12 August 2007

He's still better than Dave O'Brien

So, if soccer is on ESPN, I'll pretty much watch it. For most of the good stuff (at least until the Champions League starts), you have to go to FSC or Univision, but I want to encourage ESPN to show soccer, so I watch the random internationals and MLS games.

It's all good, but I've decided my favorite part is the halftime "other soccer news" report that ESPN News does. The value of this isn't really in the news they deliver -- it's usually stuff I already know. The amusement value comes from two things: 1) trying to guess how they'll shoehorn David Beckham in, and 2) waiting for the mispronunciations to begin. In the last two games I've watched (Galaxy/United and US/New Zealand), the poor ESPN newsguy has mispronounced:

  • Feilhaber
  • Derby
  • Hleb
  • Birmingham
  • Ballack

Somehow he got "Szetela" and "Essien" right, though, both of which I would have thought were more difficult than, you know. Derby. I feel there's a drinking game in the making here, but it needs a little more thought.

In other news, Kristine Lilly continues to be absolutely badass.

5 comments:

TC said...

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Sportscenter this morning showed a replay of Steven Gerrard's free kick goal. Not only did the announcer mention that Gerrard "bent it like Beckham", but he pronounced Gerrard with a hard "G". Weak.

Candice said...

Hi...I love your blog and wanted to (finally) speak up and say so. I'm on the front line with the rest of you about the crap that is ESPN coverage. Alas, it is a worldwide problem. Last week, I heard the brunette reader on Sky Sports News flub her way into something sounding like "Ibrahamavovic." There was something else in the same broadcast that I can't recall now. Something simple, like Valencia. (Or when Sven welcomed one of his new players to Man Utd.)

Also, as I was making my way out of the Home Depot Center at the Galaxy v Chelsea friendly, I ran into Julie Foudy and then had a sidestep a man who was accosting Kristine Lilly and yelling after her, "you're the Mark Messier of soccer!" Now, they're both legends, but I've been a hockey fan my entire life, and I have no idea what that means.

Amanda said...

Mr. Thursday: Ooh, ouch. This is why I don't watch Sportscenter.

Candice: Thanks! And that's a great story about Lilly -- I've never been a hockey fan, but it's good to know that's incomprehensible to you, too.

acbleach said...

Sports Center also told us that Liverpool was playing Aston Viyya (as in, Villa pronounced with a Spanish accent). Ugh.

jamie said...

Today during the Champions League match on Gol, the announcers were the worst ever. We learned that "Steve" Pennant was left at home, and the Steven Gerrard was a defenseman. And they both mispronounced AND misspelled Voronin. UGH.