Soccer on the Radio Is Cool!

Why I Love the Apple TV Deal with MLS

Me and Matty Lawrence at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The early returns for MLS broadcasts on Apple TV have been filled with plaudits about the mod studios and the 1080p resolution for games and a transcendent whip-around program on game-days to track the critical moments live in every match.

While these features have added to the viewers experience, the crucial element provided in the new 10-year, 2.5 billion-dollar deal is the ability to listen to hometown radio commentary while watching your beloved team (for now, only home games).

And yes – the video and audio are in sync! (For your team’s road games, you will still need to sync up the video with the normal audio provided by your team – details provided at the end of this story).

I admit to a certain bias here. I’ve been performing the radio play-by-play commentary for New York City FC since their first kick in 2015.

However, my admiration – more accurately my love for listening to the radio - came well before March 8, 2015 when NYCFC played at Orlando in front of 62,000 at the Citrus Bowl.

I’m a Central Jersey boy who grew up a New York sports fan and had a special affection for my father’s team – the New York Yankees. I was enamored with Joe Willie Namath, so the Jets became my NFL team, and also rooted with passion for the Knicks and Rangers.

My father – who surprised me with a trip to my first Yankees game after finishing up my afternoon paper route one day -- was instrumental in my attraction to the radio waves.

I recall him in our garage constructing an FM radio kit which included a single, massive speaker that fit into a cabinet he had built. He eventually turned on the tuner and scanned the dial, wiggling the knob until a clear signal was established on the classical music station, WQXR – which thankfully, still exists.

I remember that moment with such clarity: the tone of the FM signal, the announcer’s resonant voice introducing the next piece and then the opening measures of something by Bach.

I was enamored – hooked – at six years old. I swear, that was the moment I knew I wanted to be a radio personality.

As I had a love for sports that surpassed my devotion to music (I studied trumpet and sang), I began to listen regularly to my favorite baseball team, the Yankees.

I was a rabid sports fan as a kid but was stunned to learn that home games for professional sports teams were blacked out! If you were not at the game, the only way to follow every pitch and the scenes in between was by listening to the radio. Yankee announcers Phil Rizzuto, Jerry Coleman and Frank Messer became members of my family. My favorite Christmas gift was a portable, battery-operated radio that could be attached to the handlebars of my bicycle so I could still listen to afternoon games and not miss a moment while delivering the Newark News to my neighbors.

On the occasions I attended a game in the Bronx, I carried my transistor radio and held it close to my ear to listen intently to the description of the proceedings in front of me. My challenge was to balance the pencil and scorecard in a way where I did not miss a word of their interpretations.

The genius of Marv Albert filtered into my bedroom during the winter months when he led the radio broadcasts of both the Knicks and Rangers. “Yes!” and “Kick save and a beauty!” were phrases owned by Marv. My thirst to one day call a live game on the radio grew exponentially listening to “Marvelous Marv” in the late 60’s and early to mid 70’s.

My friends and colleagues from the UK clearly comprehend the importance of radio in their lives both as children and adults. To this day, Saturday afternoon matches in the Premier League, the EFL and FA Cup are blacked out. The only way to follow every transitional moment is to listen to the distinct timbres of their hometown announcers.

Apple TV has hired a throng of match commentators – many of them are very good, experienced professionals. Many of them are my friends, some acquaintances, and some I’ve never met. It’s not about a lack of quality if you choose their narration of the game. But in the New York metropolitan area, for instance, NYCFC supporters are missing the popular YES Network duo of Joe Tolleson and Ian Joy. The MLS/Apple TV deal eliminated regional broadcasters. Supporters have suffered the loss of a more informed, intimate view of their club.

Enter the New York City FC Radio Network (although we’ve always been there).

Thanks to the New York City Football Club, my partner Matt Lawrence and I (along with the brilliant Spanish broadcast team of Roberto Abramowitz and Ariel Judas) travel on the charter with the team and reside in the same hotel. Without exception, I will bump into a player and/or coach and have informal and at times off-the-record conversations. Some are just friendly, “how’s life” interactions.

In our most recent trip, Matty and I saddled up next to an assistant coach for a half hour or so and he detailed some of the methods to prepare individuals and the team for the game. It was a fascinating discussion with insights you would not otherwise obtain.

It’s on the road where I’ve had long-form conversations for my podcast with edited versions used in our pregame or halftime. Examples include Sporting Director David Lee, assistant coach Kleberson and the since-departed Heber.

We attend full training every week and I interact with head coach Nick Cushing to record our pregame show. We always chat a bit before and after I depress the record button as well. This, after observing a session to make my own conclusions about a proposed starting XI and system that will be utilized on the weekend. This is a consistent dance each week – the drive from Central Jersey to Orangeburg, NY and back – and a lot of material is obtained in between for the broadcast.

At a recent Homecoming Gala for the team, I had a long off-the-record chat with Lee, grabbing the sort of background data that affords a look at the long-term vision of the club during a period when those on the outside looking in might wonder – WTF is going on? I gained clarity and the ability to transmit a message that supporters might wish to remain calm during the transfer storm.

That same night, I spent time with new goalkeeper, Matt Freese, and joked around with Maxime Chanot, Justin Haak, Talles Magno and others. James Sands had yet to arrive. But I saw him at the airport three days later and we had a good chat (more to come with a recorded sit-down soon).

You might be concerned that these relationships could alter our approach in being forthright during our commentary. It’s simply not the case. We’ve maintained our integrity; I doubt very much you would call us homers after listening to a cast.

From @HudsonRiverBlue:

Crooks’ partner partner in the booth is the British-born analyst Matt Lawrence, who brings the tough love to a broadcast. He isn’t afraid to criticize NYCFC performances that are lacking, and his comments about the team needing a No 9 who runs across the face of the goal to open up space for others - and to give the goalkeeper a hard time - were illuminating. Now only if Apple TV could add an “Alway’s Team Local Radio” for when NYCFC is on the road.

Former NYCFC manager Patrick Vieira provided comfort to me once in regard to some critical in-game assessments. I had told him in one of our pregame briefings that I am sometimes critical of his decisions and wondered what he thought of that.

“I don’t have a problem with that, Glenn,” he said with his thick French accent. “As long as you offer a solution.”

Fair enough – and that’s our pledge when delivering the pictures of the game. We are “telling it like it is” (Howard Cosell owns that phrase).

Part of my objective in writing this missive is a plea to all supporters in 28 of the 29 clubs in MLS to strongly consider your home turf voices. If you have the Apple TV subscription, there is a drop-down feature on all your devices that will read, “Home Team’s Local Radio: English.” (Sorry, Chicago – your Fire does not have English radio, but the league is mandating that all teams offer it in the future).

If you do not subscribe to Apple TV, or are a subscriber and want to still sync the TV and radio broadcasts for your team’s road games, I have provided instructions here courtesy of Atlanta United radio guy, Mike Conti (yes, you CAN pause the live stream on Apple TV – I tried it).

So, there you have it. MLS and Apple TV have offered a way to offset the loss of local television commentators who in many ways had become the face and mouthpiece of the teams.

If you had not already done so, it’s time to make the switch.

Soccer on the Radio is cool.