Don’t laugh, but ABC’s coverage of the 2006 World Cup has been nominated for an Emmy. No, I’m not making this up.
While many of us, myself included, thought that ABC’s coverage was an embarrassment, especially the ineptitude displayed by baseball-come-soccer commentator Dave O’Brien, the clueless powers that be at the Emmy’s obviously thought different.
The shame of it is that this Emmy endorsement, in ABC/ESPN’s eyes, validates their decision to give O’Brien the top commentary job. The likelihood of O’Brien being the lead on the ABC commentary for Euro 2008 has therefore increased, I predict.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
You must be joking.
What’s worse is that the World Cup was one of the final events for the venerable ABC Sports as the division was folded into ESPN in August.
What a complete joke. If they had real football experts like Seamus Malin and Derek Rae on their broadcasts (both of whom work for ESPN anyhow) it would be worthy of an emmy. But with a group of US Soccer company men like Balboa, Harkes and Lalas the coverage was an outright joke.
I think everyone is missing the point here. Was the ABC/ESPN coverage one of the first in the US to have a male/female team working the commentary together. Ok, enough said, therefore the nomination. Ground breaking in the point of view of those giving out the awards.
They weren’t the worst group nominated. They were better than Fox’s postseason baseball coverage. That’s not saying that much though…
Somebody please put O’ Brian out of his misery. The guy is a mistake of nature. He shouldn’t be allowed near a football stadium ever again.
Seamus Malin and Derek Rae are different class from the above-mentioned amateur.
Pathetic. We really don’t understand good, quality football commentary. The lunatics are running the asylum.
Elisa
What an utter joke!
The only thing ABC/ESPN did right was actually showing the games.
Commentary and analysis is just shocking!
Then again… who are they up against as far as coverage for the world cup? absolutely no one! Put them up against other international networks that covered the world cup.
SKY-HIGH RATINGS, FIRST RATE BROADCASTS, TREMENDOUS INTEREST IN THE USA … YEAH, YOU IDIOTS ARE RIGHT, I SUPPOSE: THE EMMY NOMINATION WAS AN INDICTMENT — BUT OF YOU EX-PAT SOCCER JERKS, NOT ABC OR DAVE O'BRIEN. YOU ARE DAMNED RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING — THAT NOD TO EXCELLENCE WAS INDEED A VAILIDATION.