He was the worst announcer I have ever heard for a national broadcast. It was a real embarrassment. There are so many much more qualified commentators out there it’s a shame they didn’t get the opportunity. As others have said, he was not prepared either or if he was he was not able to properly convey it. It does show all of us how little tv cares about running/track/marathoning that this guy could get hired for one of the marquee races in the US.
If they simply wanted to hire a great Hispanic announcer for the color commentary job, they'd have hired Des Linden.
If they wanted a legendary runner for whom English wasn't their native language, they'd have hired Bernard Lagat or Meb Keflezighi.
If they wanted to have the worse broadcast possible, then you'd do what they did - hire Juan Luis Barrios.
Can someone explain the logic behind this? Like what adult on planet earth who is on charge of US broadcast would think this is a good idea?
Why would you hire a no-name person who struggles with English as one of your key color commentators? Why would he be hired over Des, Meb or Lagat? I'd add in Rupp but we know why he'd be hired over Rupp.
Does everyone who lives in the US who watched the race speak pristine English?
Of course not, and none of them should be national-level commentators either.
If they simply wanted to hire a great Hispanic announcer for the color commentary job, they'd have hired Des Linden.
If they wanted a legendary runner for whom English wasn't their native language, they'd have hired Bernard Lagat or Meb Keflezighi.
If they wanted to have the worse broadcast possible, then you'd do what they did - hire Juan Luis Barrios.
Can someone explain the logic behind this? Like what adult on planet earth who is on charge of US broadcast would think this is a good idea?
Why would you hire a no-name person who struggles with English as one of your key color commentators? Why would he be hired over Des, Meb or Lagat? I'd add in Rupp but we know why he'd be hired over Rupp.
Does everyone who lives in the US who watched the race speak pristine English?
That isn’t the point. He wasn’t very good and his English is poor for a lead analyst on ESPN. I’m not sure what he brought to the table.
Did you watch the broadcast?
Big papi doesn’t have great English but he is really good as an analyst on Major League Baseball broadcasts. But he’d never be the lead analyst on the game. He is on the post game show.
Lagat was quite terrible too. On an English-speaking broadcast, your commentators should have a good command of the English language.
I think only native New Yorkers needs to announce in the local dialect. For authenticity. Why would a "world" major restrict itself to Americans only when ESPN is showing it world. But, sure, have a Bronxer comment and hear them say, "It's brick out there," meaning it's cold, or "dude is dumb fast," meaning very fast, and the LRC whiners will all over them.
Every city has a unique stash of secret code language reserved only for its people. These are the words that you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else. And New Y...
If they simply wanted to hire a great Hispanic announcer for the color commentary job, they'd have hired Des Linden.
If they wanted a legendary runner for whom English wasn't their native language, they'd have hired Bernard Lagat or Meb Keflezighi.
If they wanted to have the worse broadcast possible, then you'd do what they did - hire Juan Luis Barrios.
Can someone explain the logic behind this? Like what adult on planet earth who is on charge of US broadcast would think this is a good idea?
Why would you hire a no-name person who struggles with English as one of your key color commentators? Why would he be hired over Des, Meb or Lagat? I'd add in Rupp but we know why he'd be hired over Rupp.
Does everyone who lives in the US who watched the race speak pristine English?
If they simply wanted to hire a great Hispanic announcer for the color commentary job, they'd have hired Des Linden.
If they wanted a legendary runner for whom English wasn't their native language, they'd have hired Bernard Lagat or Meb Keflezighi.
If they wanted to have the worse broadcast possible, then you'd do what they did - hire Juan Luis Barrios.
Can someone explain the logic behind this? Like what adult on planet earth who is on charge of US broadcast would think this is a good idea?
Why would you hire a no-name person who struggles with English as one of your key color commentators? Why would he be hired over Des, Meb or Lagat? I'd add in Rupp but we know why he'd be hired over Rupp.
That dude was bad. Maybe he was commentating on the Spanish language broadcast or something as well?
I’ll take him all day over John Anderson. Just awful.
That is a blast from the past, I remember him winning the Boston Marathon in I think 1973, I think he spells his name Jon, though glad he is still around and broadcasting, so still involved with running.