welcome arlo

SO stoked!

Very excited about this.  I like KC, but he just couldn’t cut it.  He couldn’t even get names right.

KC improved every step of the way last year. Yup, he came up short, but by the end of the season he was not only getting it mostly right, but also making the sort of observations that can only come from OUTSIDE the sport.

That said, Arlo was great. I guess I wish we’d keep ‘em both.

Let’s be honest. Kevin Colabro probably didn’t know that each team starts with 11 players.

Thank you Sounders front office for once again listening to your fans.

I’m really bummed about this, Kalabro was a big part of my childhood here in Seattle and of my being a Sonics fan (may they rest in peace).  I thought that Kalabro was catching on to the sport just fine and I loved that the SFO was keeping Kalabro in the Seattle family.

And in case you’re wondering, you’re right, I am a ‘new’ fan, or I’ll allow, band wagon jumper.  My wife and I both played Rugby previously and just started tuning into the Soccer during the 2006 world cup.

I know that he doesn’t sound authentic – i.e. British, but I’ll miss him and look forward to the day when American Soccer is proud enough of it’s identity to go with local color. 

Please don’t perceive this as a swipe at Arlo, I know that he’ll do a great job of calling the games, I just liked that the Sounders’ broadcasts sounded different from the games that you watch on FSC.

See you at the game!  Go Sounders! 

That is fair enough… andrew. but at the risk of sounding like a soccer snob (even though i am sure i am), it was quite frustrating to know much more about what was going on in the game than the guy calling it. he needs to add, not take away. KC would likely have gotten better… to be sure, but i guess not quick enough for the FO.

hopefully you can hear him more in his element elsewhere soon.

Thanks yamsmos – I understand that folks are happy with the change so I’m okay with it – but wish that more fans could say their thank you’s rather then throwing derision at a quality guy who made a whole hearted effort to fulfill his contract, not yourself of course, but rather in general. 

I’ll agree that it’s clear that Kalabro’s first love is basketball and he remains the best in the business at calling that game (being done with the NBA – those lying, cheating, no good Clay Bennett supporting bastards) – I’ll likely not hear him again in his element.

Speaking for myself only, a big part of my hopes for U.S. and Sounders Soccer is that we continue to develop and promote our local, U.S. talent – for the MLS, the World Cup and the broadcasting – I know that it takes experience and immersion to make a great (i.e. Freddie Ljungberg), but you have to start somewhere (I hope you’ll agree that KC was a good jumping off point at minimum) and I don’t know where we make the transition if fans are unwilling to allow for or support the growth and development of local talent.

It is of course possible that KC was the party that wanted out (it sounds like this could be the case) so I may be stretching the facts to fit my view!

So…

Here’s to a future broadcaster for the Sounders who lives up to the high standards and to fans who don’t make an accent key to their acceptence when this future broadcaster comes along.

Thanks for sharing your thought yamsmos.

Welcome to Seattle, Arlo! This I consider QUITE the coup to have a soccer broadcaster of this quality on our airwaves. I am a big fan of Arlo’s BBC podcasts and look forward with great anticipation to the start of the season. And just to echo the sentiments expressed earlier, KC is a phenomenal talent when he’s in his element. While KC wasn’t a negative to last year’s proceedings, you’re right, he didn’t add a whole heck of a lot. What KC does well no one else can touch. Can you imagine Hall-of-Famer Dave Niehaus calling a basketball game? <<shudder>> This town is blessed with H of F caliber sportscasters like Dave, Kevin, Steve and, yes, Mr. Rondeau too. I am hoping Arlo will soon join that elite crowd calling the ‘Beautiful Game’ for Sounders FC for many years to come.