arlo white was a one time thing

while watching the match this weekend at qwest, i get a text from a buddy that read

British dude doing the play by play today. SO much better than calabro.

so when i rewatched the game yesterday morning on tv and heard/saw what he was talking about, i couldn’t help but 100% agree.  i think i speak for all of us when i say, i have got nothing against calabro, i actually think he does an ok job. i can only imagine how hard it might be to change your play calling style from one sport to the next…. and let’s face it, us soccer fans are quite picky and finicky in the nuances of the game.  but listening to arlo white was fantastic. we finally heard what it was like to watch a sounders match being called by a seasoned soccer announcer. it was like seeing the light. rather than just saying what the players were doing on the pitch, arlo injected enthusiasm and insight into the experience and make it… well… better.

unfortunately, from what i understand, arlo white working the booth was a one time thing and was brought in b/c KC was on vacation. he still resides in the UK i believe and he looks to be a freelance announcer at the moment from what i can gather from his very incomplete website. in talking to a british colleague of mine this morning, he is well liked from his work on BBC’s Five Live and unfortunately, i doubt he is looking for a job.

a little wikipedia blurb on him.