Could Foreign Analysts Be the Future for the NHL In the Wake of the World Cup?
June 21, 2010 5 Comments
It has been fascinating to watch the World Cup coverage on ESPN the past week I’ve been off. While some of the football being played has left something to be desired, the sheer amount of coverage ESPN is blanketing its’ schedule with is almost mindboggling. You flip one minute and there’s a game on ESPN, another and they’re talking strategy and context in the studio on ESPN2, or the lovable Irishman Tommy Smythe breaking down the action on ESPN News. It is likely what ESPN will be using to pitch to the NHL as their ability to cover a niche-y sport in the next contract, but that’s another story for another day.
What has been noticeable has been the number of foreign voices in the studio and the booth for ESPN’s American-centric coverage. Only three studio hosts (Bob Ley, Mike Tirico and Chris Fowler) and two analysts (Alexi Lalas and Kearny, New Jersey’s John Harkes) are American on ESPN’s airwaves in South Africa, and not all of the European voices have been English or Scottish. Dutch legend Ruud Gullit and longtime German staple Juergen Klinsmann, as well as current Spanish player Roberto Martinez.
They’ve been pretty good, and gotten me to thinking about a subject I’ve wanted to breach on this blog for awhile: Why haven’t European players been able to crack the market as far as analysis during, before and after NHL games? I know there’s the time honored logic that Americans just want to hear Americans, or at least people who sound like Americans. But frankly, that’s made hockey coverage dull as dirt. Why not try something new?
This isn’t just an American thing either. Why, in the tens of hundreds of Canadian hockey programs around that nation, do none of the voices stray further than America? I mean, is it possible that Russian/Czech/Finnish/Swedish/Whatever hockey players are just as dull as Canadians and Americans, though in words we can’t understand? Or can someone like Bobby Holik, who’s always been entertaining as hell on NHL Live, eventually find himself a gig discussing puck with lame old dudes wearing mullets and cheap suits.
What’s the readership take on this? Where do you stand on European analysts?
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I would love to see a little more diversity among the NHL commentariat and the only reason I can think of that it hasn’t happened (in Canada, at least) is that the NHL on TV in Canada is a clubby little world for guys who fit into a specific mold that they’re looking for.
Although to be fair: are there any Europeans doing analysis on NBA games? Spanish-speakers doing it on MLB broadcasts?
I think the main difference is that the World Cup analysts by and large have English as a first language. European players might have gotten their English to the point where they can converse and spout cliches in front of a microphone, but giving sound hockey analysis and instantaneously translating it requires a much higher degree of proficiency. I’m sure there are a few who could pull it off (for some bizarre reason, Borje Salming is the first name to pop into my head here), but there’s many more who just aren’t comfortable enough with their English.
(And the CBC coverage of the World Cup is going the same way–they mix up their panels a bit, but general rule seems to be the host, a Canadian accent, and an English accent even if that English accent is Dick Howard who’s been in this country for 50 years).
I blame Canadian anti-European sentiment for this and the influence Canadians have on the NHL in general extends into the USA. I think the best announcers/analysts should be working no matter their nationality (but obviously speaking on an English language network, their English will have to be good). ESPN is doing a great job with this in the World Cup and while there may not even be that many European former players/announcers who even want to do the job, the fact that there are zero currently employed in the US/Canada speaks volumes. The fact that the Ducks announcing team continues to be employed also speaks volumes.
Interesting to read this post while listening to Bobby Holik being interviewed on NHL Live. He seems to be becoming something of a regular on the program, and while he does speak with an accent that could bother some, I’ve been pretty impressed by his enthusiasm and analysis. Very bright and insightful commentary. Not sure if he’d want to do it, but it’d be great to see MSG bring him in maybe as a part-time studio analyst this year as a start.
Its funny Steve, I was thinking the exact same thing while I was watching the Cote D’Ivoire-Brazil game Sunday afternoon. I think that the reasons already mentioned are the reasons that there aren’t any. In Canada some people have a sentiment that even Americans shouldn’t be on our airwaves, I assume those people would feed the same out Europeans. Can you imagine if a Russian worked alongside Don Cherry on HNIC? I’d pay to see that.