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Alexi Lalas

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Soccer Player

The Resume

    (June 1, 1970- )
    Born in Birmingham, Michigan
    Birth name was Panayotis Alexander Lalas
    Played for Padova (1994-96), New England Revolution (1996-97), MetroStars (1998), Kansas City Wizards (1999) and Los Angeles Galaxy (2001-03)
    Member of the United States national team (1991-98)
    General manager of the San Jose Earthquakes (2003-05), MetroStars/New York Red Bulls (2005-06) and Los Angeles Galaxy (2006-08)
    Analyst for ESPN and ABC Sports
    Elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame (2006)

Why he might be annoying:

    In his playing days, he sported a goatee and unkempt hair that USA Today said made him look 'like a leftover from Haight-Ashbury.'
    He is the singer/guitarist in a celebrity band called the Gypsies.
    A member of the Gypsies noted that when they toured Europe opening for Hootie and the Blowfish, 'He wore a Ratt t-shirt. The same Ratt t-shirt every night for three weeks. Never washed it.'
    He was the main person responsible for the Galaxy paying $250 million to a past-his-prime David Beckham.
    The New York Times claimed, 'Wherever he went as an official, Lalas left a trail of disappointment and disarray.'
    He let his bitterness at his ex-employers the Red Bulls color his commentary at ESPN, as he consistently predicted the team would lose.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He played both soccer and ice hockey in high school and college.
    He played 45 minutes during the US Olympic team's match against Poland despite having broken his foot a week earlier (1992).
    He played all 90 minutes in each of the US's four games at the 1994 World Cup.
    Diego Maradona asked for his jersey at the 1995 Copa America.
    Even if the Beckham signing never really worked on the field, it was great publicity, boosting attendance and memorabilia sales for the Galaxy.
    He followed through on his promise to shotgun a can of Red Bull if the New York Red Bulls made it to the MLS Cup (2008).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 15 Votes: 6.67% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 358 Votes: 48.60% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1204 Votes: 49.17% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 800 Votes: 38.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 11 Votes: 9.09% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 22 Votes: 18.18% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 24 Votes: 45.83% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 20 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 105 Votes: 44.76% Annoying