Google’s Awful World Cup Page
Posted by Jonathan in INTERNET on 06-14-10 No Comments
You would think the world’s biggest search engine could do a little better covering the world’s biggest sport. But you would be thinking wrong.
Over the weekend, Google tossed up an oh-so-feeble FIFA World Cup coverage page. Their linked-directly-from-their-core-search-engine site consists of nothing more than custom graphic designs for one’s iGoogle account, game stats, info and video from FIFA.com, Google Maps links for local bars where you can go watch the games — like I need Google for that — and a Street View app, a la the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. You can click around the empty venues and streets and get a feel for the stadiums when nobody is around.
Honestly, Google needs to realize that sports are about exactly one thing: Games. And just like everybody else, they will have to line up and pay to have access to those games. The sooner this stumbling media company does that, the sooner they can get on with their sports ambitions.
All they’ve done is send folks browser graphics and links to organizer content. Not even the most powerful Web brand on earth can add much value doing that.
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