El Classico, this Sunday at 4pm on BeIN Sports | The Boneyard

El Classico, this Sunday at 4pm on BeIN Sports

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I know we've got a few EPL loyalists, but if you can swing it tomorrow, try to find the time to watch this match. It's one of the best regular season events in sports as of late. Real won the first match 3-1 back in October, but Barca holds a 1 point lead atop the table.

If the draw goes accordingly in UCL, this could be a preview of the finals.
 

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Even an EPL loyalist will be watching El Classico. Go Messi!
 

UCFBfan

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Hoping I can catch some of it now that I get BeIN
 

UCFBfan

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First time I actually watched a little pre-game on BeIN and god it was terrible. It was very low budget I felt. Compared to NBC's coverage of the Premier League it wasn't even in the same universe. Only watched a short bit of the game but DVRd it. Hoping to catch some more tomorrow. Already saw the result so probably won't watch the whole game but wanted to see what all the hype was about.
 

meyers7

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Pretty good game. Scoring, from both teams could have been higher. Very happy Barca won.
 
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I like Barca, but I could really do without Neymar rolling around on the ground and acting like he's been mauled like a grizzly bear or something every time he is touched, actually he doesn't even have to be touched to act out like that.

I get that acting hurt will always be there, but he really takes it a whole new level.
 
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First time I actually watched a little pre-game on BeIN and god it was terrible. It was very low budget I felt. Compared to NBC's coverage of the Premier League it wasn't even in the same universe. Only watched a short bit of the game but DVRd it. Hoping to catch some more tomorrow. Already saw the result so probably won't watch the whole game but wanted to see what all the hype was about.

Yeah. It was surprisingly bad. I like watching "The Locker Room" though.

I thought showing Phil and Ray at Camp Nou via Skype was really CNN of them. It looked bad.
 

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Yeah. It was surprisingly bad. I like watching "The Locker Room" though.

I thought showing Phil and Ray at Camp Nou via Skype was really CNN of them. It looked bad.
This is what I get suspicious of with BeIN. How many of their announcers are actually at the games they're broadcasting? It sounds and feels like many are watching the game and commentating from America and not Italy or Spain. I could have swore I heard the Irish guy (Scottish maybe) calling a La Liga game and a Series A game in the same day. Just found it odd and maybe it wasn't the same guy.
 
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This is what I get suspicious of with BeIN. How many of their announcers are actually at the games they're broadcasting? It sounds and feels like many are watching the game and commentating from America and not Italy or Spain. I could have swore I heard the Irish guy (Scottish maybe) calling a La Liga game and a Series A game in the same day. Just found it odd and maybe it wasn't the same guy.

That's because they are. Unless they buy the commentary or broadcast from a European outlet, they are never at the game. I think Phil and Ray (He's actually English) will do a La Liga game and a Serie A on the same day, all from the comfort of a studio in Miami. It's like most of the EPL games on NBC on the auxillary channels. Those guys are at the game but they are probably SKY commentators. Flying them over for the Clasico this time was a special occasion.
 
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I want Ray Hudson narrating the highlight tape of my life.

Game was fun to watch, aside from all the diving (felt like I was watching the Mexican National team play at one point). Lot's of missed chances for both sides, but holy crap do they play at a frenetic pace with quick touches and ridiculous handle. Glad Barca won, Bale looks like he's bulked up quite a bit since moving to Spain, seems much more physical too. Neymar should have had 2 goals, and could have had a 3rd. He missed some point blank chances. Real's keeper kept it a 1 goal difference with some big saves too. Entertaining match all around, but probably wasn;t either teams best effort.

Loved it when the fans pulled out the white hankies after the ref gave Suarez the yellow on a ticky tack foul, but then didn't call a foul when a Real player destroyed a Barca man.
 

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That's because they are. Unless they buy the commentary or broadcast from a European outlet, they are never at the game. I think Phil and Ray (He's actually English) will do a La Liga game and a Serie A on the same day, all from the comfort of a studio in Miami. It's like most of the EPL games on NBC on the auxillary channels. Those guys are at the game but they are probably SKY commentators. Flying them over for the Clasico this time was a special occasion.
Lol. We'll glad I wasn't going crazy! I knew that the EPL games are really SKY broadcasts but it's nice that the announcers are actually at the games. The satellite commentating just feels cheap. I get that it's cheaper but nit a fan.
 
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Lol. We'll glad I wasn't going crazy! I knew that the EPL games are really SKY broadcasts but it's nice that the announcers are actually at the games. The satellite commentating just feels cheap. I get that it's cheaper but nit a fan.

Since I have been watching cycling and F1 for so long, I've grown accustomed to it. The problem is that NBC is doing such a good job with the EPL that they are making the other networks look bad.

I actually think FOX is doing better now, ESPN is still doing same old same old however. FOX will have Bundesliga next season which will be good.
 

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Does FOX do the satellite broadcasting for the Champions League games? If they do it's not noticeable.

I do really think NBC is blowing away the soccer competition. I liked FOX's studio crew when they had the Premier league but Eric Wynalda was a little grating. However, their addition of Lalas leaves me disappointed. I can't stand him. He was calling the Sounders-Revs game and some guy on Seattle was left unmarked in the box on a corner and he missed the header but Lalas was just like, "Come on New England, this is Chad Marshall, need I say more?" I was like, ummm...who?? Maybe he doesn't realize that most people tuning in to the opening weekend of MLS might be new and 99% of MLS players are unkown to the casual soccer fans or the ones wanting to watch MLS while being fans of European leagues.

I also think NBC has the hotter female host as opposed to BeIN. Bonus points to them. :D
 
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Lalas is the reason I hit mute or turn the channel during pre-game. It's too bad too because the guy definitely knows a lot about the game and the players. He could be very educational if he was used differently. Instead they either ask him to, or he just does give contrarian opinions and criticizes (mostly). Maybe that's what the suits are asking him to do though, be that lightning rod that stirs the pot. If that's the case, they're misusing his "potential" talent....and they're completley (in my opinion) misreading their broader audience.

Agreed on NBC, they've done a great job with Premiere League. Although has anyone else had the issue with NBC Sports Extra channels (higher up the dial for me) no longer airing all the games not on NBC Sport? First half of the season I had every game as an option on TV, last few weeks I have to go to my iPad to watch the other games (maybe it's a Time Warner thing).
 

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Does FOX do the satellite broadcasting for the Champions League games? If they do it's not noticeable.

I do really think NBC is blowing away the soccer competition. I liked FOX's studio crew when they had the Premier league but Eric Wynalda was a little grating. However, their addition of Lalas leaves me disappointed. I can't stand him. He was calling the Sounders-Revs game and some guy on Seattle was left unmarked in the box on a corner and he missed the header but Lalas was just like, "Come on New England, this is Chad Marshall, need I say more?" I was like, ummm...who?? Maybe he doesn't realize that most people tuning in to the opening weekend of MLS might be new and 99% of MLS players are unkown to the casual soccer fans or the ones wanting to watch MLS while being fans of European leagues.

I also think NBC has the hotter female host as opposed to BeIN. Bonus points to them. :D
I agree NBC does a much better job than Fox, and yes Rebecca Lowe is awesome. But I would think most anyone who follows soccer would know who Chad Marshall was. He's been in the league for >10 years. Played for the National Team. Has been the MLS Best Defender 3X. He's pretty well known. And Lalas was right, he shouldn't have missed that header. ;)
 
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Lalas is the reason I hit mute or turn the channel during pre-game. It's too bad too because the guy definitely knows a lot about the game and the players. He could be very educational if he was used differently. Instead they either ask him to, or he just does give contrarian opinions and criticizes (mostly). Maybe that's what the suits are asking him to do though, be that lightning rod that stirs the pot. If that's the case, they're misusing his "potential" talent....and they're completley (in my opinion) misreading their broader audience.

Agreed on NBC, they've done a great job with Premiere League. Although has anyone else had the issue with NBC Sports Extra channels (higher up the dial for me) no longer airing all the games not on NBC Sport? First half of the season I had every game as an option on TV, last few weeks I have to go to my iPad to watch the other games (maybe it's a Time Warner thing).

Lalas is merely a cheerleader for MLS upper level management. Dude thinks that Seattle and LA are upper mid table Premier League squads. I think he turns many people off. But I think FOX needed him to add some familiarity.

There has been an issue in my area with the Auxillary channels with Time Warner.
 

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I agree NBC does a much better job than Fox, and yes Rebecca Lowe is awesome. But I would think most anyone who follows soccer would know who Chad Marshall was. He's been in the league for >10 years. Played for the National Team. Has been the MLS Best Defender 3X. He's pretty well known. And Lalas was right, he shouldn't have missed that header. ;)
I'll be honest, I didn't know who he was. Maybe I should have. I have only been following soccer closely the past few years so I can't say I know every player and MLS is a league I know even less. So maybe I was in the minority for not knowing who Chad Marshall was! :( Sorry Alexi Lalas....
 
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I'll be honest, I didn't know who he was. Maybe I should have. I have only been following soccer closely the past few years so I can't say I know every player and MLS is a league I know even less. So maybe I was in the minority for not knowing who Chad Marshall was! :( Sorry Alexi Lalas....
UCFB you are in the huge majority of people tuning in. People that like the game, follow the game, maybe are relatively (last few years) new to following it to this degree, but have an inteest and could be covneted to a much bigger fan than they already are. And then they get talked down to for 2 hours..... IMO Lalas (and any other commentator announcer covering MLS or US games) should be focusing their communication to the broader audience, the people who like the game but don't follow it as closely as hardcure fans and occassionally tune in from time to time, working to convert them to regular viewers. IMO (and maybe I'm being too critical b/c the guy just annoys the out of me and has since he had that awful f'ng goatee back in his playing days) he speaks with a degree of "condescension/snobbery/gery". I consider myself relatively informed about the games, players, etc... and I'm hearing it, so how is it translating to newer fans/viewers? I dunno
 

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I'll be honest, I didn't know who he was. Maybe I should have. I have only been following soccer closely the past few years so I can't say I know every player and MLS is a league I know even less. So maybe I was in the minority for not knowing who Chad Marshall was! :( Sorry Alexi Lalas....
Just messing with you. Probably only people like me who have no life can try and keep up with everything. ;)
 
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UCFB you are in the huge majority of people tuning in. People that like the game, follow the game, maybe are relatively (last few years) new to following it to this degree, but have an inteest and could be covneted to a much bigger fan than they already are. And then they get talked down to for 2 hours..... IMO Lalas (and any other commentator announcer covering MLS or US games) should be focusing their communication to the broader audience, the people who like the game but don't follow it as closely as hardcure fans and occassionally tune in from time to time, working to convert them to regular viewers. IMO (and maybe I'm being too critical b/c the guy just annoys the out of me and has since he had that awful f'ng goatee back in his playing days) he speaks with a degree of "condescension/snobbery/ gery". I consider myself relatively informed about the games, players, etc... and I'm hearing it, so how is it translating to newer fans/viewers? I dunno


Alexi basically says that if you are an American and like soccer, then you should support MLS. Which is not the way to sell the product, since most of us are adults and technology has given us other options.

I happen to enjoy it, but it can still be a tough sell for some fans. I tuned in the Red Bulls game after the Clasico. Wow. And I was watching the Clasico with my girlfriend who goes to SKC games with me. She was just like: "These guys are like superhuman compared to our guys".
 

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Just messing with you. Probably only people like me who have no life can try and keep up with everything. ;)
No worries at all. Like I said, I really just started really following soccer maybe 2-3 seasons ago. I keep trying to give MLS a shot but it's so hard to go from watching European leagues, specifically the Premier League, and then watch MLS. I'm hoping I can get into it more and with having more national broadcasts and now two local ones between the Revs and NYCFC, maybe I'll be able to get into it more. By biggest compkaint, besides the level of plsy, was the lack of games on TV. Too often the "game of the week" was a west coast game that would start after 9 or 10 at night. So it was tough finding games.
 

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No worries at all. Like I said, I really just started really following soccer maybe 2-3 seasons ago. I keep trying to give MLS a shot but it's so hard to go from watching European leagues, specifically the Premier League, and then watch MLS. I'm hoping I can get into it more and with having more national broadcasts and now two local ones between the Revs and NYCFC, maybe I'll be able to get into it more. By biggest compkaint, besides the level of plsy, was the lack of games on TV. Too often the "game of the week" was a west coast game that would start after 9 or 10 at night. So it was tough finding games.
Well the cool thing about MLS is all the US Nats that have come home in the past couple of years. Also adding Villa and Kaka, and eventually Lampard should help.
 
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Well the cool thing about MLS is all the US Nats that have come home in the past couple of years. Also adding Villa and Kaka, and eventually Lampard should help.

MLS is pretty good if you make an effort to follow it and learn the personalities. The problem is that so many teams (12 this year) make the playoffs, so the regular season doesn't have much of a sense of urgency. Look at the Revs last season. They lost 7 games in a row last year and still made the final. LA Galaxy also got off to a very slow start and didn't really catch on until the summer when Landon finally got motivated to play soccer.

MLS is all about keeping your best 4-5 players healthy until Sept-Oct and peaking in the playoffs.
 

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MLS is pretty good if you make an effort to follow it and learn the personalities. The problem is that so many teams (12 this year) make the playoffs, so the regular season doesn't have much of a sense of urgency. Look at the Revs last season. They lost 7 games in a row last year and still made the final. LA Galaxy also got off to a very slow start and didn't really catch on until the summer when Landon finally got motivated to play soccer.

MLS is all about keeping your best 4-5 players healthy until Sept-Oct and peaking in the playoffs.
True, they do run it a lot like the other Pro leagues here in USA. Just get to the playoffs and then see what happens. I personally would like to see them put more emphasis on the Supporters Shield ( I know they try), but Americans like their playoffs.
 
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