Tag Archives: Arlo White

Arlo Across America

For an Englishman, Arlo White sure gets around. America, that is.

White has been an Americanophile for over 30 years, beginning with a boyhood trip to Chicago to visit his great aunt. He kept coming back, and then in 2010 began broadening his travel as Sounders broadcaster and, beginning in 2012, as lead commentator for NBCSN coverage of MLS.

His work for the network’s Premier League coverage has since taken him back home to Leicester but a piece of his heart always seems to drum to the beat of a Yankee. He spends his summer holidays exploring the country with his wife and twin daughters. This year was no exception, and he’s already plotting a 2019 return to where this TV business all started.

Dedicated to his craft, White is always prepared for the worst and exuberant for the best. Now beginning his sixth season of EPL play-by-play, he says he’s altered his style, but only slightly, and believe he and NBC have found their groove.

 Almost 10 years into working on TV, do you find that you’ve changed your approach in any way?

In terms of preparation, it’s exactly the same, with a few tweaks. At the start there was possibly more statistics. Now that I’ve grown into the League and the role, it’s probably more about storylines. If I can add a nice quote that gets a conversation started or makes a point, it lets the players or the manager dictate the storyline rather than me shoehorning something into a game.

White’s detailed preparation is ready for the worst of times.

Continue reading Arlo Across America

Are You Ready for Some Football? Arlo Is.

For those enduring Premier League withdrawal, the cure is right around the corner. Fixture 1 is Friday at Old Trafford and greeting us from the gantry will again be the ginger-topped, golden-toned Arlo White.

It’s been nearly seven years since White signed-off from his Sounders broadcasting post, and this is his sixth EPL season as EPL play-by-play voice for the NBC Sports Group. In this two-part Q&A, we first get his view of the English season ahead. The second part turns toward America, where he once again spent his summer holiday and plans to return again, next time to mark a significant anniversary.

Your summer was short, after adding on that World Cup stint. What was that like?

It was great to go back to BBC (Radio) 5 Live, which is where I originally came from to Seattle. A lot of my buddies were still there. In fact, some of my contemporaries then are now running the place. I didn’t get to Russia, unfortunately, but did some games off tube, which was a great experience. It was a new challenge and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Calling matches from a broadcast center or studio – such as FOX did for some of the World Cup – how does that affect what you do as a broadcaster, as opposed to being live on the gantry? Continue reading Are You Ready for Some Football? Arlo Is.

The Next Voice You Hear: Arlo White

Play is about to begin in the English Premier League, and that means summer is over for Arlo White. The former Sounders FC broadcaster begins his fifth season as EPL play-by-play voice for the NBC Sports Group with a whirlwind of assignments. All this comes after the Whites vacationed at some iconic American destinations.

(Courtesy NBC Sports)

Arlo White may have returned to his native England, but he always holds America close to his heart, not to mention some clubs that, like his beloved Leicester City, enjoyed profound success in the past year.

Your summer is a short one and the English season is about to begin. Are you able to get breaks for off-field fun during the EPL season?

During the season–and it’s a long season, some nine and half months–every time there’s a FIFA break or an FA Cup weekend and the Premier League teams are idle, my daughters are in school. And every time their school is on vacation, I’m working on Premier League games. It’s very, very difficult to spend any quality time together. As soon as the season ends in May, we head off to some place nice, like the beach, just to decompress a little bit at the end of the season.

People following on Twitter saw you share postcards from some great destinations these past few years. How long were these trips in the works?

During winter months, we are busy planning our next American adventure. In 2015, we went to Florida to do Disney and did a bit of a road trip down to Naples, and it gave us a taste for something a little bit more expansive. Last summer we landed in San Francisco. We drove to Yosemite, we drove back to Los Angeles and did the great Pacific Coast Highway and it was fantastic. This year we differed slightly, and planned it meticulously. We landed in Las Vegas, drove to the Grand Canyon, then Palm Springs, Santa Monica, down to San Diego and then flew to Chicago where I spent four nights with my family which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Seattle. Hopefully that will be part of a future trip. We love our U.S. vacations and road trips. We’ve developed a little bit of a soft spot for California as well.

Clearly, you still have interest in America, it’s culture and attractions. What determines your itinerary? Continue reading The Next Voice You Hear: Arlo White