My favorite soccer-related entertainment duo are definitely Michael Davies and Rog Bennett, two Englishmen who make the podcast and video series, Men In Blazers. From their website: “Their aim is nothing less than to enlighten the masses to the wildly entertaining world of soccer and the English Premier League in particular. Immersed in the high and low culture of the beautiful game, the program mixes analysis and guest appearance in equal measure, with the aim of providing an intelligent yet often humorous, and always passionate, soccer broadcast.”
For a taste of what humor and insight they bring to the game, watch this video. Men in Blazers recap Premier League’s Matchweek 24. What I love about their videos (I haven’t listened to their podcasts, but I imagine they contain more of the same), is how they capture both the comedy and drama of the professional soccer world. In a fatalist interpretation of what it is like to be a Liverpool fan, describing their loss to Swansea City a week after beating undefeated Manchester City, Rog says “that might have been the Liverpooliest Liverpool thing to ever Liverpool.” Rog himself is an Everton supporter and constantly expresses the agony of their eternal mediocrity. They tell a story of the Premier League season, and it’s one full of laughter and heartbreak. More than once they have compared the soccer to shows like Game of Thrones.
Another feature of their scripts (or maybe just improvisation) is the peppering in of references to other American sports. In their Jan 22 video, they allude to the Ball brothers going to play basketball in Lithuania. They have referenced NFL playoff events as well. I think part of their purpose is to help bring soccer to an American audience (“enlighten the masses”), and perhaps soccer goes down easier with a side of good old American sport. Soccer will never be the only sport Americans care about, and perhaps they have accepted that and tried to go with the flow.
If you haven’t heard of these guys before, I definitely recommend you check them out.
