TMC
2013-02-07 00:26:40 UTC
http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/february/gus-johnson-will-be-the-voice-of-fox-s-world-cup-coverage.html
Written by Matt Yoder on Tuesday, 05 February 2013 11:55.
Ever since Gus Johnson announced San Jose Earthquakes games on radio
last year, the question has been in place. Would Fox dare take their
top college football play by play man and transform him into the voice
of their World Cup coverage in 2018?
We finally know the answer. A resounding yes.
Richard Deitsch at Sports Illustrated has the report with Fox
confirming the plan is in place for Gus Johnson to become the lead
play by play man for the network's first World Cup in 2018. It's sure
to be one of the boldest, most polarizing, most talked about moves in
sports broadcasting. What's more, the journey to Russia 2018 begins
next week when Gus Johnson makes his Fox Soccer debut calling the huge
Champions League game between Manchester United and Real Madrid. From
SI...
"The 45-year-old broadcaster will call his first match for Fox Soccer
on Feb. 13 (2 p.m. ET) from Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu when
Real Madrid faces Manchester United in a mouthwatering Champions
League Round of 16 match. The assignment is the first in a series of
high-profile soccer matches for Johnson, including a second Champions
League match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in London on Feb. 19
and a Premier League game between Manchester City and Chelsea at
Etihad Stadium on Feb. 24. Johnson will call additional Premier League
and Champions League matches and is scheduled to call the FA Cup final
on Fox on May 11 and the Champions League final (also on Fox) on May
25. Johnson will be on site for each of the games.
“This is not something that is temporary,” Shanks said. “This is
something we are going to work at. It isn’t an Olympic assignment
where he does the luge for two weeks and then we don’t hear from that
announcer for the next four years. This is something we are serious
about and something we will continue to work at. Based on the radio
games and the practice games Gus has done, I think this is going to
work.”
Both Shanks and Johnson emphasized repeatedly in interviews this week
with SI.com that Johnson as a soccer announcer is a long-term work in
progress. If all goes well, Johnson will be Fox’s lead announcer for
the 2015 Women’s World Cup as well as its lead voice for the 2018
World Cup. Asked where he was in his soccer education, Johnson used
the word “novice.” Why novice? “Because it’s a lot of information,”
Johnson said Monday at a patisserie near his home in New York City."
There are several layers to this move to install Gus Johnson as Fox's
lead soccer voice, almost too many to encapsulate in one post this
soon after the news has dropped. It will have an impact not just on
Johnson and Fox, but on the American soccer community where the desire
for an "American soccer voice" has been strong.
The risk: Fox stunned everyone when they took the World Cup rights
away from ESPN for 2018 and 2022. ESPN had won plaudits in 2010 for
their outstanding World Cup coverage, mostly because of the
professional display from the booth. ESPN outsourced their top
announcing spots and brought in veteran British announcers Martin
Tyler and Ian Darke, considered the gold standard in the English
speaking world. Darke became such a hit calling USMNT games that ESPN
signed him permanently after the World Cup to be their top soccer
announcer for both USMNT and EPL coverage.
This was a long cry from 2006 where ESPN inexplicably put Dave O'Brien
in the top slot and dumbed down the coverage to prehistoric levels.
The result of using a novice was disastrous. O'Brien and partner
Marcelo Balboa were panned and O'Brien even called soccer fans a
"petulant little clique" due to the criticism.
Johnson himself admits he is a novice. But, he and Fox are committed
to growing as a soccer announcer over the next five years.
Furthermore, Johnson is a fan of the game and has immersed himself in
soccer over the last year. One doesn't call MLS games on radio just
for fun. But will he be ready February 13th for Man Utd vs Real
Madrid? Will he be ready for this year's Champions League Final on Fox
network television? Will Johnson and Fox be willing to endure the
criticism that comes with the growing pains both will face from a fan
base who has shown little patience for similar moves in the past?
These are huge tests and Johnson better hit the ground running from
the outset, or else Gus at World Cup 2018 could be nothing more than a
brief fantasy.
The potential: When we talked to Rob Stone before last year's
Champions League Final, he talked about the need for soccer coverage
in America to have a distinctly American voice. Since O'Brien's folly
in 2006, the major networks have used British announcers for the
biggest events. As soccer has grown in America over the last five
years, it's been with a distincly British accent. Many will argue that
to take the next step, American soccer fans should have American
soccer announcers and not have to depend on the Tylers and Darkes and
Healeys of the world.
I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory - I want to hear the best
whether they be from New York, London, Sydney, or Cape Town. But if
Fox has made the commitment to use an American voice for the 2018
World Cup, who better than Gus Johnson? If Gus could take the same
excitement and attributes from college sports that have made him a hit
with a younger generation and successfully transfer them to soccer,
this will be an absolute home run with American soccer fans.
For Fox: Although filled with risk on the surface, it seems Fox is
taking the correct steps to make this a move that will attempt to
further bring the beautiful game to the masses in this country, yet
also respect knowledgable soccer fans along the way. They were never
going to follow the ESPN blueprint with their World Cup coverage. And
perhaps, that was to their detriment in the early stages of their
network soccer coverage. Remember football vs. futbol? Remember
Piers Morgan? Although they've made improvements, Fox is still
struggling to catch up to the polish and poise that ESPN has displayed
with their soccer coverage.
Meanwhile, since Gus Johnson moved to Fox, we've wondered why the
network wasn't getting more out of their prized free agent
acquisition. Yes, he's their lead voice for college football, but the
sport is down the totem pole at Fox and significant games are
sporadic. Johnson has rarely been seen elsewhere on the network with
an NFL game here and there and not much else aside from his work on
Big Ten Network.
Forget that.
Gus Johnson will now be announcing the biggest soccer games in the
world for Fox beginning this year. For fans of his asking for more,
your prayers have been answered... just not in the way you may have
expected. For soccer fans asking for more of Fox's coverage of
soccer, the proof will be in the pudding.
For Johnson: Make no mistake, Gus Johnson is taking a huge leap of
faith. One of the most well known announcers in sports learning an
entirely new craft is a step few would ever even dream of
considering. Imagine Joe Buck stepping in to call the Daytona 500 or
Jim Nantz calling UFC. Johnson could easily stay where he is at Fox,
maintain his cult following, and be content with life. But Gus is 45
and he's never been able to break the glass ceiling of the Nantzs and
Bucks of the world. The World Cup represents Johnson's opportunity to
finally move beyond that box of "Rise and Fire" and to the top of the
industry. Given the substantial risk involved and the needed
commitment over the next five years, if we look back in 2018 and see
this as a success for Gus Johnson it will stand as one of the most
respected accomplishments in the broadcasting industry. Johnson
becoming the voice of soccer in America could have an impact far
beyond the broadcast booth as well.
Summary: This move is quintessential Fox. A bold, industry-
transforming decision that has little room for middle ground. Either
it'll be an incredible success story or we'll be talking about Fox
trying to mold Gus Johnson into a soccer announcer the same way we
talk about the glow puck. As a fan of soccer and a fan of Johnson, I
hope all the work put in over the next five years pays off and it
falls into the former category.
One thing's for sure, Fox Sports marches to their own beat. But, in
their trademark fashion, Fox was always going to put their own unique
mark on the world's biggest sporting event, and this news certainly
qualifies. Fox's journey to the World Cup and Johnson's journey to
become the voice of American soccer begins next week in Madrid.
We'll all be watching.
http://www.shermanreport.com/is-gus-johnson-on-world-cup-same-as-chris-berman-on-u-s-open/
Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report wonders if having Gus Johnson on the
World Cup will work for Fox.
http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/2013/02/05/gus-johnson-on-fox-kickball-why-the-heck-not/
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News looks into Fox’s
announcement of using Gus Johnson on soccer.
http://epltalk.com/2013/02/05/fox-grooms-basketball-commentator-to-be-its-new-voice-of-soccer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EPLTalk+%28EPL+Talk%29
EPL Talk is not thrilled about having Gus Johnson on soccer.
Written by Matt Yoder on Tuesday, 05 February 2013 11:55.
Ever since Gus Johnson announced San Jose Earthquakes games on radio
last year, the question has been in place. Would Fox dare take their
top college football play by play man and transform him into the voice
of their World Cup coverage in 2018?
We finally know the answer. A resounding yes.
Richard Deitsch at Sports Illustrated has the report with Fox
confirming the plan is in place for Gus Johnson to become the lead
play by play man for the network's first World Cup in 2018. It's sure
to be one of the boldest, most polarizing, most talked about moves in
sports broadcasting. What's more, the journey to Russia 2018 begins
next week when Gus Johnson makes his Fox Soccer debut calling the huge
Champions League game between Manchester United and Real Madrid. From
SI...
"The 45-year-old broadcaster will call his first match for Fox Soccer
on Feb. 13 (2 p.m. ET) from Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu when
Real Madrid faces Manchester United in a mouthwatering Champions
League Round of 16 match. The assignment is the first in a series of
high-profile soccer matches for Johnson, including a second Champions
League match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in London on Feb. 19
and a Premier League game between Manchester City and Chelsea at
Etihad Stadium on Feb. 24. Johnson will call additional Premier League
and Champions League matches and is scheduled to call the FA Cup final
on Fox on May 11 and the Champions League final (also on Fox) on May
25. Johnson will be on site for each of the games.
“This is not something that is temporary,” Shanks said. “This is
something we are going to work at. It isn’t an Olympic assignment
where he does the luge for two weeks and then we don’t hear from that
announcer for the next four years. This is something we are serious
about and something we will continue to work at. Based on the radio
games and the practice games Gus has done, I think this is going to
work.”
Both Shanks and Johnson emphasized repeatedly in interviews this week
with SI.com that Johnson as a soccer announcer is a long-term work in
progress. If all goes well, Johnson will be Fox’s lead announcer for
the 2015 Women’s World Cup as well as its lead voice for the 2018
World Cup. Asked where he was in his soccer education, Johnson used
the word “novice.” Why novice? “Because it’s a lot of information,”
Johnson said Monday at a patisserie near his home in New York City."
There are several layers to this move to install Gus Johnson as Fox's
lead soccer voice, almost too many to encapsulate in one post this
soon after the news has dropped. It will have an impact not just on
Johnson and Fox, but on the American soccer community where the desire
for an "American soccer voice" has been strong.
The risk: Fox stunned everyone when they took the World Cup rights
away from ESPN for 2018 and 2022. ESPN had won plaudits in 2010 for
their outstanding World Cup coverage, mostly because of the
professional display from the booth. ESPN outsourced their top
announcing spots and brought in veteran British announcers Martin
Tyler and Ian Darke, considered the gold standard in the English
speaking world. Darke became such a hit calling USMNT games that ESPN
signed him permanently after the World Cup to be their top soccer
announcer for both USMNT and EPL coverage.
This was a long cry from 2006 where ESPN inexplicably put Dave O'Brien
in the top slot and dumbed down the coverage to prehistoric levels.
The result of using a novice was disastrous. O'Brien and partner
Marcelo Balboa were panned and O'Brien even called soccer fans a
"petulant little clique" due to the criticism.
Johnson himself admits he is a novice. But, he and Fox are committed
to growing as a soccer announcer over the next five years.
Furthermore, Johnson is a fan of the game and has immersed himself in
soccer over the last year. One doesn't call MLS games on radio just
for fun. But will he be ready February 13th for Man Utd vs Real
Madrid? Will he be ready for this year's Champions League Final on Fox
network television? Will Johnson and Fox be willing to endure the
criticism that comes with the growing pains both will face from a fan
base who has shown little patience for similar moves in the past?
These are huge tests and Johnson better hit the ground running from
the outset, or else Gus at World Cup 2018 could be nothing more than a
brief fantasy.
The potential: When we talked to Rob Stone before last year's
Champions League Final, he talked about the need for soccer coverage
in America to have a distinctly American voice. Since O'Brien's folly
in 2006, the major networks have used British announcers for the
biggest events. As soccer has grown in America over the last five
years, it's been with a distincly British accent. Many will argue that
to take the next step, American soccer fans should have American
soccer announcers and not have to depend on the Tylers and Darkes and
Healeys of the world.
I don't necessarily subscribe to that theory - I want to hear the best
whether they be from New York, London, Sydney, or Cape Town. But if
Fox has made the commitment to use an American voice for the 2018
World Cup, who better than Gus Johnson? If Gus could take the same
excitement and attributes from college sports that have made him a hit
with a younger generation and successfully transfer them to soccer,
this will be an absolute home run with American soccer fans.
For Fox: Although filled with risk on the surface, it seems Fox is
taking the correct steps to make this a move that will attempt to
further bring the beautiful game to the masses in this country, yet
also respect knowledgable soccer fans along the way. They were never
going to follow the ESPN blueprint with their World Cup coverage. And
perhaps, that was to their detriment in the early stages of their
network soccer coverage. Remember football vs. futbol? Remember
Piers Morgan? Although they've made improvements, Fox is still
struggling to catch up to the polish and poise that ESPN has displayed
with their soccer coverage.
Meanwhile, since Gus Johnson moved to Fox, we've wondered why the
network wasn't getting more out of their prized free agent
acquisition. Yes, he's their lead voice for college football, but the
sport is down the totem pole at Fox and significant games are
sporadic. Johnson has rarely been seen elsewhere on the network with
an NFL game here and there and not much else aside from his work on
Big Ten Network.
Forget that.
Gus Johnson will now be announcing the biggest soccer games in the
world for Fox beginning this year. For fans of his asking for more,
your prayers have been answered... just not in the way you may have
expected. For soccer fans asking for more of Fox's coverage of
soccer, the proof will be in the pudding.
For Johnson: Make no mistake, Gus Johnson is taking a huge leap of
faith. One of the most well known announcers in sports learning an
entirely new craft is a step few would ever even dream of
considering. Imagine Joe Buck stepping in to call the Daytona 500 or
Jim Nantz calling UFC. Johnson could easily stay where he is at Fox,
maintain his cult following, and be content with life. But Gus is 45
and he's never been able to break the glass ceiling of the Nantzs and
Bucks of the world. The World Cup represents Johnson's opportunity to
finally move beyond that box of "Rise and Fire" and to the top of the
industry. Given the substantial risk involved and the needed
commitment over the next five years, if we look back in 2018 and see
this as a success for Gus Johnson it will stand as one of the most
respected accomplishments in the broadcasting industry. Johnson
becoming the voice of soccer in America could have an impact far
beyond the broadcast booth as well.
Summary: This move is quintessential Fox. A bold, industry-
transforming decision that has little room for middle ground. Either
it'll be an incredible success story or we'll be talking about Fox
trying to mold Gus Johnson into a soccer announcer the same way we
talk about the glow puck. As a fan of soccer and a fan of Johnson, I
hope all the work put in over the next five years pays off and it
falls into the former category.
One thing's for sure, Fox Sports marches to their own beat. But, in
their trademark fashion, Fox was always going to put their own unique
mark on the world's biggest sporting event, and this news certainly
qualifies. Fox's journey to the World Cup and Johnson's journey to
become the voice of American soccer begins next week in Madrid.
We'll all be watching.
http://www.shermanreport.com/is-gus-johnson-on-world-cup-same-as-chris-berman-on-u-s-open/
Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report wonders if having Gus Johnson on the
World Cup will work for Fox.
http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/2013/02/05/gus-johnson-on-fox-kickball-why-the-heck-not/
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News looks into Fox’s
announcement of using Gus Johnson on soccer.
http://epltalk.com/2013/02/05/fox-grooms-basketball-commentator-to-be-its-new-voice-of-soccer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EPLTalk+%28EPL+Talk%29
EPL Talk is not thrilled about having Gus Johnson on soccer.