A Conversation with NBC Sports’ Kyle Martino

Premier League Mornings Live will be hosting their latest edition of the “fan fest” in Boston, Massachusetts this weekend.

The third installment of the supporter event is set to be the biggest yet with their first ever two-day festival. You will be able to catch all of the weekend’s fixtures at the event and maybe even meet a few Premier League legends! The show’s host Rebecca Lowe and the trusty trio of Kyle Martino, Robbie Earle, and Robbie Mustoe will be broadcasting live from the Cask ‘N Flagon sports bar on Lansdowne Street behind the famous “Green Monster” of Fenway Park. The whole of historic Lansdowne Street will be closed off to traffic for both days and will serve as a special outdoor viewing area.

Ahead of the event I was fortunate enough to get a few minutes of Kyle Martino’s time to talk to him about the fan festival, the Premier League, and of course, Leicester City.

What was the reasoning behind choosing Boston for the final Fan Festival of the season?

Martino: No reason necessary. Boston is a die hard sports town with a rich sporting history. The run that Liverpool are on and their ties to the city of Boston also add to it.

Anything in particular you are looking forward to enjoying in Boston while you’re there?

Martino: Not a lot of down time when we do these fan festivals unfortunately, but during my playing days I always enjoyed getting to see the city after playing the New England Revolution.

Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

Premier League Mornings Live starts fairly early on the weekends. Do you have a routine that gets you ready for the day?

Martino: Lots of coffee. Normally we all sit together in makeup and prepare before we start. Bex (Rebecca Lowe) usually gets us in a powwow before we begin. All the normal rituals are out when we do these events, so we won’t get our normal powwow, we’ll be doing it live.

As we are a Leicester City blog I have to ask, has Arlo White managed to convince you to join the Blue Army yet?

Martino: Arlo and I worked covering the MLS together, so I Learned about Leicester long before the coverage started on NBC. 5000/1 even if you not a fan of Leicester you can enjoy that. I remember Arlo watching the matches on his phone. I did get a custom t-shirt made for Arlo that read Lie-Chester.

Do you have a favorite soccer team?

Martino: You know, I get asked that a lot. I don’t. I follow players more than I follow teams. I am fascinated with an individual or group that plays well together. If I was forced to say a team, it would be because I was interested in that team and how they play together. Arsenal during the Invincibles year and the year before and after that. Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, it wouldn’t matter where they played I would’ve followed them.

What are your thoughts on Leicester City’s manager merry-go-round since winning the title?

Martino: I think that’s kind of the norm in the modern game, the manager merry-go-round for many clubs. It is difficult to transition Leicester out of a miracle and it takes a lot to bring them back to earth. It’s been really hard to transition for a group that played together for so long through multiple divisions and that sort of change takes time.

Do you think Leicester will be successful under Brendan Rodgers?

Martino: Yes. I really like Brendan Rodgers. It’s a result driven business, and I felt bad for Brendan getting the sack when he was at Liverpool, but when you have the opportunity to grab Jurgen Klopp you do. He’s a fantastic manager with youth and this is a very youthful team at Leicester.

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

What’s your prediction for the Leicester - Bournemouth game?

Martino: I like Leicester for this match. Bournemouth have been a bit erratic. Since they’ve been in the league they’ve been a yo-yo team, not so much up and down the table but, show up and play well against the top opposition but not so much against the other sides.

How do you think the top 6 will play out?

Martino: My prediction at the beginning of the season was 1) Liverpool, 2) Manchester City, 3) Tottenham Hotspur, 4) Arsenal and I’ll stick with that for now.

From all of us here at Fosse Posse we would like to thank NBC Sports and Kyle Martino for taking the time to talk to us before their big weekend in Boston! If you happen to live in the area, or are lucky enough to be at one of the live look-in viewing parties around the country, get out there and enjoy the festivities for what should be a fantastic weekend of Premier League soccer!