I support this petition. After watching the US Jamaica friendly, if the same horrible announcers are present, I refuse to watch. This coming from a loyal viewer of ESPN.
I support this petition. I have noticed in recent years that other ESPN announcers have been put in place as soccer broadcasters. To respect of Tommy Smith, he should have a partner that has a PhD in soccer. One that lives, breathes, eat, sleep soccer. This petition has my full backing. Cheers.
I support this petition. There are already enough people in the sports broadcasting world that don't deserve to be where they are, let's do the right thing here for a change.
I support this petition. Someone who wont make stupid comments, the last thing we need is another Madden up there, its futbol for christs sake, put someone up there that has a heavy british accent.
Derek Rae is clearly the best. If he's available, you need to get him. Tommy Smyth needs to be tied up in an "onion bag." Also, tell Marcelo Balboa to grow up and get a hair-cut.
I support this petition. no more 'donkey kicks' or likewise ridiculously stupid comments. announce the game like you are speaking to people who know the game.
Derek Rae is the best. Tommy is a wanker. He never knows what's going on. He says offside, when it's not. He says, "the defender got him bad on that one!" When the tackle clearly missed. He's worthless. Derek Rae is the best!
I support this petition completely. The biggest competition in football deserves the best in commentary. And ESPN, aside from Derek and Tommy, you will not get this from your team.
Mes a Mis Footballeurs!
The host broadcaster will provide their own English commentary audio. Maybe ESPN should use this instead of the current announcers you have selected to do the games. That would in fact be the best option. You could also use their graphics to give it a true world cup theme!
I support this petition. For ESPN to call themselves a "sports" channel is a disgrace. If they had any sense of professionalism, they would seek out the best personnel for each sport, including soccer. It'd be like me commentating on baseball!!
I support this petition.ESPN has already shown ignorance to football by not even realising day light savings time, thus only showing half of the Benfica v Barcelona match. Do your enterprise and viewers a favour, hire Britsh, knowledgable football commentators.
THANK YOU for doing this, this is the manifestation of the way I have felt for years. The annoucers consistantly embarass themselves. I personally have resorted to muteing or watching the same game in spanish (no lie) to avoid their comentary. I have felt like Mugatu taking crazy pills for the last few years.
I support this petition.ESPN please listen to your viewers and put on credible announcers with quality as real football fans deserve.Please put on Derek Rae and Tommy Smith because they are quality commentators.Get it together ESPN or i will watch the world cup elsewhere...
I support this
petition.
ESPN wastes our time with POKER and WOMEN's Basketball
Instead of the Champions League????
MLS is not going to get America on board but the CL will!
Please at least get Tommy Smyth for the World Cup as he is the only real announcer ESPN has to offer( along with Derek Rae)
I support this petition. We need to have people who respect the game and do not get hired because the tell someone their children play soccer and that makes them qualified. ESPN's lack of commitment to soccer (UEFA Champions league in the middle of the night) is going to drive all of us to a boycott. Get your act together ESPN!!!
I support this petition. It is a travesty that Tommy Smythe and Derek Rae are not doing the World Cup coverage, with the tremendous job they do with UEFA Champions League. Get it together!
I support this petition.I am a DC United season ticket holder and think Derek Rae, Tommy Smyth should do world cup commentary. I also think DC United's commentators on CSN are very good and would love to see them announcing a world cup.
I support this petition. Please give those of us who know soccer in this country not only better quality announcers but better quality games on and more often.
What does ESPN care about more -- the quality of their sports coverage or rewarding corporate stooges who are most faithful to the company? I guess now we have our answer.
I support this petition. We the fans deserve quality commentary and am afraid your choice of Rob Stone and Eric Wylanda will fall short. This is a world event and ESPN should provide us the fans with knowlegable commentators.
I support this petition.Please add quality commentators who have in depth knowledge of the game. We the fans deserve knowledgeable commentators regardless of nationality or else my family and friends will view the world cup on telemundo
Please provide knowledgeable commentators. This is event is bigger than the Olympics and viewers deserve to have accurate commentary. Accurate commentary requires more than the ability to pronounce the players names. Please do not put me in the position of having to watch the games on Setanta in German.
I support this petition.PPLEASE give us the viewers better options or my family and i will watch it on setanta in german than unexperienced announcers with no knowledge of the beautiful game than be deafened by this comical choice ESPN HAS choosen.
I support this petition. America excluded, soccer is the most followed, beloved game in the world. The World Cup is its Super Bowl. The US is surely (and not too slowly) catching the football fever familiar to the rest of the globe. ESPN is lagging behind; it's time for them to step up to the plate and join the global football community.
I support this petition. If ESPN would use the most knowledgeable and experienced announcers that are available to them, it would without a doubt help grow the sport’s fanbase more than any other decision they could make. I say this as someone who, previously having only a passing interest in soccer, learned both the nuances and the passion of the game from ESPN Champions League matches broadcast by Derek Rae. I’ve been hooked ever since, and I can only imagine how many other potential soccer fanatics are out there - people who appreciate intelligent commentary by those deeply familiar with the sport.
I support this petition.
These gentlemen are level-headed, even toned, soccer knowledgeable, non-histrionic announcers -- Amercian announers could learn a great deal from them! Heck, even Varsha and Hobbs from F1 could do better than American soccer announcers!
As a well known co-host of several shows on ESPN (PTI, Monday Night Football) I implore you to do the right thing and use my personal friends Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth on all your soccer broadcasts.
I support this petition. It must be added, however, that there are a number of native American announcers who "call games" with quality. I am for educated, familiar and hopefully interested announcers, whether "foreign" or not. Brin on experts, not just broadcasters. Call me, I'm available.
