Fox’s Stu Holden: ‘Too much is being made’ of Alexi Lalas controversies during World Cup

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Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images; Sports Business Journal

The on-air interactions between Alexi Lalas and his cohosts on the Fox Sports coverage of the men’s World Cup have quickly become one of the top storylines from the tournament.

The polarizing American talking head, a star of the USMNT the last time the U.S. hosted a World Cup, has clashed with his fellow studio commentators and drawn criticism for provocative takes. But fellow Fox veteran Stu Holden, the network’s No. 1 match analyst, came to Lalas’ defense this week.

In an appearance on The Sports Media Podcast, Holden argued “too much is being made” of Lalas’ on-air statements and role on the studio show alongside Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“Off-camera, these guys are all great professionals. They all get along. And I think they understand, again, that this is TV,” Holden said. “And I think honestly, too much is being made of the Alexi thing. But probably, secretly, I haven’t even talked to Alexi about it, I’m sure he’s enjoying this an element because it is a role and a character that he plays, and we’re just seeing it in a way with two people he’s never really had that interaction with.”

Holden added that he considers Lalas a friend, and that the former USMNT defender is a far more supportive and uplifting teammate away from the studio than his sniping during broadcasts might indicate.

“He’s a completely different person off-camera than he is on-camera. He would be the first to admit that,” Holden said.

“He understands there’s an entertainment, a performative element to a studio show. And I think what you’re seeing for the first time, really, with Alexi and Thierry and Zlatan with Rebecca (Lowe), the four of them have never worked together. But it’s not that they don’t have good chemistry, it’s that people haven’t seen the way that they have interacted and become a pairing.”


Among the various controversies Lalas has generated in the first 10 days of the tournament include defending FIFA’s hydration breaks, teeing off on Americans who call soccer “football,” calling Fox late-night host James Corden a “******,” picking the USMNT to win the World Cup, and taking regular shots at his cohosts (who, to be fair, dish it right back).

Holden acknowledged Lalas isn’t for everyone, but offered a reminder of the former ESPNer’s longevity as a testament to his effectiveness in his role.

“Nobody works harder in this business. There’s a reason that I always say Alexi is still relevant in today’s sports media, for a guy that really came to fame in 1994,” Holden said. “And it’s something that I have a great appreciation for as a broadcaster for 12 or 13 years, and imagining if I can still be relevant the way that Alexi is, that I’ve done something right.”

Holden added that he has heard from people behind the scenes at Fox Sports that the studio team has begun to revel in the curiosity about their relationships, and looks forward to the audience’s reactions to their latest clashes.

Holden is the second Fox colleague to defend Lalas and his fellow panelists after Lowe did so last week. While Lalas may revel in playing the villain and turning up the dial on his takes, it may become a distraction if it continues to this degree with more than a month to go in the tournament.

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