Good game, bad coverage
Caught the Japan-U.S. women’s soccer game yesterday, which the U.S. won 4-2.
The game was pretty good and both teams should be congratulated for giving their all and fighting it out right up until the final whistle.
Less than stellar, however, was the Japanese coverage both during the game and in the aftermath. As very often happens when Japan is beaten in an international sporting event, commentators spent most of their time serving up the same old tired litany of excuses of why the Japanese side fell to defeat.
Here are the ones I can remember off hand.
- The other team was physically bigger and stronger.
- The bad condition of the pitch.
- The heat and humidity.
- A schedule that had the Japanese team play two games with little rest.
What they always seem to forget is that, except for the first point, both teams are playing under the same conditions.
One particularly humorous remark I heard during the game was by one of the color commentators on the broadcast after the Japanese side went off side for about the fourth time in a row, “The fact that they keep jumping offside is testimony to the speed and agility of the Japanese team.”
this would be over in your area wouldn’t it robyn? any thoughts?.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:35 pmSports presentation in Japan is so small-minded and provincial.
During the last winter Olympics, we discussed how Japanese TV would rather show an interview with a disqualified Japanese ski-jumper than show the final, tense stages of the competition and the actual winning of the medals. Over the last weekend, I saw that Britain had climbed up to 3rd in the medal table with 12 golds. Did I see one of those golds won (live or recorded) on TV? Of course not. But I saw lots of replays of the swimmer Kitajima. Again.
During the ‘06 World Cup, the media trotted out all those excuses above - anything except “The other team were better”. The conditions (perfect for Japan, exactly the conditions of the Japanese football season, exactly the opposite for most of the other teams) were suddenly a disadvantage. The other players were too big (do what they do - send the players to the gym!) The real problem for Japanese (men’s) soccer was evident in the players’ attitudes. They clearly didn’t care enough. Whenever I catch any Japan (men’s) match, I’m struck by how it looks and sounds like a training match.
Post-match coverage here reminds me of the worst of the cantankerous old football managers in the English premiership who, when interviewed after a loss, will almost never give the other team any credit, they just look for something, spurious or otherwise, to blame. Rather than address realities, the Japanese sports media roll out these appalling excuses, and the majority of the viewing public probably mumble “Sou desu, ne.”
August 19th, 2008 at 12:42 pmSpeaking of Japan men’s soccer team, I thought that the women outplay them all the time. The women’s team is always trying to create shots on goal and actually taking them. Sometimes I feel as if most of the men’s teams members would prefer to do anything else in the world rather than pull the trigger.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:19 pmAlso, people who follow Japanese baseball will know that this type of reporting is not limited to international contests. Games of the Yomiuri Giants are reported as if the opposing team does not even exist. Kind of like watching the New York broadcast of Yankees baseball.
(Over to you, Mr. Pink.)
August 19th, 2008 at 1:35 pmThe game wasn’t good at all from Japan’s viewpoint. Japan team was completely overwhelmed by the US team. Actually Japan women’s soccer team has never won against the US ( nor German ) team. They are in another group. That’s it.
Germany and Japan will now compete for bronze medal. But the chance of winning for Japan is very small.
And it’s even not worth to speak of Japan men’s soccer team. They are in the third group in the world.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:15 pmIf they were so speedy and agile, then why didn’t they win? Oh yeah, the bad pitch. I forgot. Bad pitches affect speedy agile teams more. That’s it.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:31 pmI actually find this stuff funny in an eye-rolling way so long as it doesn’t get too stereotype heavy.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:30 amI don’t get it - if the Japanese media picked up on all the problems the poor poor Japanese team faced, why wouldn’t they question the point of spending all that training money and time on a team and sport that simply isn’t going to show how obviously superior Japanese athletes are?
That’s a lot of wasted money and effort, non?
It must be terrible playing in the heat and humidity, too. As I’ve learned from reading Japundit and knowing a bit of geography, Japan is the only country in all of Asia where the temperature only fluctuates 10* and the humidity stays the same every single hour of every single day… .
And that’s my heavy sarcasm portion of the day. Thankyouverymuchandcomebackagainrealsoon.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:16 amBetty! Where have you been?
August 20th, 2008 at 8:59 amA NY broadcast of a Yankees game? I think Edward must be listening to the Japanese announcers. Hit the old bilingual button, there. When it’s the YES team you get a pretty evenhanded commentary — although I have to say that Jim Kaat and the late Bobby Murcer are sorely missed.
Nay, for a real demonstration of announcer homerism tune in when NHK shows a WhiteSox game. Two hours of “the Hawk” and you’ll think the typical Japanese sports announcer turned into Vince Scully.
(Apologies to footie fans for the hijack, but Edward rarely hits it that far OB so I couldn’t pass up the chance.)
August 20th, 2008 at 12:05 pmBut Betty…..Japanese athletes play in FOUR seasons!
August 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm(Oh, and the Mariners announcers are pretty good, too.)