Tommy Smyth
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Tommy Michael Smyth (pronounced Smith) (born in County Louth, Ireland) is one of the most recognized soccer commentators in the USA. He is a color commentator for ESPN, which he joined in February 1993 as a football (soccer) analyst. He provides co-commentary or in-studio analysis for most major soccer events. He also commentates on Gaelic games, horse racing and harness racing for ESPN.
Smyth moved to the United States in 1963 following a brief football career with a local Irish team. In America, he played with the Shamrock Club in the German American Soccer League.
Smyth was the voice of the MetroStars of Major League Soccer from the team's inception in 1996 to the early 2000s, when his ESPN contract prohibited him from working for the MSG Network.
Smyth's trademark is analysis adding color commentary to Derek Rae. Smyth is known for signing off when commentating as "Tommy Smyth... with a Y" and for his description of a ball flying into the net when a goal is scored as "a bulge in the auld onion bag." Smyth is also known for being an avid Manchester United follower and is renowned on ESPN Soccernet PressPass for invariably tipping them to win on a weekly basis regardless of the circumstance.[citation needed]
He currently commentates regularly for ESPN International covering matches weekly for La Liga, Serie A, International matches and the FA Cup and is one of the regular panelist on ESPNSoccernet PressPass which is hosted by Derek Rae. He also commentates matches from the UEFA Champions League which coverage is taken up by ESPN stations around the world including ESPN2 in the United States. In 2007 he joined ESPN's MLS broadcast team and has also done a few World Cups for ESPN, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he partnered with Adrian Healey. He commentates on the UEFA Highlight show on Thursdays and Fridays. Mr. Smyth will occasionally be a phone-in guest pundit mostly during the UEFA Champions League campaigns on the CSRN radio programme, The 2 G's, sharing his opinion regarding the upcoming matches.
Tommy M. Smyth was the 2008 Grand Marshal of the 247th St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City. He is also the co-host for WNBC coverage of the New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade from 1998-Present.
[edit] External links
- Listen online a song about Tommy Smyth by Irish Country Artist Aine Woods.
- BME Talk Podcast interview
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