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9 Americanisms that have invaded the sports we love

From sponsored goal highlights, half-time interviews and cutting to commercials midway through a match.

- Aldo hates blazers! (Credit: Peter Robinson/EMPICS)

HOW MANY TIMES have you looked at sport covered by an American broadcaster and sniffed dismissively at its over the top style and lashings of advertisements?

As much as we may like to scoff and say ‘it will never happen here’, more often than not, the presentation style, packaging and omni-present advertisements eventually seep into our sports coverage in Ireland and Britain. Here are 8 Americanisms that are now the norm:

Sponsored highlights

Want to check out that great goal [or consolation in a thumping  against Germany]? Fill your boots on the ’3′ jumbotron:

(Credit: ©INPHO/James Crombie)

On-pitch interviews

RTÉ are massive fans on this interview technique that is often used during American Football and ice hockey games [Tip: Mind your eardrums near Declan Devine]:

YouTube credit: 25pappy

Cutting to ad breaks at crucial times

American broadcasters have been pulling off similar stunts for years but ITV drew the ire of football fans earlier this year when they cut away from Jose Mourinho – on the verge of announcing his move to Chelsea – with a message from their sponsors:

YouTube credit: Arsenal Supremo

Sensational pundits

Jim Rome makes a decent wage slagging off footballers as diving, powder puffs and internet porn addicts, while Jeremy Roenick loves courting controversy in the NHL and Skip Bayless can’t get enough of winding up interviewees.

The shift from insightful pundit to post-match entertainer has now arrived in the GAA with Joe Brolly, Pat Spillane and Colm O’Rourke lining up each Sunday to shoot from the hip:

YouTube credit: rte

Sports stars plugging brands

Bo don’t know Didley about drinking out of two Powerade bottles like Brian O’Driscoll or raising your Twitter profile like Paddy Barnes:

(Credit: RTÉ Player)

Sponsored segments

‘This crucial Tiger Woods putt is brought to you by Mist Breeze deodorants… Misty breeze, for guys that don’t sweat the big stuff.”

YouTube credit: larsen161

Half-time interviews

The folks at UEFA had to twist every arm at Manchester United to convince Alex Ferguson to agree to tidbits midway through Champions League games. Fergie even missed a goal at the start of the second half one season as he was stuck chatting to ITV.

Here’s Fergie’s ‘typical Germans’ comment, which actually came at full-time after United were knocked out by Bayern Munich:

YouTube credit: spikeli

On-pitch advertisements

‘Yep, lads, this looks like the perfect spot for a scrum.’ (©INPHO/Billy Stickland)

Bandwagon jumpers

Chelsea and Manchester City have picked up a lot of these over the past decade. As American comedian Drew Carey says in the clip below, “I’m a big, huge LA Galaxy fan. I’ve had season tickets now for the past four years.”

YouTube credit: Gary Alvarez

Kiwi commentators loses his mind over ‘Greatest pass I’ve ever seen’

Michael Murphy: Suspicions may exist but drug culture has not seeped into GAA

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