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Media

On Soccer Talk Live, Jon Stewart and Horrible Television

by Miriti Murungi

Fox Soccer Channel’s Soccer Talk Live, hosted by former U.S. international Kyle Martino, is a painful, soul-crushing experience.

I wish there was something more positive to say, but at some point, the kid gloves need to come off. Fox Soccer Channel won’t critique itself, while many of those in the professional media will hardly consider challenging a peer even though feuds are great for publicity.

It’s probably not much of a stretch to say that the U.S. soccer machine is an incestuous mess of symbiotic parties hardly capable of discussing hard truths about itself, probably out of fear of biting the already impoverished hands that barely feed them. While this fear is understandable, it is no way for the game to grow, that is, if you feel the media has a role in soccer’s growth by challenging the status quo when the status quo needs challenging. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
4 Comments So Far

Media

Futbol Frenzy Segment on Morning Joe?

by Miriti Murungi

Holy bejesus. I’ve seen it all.

I was watching Morning Joe this morning. Judge me on that if you will. I was kind of paying attention as Al Sharpton and Joe Scarborough talked Glenn Beck, Martin Luther King, and whether Sharpton will allow Beck to reclaim Martin Luther King’s dream. Sharpton basically concluded that Glenn Beck should have a different dream.

As the Sharpton segment finished, I heard someone reference a segment recapping the weekend’s football action after the break. Surely the reference was about the ol’ gridiron variety, so I paid no attention. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
1 Comment So Far

Media

Berlusconi v. Murdoch: The Grudge Match for Italian Soccer Viewers

by The Chairman

42-18458166

Italian Football fans have something to rejoice about in the aftermath of the National Team’s poor display in the World Cup. Media tycoons Silvio Berlusconi and Rupert Murdoch are engaged in a corporate catfight to win over the hearts and wallets of Italy’s football fans. Mediaset, owned by Silvio Berlusconi, and Sky Italia, owned by Rupert Murdoch, have been waging a price war for television soccer viewers. The gloves are apparently off and the media moguls are going at it like two shameless divas. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
Zero Comments So Far

Media

Looking Beyond Seats on a U.S. Soccer Plane – Part III (The Diversity Problem)

by Miriti Murungi

Black Entertainment Television (BET) used to be a decent channel back before there was a tried and tested formula for how to ruin television. It had a show called Teen Summit focused on issues affecting African-American youth. Donnie Simpson’s Video Soul covered, well, R&B and soul, of course. Rap City hosted by Prince Dejour, rap. You get the point. BET had some decent programming. Then BET became a bastion of nonsense.

The first black major cable network soon began consistently projecting a one-sided, commercialized view of African-American culture, relegating “black entertainment” to booty shaking and bling. Now don’t get me wrong, gyrating and shiny objects have been enjoyed across cultures for years, but the elevation of shaky and shiny as worship-worthy cultural gods was the wrong decision at the wrong time for a relatively new voice for African-Americans. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
2 Comments So Far

Media

An NFL Fan Walks Into a Bar …

by Clive Longbottom-Fellow, Esq.

So soccer is boring, huh. Not enough goals being scored? Not enough action?

Well a recent Wall Street Journal article turns a common complaint advanced by many American football fans on its head. Maybe soccer doesn’t have enough scoring to appease the gridiron faithful, but if your buddies continue harping on and on about the lack of action in soccer, the Wall Street Journal’s study on NFL coverage provides some pretty damning figures. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
2 Comments So Far

Media

Dear Bill Maher, If Sarah Palin Is Influential, So Is Didier Drogba

by Clive Longbottom-Fellow, Esq.

This past Friday on Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher had on Alan Brinkley, author of The Publisher, a book chronicling the life of Time Inc.’s founder, Henry Luce. Part of Maher’s conversation with Brinkley focused on how the current issue of Time’s 100 Most Influential People is a testament to the decaying state of the magazine business. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
Zero Comments So Far

Media

Looking Beyond Seats On A U.S. Soccer Plane – Part II

by Miriti Murungi

In Part I, I discussed how our collective focus on breaking news, scores and game analysis relegates important issues to the sidelines, thereby impacting our U.S. player pool. In Part II, I turn to a reason why we may behave the way we do. It’s the politics; the one area major online sports outlets treat like kryptonite.

(more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
Zero Comments So Far

Media

Looking Beyond Seats On A U.S. Soccer Plane – Part I

by Miriti Murungi

Every four years when the World Cup rolls around, you’re guaranteed to come across countless versions of the “who gets a seat on the plane/bus/boat to [insert World Cup host country]” game. In the United States, the game typically involves an analysis of players who are yet to secure a ticket on the relevant mode of transportation, and often an analysis of where the U.S. team lacks depth. Now trust me, I love Seats on a Plane as much as the next man, but surely there must be more if the goal is to critically assess our talent.

All of these Seats on a Plane discussions have led me to a deeper truth. We love pointing out weaknesses, but rarely do we pay much attention to how to fix these weaknesses. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
2 Comments So Far

Media

Soccer and the Huffington Post: Not Good Enough

by Clive Longbottom-Fellow, Esq.

Mainstream media outlets in the United States struggle with their portrayal of soccer. Many of these outlets suffer from what I call Palinitis, a chronic sickness characterized by a lack of curiosity, an unwillingness to read, and an eagerness to succumb to humanity’s baser instincts to sell something. This should worry soccer fans.

Luckily, fans of the major American sports are beneficiaries of robust online coverage. Countless full-time journalists, commentators, academics, and bloggers dissect the day’s NFL, NBA, and MLB news. Although new voices covering these leagues are always welcome, the online market for major U.S. sports is arguably already saturated. (more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
Zero Comments So Far

Media

Maybe You Shouldn’t Comment About Angola’s Ability to Host A Tournament Unless You Understand Geography

by Clive Longbottom-Fellow, Esq.

And there it was. Breaking News: Togo Team Bus Attacked By Angolan Rebels.

Response: Angola is a dangerous country and therefore should not be hosting the African Cup of Nations (CAN).

Of all the cogent arguments detailing why Angola should not host the ACN, this might be the worst. It reeks of a double standard and a level of ignorance that the media is complicit in maintaining.

(more…)

Media | Outside the Lines
2 Comments So Far

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Church of Soccer: Can imagine that, for a thoughtful, inquisitive esquire, venturing into Big Soccer is like looking...
30f: Mirti – I feel like a crumudgeonly old bastard here, but … I bet FSC thinks they can improve their...
Clive Longbottom-Fellow, Esq.: They should only be able to communicate on the Big Soccer cruise by texting.
OffsideSarah: Well, now you know what I’m really thinking if I ever say that.. Elliot: The Big Soccer Cruise...
Elliott: I think they need to have Big Soccer cruises. Kinda like Cougar cruises, but more cubs and less in-person...

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