So FSC won the rights to Champions League broadcasts in the States? That sucks. ESPN having the rights played a big role in me being able to get into the Premier League and Liverpool.

I feel a little like this is the same decision that the NHL took when it chose Versus over ESPN.

For those that don't know, the NHL was a professional hockey league of some mild acclaim until it vanished around 2005.

I'm never home to see the games anyway, so I'm a bit ambivalent, but I'm always kind of surprised when people have cable but don't throw the extra five bucks for the pretty awesome sports package. Is it much harder to get FSC outside of Philly?

Oh, I have FSC, but my point was that you will have much less conversions like JH with your product on FSC.

jerseyhoya wrote:So FSC won the rights to Champions League broadcasts in the States? That sucks. ESPN having the rights played a big role in me being able to get into the Premier League and Liverpool.

I agree that it's unfortunate. People who already love soccer will get FSC (and Gol and even Sentana) and won't be affected, but the folks who have only a passive interest -- or are potential converts -- will miss the opportunity of seeing high quality games. Especially with the final moving to the weekend, there was a nice opportunity for the ESPN hype machine to help grow the sport.

I think it's fairly undeniable that ESPN has a large influence on the sports consciousness of this country and having soccer on their gives it some credibility. Being relegated to FSC (and other smaller channels) makes the sport seem more "niche" and non-mainstream. ESPN still has a number of soccer properties, but they are fewer (1 game a week of MLS, USMNT games, World Cup and Euro Cup). And this seems like a move away from the possibility of ESPN going hard core after soccer by adding the EPL and making an international based "ESPN3" -- it seems like their plans to buy Sentana are off the table. So, if anything, their interest in the sport is shrinking, not growing.

jeff2sf wrote:I feel a little like this is the same decision that the NHL took when it chose Versus over ESPN.

I don't know if its really all that analogous. The US market is hardly the primary revenue source for UEFA (or any of the leagues there). Broad exposure in the US market is probably less important than getting more money, whereas the NHL is utterly dependant on revenue and exposure in the US (and Canada) for its existence.

SideshowBob wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:So FSC won the rights to Champions League broadcasts in the States? That sucks. ESPN having the rights played a big role in me being able to get into the Premier League and Liverpool.

I agree that it's unfortunate. People who already love soccer will get FSC (and Gol and even Sentana) and won't be affected, but the folks who have only a passive interest -- or are potential converts -- will miss the opportunity of seeing high quality games. Especially with the final moving to the weekend, there was a nice opportunity for the ESPN hype machine to help grow the sport.

I think it's fairly undeniable that ESPN has a large influence on the sports consciousness of this country and having soccer on their gives it some credibility. Being relegated to FSC (and other smaller channels) makes the sport seem more "niche" and non-mainstream. ESPN still has a number of soccer properties, but they are fewer (1 game a week of MLS, USMNT games, World Cup and Euro Cup). And this seems like a move away from the possibility of ESPN going hard core after soccer by adding the EPL and making an international based "ESPN3" -- it seems like their plans to buy Sentana are off the table. So, if anything, their interest in the sport is shrinking, not growing.

jeff2sf wrote:I feel a little like this is the same decision that the NHL took when it chose Versus over ESPN.

I don't know if its really all that analogous. The US market is hardly the primary revenue source for UEFA (or any of the leagues there). Broad exposure in the US market is probably less important than getting more money, whereas the NHL is utterly dependant on revenue and exposure in the US (and Canada) for its existence.

Yeah, to be clear I said a LITTLE like this... Soccer's gonna be fine without the US, but much like the NHL disappeared from the casual fan's radar, soccer has a good shot of that happening to in the US. That's all.

Not looking forward to tomorrow's game vs Italy in Bari. We've no duff (injured again), probably no mcgeady, and no creative midfield because ireland won't play and trapp won't pick reid. I wouldn't mind so much if he was prepared to play Gibson, who's looked solid in Utd's league cup run, but Trappatoni keeps sticking with a lower half of the prem attacking midfielder (whelan) and I don't know what (andrews) as holding midfielders.

I'm waiting for Disney to remake The Black Hole at Croke Park. It will be more scraps of chances for doyle and keane, andy keogh (exactly, who?) running in a straight line like a gombeen in place of mcgeady, and stephen hunt being all energy and no nous on the other side.

Christ, he hasn't even looked at willo flood, who can both tackle AND pass (although he has made the fool move of going to celtic and sticking him behind the cast of millions that is the celtic midfield.).

At least trapp organises the team. just wish he'd give more players a chance when steven reid got injured (again).

Shearer to take over Newcastle till the end of the season. I guess he could further cement legend status if he keeps them up. And I doubt he comes in for much blame if they go down.

Looking forward to tomorrow. A former coworker is coming over to watch the Spain-Turkey game at 2, then a group is hitting up some soccer bar for the US-Trinidad game. I hope Liverpool South don't pick up any injuries, and the ol' Stars and Stripes manage to play a little better than they did Sautrday.

I didn't want to say anything about the Shearer thing in case it was a hoax.

Joe Kinnear's reaction to the news has not yet been documented, but we're led to believe it began with the letter 'F'. It's one way of testing out his rewired heart....

Dowie to be shearer's assistant, but hughton and calderwood to stay on as coaches. Pretty sensible selection by shearer. I could see that working.

PS: The intriguing possibility has emerged that the Shearer appointment is linked to a new investor in the club and he's been persuaded to take the position by someone other than Ashley and Llambias. The events of the coming days will doubtless prove or disprove that theory.

nufc.com

Riera, hero.

Italy up 1-0, but having been playing with 10 men since the 3rd FUCKING MINUTE.

15 MINUTES. COME ON THE IRELAND.

COME

THE

FUCK

ON.

5 minutes to go, cannavoro down in the box. Italy do the gamesmanship in their sleep.

C'MOOOOOOOOON. 4 MINUTES.

ROUTE MOTHER FUCKING ONE, BABY.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

KEANO ÓG!

KEANO ÓG!

Nice.

another corner. and another.

C'MOOOOOONN

Keane nearly repeated with a volley.

That's it. Still in there. 1 away point makes up for the disaster draw at home against bulgaria.

Sweeet. I'll be at the game in croker, after summer. Cannot wait.

Apparently buffon and given are giving each big hugs.

Fucking A.

Jeff, when did the US start putting Beasley at LB ? And is this considered good ?