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Sky Sports Commentator Andy Gray Joins ESPN Euro 08 Broadcast Team

May 28th, 2008 By Jeff Hash --> Comments

Andy GrayESPN confirmed its lineup of announcers and analysts today for their coverage of Euro 2008 in a press release. There has been much speculation on who would be used between ESPN’s international talent and the network’s own US lineup. The answer the release gives us is a little bit of both… and some outside help as well.

The network has announced that former Scotland National Team player Andy Gray will be joining ESPN for the entire run of the tournament, serving as both a game and studio analyst. Gray, who has worked for Britain’s Sky Sports since 1990, is one of the satellite service’s top commentators, and is a regular on Sky’s Premier League and England National Team broadcasts.

The remainder of the announcing team is made up of ESPN Champions League coverage regulars. Derek Rae and Adrian Healey will serve as the two play-by-play announcers, while Tommy Smyth will work as both a game and studio analyst. Robbie Mustoe will also serve as an analyst during select matches.

The studio side, meanwhile, is mostly made up of the network’s MLS and World Cup 2006 broadcast lineup. Both Rece Davis and Julie Foudy, who served as host and studio analyst respectively during the last world cup, will be back in their jobs. Rob Stone, who hosts on ESPN’s MLS broadcasts, will also host on certain matches. Finally, Pedro Gomez, most famous (or infamous) for his two years spent covering baseball player Barry Bonds, has been tapped to work as a on-site reporter from Austria and Switzerland.

Today’s announcement shows that ESPN is bringing in almost all of the network’s soccer team, both domestic and international, to work for the European Championships. How well will they all work together? We will have to wait for June 7th to find out.

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Tags: Derek Rae · ESPN · Football Coverage on TV Networks · euro 2008

Viewing 30 Comments

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    Sounds like ESPN has a great announcing team lined up, if only they weren't calling it off TV monitors in Bristol.
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    ugh, julie foudy? y not heather mitts? foudy looks like a mummified monkey.
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    This is a MASSIVE coup for ESPN. It shows they're serious about soccer and are trying to be taken seriously. Kudos to ESPN.

    I can't wait to see Andy Gray!

    Cheers,
    The Gaffer
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    In 0ur house, the biggest item on Andy Gray's CV is his role as match commentator on EA Sports' FIFA playstation games. It will be awesome hearing him announce real live games. I wonder if he'll use all the same stock phrases. If only they could have gotten Martin Tyler or Clive Tyldsley as well.
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    Andy, we are still the world champions. Just a reminder for you. Since you never mentioned it today. The analist that you are, never once mentioned that two world champions were missing from midfield today. I guess it was convenient for you to bash the world champions in front of millions of people . You and your Scottish team are nothing but sore loosers. Go back to the fucking country you came from. We dont need your shit in this country. You stupid fuck.
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    Andy Gray is absolutely the worse sports announcer I have ever had the displeasure of listening to. He was so one-sided during the Italy vs. Spain match that I wondered if he might be wearing a Spain Jersey underneath his shirt and tie. I had to look him up on the computer to better understand his hatefulness towards the Italians. His comment about Spain taking a page out of the Italian book for feigning fouls was ridiculous. Then upon a Spain player receiving a yellow card in the box, mind you, he simply replies, "It's just one of those things." Well, very simply Andy, you're a dick!
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    Andy still remembers the defeat his scottish team endured against the world champions when they eliminated them from the european championship by beating them on their home field. (2-1). Tough shit Andy, you get paid to be a professional. You sure didn't sound like one. I hope you and Espn get to read all these negative comments about you. Because Espn just lost my subscription to them because of your stupid ass.
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    Loved the Gray commentary for Ita v esp.

    dead on. He told it like it is. Fandel had a dreadful match and had me wondering if the Italian penchant for max fixing extended beyond Seria A. I'm glad teams like Greece and Italy have been dumped. Four years ago the result was a dreadful pox on quality entertaining football who's resonance seems finally to be abating. 11 large men behind the ball and hope to nick a goal on a bought foul is terrible to watch.

    Thank you Andy Gray. Thank you for whining when players go down like they've been shot when there is barely contact. Thank you for calling bullshit when a player looses his footing on a quick turn and is called for diving. Thank you for pointing out that Ballack fouled on his goal v Portugal and showing us how the same offense was called two different ways in the box depending on the team. Thanks for pointing out the lunacy of a different set of rules for inside and outside of the area. Thanks for not talking about Onion bags and poking at your co's nationality.

    Thank you Thank you Thank you
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    Stuart, I don't really care about greece, But you right on when you say Italy has been dumped. I don't quite understand the match fixing you are talking about. I would say otherwise if you watched any euro games. Few examples: (goal taken away from toni against Romania, Goal given to Holland on clear offside). Also, if you watched the game against Spain, hopefully not the way andy watched, you noticed that although we were short handed, we created the most dangerous play. Besides the mistake by Buffon that hit the post, Spain never once hit a shot on goal. We instead had three or four legittimate shots. Stuart, watch the games carefully, and notice that all players from all teams fake falls, not only Italians players, you can call Italian the original and everybody else copy cats. We are the champions my friend.....we'll keep on fighting to the end, we are the champion, we are champion, of the world.....
    Sucker...
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    Stuart,
    One more thing. What team do you root for?
    England or Scottland? ha,ha,ha,ha.
    Sorry... couldn't help it. I just noticed you didnt mention it. So I tought it would be one of those loosers teams.
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    Joe, you are an idiot. The official stats are that spain had six shots on goal while Italy had three. Andy Gray was spot on about how Italy played and the awful display by the ref. The truth hurts, but the truth is that Italy is out of the tournament. Get over it.
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    Another England fan. Whose the idiot now. I consider shots on goal when the keeper actually moves to make a save. You were tought to consider a save when the keeper touches the ball that was passed by the other teams player. Am I talking to a six grader here? Why dont you and your buddy Andy FYS.
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    Toni's goal v Rom should have stood. RVN's goal was legit. A defender does not have the ability to go dormant and as such not be counted for an offside like an attacking player does. Read the rules. As for max fixing, as you are clearly an Italy fan (you must be constantly bored) I assume you know the rich tradition they've got on the boot for such things. By dangerous play you must mean having 11 men behind the ball with Toni sniffing for fouls around the center circle. Yes, it's quite dangerous. Dangerous to the sport, that is. Spain had far more meaningful play in the attacking third. Italy is overly reliant on Pirlo, a fantastic player, for creative play whereas Spain can call on a few midfield generals. For god's sake, any team that can pull a creative midfielder like Fabregas off the bench when Xavi is not working out clearly has some depth, unlike Italy. Though I would have liked to see more of Del Piero in the tournament. I'm a neutral for this go but re: ESP v ITA I sure weren't hoping the Azurri scraped another scoreless draw to PKs. Boring, negative, gutless. I loved how the Dutch crushed them with free flowing football.

    " Stuart, watch the games carefully, and notice that all players from all teams fake falls"

    too true. Such a shame. And why? Because cheats get away with it. So, why not. Toni, a rather large man, gets a tap on the ankle and he goes down faster than your mom after I've bought her a cocktail and whines more to boot.

    " we are champion, of the world…" true dat. But not of Europe (a harder tournament) sucker.
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    "we’ll keep on fighting to the end"

    the end came and went and so did ITA at the hands of ESP, or did you not see the game?
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    Am I talking to a USA Fan? be a man, tell me. You are as ignorant on the subject than some of the people I work with. Europe (a harder tournament) ? Didn't we beat France in the final? and qualifying rounds. Supposedly the best team in europe? As far as match fixing scandals, the italian press was honest about it and let it out. The same thing happened in three different countries in europe, (Germany, Spain, England) but kept it quite. Also happened in Usa with Basketball. So, you don't know shit. In soccer history, Italy is only second to Germany in Europe. Spain has never won anything and never will. Holland has always been a choker recently. So, who are these teams better than Italy, genius?
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    "Am I talking to a USA Fan?"

    hhahahaahahaaha!

    " Spain has never won anything and never will."

    careful. First part is demonstrably false (European champions in the sixties), second part is looking dicey. Teams better than Italy? Well, according to the results I'm looking at, four of them in the semis at the moment. Unless of course your talking in terms of match fixing.

    "So, you don’t know shit." You've yet to demonstrate that directly.
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    Stuart ,
    Jou just did demondtrate that you know nothing about this game. ( almost like the guys I work with) Now, that is insulting. 1960's ... we are in fucking 2008 dude. When I'm saying (won anything) I'm comparing to the big studs like Italy and Germany. Did you watch Spain against Russia today? (3-0) , or a Germany team that has played cup cakes throughout the tourney? Seriously, Or I'm done talking to you. Do you seriously think besides Spain, any of those teams would stack up with us? I'll have to admit Spain is a pretty good team. With Pirlo and Gattuso in there, I would have taken my chances. Now you wonder why a jack ass like Andy wouldn't understand why Donadoni based his game plan the way he did. I would have been a litlle bit more daring, true, but look at what happen to Russia.
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    By the way, I'm oviously an Italian Fan. Born and raised there. But I noticed that you didn't say who you root for.
    Pussy.