Comments on: GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAL! BUCKEYES? GOAL! MEEECHIGAN? GOAL!

By: Papa Lou BSU

Papa Lou BSU — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:59:22 +0000

Exhibit A for the opposing case: Ray Bentley’s homerific “performance” during the Ball State-Central Michigan game tonight.

I really don’t blame Bentley, a former All-American at CMU, for being biased in favor of his alma mater. Plenty of former BSU stars would have turned in a similar performance in the other direction. And in fairness to the WWL, they called out his CMU affiliation several times during the broadcast, as full disclosure for the viewer.

However, this was a game with conference championship implications, and ESPN should have known better than to put Bentley in that position for such a big game. (Or at least should have balanced him out with a BSU grad… there’s only approximately four million Ball Staters working in the broadcasting field. Pick one.)

It wasn’t until an obvious facemask early in the fourth quarter that Bentley admitted that CMU had actually committed a penalty in the game. I laughed it off, but I can see why fellow Card fans are a bit peeved.

Again, not Bentley’s fault. I’d question his soul if he didn’t get a bit fired up on behalf of his old team during the biggest game of the year. But ESPN should have known better.

This is a network that allowed Dickey Freakin’ Simpkins to provide color commentary for college basketball games last year. It’s not like the network is lacking a third-tier color man to send to Mount Pleasant.

By: Lloyd Carr is a Child Molester

Lloyd Carr is a Child Molester — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:14:54 +0000

Michigan fans are just whiners.

By: Signal to Noise

Signal to Noise — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:07:04 +0000

Orson – I’m going to have to disagree with your political pundit analogy. There are plenty of pundits who keep showing up on my TV to pontificate despite being spectacularly wrong early and often in the last eight to 12 years.

In order to avoid a total PoFlaWa, I’ll leave it at that. The rest of it I agree with.

By: DC Trojan

DC Trojan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:19:10 +0000

I think that part of the reason the Sky broadcasts with the fans work is because abuse as a substitute for conversation and a willingness to whipsaw between praising and rubbishing your team are essential components of British daily life. It’s not clear that the culture could function without them.

In any case, Spielman isn’t saying anything that’s actually untrue. The fact that people would complain about him being biased is indicative of people’s basic confusion about the possibility of truly unbiased commentary. That would take the form of simply announcing gains, downs & distance, etc. Making sense of a game requires some kind of framework and an open bias is better because you can see where people are coming from.

By: Chas

Chas — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:44:21 +0000

Andres Cantor is not impressed.

By: Crabapple Buck

Crabapple Buck — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:41:18 +0000

First off, I believe that Chris Spielman was on local radio, that if not for the interwebs, wouldn’t reach all of the Columbus burbs. Second, It ain’t smack if it is true. And Michigan really is terrible this year. Third, I would welcome a chance to do a game and not reign in my allegiance.

Doc Saturday forgets that Dan Fouts has done Oregon games and Bob Griese – Purdue games and the worst one when his son was QB at Michigan he was blatant for UM.

I have a bigger problem with assholes like Andre Ware talking about tOSU running up the score. To the youngsters out there, Andre won the Heisman because his team at Houston ran it up EVERY WEEK.

MPP – while Saban hasn’t had a perfect season, he ruined one for tOSU in 1998 while at MSU. We owe him one.

By: Brian O'Blivion

Brian O'Blivion — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:35:16 +0000

Don’t mistake me for being anti-enthusiasm about the team you’re rooting for, but screaming “GOAL!!!!!” at the top of your lungs does not a good announcer make in my book. I could not get past the first minute of that video.

The rival thing in the booth could have some entertainment value though. It would actually give me a reason to watch ND – BC. That would be more entertaining than the game itself.

By: Mr.Pelican Pants

Mr.Pelican Pants — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:21:14 +0000

Tiziano Crudeli. He is the Italian version of some passionate Bama fans I know, meaning me.
Replace “Goal” with “TOUCHDOWN BAMA”, and you basically have me running around the room high-5-ing everyone everytime Bama scores. It goes up a notch once Julio Jones catches a TD.
I would volunteer to call a game with tAFKATOSUB, but I am not a grief counselor ,once the game turns into another SEC blowout, assuming Bama loses to Florida, and that a big IF. WE have Saban, and we arent afraid to use him, so back off, Herbstreit……..and whatever the line is for Florida-Im taking Bama and Florida not to cover-EZ Money…But one nifty fact-I do believe Nick Saban has yet to have a perfect season.

By: OhioDawg

OhioDawg — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:04:15 +0000

#2 and #6 are right on. It’s completely entertaining. I think the most important aspect of that approach is that they don’t completely abandon the game to just rag on each other’s team. And, they will recognize a good play by the other team at some point.

By: Gen. Stoopnagle

Gen. Stoopnagle — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:52:05 +0000

@2: It’s awesome. It’s on Fox Soccer Channel and they basically put a supporter for each team in a booth together and they just start ragging each other and the teams during the game. It’s basically like a liveblog on here, only it’s all audio and coming out of the TV. I would totally be for it. Hell, it can’t be any worse than Juan Roque or Charles Davis or Steve Buerlein or . . . I think you get the idea?

Can you imagine Doug and Orson in a booth calling the Jacksonville Game? Or TAFKAtOSU with anyone of our Bama posters in a potential Sugar Bowl?

One word: Awesome.

By: now_a_hoo

now_a_hoo — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:44:52 +0000

I actually like the system we’ve got now: if you want your guys calling your team’s game, mute the tv and fire up the internet radio. For games where I’m neutral, I don’t need some yahoo reminding me that “tu students sip tea! which, while delicious, is vaguely effeminate! go aggies!”

By: hobeg8r

hobeg8r — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:32:43 +0000

Well, we have a “mixed” booth during the UF-FSU game on Sunshine or SunSports or whatever it is called. While the homerism is fairly apparent, they do seem to go out of their way to be civil and call a decent game. (Given the fact that they really aren’t good at their jobs).

By: Claws

Claws — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:29:51 +0000

So if we’re allowed to be unbiased, does that mean I can admit to having sex dreams involving Tim Tebow during broadcasts? –Gary Danielson

By: SpartanDan

SpartanDan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:25:24 +0000

I remember hearing that some British channel decided to let one fan from each team call an EPL game together in the booth a few times. That has to be entertaining.

By: Noel Devine's Gold Teef

Noel Devine's Gold Teef — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:18:03 +0000

I love soccer, and that’s some funny-ass shit.