In Tampa, Tom Jones writes Fox deserves "big-time pats on the back for its coverage of the FIFA Confederations Cup." Game coverage has been "excellent, but it's the studio show that really rocks, especially if you follow international soccer closely." There is "a lot of 'insider soccer' here, but that's exactly what it should be." Those watching pregames for such matches are "diehards." It is better to "cater to them and let the novices, who probably aren't watching anyway, catch up." Rob Stone "plays anchor to a who's who of international commentators," Alexi Lalas, Aly Wagner, Arne Friedrich, Mariano Trujillo and Fernando Fiore. Jones: "The entire panel is top-notch" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/26).
STICK IT TO THEM: THE MMQB's Emily Kaplan, who is leaving to cover hockey for ESPN, said she is "not crazy about calling hockey a 'niche sport.'" Kaplan: "There are just as many interesting stories in hockey as there are in football. So the challenge, to me, is this: How do you convince the casual fan, who might only tune in during the Stanley Cup playoffs, that he or she should care on a regular basis? At the same time, you can’t dumb it down to the point where it alienates the Red Wings season-ticket holder in Detroit, because I’m also serving them and want to offer them something new, too" (MMQB.SI.com, 6/23).
SIGNING OFF ONE LAST TIME: The AP noted former MLBer Maury Wills yesterday "wrapped up more than two decades of dropping into the broadcast booth" for the independent Northern League Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. It was Wills' "final game of providing color commentary before retirement." Wills "spent parts of 22 years for the RedHawks as an announcer" (AP, 6/25).