Grammatically speaking
OK, we’ll play the ugly Americans for a minute. Soccer’s World Cup is into its second week, and while it’s truly a spectacle, the play-by-play broadcasts and their odd British grammar is getting annoying. We know: The verb in that last phrase is wrong. It should be “the play-by-play broadcasts and their odd British grammar ARE getting annoying” — because the subject is plural. That’s the beef with these WC broadcasters, who’re constantly telling us “England ARE lucky to still be alive” or “the United States ARE gearing up for a big match against Algeria.” In both cases Americans use the verb “is” — because that’s just the way it is in the Colonies. But not in World Cup. We can handle British-isms like calling the playing field a “pitch,” a team practice “training” and soccer “football,” but this grammar deal is fingernails on a blackboard. Worse, color man John Harkes, of Kearny, N.J., apparently is along for the ride, echoing the subject/verb quirkiness of his British booth-mate. Blimey! Now, about the on-screen graphics showing distances in meters …
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Comments
I’m a soccer fan and love the English Premier League. Their is a big difference between UK sports announcer and US announcers. The UK announcers inform the viewers about the game, the players and the tactics being employed. In the US we have to suffer the preening peacocks like Al Michaels and Joe Buck who think they are as important as the game they are announcing.
Nothing more annoying than US media announcers nyuk, nyuking their way through games. It is insufferable to listen to Al Michaels and Joe Buck in nationally televised NFL games spending more time discussing TO and Chad Ochocinco than informing the fans about what is actually happening on the field or their endless pitching of upcoming network TV shows.
Its a pleasure listening to British announcers in World Cup play on ESPN. Thank God they weren’t using many American self-promoting US announcers from ESPN’s stable.
It’s their usage and on this pitch we’re the colonials trying to catch up. And what’s the problem with meters? Just think yards. If you don’t like it watch Univision which has the best coverage and all you have to know is “Goooalll.”