For Once I am on Eric Wynalda’s Side. What’s Up With That?

By: Laurie | January 22nd, 2008

I realized something weird this month. I have mixed emotions about Eric Wynalda. What’s going on here?

I spent all of last MLS season just wishing he would Go Away. Wishing that ESPN2 would bring in some real announcers who would just Announce. The. Game. Period. Like they do in Europe. Announcers who would tell us what player was on the ball at any given time, and then shut up. As opposed to spending the entire broadcast trying to impress us with how clever they are.

It appears I have gotten my wish. The rumor mill is reporting that Wynalda is out of the booth and former US international John Harkes is in. I will probably love this change once the season is underway.

So why am I now feeling that Wynalda has been treated unfairly?

Granted, a lot of the information I’m seeing comes from the rumor mill rather than official sources. But the rumored reasons for Wynalda’s supposed “reassignment” come down to two things: That Jim Rome thing, and the California wildfire comment.

In case you’ve forgotten, Jim Rome is a notorious soccer hater. Wynalda is not a Rome fan. And last year, in what I’ve read was supposed to be an off-the-record conversation, he invited Rome to…um…get up close and personal.

Most soccer lovers wouldn’t want to allow Rome that close. Because…ick. But my point is, it was off the record. The fact that it was recorded and made available worldwide, leading to a Wynalda fine and suspension?

A) It was off the record, and
B) Shouldn’t the fact that he was already suspended and fined for this mean that he shouldn’t be further punished?

Except that now it’s being discussed as one of the main reasons he’ll no longer be in the broadcast booth.

The second brouhaha came during the California wildfires, when Wynalda saw fireworks (or were they flares?) and commented that it looked like California. Oversensitive people took great offense, not bothering to remember that Wynalda had an endangered home in Southern California himself. He saw flames, that’s automatically what he thought of. I heard the comment when it happened, and I didn’t consider it al all odd or insensitive.

If Wynalda does get “reassigned” for these reasons, it will accomplish what I never though possible: It will actually put me on his side.

I guess I’ve come to think of Wynalda like a big, gallumphing black lab. The kind who tips over coffee with his tail and destroys things without trying, but deep down doesn’t have a bad heart. Okay, so yeah. He gets in trouble. He deserves an occasional swat with a newspaper.

But I guess I just have a hard time with permanent banishment.

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Category: MLS, World Football

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Gianfranco

Laurie, in the summer of 06 during the WC Waldo was in my hometown next to ESPN and and for four consecutive fridays me, my friend, and mr wynalda himself (good old alexi on two occasions) shared pint after pint of the black stuff and had quality conversation about Jim Rome and other things. I have to say he is a likeable guy and a quality drinking buddy, and his comments are exactly what we need in a soccer announcer TRUE. Granted at times he has diareah of the mouth but if you ever listen to shep messing and JP Dellacamera you will want ten Wynaldas.
Elisa

I liked Waldo - direct, no hold's bar, and did not kiss ass or rosie up MLS or US play. I am going to miss him.
Laurie

Every match is like an extended agon in which he sends his imaginary self out onto the pitch against the players who are actually playing.

Giggle. That captures it exactly. And yet the man has grown on me. I think for me it was the combinastion of Wynalda and Tommy Smyth that put me over the edge. There's a possibility I might be able to stomach Wynalda alone. Maybe.
Lucas

Waldo gets a free pass for life for his Rome rant. Classic stuff, instant legend.
Brian

I'm with Martha, Michael, and joejoejoe --- he's everything I can't stand about ex-athletes in the broadcast booth. Every match is like an extended agon in which he sends his imaginary self out onto the pitch against the players who are actually playing. No thanks.
Martha

I'm with Michael and joejoejoe -- the guy's ego alone makes him repellent; having to actually listen to him on top of everything is cruel and unusual punishment.
DarylJ

Eric is a legend, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be able to bear listening to MLS ESPN2 thursday night broadcasts.
No

They were not smokebombs they were flares. Ask section8.
joejoejoe

Wynalda's awful. Almost as bad as Dave O'Brien.

Now if only ESPN will get rid of that giant score graphic that cover the top third of the screen and stop cutting away to a closeup every time there is a throw in or free kick so we can see the players moving on the field I'll be happy.
Michael

I'm glad to see him go. I thought he sucked big-time in the broadcast booth. I couldn't stand him. I'd rather mute the game than listen to him.

But I can respect him for launching that attack on Jim Rome. Rome is one of the biggest douchebags on television. He has been insultingly relegated to an early time-slot on ESPN, but should be cut form the network altogether... what a prick.
greg

doesn't help that landon donavan just beat his goal scoring record for the US national team.
Harv

As long as this doesn't mean we don't have to suffer through an increased dose of Tommy "Onion Bag" Smyth, I don't much care.
Melissa

I thought he did a great job on those broadcasts. Ugh, am I alone here? Hope not.
Karl

I always liked Eric Wynalda. He was always interesting and not the kind of guy to pull any punches.
Tom

They were smokebombs, if I remember correctly. I too will kind of miss him -- he was at least a big personality on the MLS broadcasts, and the soccer media here doesn't have many of them.