The QB theory of American sports journalism fails at the World Cup
I’m sitting next to a guy at the Merchant, oldest bar in Seattle, after Bosnia versus Qatar, which my wife and I were at. We’re watching Scotland Brazil and Morocco Haiti. We get to halftime, and I believe there were four or five goals total (Reddit-editorial can check me on that).
What do we get?
Pulisic Pulisic Pulisic
Please don’t get me wrong. This is not straight up jingoism that I’m pissed off about, it is is the need for American sports journalists to have a singular player to focus on: the quarterback, the pitcher (THEY have the W-L record). (It’s the same reason said journalists don’t understand a sport where the coach has very little influence during the game aside from halftime and subs. There’s no sending in a play every 30 seconds.)
Another example?
Mikel Oyarzabal scored two in the first half for Spain against Saudi Arabia; Yamal scored one. What did I get at halftime?
Yamal Yamal Yamal
The star-QB-pitcher focus of American sports journalists, I understand, but it fails with a sport where the left back can score the greatest free kick goal ever (Roberto Carlos) and a number 9 can block a scoring opportunity with his chest (Kane). Fox needs to cover the games and the players as they are played, not run from the punch list of stars they talked about in a production meeting five months ago.
Sidenote: Fox has been running the same highlight reel from USA Australia since the game. There are so many other moments they could include in a re-edit, including Weston, Dest and sometimes Adams with their interplay on the right flank in the first half (I was at the game; it was amazing stuff), including heel flicks and other great moves.
I was at the match today so I did not see the TV coverage: does anyone know how much time Fox gave to Bosnia’s number 20, the (Michelob) man of the match? Because he’s from Wisconsin. Every Bosnian I saw I congratulated and then told them we wanted him back. They said too late. They were right. Where are the features on this kid? I was told he’s got a 15 year-old younger brother. Someone needs to fly to Wisconsin.
I’m prepared to take shit for this post: but please know I played my first soccer game in 1970 and became a journalist in 1983 and worked on the broadcast coverage of the 1994 tournament.