I don’t know about global warming, but I’m fairly sure our dear old planet just flew off the tracks into a different orbit.
The soccer world is in a tizzy over the news broke by SI.com’s Richard Deitsch that Johnson is being groomed to be Fox’s lead man for its coverage of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Fox announced that Johnson will get his first big spin when he does play-by-play for the Real Madrid-Manchester United game on Feb. 13.
It’s part of the training process that will gear up Johnson for 2018, although he hasn’t committed to doing the World Cup just yet.
“I don’t know,” said Johnson to SI.com. “That’s too big right now for me, too big to think about and digest. I am interested in getting a little better every day. I want to learn this game. I am humbled by this game and their fans, and I am a little intimidated by the travel. I’ll be in multiple countries and I don’t speak a second language so I am going to have to become comfortable being an international traveler. But I am excited about it.”
According to the release sent out by Fox, this is the depth of Johnson’s soccer background:
He called over a dozen MLS games on radio, mostly those of the San Jose Earthquakes; he has played pick-up soccer games in a park near his Manhattan home; spent several weeks in Europe last season attending games and conversing at length with Sky Sports executives and world-class football play-by-play announcer Martin Tyler.
Wait a minute, playing pick-up soccer counts as a credential? The fact that I’ve coached Little League probably doesn’t make me qualified to call the World Series, if you know what I mean.
With such a slim soccer resume, it isn’t a surprise that the move is highly polarizing. I’m hardly an expert on soccer, so I’ll let others weigh in with their analysis.
Ty Duffy, The Big Lead:
There are a couple areas for concern, though. Pacing could be a problem. Soccer is unlike most American sports. It is fluid and subtle. It does not have the same intricate rules or stoppages. The announcer should be a more delicate presence. Gus can be great. He’s our first choice for the last minute of an NCAA tournament game. He’s anything but delicate. Gus’ critics argue he’s loud, brash and too heavy-handed for American football. Can he tone it down enough to let a soccer game breathe? This is a sport where Martin Tyler, a man who can reach catatonia during a live broadcast, is considered the gold standard.
Brian Phillips, Grantland:
Gus Johnson is a good commentator. He’s got five years (!) to learn his stuff, and a huge incentive to get it right (i.e., calling the world’s biggest sporting event to an audience split between total neophytes and fiercely critical diehards). He’s better than just about anyone at zooming in on pivotal moments in big games and giving fans the crazed vividness they deserve. And since we’re talking about Fox, and probably came closer than we even want to know to a Buck-Aikman tag team on Denmark–Ivory Coast, I’d say it’s fantastic that we’re getting an announcer who actually makes games more fun. I mean, how many commentators on earth are legitimately fun to listen to? Maybe 10? It’s not a list that scrolls, put it that way. One of the guys who’s on it is calling a World Cup. This is good news! Euphoric screaminess is coming our way! Be happy!
Matt Yoder, Awful Announcing:
But will he be ready February 13th for Man Utd vs Real Madrid? Will he be ready for this year’s Champions League Final on Fox network television? Will Johnson and Fox be willing to endure the criticism that comes with the growing pains both will face from a fan base who has shown little patience for similar moves in the past? These are huge tests and Johnson better hit the ground running from the outset, or else Gus at World Cup 2018 could be nothing more than a brief fantasy.