Comments on: Beckham effect? What Beckham effect?

By: Simon Evans

Simon Evans — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:53:18 +0000

Very interesting comments and I think there is certainly something in the argument that US tv doesn’t cover soccer well.

By: Kevin Fylan

Kevin Fylan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:01:14 +0000

Very interesting comments. I think good TV coverage is absolutely essential to promoting a league. English soccer was always popular but the modernisation of coverage once Sky took over helped push it to a new level. Once, people used to argue over whether soccer or cricket was England’s national sport. There’s no argument now.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:28:09 +0000

In addition to the poor camera work. The commentators are just plain awful. JP Dellacamera and John Harkes are as bad as the American Football commentators on Fox.

They both seem to know the game very well and Harkes, as I understand it, was a good player but… those two just ramble on and on and focus on the strangest things.

By: Victor

Victor — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:11:23 +0000

I agree that there is a big problem with televised soccer in the US. I get so frustrated trying to watch a game while some morons are in charge of the cameras.
One of the really irritating things I constantly see is the camera showing a closeup of some player after he kicks the ball and he is now completely out of the play. The play continues but the idiot in charge is still showing the useless closeup! That just kills the enjoyment of the game. Follow the ball!
Also, MLS loves to have the coach interviewed on screen during the action, showing his head the same size as the now shrunken soccer field. Just because you can do it (split screen), doesn’t mean you should! Just play the audio if you must, but DO NOT interrupt the game!
And ESPN: if I’m watching a college football game, don’t interrupt it with what’s happening in MLS. And if I’m watching MLS, I don’t care right now about college football.
One last thing for MLS to succeed on TV: Do not allow air horns, and do not allow the streamers and trash to be thrown on the field. The Latin American style trash thrown on the field makes for truly awful TV viewing. Can you imagine the EPL with that junk?

By: Television is the problem

Television is the problem — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:19:12 +0000

I’ve watched a lot of televised soccer over the last 10 years in the USA and the problem is not with the soccer players, but with the film crews. The camera crews taping MLS games are constantly jumping between close-ups and full field views. The crews are not video taping a fluid game which is what makes soccer beautiful. Instead, they are constantly cutting between extreme close ups of players running with the ball and wide angle views trying to track where the ball was kicked. It makes for a crappy composition. People are always saying that the MLS will remain 4th behind baseball, football and basketball but that may be because the MLS is forced to use the 4th tier of sports broadcasting crews. If any body has any information I would love to hear about it. I am only speaking from watching the difference between European Soccer Broadcasts and MLS broadcasts but don’t have any experience with what is actually taking place. Please respond with comments.

By: brian lee

brian lee — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:31:19 +0000

came to usa 1993 and watched school soccer ,the quality of the play was a joke,i watch the juniors play now and the transformation is a miracle,the skill level the potential of some of the players is better than i have ever seen.i watched a little league base ball game and sadly and most exhaustion i saw was in the queue as they waited for refreshments.as more money comes into the game so will its popularity,and the incidence of obese kids will come down as well.

By: Dave Stopher

Dave Stopher — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:14:09 +0000

I think that eventually they may be big but not for alot of years yet!!

By: The "Beckham bounce" never happened in MLS. - The Run of Play

The "Beckham bounce" never happened in MLS. - The Run of Play — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:30:25 +0000

[...] The "Beckham bounce" never happened in MLS. In « Previous Post Leave a comment… [...]

By: Beckham effect? What Beckham effect? | Soccer News Info

Beckham effect? What Beckham effect? | Soccer News Info — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:04:58 +0000

[...] to Source Share and [...]

By: Soccer Camps » Blog Archive » Beckham effect? What Beckham effect?

Soccer Camps » Blog Archive » Beckham effect? What Beckham effect? — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:06:43 +0000

[...] Source: Simon Evans [...]