the disrespect shown to football over here makes me wish i wasn't american
I support this petition. ESPN should have their own soccer channel before any alternative ESPN channel, but not if it's conducted under this current narrow-minded perspective.
Why on God's green earth would ESPN do this? Why let Tommy Smyth do ALL Champions League games (ON ESPN by the way!!!) and go to a baseball guy for something 1,000 bigger than the Champions League? We all know soccer and ESPN go together like oil and water, but why would you change announcers? Granted Smyth looks drunk on every telecast, but so what? The guy KNOWS soccer.
I support this petition. The people who know the sport the best should be the ones commentating on it while it is on its biggest stage. I am just waiting to here SCORE!!!
