I support this petition.
All we need is an idiot type announcer like Joe "watch this" Morgan who can't even announce the sport he played as a pro. I can't see how anyone at ESPN could do this job when most of them have never touched a toe to a football pitch.
I strongly support this petition. As true fans of the beautiful game, we want to enjoy this tournament (which only comes around every 4 years). Serious commentators are essential to this. We all want this World Cup to be a great experience.
I support this petition. How, one of the greates TV channels in the world can do this? I know that 85% of the people in USA do not care about soccer, but for the other 15% that we do care, you should care too. if not, here we go Spanish TV we are ready for you!!
Some of you commentators drive my husband stark staring mad! He turns the sound off!
Its time america wakes up to the fact that football is by far the biggest sport on the planet !American sports are the size of a pea on an elephants backside by comparison.
If you're going to be serous about showing football in the United States, follow through with some decent commentators that know and love the game as much as the fanbase!
The World Cup is an international competition. We demand announcers who are international soccer experts. O'Brien is not even a domestic expert or even a soccer expert...
I support this petition...the beautiful game deserves beautiful commentary, not idiots ruining it. I will watch spanish television if these dicks commentate.
I support this petition.Its funny and fortunate this came up. I was only saying to my american wife the other day, "how the hell can the american piblic learn the nuances, rules etc of this game when the bloody announcers havent got a clue ?"
I support this petition and would include Tommy Smyth in this as well. I have complained to ESPN for years about this. Color commentary is American (meaning is there to fill time, forgetting soccer is a continuous activity unlike US sports) and analysis non-existent.
My husband, as an Englishman, has always been embarassed for us because of the awful commentary he has witnessed while being here. Please show good faith in the American game and American fan by putting out front the best you have to offer.
I will watch and listen to the Univision coverage even though I dont understand Spanish rather than annoying ESPN commentators. My friends and I are the demographic ESPN needs. Please wake up and make the brave, but necessary move!
I support this petition. Stop perpetuating the idea that soccer will not succeed in this country; you will get more viewers very knowledgeable ones- for the World Cup than for any other single event in this country.
I support this petition. If you pay Derek and Tommy anyway, you might as well have them call some games. They are the best soccer announcers you have. Derek is straight forward and provides a picture of the action. Tommy is a great character to provide flavor of the game.
I support this petition.
Please remove Dave O'Brien or at least give him some more training. He is not ready for such an important matter.
Any foreigners living in the US will be laughing at our lack of knowledge if you keep the current team.
I support this petition.
I believe that Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth are the men for the job. They can help greatly by bringing a better knowledge of the game to America
I support this petition. I would also add that Shep Messing, the ex New York Cosmos goalkeeper, should be considered as a commentator. He is excellent and knows the game inside out.
I SUPPORT THIS PETITION!
Nothing ruins a game like biased or uneducated commentary. Please don't tell me Eric Wynalda will be on the broadcast team, that guy blisters my paint.
I support this petition. let derek rae and tommy smyth call the action they're a million times better than dave o'brien or jp. plus dave obrien knows nothing abou tthe sport he sound like garbage announcin the games
I support this petition. Please find knowledgeable soccer announcers so that the boradcasts can have the quality this sporting event deserves. Derek Rae and Tommy Smith are great. Balboa should also go he constantly promotes violent play as part of this beautiful game.
I support this petition.
More importantly, get more Champion's League matches. You'd better show Barça v Chelsea next week instead of some baseball tournament no one can be bothered to show up for!
I support this petition. Dear Sirs you should concern improving the quality of your announcers. I for one have a choice as to which channel I watch the games. not fair to my english speaking brethern.
I support this petition. If you want soccer to succeed in America you must allow the beautiful game to be handled by those who represent it the best way possible. We need to take a lesson from those around the world who know the rhthym and timing it takes to adequately "announce" a soccer game.
This is a call for Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth to be the lead announcing team for ESPN/ABC. The United States audience would be better off if these two are in the booth.
If I hear another player called a "left footed kicker," or "right footed kicker" I will projectile vomit all over "ESPN's High Definition Coverage of this summer's World Cup." No joke.
Derek Rae and Tommy Smythe, pretty, pretty please.
I don't speak Spanish, but with this ESPN crew I will GLADLY tune into the Univision coverage. At least I'll get to hear "GOOOOOOOOOOAAALL LL!!!!!!" at the right time.
I support this petition. Please don't subject me to Tommy Smith ever again...He ruins the game with his very poor color commentary.I have to turn the volumn off!
I support this petition. Capturing world class football properly takes a combination of passion, subtlety and true engagement in the game - the WC on ESPN will be lacking all of this as things stands.
I support this petition.There's a reason why many people watch the world cup in this country on univision instead of espn. It's all about the announcers! The announcers make the game. Look at the univision announcers, the live the game, they bring life into, they bring excitement into it. So your answer is to bring in guys who know nothing about the game?? There's plenty of good soccer announcers out there. This is the biggest sporting event in the world, it deserves the best announcers you can find. do the right thing espn!
If the MLS & US Soccer really wants "Footy" to take hold in America, they would be the one’s making a stink. Why are they letting ESPN sabotage their efforts? You think the EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A etc. would tolerate this? What does the MLS & US Soccer allow it? It is just another example of how they are missing the basics. “Footy” is about the passion and love for the game. The NFL gets it, the NBA gets it, MLB gets it, the NHL gets it…even Golf gets it. Every announcer knows the game, has passion for the game and knows that their listeners do too! I think the entire MLS management is made up of weekend golfers as that’s about the level of excitement they bring to MLS matches. If the MLS and USA Soccer want to make a difference and…this would be a good place to start…they OWE that to the players and their fans!
I support this petition. ESPN should study or watch EPL games to learn how to announce football. Either they should hire oversea commentators or teach the guys they have to do it properly.
I support this entire thing,The world cup is the greatest sporting event on the planet get rid of these wankers, get some real Announcers if you want viewers ESPN, get Derek Raye, and people like that SAVE US!!!!
ESPN's guys are BOOORRRRIIINNNGGG.
The Univision guys at least get excited when something good happens even if I don't know what they're saying. Soccer is an exciting game, please hire someone w/ a pulse. Are the ESPN Deportes guys that boring too?
And I'd also like to petition against the lame ass parser on this website that is eating the spaces. Fix the shit guys so we don't all look like we can't type.
