Tommy Smyth Needs to Shut His Big Fat Mouth

By: Inara | November 28th, 2007

GRRR. I hate Tommy Smyth. He’s one of the few soccer analysts for ESPN, the nation’s largest sports broadcaster – and horrifyingly, people actually listen to what he says. In fact, he’s the main reason why most Americans are illiterate about soccer. He seems to really hate French football and puts Lyon down at every opportunity. In fact, he wrote off Lyon before the Champions League even started. He also has a hard on for John O’Shea, but that’s a story for another day.

So last Friday, on ESPNsoccernet’s weekly Press Pass, Derek Rae (the host) and his two fellow analysts, Smyth and Janusz Michallik, were discussing dire situations regarding Champions League qualification. If you want to watch it, click here, then look for the video player on the right hand side. Scroll down for the clip “Time Running Out For Lyon.”

Here is a transcript:

Rae: “It’s a very big week in UEFA Champions League action coming up, and I’m joined here in the ESPN Soccernet Presspass studio by the regulars of course, Tommy Smyth and Janusz Michallik. Let’s start with Tuesday night action, of course it will be Wednesday morning for some of you. And Olympique Lyonnais against Barcelona. Now Barca, Tommy, have acquitted themselves pretty well in this section by and large. Olympique Lyonnais got off to a slow start. But they’re making up ground.”

Smyth: Yeah, they [Lyon] certainly are, but I’m not sure that they’re going to make up anymore ground. I think the ground has gone. I think the ground is gonna be taken out from underneath them with Barcelona. Barcelona…there’s a few problems in the camp, there’s all kinds of black sheep and who knows what’s going on. But I still think they’re good enough to win.

Michallik: And you on Barceona’s side…how refreshing that is. But I tell you what, Olympique Lyon did have a slow start, but I’ve think they’ve played well recently, not just in Ligue 1 but in the Champions League. And I think Barcelona doesn’t need as much out of this game. What a difference a year makes, when they had to wait until the last game against Werder Bremen to qualify. But I do think it’s gonna be a draw, with Barcelona clearly good enough for a draw to go through.

Rae: “Yes, it wouldn’t be the worst result in the world for Barcelona.”

I would like to think that Smyth would stfu since the ground is still beneath Lyon, and even better, Lyon are threatening to take the ground from underneath his beloved Rangers. But that’s wishful thinking, isn’t it?