Comments on: Dempsey and Dolan On Song for Setanta Sports

By: Simon Burke

Simon Burke — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:54:00 +0000

I disagree Corey as in England we also get blanket coverage before and at half time, we are berating the quality of it here as its so studioised and bland. The pre Premiership show at 9.30 ET on a Saturday has analysis but its boring, its so bland – I dont think FSC with a higher budget would be any less boring but would just haev more horrible graphics like FOx’s ridiculously over the top NFL Coverage where player lineups look like they are in spaceships…

By: Corey

Corey — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:41:00 +0000

The whole "this is American" explanation is wrong in that it is an incomplete answer to this issue...the problem isn't that the FSC approach is American but that the approach is the normal American approach to soccer.

If you watch any other sport in America, you would be inundated with analysis of the game before, at halftime, and at the end. Anybody (I'm looking at you tyduffy) who says that American sports coverage doesn't have substance hasn't watched a good American Football preview show (like Monday Night Countdown)...sure, there is a lot of hype in those shows but they also have a lot of analysis.

Stop calling this an American issue...the issue is that FSC & GolTV have low budgets and thus they use their on-air personalities as low-rent teleprompter analysis also. If either channel spent the money then I am sure you could get a good American color analyst that wouldn't sound like a muppet.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:16:00 +0000

Interesting comments. Dolan is great-no doubt. So is the bald-headed dude who is the guy who asks the questions. And I understand that you have to dumb down things for Americans in order to appeal to them and make them understand the game.
I don’t know what Sky Sports has to offer(I know Andy Grey is amazing), but Setanta’s analysis is pure quality-Friday Football Show is well worth the time with the interviews and the guests they bring.

By: Simon Burke

Simon Burke — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:03:00 +0000

I agree with everything here except for anyone praising Tim Sherwood who ranks up there with the all time worst pundits. He is so bitter and deluded that he gets a point and just runs with it. THe home based programs are always better than the FSC based stuff which is passable and at least doesnt have GOL TV’s English nightmare: Ray Hudson.
I love proper half time chat in games, something we lack here

By: MJ

MJ — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:18:00 +0000

Exactly, FSC doesn’t want to bring in a bunch of guys who will talk about the X’s and O’s and the nitty-gritty stuff; those kind of things aren’t the way to appeal to a casual audience. You have to simplify things and dumb them down to reach the masses. If that’s what it takes to spread soccer to fans who don’t really know too much about the game, I’m fine with that.