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Re: The Growing Popularity of Premiership Outside UK

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:47:00 -0000

I've lived in NYC for four years now and still get a little surprised at the number of American fans of English footie. There are many anglophiles in the US so it shouldn't be that surprising, I suppose. They clearly love the boozing first thing on a Saturday morning, as well as terrace humor (judging by the large number of poor attempts at it I have to listen to whenever I watch a game at the pub!).

TV-wise, we really are spoiled here in the US. I'm a Spurs fan and it seems like we're on the box every week. I actually prefer watching games five hours earlier, having gotten used to it (apart from those punishing 7:30am EST kick-offs).

I'm not sure why exactly the UK TV figures are stagnant, but I'll hazard a guess: English fans may just be getting sick of football's endless self-promotion and rampant commercialization: Sky TV's over the top promotion and rip-off prices, rising ticket prices, endless footballer biographies and promotions, footballer wages spiraling out of control, bloated European competitions, etc., etc. Football has traditionally been the sport of the working classes, something the governing authorities seem to have lost sight of.

So, US fans won't feel jaded by all this, being separated by over 3,000 miles and other cultural gaps. Additionally, over here, they often refer to sports teams as "franchises" so perhaps the American football fan won't mind the commercialization so much.

Re: The Gillette Soccer Saturday Experience | EPL Talk

Ossie's Dream — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:50:00 -0000

Sky Sports is renowned for its endless hype of the EPL. The presenters will even spin a 0-0 draw as an "end to end thriller" in an attempt to convince the viewing audience that Sky Sports and the EPL deliver non-stop excitement.

It seems that most football fans are wise to this and are annoyed by it, so who knows why Sky insists on keeping it up. I suppose you could argue that it's evidence of our "dumbing down" culture, where the audience is treated almost like a child. I haven't watched the BBC's Match of the Day since I moved Stateside, but from what I hear it suffers from similar problems: Pundits with zero insight, lame contrived gags, too much talk and not enough highlights, etc., etc.

I am only too grateful for the large number of games I am treated to each weekend here in the US. So grateful in fact that I am willing to overlook the poor production values on FSC and those two idiots who present the phone-in show. Actually, idiot might be too harsh a word: They, and FSC in general, lack any real polish. However, oddly enough, I really do love the complete cheesiness of the Fox Soccer Report. I find it endearing in a strange sort of way.

In my opinion, the best (British) football coverage I can remember is Channel 4's Italian football shows during the 90s and the BBC's programming during the same period. The reasons are manifold but the talent presenting played a big part. Channel 4's (at the time) James Richardson is one of those rare presenters who appears as if he actually possesses a brain and can handle the odd ad-lib or two (an increasingly rare talent if today's evidence is anything to go by). At the helm of the BBC's coverage was housewives' favorite Des Lynham. Again, the unflappable Lynham was a master of the unrehearsed ad-lib, and always seemed to strike the right tone. This is when you could count on the BBC to be the Voice of Authority. I'll never forget his wry opening line during the titanic grudge match, the England vs. West Germany semi final during Italia '90: "I suppose you've heard there's a football game on" (or words to that effect). Unfortunately such wit and understatement is sadly lacking from today's TV coverage, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Re: Fox Soccer Channel Missing Out on Champions League

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:50:00 -0000

Gaffer,

Any idea why cable providers don't offer Setanta? Am I right in thinking that only satellite providers broadcast Setanta? Until recently I had DirecTV and thus was spoiled for choice. I now live in a Time Warner Cable household, which means I still get FSC but no Setanta. Is it because Setanta is broadcast from Ireland? I really have no idea and am trying to get my head around this frustrating situation!

Thanks

Re: Fox Soccer Channel Missing Out on Champions League

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:57:00 -0000

Thanks, Gaffer, I will check that out.

Re: EPL Fans May Lose Saturday Afternoon Match

Ossie's Dream — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:23:00 -0000

EPLNFL - speak for yourself! I know I speak for other ex-pat football fans here: If your team is playing on tape delay, you'll do your utmost to avoid learning the score and watching as if it was live. I'm a Spurs fan and Tottenham games have been in this time slot on a couple of occasions this year.

Surely Italian football fans can get their fix from Rai!?

Re: Dickov’s Return Will Bolster Manchester City

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 11:04:00 -0000

woe betides the team that relies on Paul Dickov to save them.

Re: Random Thoughts Watching the EPL On U.S. TV

Ossie's Dream — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:10:00 -0000

RE: Super Saturday (and FSC in general). I think funding must be a problem and a factor with the poor production. How else can you explain the Adidas paid-for Predator segment approx. half way through Saturday's show? It was just awful. For those that didn't see it, it was basically the "EPL Predator Players of the Week" or some such. The players? Jermain Defoe and Frank Lampard...who, coincidentally, are both in the Adidas stable. This is wrong on so many levels, where to start? How about the blurring of editorial and advertising? Also, the form players right now are Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez. One supposes they are not in the Adidas camp...

Re: Fox Soccer Channel Wants Ant & Dec To Host Show

Ossie's Dream — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:24:00 -0000

Tyler - it's not the picture.

I can't see this taking off in a big way; Ant & Dec are too obscure and probably too "English" for them to resonate with Americans.

Personally I think FSC needs to introduce some smarter content rather than continue this dumbing down trend.

Re: Wish-List for Fox Soccer Channel

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 09:12:00 -0000

That's a pretty good list. RE: Super Saturday, the timing of the show isn't a problem for me. In fact, I think a late afternoon wrap-up program is spot on, as not everyone has the time or the inclination to watch every game. But, my problem with Super Saturday is its tone. It seems it's designed to appeal to impressionable 14 year old boys. It's heavily scripted, cheesy, commercialized and tries too hard to create a sense of excitement, which just rings false. I'm not convinced either presenter knows anything about football, such is the lack of insight offered. Maybe they do, it's hard to tell when they always read the hyperbole scripted for them on the teleprompter.

What FSC is crying out for is an INTELLIGENT highlights program. The nightly show with Bobby McMahon's occasional analysis is OK but, again, is a little bit too cheesy. Take Mitch Peacock. Surely that's a made up name!? Sounds like a character from the Simpsons in the vein of Troy McClure.

I actually find the program's low production values, presenter names (Peacock! St Louis!) and in-studio chumminess a little endearing, but it's not what I look for in a smart, insightful analysis of the weekend's games.

I think this is a problem with Rupert Murdoch in general, in that he creates media that appeal to the lowest common denominator. I just wish there was one...just ONE...football program that realized its audience might actually know something about football and would appreciate a higher level of discourse that the beautiful game deserves.

Re: "How Soccer Explains The World" Book Review

Ossie's Dream — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:45:00 -0000

Agree with tyduffy. I read the book about six months ago and from what I remember it includes a lot of impressive anecdotal evidence but not much else. Ignore the larger premise of the book and enjoy the local histories, customs and stories. A must read for football fans if not students of globalization.

Re: It’s Official: Setanta Signs Deal with DISH Network

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:49:00 -0000

what's the deal with ITVN? I am planning on buying that rather than swap Time Warner Cable for satellite. Is there any differences in content, quality, etc? I want ITVN only for Setanta.

Cheers

Re: It’s Official: Setanta Signs Deal with DISH Network

Ossie's Dream — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:40:00 -0000

thanks, Gaffer. Helpful as always. I just took a look at the ITVN user forums - it's filled with irate customers complaining about service quality and lack of information regarding Broadshift. I may play it safe and change to DirectTV. Will have to convince the missus - wish me luck.

Re: Top 10 Favorite Soccer Blogs

Ossie's Dream — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:20:00 -0000

101 Great Goals has become indispensable to this ex pat!

Re: Wigan Should Consider a Synthetic Turf Field

Ossie's Dream — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:07:42 -0000

Dragon - teams do not train at their stadiums, so Wigan do not train at the JJB. Arsenal, for instance, train in Hertfordshire, not at the Emirates.

Michael - why resort to artificial grass when hiring a decent groundsman would likely do the trick? It works for the other 19 Premiership clubs.

Re: Wigan Should Consider a Synthetic Turf Field

Ossie's Dream — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:57:32 -0000

Alex Hleb said: "its reminders like this that make the fans of the big four yearn more and more for the eventual uefa super/premier league."

Really? In the 30 years I have supported English football, I don't think I have met a single fan, of the so-called "big four" or otherwise, who yearns for a European super league. It's a supremely daft idea akin to Game 39 - the kind of idea embraced by "fans" with short memories or a poor understanding of football history. Or the kind of "fan" who lives thousands of miles away from North London and thinks a game between Arsenal and Weder Bremen would be more exciting that, say, a North London derby or an away day up north to Manchester City or Everton.

Re: Wigan Should Consider a Synthetic Turf Field

Ossie's Dream — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:45:05 -0000

Alex Hleb said: "ossie’s dream, im sorry but you just dont understand. you have to be a fan of one of the big four."

How condescending and elitist. If you know your history, and your comments indicate you don't, you would remember the "Big Four" was the "Big Five" not so long ago, consisting of Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs and ManU. Note the differences, and note that nothing is permanent, and no one team should enjoy the divine rights of kings. Creating a Euro Super League would mean arbitrarily including and excluding teams purely based on their status at one single moment in time, a time when coincidentally your beloved Arsenal happen to be in the top four of the Premier League. But Arsenal have had their lean years, as do all clubs, so what if a Super League was created in the 60s or early 80s, when Arsenal didn't achieve anything of note? Like poor Derby now, who was once led by Brian Clough, almost all the way to the European Cup final? You would see them cut adrift purely because you personally don't like them?

As for your list of English teams outside the big four - it's a bit arbitrary, isn't it? Hardly a case for a super league.

A super league may be inevitable, but only at the insistence of chairmen of European football's richest clubs. Do you think they are doing this for the fans, because fans have a preference for "classy settings?" No, it's for money. Not for the good of the game.

Alex Hleb said: "the lower the stadium attendances, the more likely it seems that the big four clubs will start planning for the superleague to happen."

Championship games have higher attendances than Serie A. That's right, each week, tens of thousands of people pay to see the likes of Scunthorpe, Southampton and Stoke - more than Juventus, Inter and "classy" AC Milan. I don't think they'd be lining up to support a super league. Do you?

Alex Hleb said: "but its all about business and the fans of the big four would not mind to see those games and they wont regret not having to travel up to the cold and grey towns of northern england."

So football is all about business? Is that why you watch it? Aren’t ManU and Liverpool in the “cold, grey north?” Besides, the big four already have the Champions League, which, if you'll remember, was reduced in 2003 from two group phases to one. Why? Because no one wanted to spend good money trekking across Europe or even across town to watch one meaningless game after another against the “big” teams from Bulgaria, Germany or Denmark.

I’ll let you have the last word, as this was a post about astro turf after all. But if you take time to continue defending the harebrained super league idea, you may want to address football’s roots – local and regional rivalries that just don’t translate when teams from England are playing teams from, say, Spain. Also, you may want address how Wenger’s Arsenal often seem to drop points when playing teams from the north east. Otherwise, it would seem that you would welcome a super league purely so Arsenal didn’t have to fight for a top spot by spending a cold, wet Wednesday evening in unglamorous Wigan or Blackburn or Bolton. Which, incidentally, every other bloody Premier League team has to do, too!