Dear ESPN

[SkyDog112046]

Stop trying to cram World Cup Soccer down our throats 24-7. No matter how you try to spin it, we are just not interested in it here to the level that would justify the coverage you are giving it. Save that for overseas where they want it, or put it on ESPN Espanol here. Nothing more than a quick rundown of the scores on the sports ticker is needed here, although I suppose you can run replays of the US team's games at 3:00 am for the 8 or 10 people that want to watch it.

We tune in to catch MLB & college baseball highlights, Tiger Woods & the PGA, and until recently basketball and hockey highlights. It really isn't necessary to give it the NFL Today treatment with 3 or 4 commentators talking about a 0-0 tie between 2 countries most of your audience couldn't find on a map. Speaking of NFL, feel free to substitute minicamp coverage for the soccer stuff you are showing us now. Actually, feel free to substitute anything involving a football for the soccer coverage - NFL news, college news, arena football, hell even replays of the Lingerie Bowl would be preferable.

PS. You can get rid of WNBA coverage too.

PPS. Please feel free to use Stuart Scott and Chris Berman as fill for that oil well in the gulf.

[MickeyG]

Are they showing it on ESPN and ESPN2 both at the same time?

[Chevyman]

I'd shoot myself before having to sit in a stadium with a final score of

0-0

most of us Americans don't give a shit about a girlie sport anyways

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

LOL at Lickety thinking he represents America's views. Hey dumbass, I'd like to not see as much Red Sox Nation coverage but it always seems to get shoved down my throat. LOL, you want college baseball and PGA highlights? How about some bowling in there while you're at it? The only thing you represent is the stereotypical ignorant vain ugly American sports watcher who starts twitching with advanced ADHD if the scoreboard isn't spinning like a pinball machine.

[ElectricEye90]

A TV channel such as ESPN would never hop on board the World Cup bandwagon unless there were some proof that people are interested in Soccer.

This is the first WC i can say has been really popular over here. The bars all over NYC have all the flags of the countries and a flag that says it's an official spot to watch World Cup Matches. This is the first time I've seen people on their lunch break standing outside bars looking at the screens rooting for USA, mind you inside the bar there's more than one person with the flag wrapped around them. So yeah, Soccer will never ever replace our homegrown games but Americans are interested in the World Cup and that's a fact.

[Rageman]

Yes, please show more Michael Vick or Tiger Woods or Pacman Jones stories. Maybe they can talk to idiots like Bean-o Cook about college conference expansion and retraction and show more of those awesome weekly world poker championships, I can't get enough of those. If only they had an hour of just Karl Ravech and web gems showing us more and more plays where no one scores over and over.

And because you and your friends can't find Algeria on a map definitely means that they shouldn't educate you or enlighten you. There should never be any programming for people that don't drool, I think there's a World's Strongest Man marathon coming up that you might want to check out.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

It's great...the World Cup happens once every four years and mesomorphs like Lickety are complaining that their Jim Rome and PTI are getting interrupted. Other than the occasional MLS game, soccer IS relegated to ESPN 3 at 4 AM. Man, I can't wait until the World Cup is over, I miss Tony Kornheiser SO FUCKING MUCH.

[BozoMcMetal]

Hell yeah, football is way more entertaining, with 10 minutes of actual playing time in a 3 hour telecast.


Git r done brother!

[SkyDog112046]

Hell yeah, football is way more entertaining, with 10 minutes of actual playing time in a 3 hour telecast.


Git r done brother!

Football is easily the best sport for television viewing. It translates much better to TV coverage than most sports.

[MickeyG]

Too many commercials and not enough game time in football. It's awesome if you need to keep getting up to take a piss or get another beer or bag of Doritos though.

[JakeYonkel]

Soccer does suck, but who the hell still watches ESPN anymore? Why's this even an issue?

I understand that for the rest of the world this is a huge deal... I get it. Most countries just aren't competitive enough in other sports on the level that they are with soccer. I understand.

But yeah, getting back to what I was first saying, with the Internet and smartphones etc etc etc I don't think I've actually watched ESPN (aside from Sunday night baseball) in a year or two, at least. It's crap.

And football does make for a better, more watchable product than any other sport, but it's so fucking slow with so many commercials that it's impossible to sit through a game.

[MurrayFiend]

Soccer isn't really my thing, but I'll watch the final.

[BozoMcMetal]

Hell yeah, football is way more entertaining, with 10 minutes of actual playing time in a 3 hour telecast.


Git r done brother!

Football is easily the best sport for television viewing. It translates much better to TV coverage than most sports.

Presentation doesn't make it any less boring.

[soulonfire]

Who watches soccer on ESPN? Watch that shit on Univision. The announcers are actually into the game. Over on ESPN (and ABC) the announcers sound like they're on Prozac.

[MickeyG]

Who watches soccer on ESPN? Watch that shit on Univision. The announcers are actually into the game. Over on ESPN (and ABC) the announcers sound like they're on Prozac.

They've been using Ian Darke and Martin Tyler on ESPN and ABC. Neither of those 2 are bad commentators.

[bigbuttskinner]

Stop trying to cram World Cup Soccer down our throats 24-7. No matter how you try to spin it, we are just not interested in it here to the level that would justify the coverage you are giving it. Save that for overseas where they want it, or put it on ESPN Espanol here. Nothing more than a quick rundown of the scores on the sports ticker is needed here, although I suppose you can run replays of the US team's games at 3:00 am for the 8 or 10 people that want to watch it.

We tune in to catch MLB & college baseball highlights, Tiger Woods & the PGA, and until recently basketball and hockey highlights. It really isn't necessary to give it the NFL Today treatment with 3 or 4 commentators talking about a 0-0 tie between 2 countries most of your audience couldn't find on a map. Speaking of NFL, feel free to substitute minicamp coverage for the soccer stuff you are showing us now. Actually, feel free to substitute anything involving a football for the soccer coverage - NFL news, college news, arena football, hell even replays of the Lingerie Bowl would be preferable.

PS. You can get rid of WNBA coverage too.

PPS. Please feel free to use Stuart Scott and Chris Berman as fill for that oil well in the gulf.

I'm sick of it, too. Soccer sucks! In the USA we don't give a crap about that stupid "sport."

[Tymaster]

Soccer does suck, but who the hell still watches ESPN anymore? Why's this even an issue?

I understand that for the rest of the world this is a huge deal... I get it. Most countries just aren't competitive enough in other sports on the level that they are with soccer. I understand.

But yeah, getting back to what I was first saying, with the Internet and smartphones etc etc etc I don't think I've actually watched ESPN (aside from Sunday night baseball) in a year or two, at least. It's crap.

And football does make for a better, more watchable product than any other sport, but it's so fucking slow with so many commercials that it's impossible to sit through a game.

Have you ever been to an NCAA game that was NOT televised? Most MAC games aren't, and it makes for a much smoother and quicker game. As much as love seeing the Bobcats get television exposure, I hate the extra hour I'm gonna be stuck in the stands during television timeouts.

[SkyDog112046]

Soccer does suck, but who the hell still watches ESPN anymore? Why's this even an issue?

Sports Center. If you put Sports Center on at the top of the hour you can catch most of the highlights, major stories and scores in 10-15 minutes. Now with the world cup going on they have had commentators talking soccer at the top of the hour while little things like the NHL & NBA finals and no-hitters get pushed back. Sure if there is a US game they can lead off with it, but save the commentary for later on and certainly don't push back the stuff most people tune in to see for coverage of games that a very small group of people may actually be interested in.

[demolition23]

If you put Sports Center on at the top of the hour you can catch most of the highlights, major stories and scores in 10-15 minutes. Now with the world cup going on they have had commentators talking soccer at the top of the hour while little things like the NHL & NBA finals and no-hitters get pushed back.

WTF are you talking about?! We get US Sportscenter here (along with PTI/ROME/Around The Horn), and the stories on the NHL and NBA finals were always right up there in the front end of the shows. The World Cup was far from dominating.

Besides, right now, what's on in American sport? Basketball and Hockey are done, Football isn't for a few months, and it's not even the all-star break yet in baseball. So maybe the biggest worldwide sporting event of the year, which America is competing in, can get a little coverage for the millions in your country that do pay attention to it?

Meanwhile, you could always:

a) Tivo shows and skip to the bits you want.

b) Get up off your lard ass and do something else.

[SkyDog112046]

Besides, right now, what's on in American sport?

Lots of things that don't end in a 0-0 tie. Like the 15 baseball games that were on yesterday, the college world series, the US Open, NASCAR road course race, Wimbleton starting, etc...

Maybe soccer fans would like NASCAR better if they could figure out a way to get all 43 cars to cross the finish line at the same time and then have a tire changing contest to pick a winner.

[demolition23]

Besides, right now, what's on in American sport?

Lots of things that don't end in a 0-0 tie. Like the 15 baseball games that were on yesterday, the college world series, the US Open, NASCAR road course race, Wimbleton starting, etc...

Maybe soccer fans would like NASCAR better if they could figure out a way to get all 43 cars to cross the finish line at the same time and then have a tire changing contest to pick a winner.

Again, I've found all of those things on ESPN's various news shows, no problem.

[soulonfire]

Who watches soccer on ESPN? Watch that shit on Univision. The announcers are actually into the game. Over on ESPN (and ABC) the announcers sound like they're on Prozac.

They've been using Ian Darke and Martin Tyler on ESPN and ABC. Neither of those 2 are bad commentators.

I know they're good commentators, just they're very quiet. Like when Brazil scored that first goal yesterday, they discussed it like they were announcing a golf game. Meanwhile, the Univision announcer was screaming his head off. Also, on Univision, you get quotes like this: "He didn't block it with his chest, he put it in a coma with his heart!".

[PowerSlaveToTheGrind]

Wimbleton starting, etc...

I'm sorry, where?

NASCAR road course race

Now that is big news, cars that can turn left and right. Even more amazingly, something that managed to make Jacques Villeneuve look not rubbish.

[Redman77]

Watch ESPN news, or don't you get that in your Pulte Home?

[MickeyG]

Who watches soccer on ESPN? Watch that shit on Univision. The announcers are actually into the game. Over on ESPN (and ABC) the announcers sound like they're on Prozac.

They've been using Ian Darke and Martin Tyler on ESPN and ABC. Neither of those 2 are bad commentators.

I know they're good commentators, just they're very quiet. Like when Brazil scored that first goal yesterday, they discussed it like they were announcing a golf game. Meanwhile, the Univision announcer was screaming his head off. Also, on Univision, you get quotes like this: "He didn't block it with his chest, he put it in a coma with his heart!".

I hear ya, I guess it's just that I'm used to more mellow commentators, seeing as I'm from the UK. They sometimes show those more vocal commentators on those comedy tv clip shows from around the world in the UK. We laugh at them shouting GGGGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!

[nycyankee]

Who watches soccer on ESPN? Watch that shit on Univision. The announcers are actually into the game. Over on ESPN (and ABC) the announcers sound like they're on Prozac.

They've been using Ian Darke and Martin Tyler on ESPN and ABC. Neither of those 2 are bad commentators.

I know they're good commentators, just they're very quiet. Like when Brazil scored that first goal yesterday, they discussed it like they were announcing a golf game. Meanwhile, the Univision announcer was screaming his head off. Also, on Univision, you get quotes like this: "He didn't block it with his chest, he put it in a coma with his heart!".

Univision announcers go crazy for balls that are 30 ft off goal(it pisses me off). I prefer the ESPN announcer that is calling Team U.S.A's games. He does a good job.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Hey Lickety, what did you do all those years when NHL games ended in a tie? Or the NFL for that matter? I've never heard you run your suck about any of that?

[BozoMcMetal]

Hey Lickety, what did you do all those years when NHL games ended in a tie? Or the NFL for that matter? I've never heard you run your suck about any of that?

Dumbass, it's much better for a tied football game to be decided with a coin flip and then a field goal. That's way more exciting than some gay shootout.

[Tymaster]

Hey Lickety, what did you do all those years when NHL games ended in a tie? Or the NFL for that matter? I've never heard you run your suck about any of that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xteNFaP0L4

[Dana_Dubrow]

Soccer does suck, but who the hell still watches ESPN anymore? Why's this even an issue?

I understand that for the rest of the world this is a huge deal... I get it. Most countries just aren't competitive enough in other sports on the level that they are with soccer. I understand.

But yeah, getting back to what I was first saying, with the Internet and smartphones etc etc etc I don't think I've actually watched ESPN (aside from Sunday night baseball) in a year or two, at least. It's crap.

And football does make for a better, more watchable product than any other sport, but it's so fucking slow with so many commercials that it's impossible to sit through a game.

If you have Comcast, get the NFL Redzone channel. Constant touchdowns and sweet plays. It's really awesome if you play fantasy football.