There are two types of soccer announcers that people in the US are familiar with. There is the Spanish announcer who has a reputation for being overly emotional, screaming for a full minute after every goal. The other type is the English announcer, who has such a complete comprehension of the English language that we feel smarter just for watching. When Fox announced that they had elected to make Gus Johnson the primary voice of their World Cup coverage, the reaction was surprise. Many were taken aback. Really, though, Fox opted for the first, emotional type of announcer, so they weren’t straying too far from the stereotypes. The difference is that Gus Johnson, who reflects the emotion of a situation very well, speaks English.
Still, so many new soccer fans are used to watching English announcers call their EPL or Champions League matches, so there was a bit of an outrage. Would there be any announcers that could match the style of global announcers? That’s the tough part. You say Gus Johnson isn’t a fit for soccer, but what American is?
Jim Nantz: Nantz has a laid back style that doesn’t interfere with games, not unlike English announcers. Still, the Englishmen add some intellect to the process, whereas Nantz just comes across as boring.
Mike Emrick: NBC’s primary hockey guy actually came to mind first. He can reflect emotion well, (though not as well as Johnson) and he can turn a phrase rather well. Still, hockey is a fast moving game. Could he be as effective if he slows down?
Joe Buck: No.
Vin Scully: He seems perfect, doesn’t he? His ability to fill air time by himself is legendary. The only problem, he doesn’t leave LA, so Brazil seems out. And does he know anything besides baseball?
Mike Tirico: Tirico is a man of many sports and many talents. He obviously knows his way around a broadcast booth as ESPN’s top NBA and NFL guy. His strength is also a weakness when it comes to soccer announcing. Tirico is good at laying out the facts, but also at deferring to loquacious color guys. Tirico doesn’t fill air time.
Al Michaels: Michaels is perhaps NBC’s most famous game announcer, working the Sunday night game of the week in the NFL. He also seemed constantly lost and out of place when working the Olympics.
If you can think of anyone else, I would love to hear some ideas. Personally, I think Emrick would be the best fit of those listed. Gus Johnson may not be bad, though. Strange though it seems.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
