ESPN: Axe Tommy Smyth … Now!
By: Sam | June 9th, 2008If ESPN want me to stop watching their coverage of Euro2008, they can keep the pathetic & insulting Tommy Smyth in the announcers’ chair. (The Scotsman who sounds like Sean Connery is just fine.)
Throughout the Croatia v Austria match, Smith uttered inanity after absurdity after stupidity. He insults the intelligence and lowers the game.
Get him out, ESPN! Get him out!
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Anyone else notice that the studio host was changed for today? Possibly a reaction to the fact that the goon yesterday forgot…oh that one guy…sitting over there..irish or english…no scottish…Andy…Andy Gray!
Posted from
United States
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The guy is an absolute, dead-set idiot. He manages to confuse Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele when commenting on Chelsea!
He never sees what happens and talks total and utter nonsensical drivel and we get stuck with him.
As for Derek Rae; He must have some sort of bet going as to how many times he can say the referees’ name during a match.
Get rid of all of them, and find some new chaps who REALLY understand the game.
Posted from
Australia -
Julie Foudy is kicking Tommy Smyths butt with her commentating, shes not afraid to contradict him when he’s wrong. She’s great. By the way he’s Irish, not Scottish.
Posted from
United States -
Andy Gray is terrific; but I was referring to the other commentator who actually does sound like Sean Connery. Not just because he’s Scottish.
Posted from
United States -
Show the Smyth guy the door and bring on Ray
Hudson. At least during boring matches…he
is entertaining. I have learned to tune Smyth
out…he has the personality of a block of wood.Posted from
United States -
Tommy Smyth is the best.
Andy Gray is a blowhard hun. Gray really ripped into the ref today on the dutch goal. Smyth tried to explaine why Van was onside.Gray the great expert was wrong Smyth got it right.
How could the so called expert Gray say that Robben had a great year with Real Madrid he hardly played. Gray also dimissed the loss of Cannavaro while Smyth stressed how important he was in the back for Italy.3-0 win the argument for Smyth.Posted from
United States -
Tommy Smith’s commentary is painful and most often just WRONG. His assessment of what is happening on the pitch is so far off base and again, just WRONG. His “Put it in the old onion bag” days are behind him. I hate to be so down on a man who loves the game. But he needs to go. I’ve listened to too many games muted. It is time he goes.
Posted from
United States -
If you listen to the games on Mute how the hell do you know what smyth is saying.
Posted from
United States -
Tommy Smith is a joke. He has never played the game at a decent level but yet thinks he can argue with Andy Gray, who is regarded as one of the best if not the best in Europe. I’m Irish and it is embarrasing that Tommy Smith also claims to be. he’s worse than keith costigan on FSC. at leats he’s played the game. He still doesn’t know what he’s talkin about though. When will the big wigs at these networks understand that in order for people to get interested and start enjoying watching the game, they need people commentating and on panels that actually know what they are talking about.
Posted from
United States -
And by the way, anybody who thnks that Tommy Smith knows anything about the game doesn’t know anything about it themselves. Just because you have read the rule book doesn’t mean you know the game. I like watching basketball, and i might think i know a little something, but if i was honest with myself, i’d have to admit i know very little about how the pro’s play it. Tommy should actually resign and stop embarrasing himself with his lack of knowledge!!!!!
Posted from
United States -
Tommy Smith has got to go! First of all his colloquialisms are so inane, repetitive and irritating. If I have to hear the “auld onion bag” once more I’ll scream. Secondly, everything he says is either off the mark or blatantly obvious. He doesn’t add a single insight or interesting perspective to the game. Third, he is hysterical when arguing his point with others, particularly with Angry Gray, who knows more and is a far better analyst. On a more general point I dont understand why ESPN only employ British commentators. They use cultural references throughout the games, which must seem alien to an American audience, and are obsessed with the English Premier League. I’m tempted to switch to Spanish.
Posted from
United States -
Sean. Couldn’t agree more, I’m Irish as well. Always feel I need to apologise for the prick. Can’t decide what’s more annoying, his awful clichés (auld onion bag), or his scratchy high pitch or that he doesn’t realise he’s a fucking joke. There was another Irish guy on ESPN at one time, Seamus something or other. He was a far better commentator and could speak English.
Posted from
United States -
Has anyone noticed how Tommy Smyth talks over Julie Foudy everytime she tries to say something? He never lets her finish her thoughts. He’s driving me crazy. I can’t take watching that idiot anymore.
Posted from
United States -
At half time, Andy Gray, in 1 minute, gives you more insight into the game than Tommy
Smyth does in 45 minutesPosted from
United States -
Tommy Smyth is completely unqualified (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Smyth). He’s horrible.
Maybe someone at ESPN thought they were hiring the real Tommy Smith: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Smith_(Liverpool_footballer).
Posted from
United States -
OK so the famous Andy Gray is telling us all the first half that the Fr4ench coach was the happie of the two coaches.So how did the great one come to that kind of a conclusion.
Andy tell us who is the happies coach now that the game is over.
Andy Gray acts like he knows it all he is just a big bully.Posted from
United States -
Tommy is just horrible. Someone else said it perfectly when they stated they listen to some games muted. Why does he talk so much. When Clarence Sedorf joined in on the commentary for the first half of a 2008 Champions League match, he actually told Tommy to talk less because he was trying to concentrate on the game. Tommy, you talk more than my mum, and that is a lot! So, rather than complain “How do we get rid of him?”
Posted from
United States -
Sooooo bad. I looked up some EURO2008 highlights online and found an international feed with BBC announcers with no mention of the NBA finals or any type of vegetable sacks. Smyth is dreadful and it is absurd that ESPN keeps trotting him out. I am certain that for any UCL, UEFA cup, or international competition that might broadcast in North America that the UK has a broadcaster on the job that could be licensed to feed into ESPN. But then we won’t hear about the NBA on ABC every two minutes.
Posted from
United States -
Smyth aint bad at all. Gray is also damn good too. Those two know about soccer than just about anyone than ESPN could get. I respect Wynalda the player, but his attitude and aloofness as commentator are just offputting and arrogant. I can’t be down with Foudy as long as she has that meteor mole on her face. It’s just distracting and makes me long for pre-HD television. As for Rob Stone, he is what he is. ESPN Junior Varsity. Great match today by the Turks. Proof positive that you don’t quit until the final whistle for time.
Posted from
United States -
Without being disrespectful, Tommy Smyth is the most ignorant soccer analyst. He is incompetent, useless and has no deep understanding of the game. I have been listening and watching soccer since 1973, so believe me, I know a thing or two about the game. Tommy is often wrong and more often mistakes players. It is so frustrating to listen to Tommy, some of his comments border on moronic. I was at a pub in NYC watching an ESPN game and listening to his commentary on a CL game, and almost everyone in the pub (almost a hundred people) where critical of Tommy, and these are the true viewers of ESPN Soccer. ESPN will be best served by replacing him. The ratings will undoubtedly go up.
Posted from
United States -
I am Irish, living on the west coast for the last ten years.
Tommy Smith is not a football analyst, at least in the sense that he can advise or educate viewers regarding soccer matches at the top level. His conceptional understanding on how the game is played is poor. His technical analysis of what teams do or try to do is pretty much one dimensional. On games where he is the commentator he makes strange assumptions and deems them as fact seems he made it.
Andy Gray, who is an ok analyst imho, has completely shown how far out of his depth he is. There are really good analysts out there, the best being John Giles (another Irish guy), but Tommy Smith is not one and what is worse is he is a bad one.
In one sense I do admire him. He has done very well here and has a really good number. I am sure he is very popular figure among his colleagues. However, the issue for the sport here and coverage of it is to get someone who understands it and can really educate and show real insight into games for the tv public.Posted from
United States -
I’m 51 years old living in TX and have really enjoyed watching the Euro 2008 and I love Tommy Smyth. Maybe he’s the kinda guy we need over here to get people into watching soccer. I don’t know squat about soccer, but this guy really gets me interested in the game. I love it when he calls the “floppers” – “out”, and when he criticizes the refs for making bad or “non” calls. This guy really makes the game entertaining to me. You soccer “experts” out there may not like him, but I do. His accent is hard to understand at times, but that’s something else I like about the guy. I think he’s cool.
Posted from
United States -
Euro 2008 – Gray is all we need. Americans don’t need a guy like Smyth telling us everything a player or referee does wrong. Most of us watching know the game and we want to hear about the good that the players do or why maybe the ref made the call. Smyth is bringing the game down when he should be praising the players… they are the best in the world but you wouldn’t know it listening to him….if you can understand him!
Posted from
United States -
This is the first time I’ve watched ESPN coverage. In general, spanish language sources are more fun. Andres Cantor is great, but there are at least a dozen other good Spanish language commentators. Tommy Smyth confirms to my earlier bias because if he is an English speaker, it is an English little informed by Anglo Saxon spelling, pronunciation and idiomatic expression. I love i– Especially the varied pronounciations of Zhirkov as well as expressions on corn earning and old onion bags. I’ll watch ESPN as long as Smyth is there, assuming he continues to mispell his last name.
Posted from
United States -
I just saw Tommy Smyth commenting with Shaka Hislop on US World Cup qualification against Trinidad and Tobago and found him extremely rude! He interrupted and was unnecessarily sarcastic with Shaka (presumably just because he didn’t agree with him). Eeeeh sorry – but just because you have been around a long time – it doesn’t mean you are always right!!!
Posted from
Canada
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