Max and his crew do the "Faith Plus One" album pose to perfection
I want to make up with ESPN, I honestly do, but they keep doing things like putting Max Bretos and Alexi Lalas on MLS pre-game and World Cup preview shows and my Patrick Bateman-like rage just starts rising and rising. I thought when Bretos left Fox Soccer Channel for the greener pastures of Bristol and ESPN News, we wouldn’t be subjected to him and Alexi any longer, but NO. Max in and of himself is not a horrible broadcaster and quite frankly, he’s done a credible job when I’ve caught him on ESPN News. He’s not calling games for ESPN which is a plus, because I’ve grown to tolerate JP Della Camera and his style. But, Bretos is due to be a major part of ESPN’s World Cup coverage along with Lalas (who I truly dislike intensely) and thus, I will be forced to listen at arms length when those two are discussing tactics and formations.
If any of you are coming to us today from Down Under, welcome, and good news if you like 3D. You will be able to potentially see the World Cup matches in that particular medium in a few weeks. ESPN is also set to begin a 3D network, so it’s possible we’ll get some Premier League or La Liga matches in 3D next season in addition to the World Cup matches.
We should all stay tuned to the legal wrangling over the Serie A television contract, because the speculation is that if the trial goes against Sky Italia, the start of Serie A 2010-11 could be delayed if they have to scramble for a new television partner.
For those of you who are into the financial side of the game, the Premier League released it’s figures on how much each club made from the television deals, and while Chelsea claimed the league title, Manchester United claimed the money title. It will be very interesting to see whether Liverpool’s television money drops next season in lieu of Spurs and City finishing above them this season. The hits just keep on coming for LFC, don’t they?
The Champions League final is this Saturday at 2:30 PM on Fox, and the broadcast team is shaping up to be decent, albeit a hodgepodge. The lead announcer will be Martin Tyler (who then moves right on to ESPN’s World Cup coverage as it’s lead announcer), the “expert analyst” will be Bruce Arena, and the studio show will be hosted by Curt Menefee. Menefee has plenty of NFL credentials but it will be interesting to see how he translates to what should be a much different demographic. The match announcers are Tyler and Andy Gray, while the studio show is Menefee, Arena and the always fantastic (not) Eric Wynalda. Let’s hope it’s good, shall we?
Also of note, New York Red Bulls match against Juventus on Sunday will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel. This match will be at Red Bull Park the day after Turkey and the Czech Republic play there, so let’s hope the pitch doesn’t get torn up too badly.
No one is worse, in my mind and ear, than the crew that calls La Liga on Gol TV. The play by play guy is decent enough, but the man who does colour is just over the top…and he has a compatriate in that department with Bretos. To be truthful, I have no issue with Bretos in studio. Calling games? No. Dellacamara did Thrashers hockey for a while here in ATL, so I got used to him then.
The UEFA CL scares me to death. In a way I wish they had put the FSC crew on the pre-game, but Warren Barton is talking over Bobby as of late…so maybe we’re better off. Menifee I don’t care for on NFL, so I’m wary.
Hell, for my money? I’d rather have the full Sky crew from the USA doing it.
If Fox wants to do me a favor, work out a deal with Comcast and get FS Plus on our grid…and Scots Premier League would be nice.
I love Ray Hudson, but he’s definitely an acquired taste. He’s most fun when he’s yelling at Phil Schoen for pointing out something that flies in the face of his hyperbole; how Phil stays so patient is beyond me.
My biggest Bretos pet peeve is his tendency to pronounce everything as if it were Spanish; I get the feeling he’s doing this to sound more knowledgeable, but he does it on words (“adidas” is my particular favorite) that AREN’T SPANISH. It’s just wrong, not clever.