ESPN cuts Wynalda loose

First on SBI

 

                                                                    Photo by ISI Photos

Just weeks after ESPN made the decision to remove Eric Wynalda from its broadcast team for MLS and U.S. national team games, the network has completely severed ties with the controversial analyst.

Sources have told SBI that ESPN and Wynalda have parted ways after weeks of negotiations to find a new role for Wynalda. The original plan was to have Wynalda work on Champions League broadcasts but the network and Wynalda could not agree on his role. It is believed that ESPN bought out the remaining year on Wynalda's contract.

Wynalda sparked controversy for several remarks he made, both on and off the air. He was reprimanded by ESPN for comments he made about Jim Rome a year ago and last fall SBI reported on an unfortunate remarks Wynalda made during an MLS playoff game. Wynalda only made things worse for himself when he followed up that comment with his own explanation to SBI of what happened that night. An explanation several sources confirmed was completely fabricated by Wynalda.

Wynalda had his share of fans who loved his brash and outspoken style, but he also had several detractors who hated his over the top approach.

So what next for Wynalda? Don't be surprised to see him wind up in San Jose as part of the Earthquakes broadcast team, assuming he doesn't just take some time off to spend his buyout money.

What do you think of this development? Are you sad to see Wynalda leave ESPN? Are you happy he won't be ruining Champions League matches? Are you eager to see him back on air soon? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Jordan]

I know im going to take heat for this, but im kind of upset about this move from ESPN. I liked wynalda's brashness. He would always defend soccer, which i respected. At least he is interesting to listen to, unlike Bruce Arena who is terrible in the booth

[Jeffrey]

Are you still taking your voice lessons Ives? Certainly you are ready by now.

[froboy]

Wynalda was a heck of a footballer, but not much of a commentator, i'm with Jeffrey, would love to see Ives in the booth and hope Wynalda can find another spot in US soccer

[Pat]

He was very good in the studio but horrible in the booth.

[Joe]

Finally. I find Wynalda to be a grating commentator.

I thought his rush to make an opinion on every call as a sign that he lacked confidence in the broadcast booth. Moreover, his opinion usually consisted of something like- great call, terrible call, etc.- and then he couldn't let it go for the rest of the game. Sometimes it felt like he still looked at the game as a player, instead of a commentator of the game and sport.

This is probably a matter of personal taste- i just prefer more understated commentators who let the game breathe.

I think Wynalda could make a better than average studio guy- perhaps if MLS could get a 30 minute or hour long highlights/commentary show once/week.

[Joamiq]

I'm just happy to have JPDC doing play by play. Although, Jeff's onto something, Ives. You've got a pretty smooth radio or TV voice... maybe you should send in your resume to ESPN for commentary, especially since I'm not sold on Harkes.

[Andrew S.]

About time...even my friends who usually don't watch soccer would say if they wanted to know what was going to happen they would just listen to the exact opposite of what he was saying.

[ejs]

I liked Wynalda and I think the champions league might of fit him well

[Brendan]

He could work for Fox Soccer Channel. However, if he continues to put his foot in his mouth, perhaps not.

[zomg warn]

i kind of liked wynaldas comments, far more entertaining than anything the fsc commentators could muster.

i also liked that baseball announcer i think he was.

i hope they bring on some people who are as entertaining as wynalda, he told it like it was.

[Joe_in_ND]

I am glad he is gone. Terrible for USA Soccer. He thinks he knows everything even though he was a average USA Soccer player at best.

He would have ruined CL broadcasts just like he ruined MLS broadcasts. He is an idiot.

I think the only thing I had his back on were his comments on Jim Rome. Rome is a tool and I would bash him over the head with Wynalda.

[tyler]

oh wow, so he completely made up the living-near-the-fires story? I didn't hear about this.

you stay classy, Wynalda.

[Bob S]

I think he was better in the studio than the commentators booth but its guys like him that MLS and US Soccer needs. He had personality and was willing to stand up for the sport no matter what. I hope his cult status is elevated and one day I can buy me some Wynalda for President shirts.

[cassano203]

Joe_in_ND LMAO @ your Rome/Wynalda comment.

[Nic]

In the studio Wynalda was fine, especially in comparison to Julie Foudy, who nearly every MLS fan detests. As an analyst, he was too personal to provide an objective view of the game. I really got sick of his cheerleading for his boys.

Most importantly, I think this is another example of how ESPN needs to pay more attention to how it covers the MLS. Quite frankly, just about everything in the Thursday telecasts is terrible. The studio analysts, the play by play, color, camera work, etc. doesn't suite the game of soccer.

I'd love for ESPN to send their production crew to Europe. The experience of just watching a game is just so much better.

[turk]

Good news for the improvement of US soccer broadcasts. The people that hate him seem to out number the few people that love him.

All is well in the world.

[cbr]

this is horrible news for Twellman and Razov

[turk]

Also, the controversy could have been avoided completely if he stuck to commentating the game, not giving social commentary or irrelevant statistics.

This is why he is such a bad person for the sport.

[Greifie]

I couldn't stand Waldo on commentary. The crew they had in there last year sounded way too unprofessional. Every broadcast just ended up being a complain fest with Smyth and Wynalda picking on each other like teenage girls. ESPN does a fantastic job with college basketball for the most part. I wish they would treat soccer with the same respect. I also wish ESPN would have used Waldo as an analyst like they use Barry Melrose for hockey. I also agree with Ives that a one or two-man booth is the way to go.

[Tony in Quakeland]

cbr: Funniest comment on this thread.

Joe_in_ND: Average player? hardly.

As for Waldo leaving, I liked that he didn't just kiss butt like everyone else. He could be grating. He could be funny. He could obvious. He could be shrewd. Maybe it is time for US soccer to move on and find a new voice. But in a weird way I will miss him

[Ted]

Wynalda was trash as a color analyst. Whenever he would have to come up with comments on the spot, he would fail miserably. He was also too personally invested in the U.S. national program to provide decent coverage (anybody else happy that his xenophobic comments towards Mexicans are gone?).

His analysis of players was also biased. Every Blanco game he covered reeked of comments like "He isn't really doing much," "He set up those two goals but has been mostly quiet," and "Lucky pass". I'm glad he is gone. I'm not saying Harkes is going to blow our socks off, but I am assuming he isn't going to alienate his network and an entire race of people.

[Matt]

i liked waldo. he will be missed.

[YankatOxford]

I think a network like FSC would be extremely wise to enlist his services in the studio. I think in time ESPN may regret this.

Wynalda's work in that department has demonstrated he can excel in that role. Whether he wants to analyze from the studio is a different matter.

I'm not sure that Harkes is the answer, but his analysis during the Gold Cup last year was quite solid. But that was once again, from the studio. During the World Cup he did an average job in the booth, but anyone sounded better than Balboa-O'brien.

Stalwart American broadcasting teams for soccer are hard to come by, but here's to hoping they emerge with expanded content.

[aristotle]

Goodbye to a know it all and someone who was bad for the sport.

Eric did have his good points, such as a good sense of humor and the willingness to speak his mind. Unfortunately, he did not know when to not speak his mind. He was also a lively commentator, if not a good one, which is refreshing given the choices available to us in American soccer.

Sadly, the bad outweighed the good by a considerable margin. Ironically, I don't have a problem with the comments listed here as being the possible reason for his being let go. As soccer fans surely all of us have listened to some pretty abusive comments regarding soccer over the years. It can be extreme and hard to take. Yet, no matter how bad the comments are, you never see anyone being reprimanded for trashing soccer. In fact, they are usually applauded when they bash soccer, no matter how bad the comments are. So, even though his comments about Jim Rome were extreme, I couldn't agree with him more. Was he supposed to be nice to a guy who enjoyed offending as many soccer fans as possible?

The second comment about the California fires was just exaggerated beyond belief. Does anyone really believe he meant to offend people who were victims of the fire? With all of the offensive things being said by people today, this is what we have to make into a big deal?

The bottom line though, was that Wynalda's knowledge and understanding of the sport seemed very poor considering he was one of America's top soccer players. In addition to that he always seemed to have a bias. As a commentator I think you should be able to be objective, and he just wasn't a lot of the time. He also seemed to portray the game differently than when he actually played it. My memory of him as a player was that he whined a lot and thought he was fouled any time he lost the ball, and if anything, you would consider him wimpy. Yet as an announcer, he was always acting macho and nothing was ever a foul. I won't miss him in the booth. He always distracted me from the game, and we have enough announcers doing that in U.S. soccer!

[John]

Are there any good soccer commentators on espn or fsc? Wynalda is hit and miss but at least it's interesting.

That time he hit some poor intern in the head trying to bend a free kick with loafers was priceless.

The wildfire comment didn't offend me, but I didn't lose a house or loved one in either 2003 or 2007.

[Xiphosis]

"Are you sad to see Wynalda leave ESPN? "

Yes, yes I am.

[deetch]

Thank goodness Captain Obvious is gone!!! Ever since MLS replaced Ty Keough with this buffoon I have hated having to put up with this amateur. You could tell by his comments that Waldo isn't too bright and lacks the subtlety that enhances the game, not detracts from it.

I will say, however, good for Waldo for standing up to Jim Rome who shows his stupidity for bashing a sport I'm sure he has never played.

[Tim Archer]

To quote Bananarama...

Na-Na-Na-Na...Na-Na-Na-Na...Hey-Hey-Hey...Goodbye!

I can't help but say thank God, although I will miss getting to laugh at some of the dumb things that he says. I think that ESPN probably should have paired him with Jim Rome to see how that would have worked.

[J]

As long as Tommy Smyth (with a Y!) still does CL matches, the commentary for those games will always be ruined.

[Graham Fisher]

The outspoken characters always end up getting a bit carried away with their own publicity. In England we lost a pundit, Rodney Marsh, for similar reasons.

They start off by being edgy and controversial, and then they start to be controversial just for the sake of it. When they do that, they are no longer entertaining and become quite sad.

[papa bear]

unless there is a specific clause that forbids it, he'll be covering MLS for FSC in under a year.

[Scott A]

Get rid of Foudy ESPN. She is abysmal.

[Lee]

I didn't mind Wynalda. As others have said though his greatest strength is his willingness to fight for soccer in this country. For some reason many members of the media insist on lowballing soccer in the 2 or 3 times a year they actually comment about it. It's not just Rome, others do it as well.

He wasn't the best commentator but he fought for the sport, so for that I wish him well.

[Bob]

This country needs a color commentator who is going to educate viewers about the game. Wynalda never seemed able to fulfill that role.

Look at what John Madden has done for the NFL -- every week, he explains the game to people. ESPN should hire someone who is willing to do that.

I know that many of us understand the game and don't necessarily want this, but if we want the sport to grow then the average viewer needs to be educated. The Beckham matches on ESPN will be a relatively big draw, and people who don't normally watch the game may tune in. I think it's positive that a negative person such as Wynalda will not be the "ambassador" to new fans.

Buh-bye, Eric.

[BK]

I enjoy the fact that ESPN is finally taking some steps to make their soccer broadcasts professional. Either they're listening to their fans or they hired someone who knows soccer. Supposedly, Arena's not going to be in the booth either. Just Harkes and JP. With Foudy and Stone in the studio. Of course, there's 1000 people better than Foudy and Stone, but we only have to deal with them a little bit. And Harkes might be relatively boring, but he provides insight into the game and doesn't go off on a 30 minute rant over a foul like Wynalda did.

Thank goodness for the change. Now to pray that he doesn't end up at FSC. Put him in the studio somewhere. That's where he belongs.

[pat]

i met him a couple of times at coaching clinics and a college soccer game. the guy is soccer smart and honest and most of all has real game experience at every level. unlike most of our announcers that are apologists for MLS and US SOCCER. GREAT DECISION to let him go!! sarcasm completely intended!! i hope he is on air somehwere - i will flip on the internet to listen to him.

[Jeff]

EW is aweful in the booth. I think a couple of people put it perfectly:

know that many of us understand the game and don't necessarily want this, but if we want the sport to grow then the average viewer needs to be educated. The Beckham matches on ESPN will be a relatively big draw, and people who don't normally watch the game may tune in. I think it's positive that a negative person such as Wynalda will not be the "ambassador" to new fans.

Buh-bye, Eric.

Posted by: Bob | February 06, 2008 at 08:27 AM

He was very good in the studio but horrible in the booth.

Posted by: Pat | February 05, 2008 at 11:51 PM

[Steve]

Whats the guys name that does the commentating w/ Tommy Smyth for the CL matches?
That fella does a good job. Subtle. The Joe Buck of footie commentating. haha

[Dmee]

I'm indifferent on Wynalda. Didn't really mind him that much. But compared to what ESPN offers as far as commentators and color people, I think he was just barely above average.

I think this leads to a larger topic, about the soccer commentating here in the US in general. I think it's terrible. FSC has busch leaguers on the FS Report and doing their game commentary. And Max Bretos?? Possibly the worst person to listen to, ever. I'm muting any games in which Bretos and that Chris dude do.

I'm of the opinion that none of the FSC fellas come from a soccer background but are just there to boost their resume in hopes of being noticed for other major broadcasting spots. Give me Ray Hudson any day of the week. He's brilliant.

Ives, don't know whether you can comment on the current crop of commentators, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially on the FSC dudes.

[George H.]

I agree that Wynalda's style is better for the studio role than as a color guy. His style and opinions are a bit grating. In the studio role, he's forced to use only his top comments and because his exposure to the audience is limited in this role, he doesn't wear out his welcome.

I like him and hope he finds a way to stay on the air in some capacity. FSC could be an option, but their productions are so low budget, I just can't see him going there.

[BrianK]

I personally think this is a sad day for soccer. Wynalda was the real thing. As a professional and former international he brought a lot to the table and always supported the sport and the USA.

Jim Rome? Who is he? what does that half-assed bad excuse for a jockey offer?

The California comment was nothing,...besides, Eric is from Cali!!!

This was a mistake by ESPN and I for one am disapointed Eric is not doing ESPN broadcasts.

[jason]

Ives,

You really need to drop this california wildfire consipiracy theory. It damages your credibility, really. If you don't like Wynalda, just be up front about it instead of beating around the bush.

-J

[HatesBoringTV]

Wow... I'm shocked at the overwhelming thumbs down given to him as a commentator. I hate 99% of all sports commentary on US networks due to its alleged "professionalism." To me it all winds up being boring. I want an opinion, even one I don't agree with. I want someone to say, "bad call" when it's a bad call--or even when they just think it was. And as far as the people doing the broadcast having some responsibility to educate? That's crazy. Do you actually think soccer loses potential fans because they tune into a match and don't get educated? "This looks interesting, but I can't make hide nor hair of it, let's see what's on Animal Planet." Until I see the replacement, I'll say it's a bad move.

[J]

I'll probably take heat for this as well but I think Stone does a good job in the studio. Foudy is terrible. I wish ESPN2 would have a show like "Soccer 2 Night" once a week just devoted to soccer, then when MLS season comes calling, it would focus more on our beautiful game.

[EDB]

I think Wynalda would be great as a studio guy. I think he is mismatched as an analyst.

[BK]

Just so everyone knows, it's not necessarily just his opinions that we hate, it's the fact that he expresses an opinion and then has a conversation about it for 30 minutes while not discussing the game. I can't tell you how many games I watched where him and Stoner got off on some tangent that didn't have anything at all to do with the game. They tried to make jokes and talk about life and what Cobi Jones is like instead of showing us the game and talking about it. That's not commentary. That's studio work. I turn on soccer games to watch soccer games, not to hear those jackasses talk about what's going on in their lives while a soccer game is background noise.

The opinions weren't the problem, it was his dwelling on his opinions for half the broadcast that bothered me.

[Squard]

I am so glad that I won't see this whiny sissy boy week after week. He spends over a half hour getting his hair and make-up right before going into the broadcast booth and everyone thinks he's tough?

Good riddance Wynalda, and don't forget to tuck in Harkes kids tonight.

[aristotle]

jason:

Good point. You have emboldened me. I was going to say something about this in my previous post, but decided it wasn't worth the backlash from the "we love Ives" club, and maybe even Ives himself. Been down that road before. MemRook will probably be here shortly to let me have it. No disrespect to Ives at all. He is the best source for American soccer fans that I know of. So many other sources are just too outdated or just don't give you anywhere near all of the news. That having been said, I thought the first time I saw Ives commenting on Wynalda's so called controversial comment on the California fires, that he must have some personal grudge against him. That comment was such a non event that I didn't blame Wynalda for blaming Ives for magnifying it at all. It was almost like one of those racism witch hunts you see people go on so many times. You know, where a guy says something and is fired for making a racist comment because someone decided to make it a racist comment, but you listen to it 10 times over and you can't see how it could possibly be a racist comment. That was just an example. I have never seen Ives do something like that with racism or anything else like what happened with Wynalda in the time I have been reading his columns. I don't like Eric Wynalda at all, but I thought Ives went looking for trouble on this one. Alright, let the onslaught begin!

[derek Gores]

I wanted to like Eric in there, and I do like that he spoke his mind, but I hated how none of his commentary was about tactics or decisions- it was all "he's off his game" or "he just doesn't have it today." "we'll have to see how this plays out."

I like Stone just as he is. Anyone remember Harkes' humor on display during the little promo bits in '94? I hope he gets to show that side. That is the tough part, showing personality while letting it add to the game, like Madden for example. Foudy has a great personality too, but it doesn't get to show right now.

Ray Hudson could be our Madden/Vitale. Smyth with a bit more cool factor.

Thanks Eric- you'll find a good fit somewhere.

[Mike O]

A lot of good comments on the board. Wynalda got on almost every last nerve I had with his sneering style (he sounded like an overgrown frat boy) but I appreciated the fact that he was a good booster for American soccer without being comically strident like Rob Stone (Soctober anyone? Perhaps on "The Ocho"). I especially agree with the commenter who suggested the ESPN crew be taken over to Europe and shown how they call games over there. Like the play on the field American soccer commentary and analysis lacks subtlety and nuance. Then again American commentators HAVE to be more open and amenable considering the skill level is just not the same in this country. Have you ever seen an EPL or other European announcer after a midfielder misses a SINGLE long cross or a forward shoots off-target? They seem almost personally offended. Heck, in the MLS they'd be reduced to tears by halftime.

If Wynalda has any role it's to rile things up a little bit in the studio. He's sort of like our Charles Barkley, an accomplished player who is smart and occasionally funny and who initially injects life into the party but who's also a whiny, ill-prepared loudmouth who wears out his welcome quickly over a longer broadcast. Of course he also kind of reflects the way that we American soccer players often tend to be a snarky, anti-authoritarian bunch (probably an outgrowth of being ridiculed and picked on by other athletes so long ;)).

Seriously though, it's good ESPN is moving on because the business side of the sport is growing up and the the booth needs to grow with it and show more authority. I've always been happy with JP and I think he'd do a solid, professional job. Foudy and her nails-on-chalkboard voice obscures her unspectacular but yeoman's work in the booth but ESPN can also do better there as well. It seems she's survived primarily on tokenism. At the end of the day the commentary will improve most as the quality of the American game in this country shows more improvement as well. At that point the audience and market will demand that the broadcasting begin to mature past the insecurity of hiring big names for their possible notoriety alone and more into hiring and grooming former players and coaches with better talent in front of the camera. That approach will help the most to solidify the sport's growth and popularity and make the game experience better for everyone.