Checking in closing on 24-hours P.B.F. (no, not the Perry Bible Fellowship, rather post-Benny Feilhaber.)
A little housekeeping.
** ESPN did actually acknowledge the 2-1 Gold Cup win for the US over Mexico by showing Benny Feilhaber's wonder-goal/golazo it's in 'Sportscenter' Top 10 plays. The goal came in at No. 3, beaten out by a golfer's hole-in-one (meh) and a Ken Griffey Jr. homer (boo-yah.)
On the positive side, someone in Bristol had a brain and simply had the highlight in-full, including Max Bretos' joyous exclamation of 'BENNY!!!!' It avoided some blushes from Stu Scott, thank God.
I must have rewound the DVR 10 times. Each time Bretos' call got better and better. Say what you will about him, but he nailed that one. Would Dave O'Brien have even realized that the goal went in? Would he have understood the magnitude of a tally like that instantly?
The good news is that we fans won't have to worry. The USMNT isn't on ESPN for the rest of the 2007 calendar year. The three ensuing friendlies (Sweden, Catalonia, Switzerland) are all on FSC.
This week's Copa America is on Telefutura and GolTV. Chances of mainstream acknowledge of this tournament in the US just went down to about 0.0000001. Think of ESPN like the major leagues, FSC and Triple-A ball and GolTV as independent ball. Better comparison. ESPN is Denzel Washington. FSC is Ian McShane (my hero Al Swearengen). GolTV is some ex-Real World member trying to hack it on the reality tv circuit.
For those puzzled, how I knock ESPN for its mangling of the beautiful game, yet rail when it doesn't acknowledge a major victory by the Americans. Here's the gist. Unfortunately ESPN basically dictates the American sporting mind. That's why a total sausage-fest like the College World Series becomes a big deal, whilst the Gold Cup is an also-ran, at that. This trickles down from sports editors of major newspapers to local news telecasters to the American public in general.
As said before, people are generally so dumb and narrow minded that if it's not on ESPN it might as well be in Irkutsk. Obviously I'm biased, but this game carried a lot more weight than some silly Devil Rays/Dodgers highlights, no?
** In retrospect, my recap from yesterday's game was rather harried. I apologize. My brain was flush with oxygen and spinning from the joy triggered by Feilhaber's right-foot volley.
One thing I think I failed to capture was the downsize if the US lost to Mexico. Would it have been a disaster? Depends. The team played very well, but those missed chances and excellent saves by Oswaldo Sanchez would have stung pretty bad.
After the disaster at the World Cup last year, if we can't even beat Mexico. That's something I'd glad I didn't have to deal with. Who wanted to revert to square one?
I suppose we can thank Hugo Sanchez for bungling the second half. After already losing Borgetti to injury you'd think he would have had Mexico shell up sometime by the 60th minute or so, right? He could have even aped the US longtime tactics of Landon Donovan killing off the game with a counter, instead replacing him with Nery Castillo.
Whatever. Not my problem. Hugo...might want to consider sticking around in Venezuela for a couple days. Lay low. Find a safe house or something.
A loss would have put a lot of pressure on a very young squad at the up-coming Copa America (preview coming Wednesday-ish). Now that tournament is complete gravy.
** Another thing I overlooked in my haste and excitement. No, they're not Brian McBride, Eddie Pope, Claudio Reyna, etc. -- the guys that carried the US torch for most of the last decade, but it's pretty sweet that the US can win a major tournament with guys like Jonathan Bornstein, Ricardo Clark and Feilhaber all playing major roles. Clark had one cap way back in 2005, but the other two hadn't appeared on the senior level until 2007. Same with Frank Simek, to a lesser extent.
To play devil's advocate, Bruce Arena's tenure in 1998 began with a purge of older players, giving many, manly-MLSers their international debuts. In retrospect, Bruce stuck with his core many a little too long as seen at the 2006 World Cup.
From what we can tell of the Bradley era, the team we saw beat Mexico on Sunday in the Gold Cup final might be very different come South Africa 2010. A lot can happen in three years.
** Not a soccer note, but is it written in stone somewhere that actor Paul Ben Victor has to appear in every single HBO original series. After last night's showing in 'John From Cincinnati' he's been in, by my count off the top of my head, 'The Wire', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Entourage.'
A little housekeeping.
** ESPN did actually acknowledge the 2-1 Gold Cup win for the US over Mexico by showing Benny Feilhaber's wonder-goal/golazo it's in 'Sportscenter' Top 10 plays. The goal came in at No. 3, beaten out by a golfer's hole-in-one (meh) and a Ken Griffey Jr. homer (boo-yah.)
On the positive side, someone in Bristol had a brain and simply had the highlight in-full, including Max Bretos' joyous exclamation of 'BENNY!!!!' It avoided some blushes from Stu Scott, thank God.
I must have rewound the DVR 10 times. Each time Bretos' call got better and better. Say what you will about him, but he nailed that one. Would Dave O'Brien have even realized that the goal went in? Would he have understood the magnitude of a tally like that instantly?
The good news is that we fans won't have to worry. The USMNT isn't on ESPN for the rest of the 2007 calendar year. The three ensuing friendlies (Sweden, Catalonia, Switzerland) are all on FSC.
This week's Copa America is on Telefutura and GolTV. Chances of mainstream acknowledge of this tournament in the US just went down to about 0.0000001. Think of ESPN like the major leagues, FSC and Triple-A ball and GolTV as independent ball. Better comparison. ESPN is Denzel Washington. FSC is Ian McShane (my hero Al Swearengen). GolTV is some ex-Real World member trying to hack it on the reality tv circuit.
For those puzzled, how I knock ESPN for its mangling of the beautiful game, yet rail when it doesn't acknowledge a major victory by the Americans. Here's the gist. Unfortunately ESPN basically dictates the American sporting mind. That's why a total sausage-fest like the College World Series becomes a big deal, whilst the Gold Cup is an also-ran, at that. This trickles down from sports editors of major newspapers to local news telecasters to the American public in general.
As said before, people are generally so dumb and narrow minded that if it's not on ESPN it might as well be in Irkutsk. Obviously I'm biased, but this game carried a lot more weight than some silly Devil Rays/Dodgers highlights, no?
** In retrospect, my recap from yesterday's game was rather harried. I apologize. My brain was flush with oxygen and spinning from the joy triggered by Feilhaber's right-foot volley.
One thing I think I failed to capture was the downsize if the US lost to Mexico. Would it have been a disaster? Depends. The team played very well, but those missed chances and excellent saves by Oswaldo Sanchez would have stung pretty bad.
After the disaster at the World Cup last year, if we can't even beat Mexico. That's something I'd glad I didn't have to deal with. Who wanted to revert to square one?
I suppose we can thank Hugo Sanchez for bungling the second half. After already losing Borgetti to injury you'd think he would have had Mexico shell up sometime by the 60th minute or so, right? He could have even aped the US longtime tactics of Landon Donovan killing off the game with a counter, instead replacing him with Nery Castillo.
Whatever. Not my problem. Hugo...might want to consider sticking around in Venezuela for a couple days. Lay low. Find a safe house or something.
A loss would have put a lot of pressure on a very young squad at the up-coming Copa America (preview coming Wednesday-ish). Now that tournament is complete gravy.
** Another thing I overlooked in my haste and excitement. No, they're not Brian McBride, Eddie Pope, Claudio Reyna, etc. -- the guys that carried the US torch for most of the last decade, but it's pretty sweet that the US can win a major tournament with guys like Jonathan Bornstein, Ricardo Clark and Feilhaber all playing major roles. Clark had one cap way back in 2005, but the other two hadn't appeared on the senior level until 2007. Same with Frank Simek, to a lesser extent.
To play devil's advocate, Bruce Arena's tenure in 1998 began with a purge of older players, giving many, manly-MLSers their international debuts. In retrospect, Bruce stuck with his core many a little too long as seen at the 2006 World Cup.
From what we can tell of the Bradley era, the team we saw beat Mexico on Sunday in the Gold Cup final might be very different come South Africa 2010. A lot can happen in three years.
** Not a soccer note, but is it written in stone somewhere that actor Paul Ben Victor has to appear in every single HBO original series. After last night's showing in 'John From Cincinnati' he's been in, by my count off the top of my head, 'The Wire', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Entourage.'
Labels: ESPN sucks, HBO, John From Cinicinnati, Soccer, USMNT
Great recap. My feelings exactly. Not sure this is a good thing or not but my son (8 Years Old) told me at breakfast yesterday morning that he was "nervous" about the chances of US. "First big test since the World Cup dad". Fuck - what have I created??
Anyways he buried his head in his hands when Donovan stepped up to the penalty. But all finished well.
And I LOVE Bretos. He is cheesy, throws out a lot of cliches, but he can be very funny and clearly loves the game. So what's not to like in a commentator? And he can extemporize: "Oh and here's Ricardo Clarke to do just what we've been talking about". Take that Dave O'Brien....you probably would get mixed up between Clarke and Beasley because they are part of the colored help.
This was the tonic we needed after the WC2006 debacle.
Agreed on Bretos. He's cheese, but he's our cheese. I do like that he's an American who uses the English terms (i.e. "having a blinder") instead of making clumsy American translations (D'OhB "So, would Gooch make a great linebacker?"). I actually think he'll get better with age.
Finally, I think he and Sullivan make a decent pairing. I wish Wynalda wasn't so about himself, because I do enjoy his snark.
Perhaps it's my fatigue with the WWL, but the plucky canucks at FSC are growing on me. (Even the TR Knight-lookalike.) Plus, Bobby McMahon is as good as a pundit as they come -- passionate, but not hyperbolic.
still buzzing is right, good stuff
ESPN is a joke, but at least they are putting on all of Euro 2008 in HD.
Great point on HBO actor. My favorite line of his is "Medillen..." whens hes the Warner Bros. Exec.
Great charachter in the Wire. He will play a big role again in the last season this winter.
Best. Labels. Ever.
I really like the job Sullivan does for the matches in the states on FSC. Bretos....eh. Def better than Fat Ass and ESPN though.
I was rather nervous heading into the 2nd half...but a great display by the SilverStars. Perhaps this means another completely unwarranted, incorrectly colored star will be added to the logo?
I have no problem with the commentary. It isn't stellar, but I almost feel bad for them for the point that I do have a problem with - FSC replay editing. They both like to discuss the game, and instances of great footwork, evil tackles, etc. will come up, and the replay will show a goal from ten minutes ago. Also, when they show goal replays, they never show any build-up. ESPN at least has nice replays, and the timing on them is concise.
Anon - That probably just has to do with funding and the fact that even though ESPN does a real bad job with announcers, as you stated, they most likely have very good producers or what-not in the truck that have access to and can utilize the most expensive technology to splice the video in real time.
I just gave ESPN a complement. I feel like a carpetbagger.