Football (Soccer) Thread

[Gups]

No idea Larchie. In the old days if you did manual work you actually used to get a pay packet with cash in it and footballers did too. These days they 'd do themselves an injury if they had to pick up that much cash.

[The Larch]

It is being reported over here that Drogba is ripping his contract with the Chinese team to sign for Barcelona. 

[Liep]

Nononono. I was content with him not being in European football any more. Though, one diver less is hardly noticeably.

[katmai]

ESPN convinced US soccer audience has knowledge

By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer


When Ian Darke and Steve McManaman broadcast the European Championship final from Kiev on Sunday, they'll assume their audience back in the U.S. has a fairly deep knowledge of soccer and the Spanish and Italian players on the field in Ukraine.

"I think it's made such massive strides now that it really would be an insult if somebody like me and Macca came on trying to sort of teach people to suck eggs about the game," Darke said. "I think they tune into it because they know it and they love it - or most of them do."

ESPN was criticized when lead broadcaster Dave O'Brien displayed a lack of soccer knowledge during the 2006 World Cup. For the 2008 European Championship final in Vienna, the network had Adrian Healey and Andy Gray provide commentary from a studio in Bristol, Conn.

Then two years ago, ESPN used Martin Tyler, Darke, Healey and Derek Rae - all British - as its four lead broadcasters for the World Cup in South Africa, and that September ESPN hired Darke as the primary soccer voice for its U.S. networks. He was paired with McManaman, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid star who had been a studio analyst at the World Cup. The duo have become a steady presence on ESPN's Premier League telecasts, which air mostly at 7:45 a.m. Eastern on Saturday mornings and have become as much a part of weekend breakfast for American soccer fans as coffee and orange juice.

"We're on at an awkward time," McManaman said outside London's White Hart Lane one cold evening last winter before a Tottenham match. "Certainly if you live in L.A. sometimes we're on at 4:45 in the morning, so it takes the hard-core group of fans who will watch it and will look at the Premier League and will want to watch the football at different times of day, no matter what time of day the game's on."

He compares the expansion of the U.S. audience for big tournaments to his interest in American-style football.

"I won't avidly watch the NFL year in, year out, all the time," McManaman said, "but once it starts to get round to the playoffs ... you watch it and you become attached to it. And then you want to watch the playoffs. Of course, you want to watch the Super Bowl, don't you?"

In an era when many sports struggle to maintain ratings, U.S. viewership of international soccer is increasing at a startling rate. The two semifinals averaged 1.91 million viewers, a 46 percent increase from 1.31 million four years ago. With both semis starting at 2:45 p.m. EDT, Spain's penalty kicks victory over Portugal was seen by 1.95 million on Wednesday, and Italy's 2-0 upset win over Germany was viewed by 1.85 million the following day. ESPN said the semis averaged 576,000 additional viewers on computers, smart phones, tablets and Xbox.

The first 31 matches averaged 1.2 million viewers on ESPN's networks, up 61 percent from 2008.

ESPN President John Skipper has been among soccer's biggest boosters in the U.S. The network's streak of televising six straight World Cups will end after the 2014 tournament in Brazil, with Fox taking over for 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar, but ESPN has the 2016 Euros in France and a steady weekly presence with the Premier League, at least through next season, under a sublicense from Fox.

"It's clear that there's been a significant upgrade in the attention we pay to the world's sport," he said.

Darke and McManaman have been on site for the entire tournament. While some first-round matches were broadcast from Bristol, ESPN had its announcers at the stadiums for all knockout-round games.

In Europe, American interest in soccer still is viewed with some skepticism. Darke remembers during the 2010-11 season speaking to Steve Bruce, then Sunderland's manager, before broadcasting The Black Cats' game against Stoke, a less than glamorous matchup.

"He said, `Who are you doing it for?'" Darke recalled. "I said I'm doing it for ESPN in America."

"Really? OK." Bruce responded.

"As he was leaving," Darke remembered, "he turned around and said, `Us against Stoke? In America? What are you trying to do? Put them off?'"

[Ed Anger]

with Fox taking over for 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar,

OH BOY, FOX SOCCER ROBOTS.

[FunkMonk]

"As he was leaving," Darke remembered, "he turned around and said, `Us against Stoke? In America? What are you trying to do? Put them off?'"[/b]

I do like Darke and McManaman. ESPN's coverage has been really good since the 2010 World Cup, certainly better than with Dave O'Brien. FOX seems like it's trying to NFLize the coverage, which puts me off. Last year's Champions League final had Michael Strahan trying to explain the laws of the game.


I'm dreading FOX's coverage for 2018 and 2022. Maybe by then they'll wise up and not try to baby its audience. A lot of newcomers to the game watch with people who are already knowledgeable. They can get the rules from them. New people just need to watch and learn for a couple games. Hell, most parents should already know the basics: They watch their twelve year olds play soccer every weekend.

In closing, ESPN: good, FOX: shit, America:

[Ed Anger]

I don't think Fox Soccer coverage is that bad. But it hits Fox network, they stupidize everything they touch.

NHL: Fun at first, got stupid
NFL: 1st year: HEY THIS IS FUN! 5th year: SHUT UP TERRY BRADSHAW 10th Year: OH FUCK THIS SHIT

[FunkMonk]

The only people I like on FOX Soccer are:

Eric Wynalda
???

Their commentary pipes into the Premier League international feed, so they don't have real commentators on-site like ESPN. While I appreciate listening to Martin Tyler, the rest of the Brits annoy me. At least Ian Darke and Steve McManaman have decent chemistry and often relate the commentary to AMERICA(!).

FOX also has a couple of people on their nightly soccer show that I like too, but it's produced by a Canadian affiliate and its getting canned anyway. So fuck you FOX.

[Warspite]

Brits: can you believe we have to fucking pay to listen to Linekar, Lawro, Hansen and Shearer? Awful, awful pundits.

[mongers]

Brits: can you believe we have to fucking pay to listen to Linekar, Lawro, Hansen and Shearer? Awful, awful pundits.

They are rather a yawn, part of the reason why I don't bother with football, saving World Cups.

As for paying for them, I don't mind, the licence fee is worth it for the amount of radio 4 and world service I 'consume'. 

[Gups]

Brits: can you believe we have to fucking pay to listen to Linekar, Lawro, Hansen and Shearer? Awful, awful pundits.

Lawro does nothing but moan all the time. Shearer has less charisma than a cardboard box. Hansen is a parody of himself. Lineker is just about OK. The beeb's football coverage needs a reboot. Not that ITV are any better.

[Josquius]

It is rather shocking that Shearer, even when he was a player, famed for being the most boring man in the north, became a standard commentator.

[katmai]

Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas was confirmed as the new manager of Tottenham on Tuesday following the shock departure of Harry Redknapp last month.

"The club is delighted to announce Andre Villas-Boas as Head Coach," Spurs confirmed on their official Twitter feed following days of speculation concerning the Portuguese coach.

And want to own ManU?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Manchester United plans to go public. In the United States, to boot.

The record 19-time English champions filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday to hold an initial public offering of stock and become a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange. The deal could ease pressure on the club's cash flow as it tries to keep and acquire players in an attempt to regain English and European titles.

While the stock price and the number of shares were not listed, the registration statement said the club hoped to raise a maximum of $100 million - a place-holding figure that could change before the offering becomes effective.

''We intend to use all of our net proceeds from this offering to reduce our indebtedness,'' the team's filing said.

The Glazer family, which bought the club in 2005, would retain control through Class B shares, which would have 10 times the voting power of the stock that would be sold to the public.

Under the reorganization, the team would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Manchester United Ltd., a newly formed holding company based in the Cayman Islands.

The team was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1991 until June 2005, when Glazers completed a leveraged buyout valued at $1.47 billion. The Glazers also own the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[dps]

Well, I don't care much for Fox Sports, but at least they're better than NBC Sports.

[Ed Anger]

So if I buy ManU stock, do I get a scarf?

I'd attend the stockholder meeting and mock the Glazers over the Bucs.