With the exception of Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth, I have not heard an ESPN announcer call a soccer game in a manner that didn't make me hit the mute button.
I support this petition.
I don't even speak Spanish but watch Univision over ESPN solely as ESPN announcers have no emotion or real understanding of the game. Bring on the Top English anouncers.
I am no crank who hates every announcer, but if ESPN is to be the sports leader, it must care about the sport. Show knowledgable that you care by placing Derek Rae in charge and have him calling the big games. He is the best soccer announcer on American TV. We know ESPn doesnt truly like or care about soccer, but at least do us the favor of being credible.
I ABSOLUTELY support this petition! You need to have announcers with a passion for the sport, this connects to the viewers and makes even marginal fans sit up and take notice of the greatest sporting event on Earth!!
I support this petition. Soccer does not get the respect it deserves in this nation, US could be world cup champions some day But as of now it seems that most of the media doesnt even care!!
I am going back home to England, to watch the World Cup, because the commentary on ESPN is so bad. Fire Tommy Smyth. He makes me cringe when he talks, and everyone I know just makes fun of him!
how can you have derrek rae and not use him???? derrek rae is the only thing giving espn any amount of credibility in this sport. its pathetic to leave him out
I support this petition.
YES YES YES get the best announcers, from England typically, they have a vocabulary and know the sport. DON'T make fools of yourselves to the biggest sports audience there is!!!!!!
I support this petition.
Derek Rae OK, Tommy Smyth and his tedious comments ....Ahhhhh,O'Brien & Balboa ... Yux. Hire som pros or we go to the Gooooooooooooo...al man!
I support this petition.
Just to add a little more for all football fans, why on earth do you show just Arsenal vs Villareal, and not Barca vs Milan????? ESPN, please.... I am sure you've left a lot of Italians, Spanish, and Brazillians (not including a lot of Asian fans) really disappointed. BTW, I live in San Francisco.
If you are not going to take the sport seriously, I suggest you turn the rights to other more dedicated football channel. Thanks.
I support this petition. If ESPN and ABC don't want to do a top notch job covering the World Cup and other soccer events they should give up their rights to televise soccer. Let another channel have them who would do a better job.
I support this petition. Simply put, use the same announcers you use for your UEFA Champions League coverage. What is the only competiton bigger than that, The World Cup. Enough said.
I have yet to hear a lead anouncer I like for US games. The announcers shouldn't talk every second of the game. And they should know something about the game that you can't read from a stat sheet.
I support this petition. I'm listening to Dave O'Brien do a MLS game right now. ESPN, please send him back to baseball and give us someone who knows something about soccer!
I support this petition. I need some better coverage of this years games. This is the greatest sport in the world and we need to start treating it like a major sport
I support this petition.It is only because I will not pay for Direct TV and Setanta that I will watch ESPN. Any announcer besides The garbage on air now. And please keep Brandy Chastain away form the sidelines. Thank God For MSG so I can watch Shep Messing and JP Dellacambra for Red Bulls Coverage.
I support this petition. but please, i'm begging you, remove tommy smith. why is it every statement he makes clearly wrong when shown on the reply? is he actually blind? if i hear the onion bag cliche again i will scream.
I support this petition.
I live in Australia and there is no way Australia would use, say, AFL commentators for their coverage, and there are a lot of ignorant people here when it comes to the greatest game on the planet. By the way why is American Football called football?
I absolutely support this petition! Bring back Bob Ley, JP Dellacamera, Seamus Malin; definitely tap Derek Rae for the World Cup; use Stone and Wynalda of you have to.
I support this petition.Dave O'Brien, while a good baseball announcer, simply does not have enough soccer knowledge to make a good announcer for the game. This combined with his announcing style, which seems to lend itself far better to baseball where there are numerous breaks in the action that need to be filled with stories and facts, makes him an awful soccer announcer. Please make Glen Davis your first-choice World Cup broadcaster.
I support this petition. O' Brien was horrible in an FC Dallas game I watched recently. He dosent know enough about the game. He will make a fool of US soccer, ESPN, and himself. ESPN need to take the WORLD game seriously, its their duty as the WORLDwide leader in sports.
I support this petition. Listening to announcers who live and breathe this game makes all the difference for the true soccer fans out there. We need and deserve only the best. We do not need to continually put forth the idea of American individualistic selfishness when it comes to soccer. Thank you.
I support this petition.
For the World Cup. there should be commontaters that really know about the sport,the players, and the teams. These commontaters don't know what they are talking about. I would rather have Martin Tyler as one of the commontaters for the 2006 World Cup
I support this petition.
O'Brien will not be nearly good enough to call soccer games by June...
Balboa, for all the games he's played, knows very little about the game and cannot provide the indepth analysis that one would hope for from a former professional player...
Please respect the magnitude of the event and the sport... please provide the best you have to offer...
Thank you.
I support this petition. I watch alot of soccer on FSC and ESPN. The English announcers with knowledge of the game make a world of difference over the MLS announcers.
I support this petition.please get rid of o'brien and balboa. davis is awesome the game vs jamaica he made it obvious he should be there please and please get tommy smyth and derek rea
I support this petition. Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth are clearly the better announcers as they have passion for the game. Keep your crew for US games but give us the others with real Soccer announcers!
I support this petition. ESPN treats soccer fans like yesterday's trash. All we ask is that you treat us with an ounce of reverence you show boringball--er, baseball--fans!
I support this petition 100%. Please stop and think -- do not treat your viewers with disregard and disrespect! It is not too much to ask is it? Soccer is in its early development years from within the US! Please look at it with a long term planning and start catering to the fans who are the ultimate consumers and clients any way. If ESPN was smart with their long term planning they would designate a channel to soccer. I mean it appears that even bowling gets more respect and attention by ESPN than soccer (football)! Please wake up and try to aim a head of the curve.
Sincerely,
Ray -- a life time supporter of the world’s beautiful game -- from Los Angeles area
I support this petition. Every other major sports broadcast is given due respect by its respective timeslot and by making a concerted effort to employ professionals WELL versed/respected in their field. Should any less be expacted for the WORLD's #1 sport?
TY
