Herbstreit: MLS is like Class A baseball. Backstory.

Kirk Herbstreit is a guest host on Mike & Mike, this morning.

I really like Herbstreit, he really knows his American Football.. but anytime he talks about soccer, his High School baggage comes out. He doesnt think MLs will ever become major in the US and perhaps he's right, but much of his attitude comes from his youth in Centerville OH.

I'm sure the average Herbsteit fan believes he came from some gritty little town where Friday nights were king in the fall. And soccer was something 'furriners' played.

While the opposite is actually true. Centerville -actually the stereotype of a white collar suburb- was the hub of youth select soccer around Dayton... enough so that Centerville fed TWO High School programs, which both were almost always ranked top 20 in the state in their respective divisions.

Despite producing Kirk H, who was pretty damn good at Ohio State, and Centerville also producing AJ Hawk, Centerville at Kirk's time {NOW they get their due in football} was known as a Soccer town, not a football town.

And I think he still resents that.

 

Have watched him on a few "Who's Now?" episodes, and he is such a populist (American football, basketball, and baseball) homer that his point of view really is irrelevant in these matters.

Do like him for College Football Saturdays, however.

 

He is an excellent analyst, ALWAYS does his homework and almost never does game 'color' so he isnt prone to the numpty fill-ins like Waldo

 

I like Herbie as well on College Gameday, but his comments on Beckham seem a bit off. I am NOT a believer that Beckham will save US Soccer and resurrect it, but I do think he will make an impact on the game in a positive light. Herbstreit should stick to American Football not our kind of football.

 

I think there is a little bit of a backlash from some ESPN analysts and anchors who don't care for soccer and are annoyed with the amount of press their network is giving the Beckham arrival.

As for "Who's Now?", that segment is terrible. However, I did find the Kobe vs. Ronaldinho discussion amusing, especially the fact that Keyshawn Johnson came to the defense of soccer, talking about the growing popularity of the sport. I know Herbie bit his tongue on that one.

 

He obviously did not do his homework. When asked which leagues were better overall then MLS, he said "Well, certainly the Champions League, and possibly .....some other leagues as well"

He obviously doesnt really understand what the champions league is, im asuming he meant premier league, and the fact that he couldnt even name one real league was appaling.

 

You know whose better thatn Herbstreit on college gameday saturdays...LEE CORSO aka Sunshine Scooter!!!

 

Can't exactly point a specific date for when espn messed the bed, but it's happened. In my opinion Chris Berman is the biggest load that side of the Hudson. I actually think Herbstreit is excellent at college football. They're trying to use him way beyond all his means. I do like the improved MLS coverage though.

 

Who's NOW? Not ESPN.

Some blame the slide on X Games, and I did early on, as well.
"Let's have a competition for circus acts!"

But I think it was poker that broke the back. Sorry, I know poker goes with sports talk and shit but it is not a sport!

 

It is a bit asinine wasting all of those hours when they've made sure you know who won. It's like waiting to see what Geraldo found in Al Capone's vault.

 

The only things I watch on ESPN are ATH, PTI, and every now and then Sportscenter. That's about all that's worth watching, imo.

Now, I played baseball as a kid and enjoyed it (catcher), but seriously...people call soccer boring?