http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/ To the officials at ESPN: I am sending you this letter in protest of your decision on the commentators for the World Cup. The largest sporting event in the world deserves the best coverage possible. An estimated 28.8 billion viewers watched the 2002 tournament with 1.1 billion tuning in for the final. Even the World Cup finals draw had 300 million viewers world wide. As a sports leader and the largest cable sports network it would make sense that the company would want to have the best coverage of the event possible. Putting someone who has never done soccer commentary at the head of your broadcast team will only serve to alienate fans and move more viewers to Univision and other networks covering the games. You wouldn’t put Dick Button on the Superbowl announcing team or John Madden on the World Series telecasts, why would you put a baseball announcer in the World Cup broadcasts? The fans deserve better. They deserve intelligent announces who are highly regarded in their field. The idea that Americans would not accept foreign announcers for the games is ludicrous. Most knowledgeable fans in this country pay more attention to leagues overseas than to the domestic game. One reason for this is that the game is taken more seriously in many other parts of the world. Please do not add to the stereotype of ignorant Americans who bring nothing to the sport. Add quality announcers who are available regardless of nationality. Having announcers who do not know the proper names of the positions on the field and who mispronounce the players names is aggravating, frustrating and annoying to real soccer fans and that should be your market. The typical soccer mom is not going to sit through game after game of the World Cup. Please attempt to rectify this situation by including professional commentators who have experience in the sport at the highest levels. Thank you for your time and consideration concerning this matter sincerely, Fri, 3 Mar 2006 19:0:53 CST en-us 3 http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig5725839 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig5122256 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig5121049 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig5117983 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition, DAWG! http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig4151730 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I support this petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3970186 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST Give me Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth! http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3969208 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I honestly watched the Italy game on RAI in non HD because ESPN sux, why do they have a girl in the halftime show, There are no girls playing (Beside Cristiano Ronaldo. The Worlds greatest sport deserves better http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3777894 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3579185 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3566925 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3533199 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3399523 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST I WANT TO BE A Announcer for anything but when I saw THIS! ESPN Doesnt crack the top 5. Now It's FOX http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3333249 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST ESPN needs to pay Tommy Smyth enough money to commute between Europe and the US. Soccer. Stone and Wynalda gush a little too much over CA players and Taylor Twellman. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3324631 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig3286725 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig2964683 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig2901433 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig2733224 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST sex http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig2681600 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/World_Cup_Announcers/#sig2653125 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:0:00 CST