American soccer fans looking forward to watching the 2010 World Cup will have a familiar voice calling World Cup matches on ESPN.
Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch is reporting that ESPN is set to hire English broadcaster Martin Tyler as lead play-by-play announcer for American broadcasts of the 2010 World Cup.
The hiring of Tyler comes a year after ESPN had success with hiring Scottish announcer Andy Gray as lead color commentator during the 2008 European Championships.
What do you think of this development? Like the idea of an all-British announcing team leading the American coverage of the World Cup? Wondering what Jack Edwards is up to these days?
Share your thoughts below.
If it means no tommy smyth than i am psyched. That guy is the most soccer ignorant person on the face of the planet beside jp delacamera. The only difference is that jp knows he has no knowledge of the game.
I would like to know where everyones hate for john harkes comes from. Out of all of the commentating I can remember i like his best, besides robbie mustoe, though i personally have never heard martin tyler.
I don’t think people realize what subconscious xenophobia is. For a lot of mainstream america, hearing a foreigner is a subconscious cue to tune out. In this case they’re more likely to change the channel. Sure, all of us are over the moon about this. I love Martin Tyler and think he’s great. Problem is that myself, and every poster here, and every kid who’s heard Tyler on the FIFA video game, and every soccer fan in america are not who ABC/ESPN has to worry about. We already like the game or have some exposure to the game and are going to watch anyway. The mainstream casual american is the fan they want to add to their audience and this won’t help. If they put Tyler on US national team broadcasts that will be a major detrement to turning the casual american into fans of the team. Anyone who’s read how soccer fits into the american culture war in the book “How Soccer Explains The World” should already get this.