Alexi Lalas, the former U.S. men's national soccer team player and current FOX Sports commentator, is a popular choice at this point in his career.
His most recent controversy came the weekend before the Copa America final in Miami, when the start of the game was delayed by nearly 90 minutes after fans without tickets swarmed the gates outside Hard Rock Stadium in an attempt to get in.
“I think it shows that we have a lot of local teams in the United States, but the enthusiasm and passion for this game and these tournaments is going to be on display over the next two years and I think in the summer of 2026 we're going to have the most important and biggest summer in soccer history,” Lalas said. His comments, and Fox's coverage of the event, were widely criticized.
Popular podcast “Men in Blazers” weighed in, essentially praising Lalas for not commentating on TV until Fox's next soccer game.
“WARNING: 15 minutes left of this summer's football. Prepare yourself. Lalas will not be on TV tomorrow. Don't cry about what happened, laugh about what's over,” reads a post on X's “Men in Blazers” account.
RalBennett responded to X in his own social media post, saying, “I enjoy and respect the unique wit, humor and perspective of @MenInBlazers. It's a shame you don't care about me, but I still toast and salute @rogbennett and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
That prompted former U.S. women's national team star Carli Lloyd to come to Lalas's defence, having served as a commentator on Lalas' panel during the network's Copa America coverage.
Lloyd slammed “Men in Blazers,” telling X, “This is pretty vulgar and raunchy. There's no need for this. I've had the pleasure of sitting next to @AlexiLalas all summer and look forward to doing it again!”
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