ESPN's Women's World Cup Studio Analysts Are Drastically Lacking In Analysis
Those who tuned into SportsCenter throughout Monday were treated to a useless and awkward preview of Team USA’s first World Cup match against North Korea. While ESPN is pouring similar resources into the Women's World Cup as they did for South Africa 2010, this event has a serious lack of juice . The 22-day tournament isn’t capable of giving me a goose pimple on my pinky. But, I was given some nausea as I watched Bob Ley, Brandi Chastain and Tony DiCicco provide this 160-second dose of nonsense from Germany...
Ley is a pro. I’m rarely ever critical of him. He’s typically smooth, well spoken, knowledgeable and prepared. He is, without a doubt, a top shelf host, especially during events like the World Cup that require a point guard who is well rounded and good at storytelling. However, it’s quite clear that he’d rather be rolling strikes and downing a few cold ones at some seedy bowling alley than be swapping soccer stories with Chastain and DiCicco. I thought the way Ley introduced the two analysts was a little phony. His excitement just didn’t come across as all that natural when he belted, “1999! We all remember that day at the Rose Bowl.” Did he really believe what he said? No, he didn’t, but I did appreciate his effort. I can’t be too hard on him for not sounding genuinely enthused. Hosting a Women’s World Cup isn’t something that’s on the wish lists of America’s premier sports broadcasters, which, make no mistake, Ley is. If the Worldwide Leader had gotten the rights to the Olympics, he’d do for ESPN what Bob Costas does for NBC.
As for Chastain and DiCicco, they were chock full of clichés. I cringed when Chastain declared, “the most important thing for a team to win a world cup is togetherness.” Great insight! Clearly, the Bristol bosses only hired her because she ripped off her jersey after scoring the cup-clinching goal in 1999. On that note, how many times is ESPN going to show the highlight of Chastain’s “liberation” of women athletes during this World Cup? It’s a fine moment, but I don’t need to see it or have it mentioned every time Chastain is in the mix. Sure, she’s recognizable, but she didn’t show me that she could be a quality analyst. Keep an eye on her during these next two weeks, her future as a soccer analyst may swerve off the highway, flip over the divide and smash into a tree.
DiCicco had nice energy, a fantastic tan, a sharp gold watch and seemed like a great guy to have a slice of Sicilian pizza with, but, other than that, he was weak. Like Chastain, he didn’t provide useful analysis. According to DiCicco, Team USA has to take it “one game at a time and North Korea isn’t going to be easy, they’re young.” If I were his producer, I’d ask him to try and give the viewers something more than the triteness he displayed throughout the segment.
ESPN’s coverage of the USA North Korea match starts at 11:45 AM ET and will air on ESPN and ESPN3. I don’t know about you, but I won’t be tuning in. I don't like women’s soccer, I don’t like hollow analysts and I don’t like that tame sports bra Chastain was donning when she netted that goal in ’99.
The Dallas Mavs OUTPLAYED, OUTCLASSED, and OUTCOACHED the LA Lakers.. Was Kobe serious when he said he felt his team was gonna win the series after being down 0-3?? Too bad he didn't tell his team that because they lost game 4 before it even began.. THEY PLAIN QUIT!!!! They did a Shane Mosley and instead of coming to win, they just showed face and got embarassed!!! The true character of the Lakers showed during game 4, and instead of being gracious in defeat, they acted like babies who don't get their bottle in their crib.. SO PATHETIC to see grown men act that way on national tv in front of millions of viewers..
What do you expect from an idiot like Andrew Bynum who knows that he isn't as good as people say he is. He is immature (maybe he should have gone to college) and still acts like he's in high school. He's uncoachable and classless. He's the poster child for "big stature, small brain" people all over the world. He will never be at Shaq's level nor will he ever be remembered once his pathetic career is over. After he retires, you'll just have to wait a few years till people ask, "Bynum who?"
Lakers were late on all their rotations and even late in "sending a message" to Barea. I would have knocked him on his butt the first time he went into the paint, not later in the game after being down by 30 points.
I will be perfectly honest. I am from San Antonio and we "Hate" both of these teams...but now.... I have never been happier for the Mavs. That was completely absurd. I think that LOSER should be kicked out of the NBA, simple as that. To show a complete lack of Sportsmanship like that, enough to have possibly seriously injured another play. What if he would have fallen to where something would have been broken or permanently injured, what if that would have ended his career. What a piece of crap, immature LOSER! ....never thought I'd say this..... uhhhh......GO MAVS!!!!
Good for Tirico for not biting his tongue on this one.
Also kudos to the Mavs for not escalating the issue. That is commendable behavior given that type of cheap shot. That type of stuff kind often lead to a brawl but they hardly even blinked.
That was just absolutely classless from Andrew Bynum. I was shocked when he would do something like that because it was just an obvious intent to injure out of frustration. There is no way a guy who has won 2 championships should do something like that.
http://chrisross91.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/spoiled-laker-brat/
