My television wish list

[AreliusIII]

5. The Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) needs to copy the ESPN playbook: For those of us who live and die by the fortunes of Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Steven Gerrard, the Fox Soccer Channel is an oasis amid the soccer-empty cable universe. Call me an Anglophile, but life is brilliant when I can watch the third round of the FA Cup between Burton Albion and Manchester United from the privacy of my flat.

FSC is one of the few networks that offers a sporting perspective from abroad (Full marks to the U.K.-based Sky Sports News and the Fox Sports World Report, which is produced in Canada but focuses on world soccer). The coverage is generally so good on FSC that I'm even willing to tolerate announcer Max Bretos, whose overwrought play-by-play is at least accompanied by genuine passion. What I'd like to see now is for FSC to follow up its pledge to develop some interesting new programming outside of the engaging Fox Football Friday. Why not adopt the ESPN playbook and develop a 30-minute weekly Sports Reporters/PTI show featuring U.S. soccer journalists debating and dissecting issues on world and American soccer? No game fuels more passion than the beautiful game, and you could probably get soccer journos on the cheap.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/richard_deitsch/01/10/media.circus/?cnn=yes