{"id":46232,"date":"2023-05-15T16:22:56","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T15:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/?p=46232"},"modified":"2023-05-15T16:22:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T15:22:56","slug":"rebecca-lowe-the-english-expat-tackling-critical-issues-in-sports-whilst-educating-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/rebecca-lowe-the-english-expat-tackling-critical-issues-in-sports-whilst-educating-americans\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebecca Lowe: The English expat tackling critical issues in sports whilst educating Americans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The face and voice to whom Americans turn to better understand the beautiful game is one of Britain\u2019s great exports, Rebecca Lowe. A native of Ealing, Lowe has been the host of NBC Sport&#8217;s weekly Premier League coverage for more than a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Becoming a television sports pundit was a stroke of luck. \u201cI applied for a BBC Talent Search for a football reporter, and I won a contract on Football Focus and Match of the Day,\u201d she said. \u201cYou don\u2019t turn something like that down. I had no sports broadcasting experience, so I very much had to learn on the job &#8211; it was sink or swim!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a id='le2uiUNoRPF878XtXs7e_Q' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1392420538' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'le2uiUNoRPF878XtXs7e_Q',sig:'bO_ainC-gPCsArAnqR_iOxfFlT_aQVIsclRr-oqOeuo=',w:'594px',h:'422px',items:'1392420538',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The job comes with more than its fair share of pressure. On a day-to-day basis, Lowe is expected to handle weighty matters \u2013 everything from sexism to racism, to the dark side of fandom and professional rivalries, all while maintaining a rigorous objectivity.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, she was concerned that her love of Crystal Palace might be an obstacle to viewer acceptance. \u00a0However, that was quickly replaced with a more serious issue. \u201cBeing a woman has made it harder, of that there is no doubt. Twenty years ago, just getting a job on TV was hard,\u201d she said of the gender issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen there were the relentless sexist chants and abuse, both online and in the stadium. It was part of the world back then. I genuinely never thought about reporting it. But that was before the Me-Too movement,\u201d Lowe added. \u201cNow, I wouldn\u2019t stand for it. Back then, however, I was too scared to make a complaint \u2013 I was afraid I\u2019d lose my job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was close to throwing in the towel when NBC came calling. Lucky for them she accepted the role and Lowe has flourished ever since<em>.<\/em> But sexism isn\u2019t the only issue that Lowe is confronted with on a weekly basis.<\/p>\n<p><a id='Hh1Tw2gqSV1-eyzIc4HfjA' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1239870367' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Hh1Tw2gqSV1-eyzIc4HfjA',sig:'44Ifigww0BXCng0XPW3ILMERLRsoXc50ruqRCaG8Lgs=',w:'594px',h:'393px',items:'1239870367',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Racism sadly remains a sinister part of both the game and the surrounding culture of club supporters. This is an issue that cannot be ignored by the governing bodies, teams or those covering the matches.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, it\u2019s still present in the English game, and elsewhere,&#8221; said Lowe. \u00a0\u201cWe are regularly having discussions about it and attempting to educate people into understanding how to be anti-racist.\u201d She noted that NBC Sports has not avoided sensitive topics.\u00a0 \u201cWe have led the way at NBC with these conversations, especially during the George Floyd protests.\u00a0 We\u2019ve also dealt with the pandemic, concussion protocols or lack of them for a long time, as well as players and their personal troubles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The presenter is keenly aware of the serious responsibility broadcast journalists bear when it comes to issues of this nature: &#8220;We continually assess whether something just needs reporting or whether it also needs discussing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Being mindful not to use the position to publicise her personal opinions is another verbal tightrope to navigate when the on-air light is on. \u201cIt\u2019s not my job and it\u2019s not how I see the role of anchor. I am there to get the opinions out of the experts. No one cares what I think,\u201d she said. \u201cI find anchors who express opinions, especially in news, a real turn-off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The issue of foreign investors and owners is always a flashpoint for English fans, especially at the top end of the Premiere League. Being a U.K. native and now the face of the Premier League for American viewers, what is her view on the influx of American owners coming across the pond and buying clubs?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve seen successful American owners and not so successful American owners and it\u2019s not about them being American, it\u2019s about them as businessmen and women,&#8221; she said.\u00a0 \u201cBut, from the perspective of building the game in the UK, I am happy there are so many US owners because with their links to other sports I can\u2019t see how it can harm the growth.\u201d Lowe continued. \u201cThe perfect example is the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool, owned by Fenway Sports Group, and there is plenty of cross promoting which can really help both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is always the scourge of online hate that emerges in chat rooms and on social media. Does it ever make her question her career decisions? \u201cI rarely deal with online hate. Occasionally on Instagram, a fan will say I\u2019m biased but I find it amusing- everyone thinks I hate their club if I so much as utter a negative stat about them.\u201d Steering clear of Twitter means she avoids the abuse that have plagued so many in her role.<\/p>\n<p>On a lighter note, what does she make of the age-old Transatlantic debate? Is it \u2018soccer\u2019 or \u2018football\u2019? \u201cIt\u2019s both! And I\u2019m OK with that,\u201d Lowe said.\u00a0 \u201cThe word \u2018soccer\u2019 originated in the UK, so we really can\u2019t get mad when people use it in the States. Also, it doesn\u2019t help that Brits look at the NFL and can\u2019t see how that\u2019s called \u2018football\u2019 when it\u2019s all about using your arms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Does the sports presenter ever see \u2018soccer\u2019 overtaking other sports in the US in terms of popularity and participation? \u201cWell, we have already overtaken the NHL [hockey] in viewing figures.\u201d But with that optimism comes a dose of pragmatism as well. \u00a0\u201cIn my lifetime, no soccer will not overtake the NFL, but it could challenge basketball and I feel very confident than in the next 10-20 years it will overtake baseball.\u201d She is quick to qualify why overtaking the American national pastime is a real possibility. \u201cThere is little growth left in many of these sports, whereas with soccer it\u2019s only just beginning.\u00a0 Plus, it is the national sport in virtually every other country in the world \u2013 they can\u2019t all be wrong!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And while she may no longer reside on British soil, Lowe takes great pride in the rise of women\u2019s football. \u201cThe Women\u2019s Super League has exploded in the last five years, and I am so proud of it! I was reporting on women\u2019s football a lot at the start of my career, and I genuinely never thought I would see the day when the WSL was this big, this popular and this lucrative.\u201d Lowe\u2019s prediction for the future of the women\u2019s game? \u00a0\u201cIt is only going to get bigger, and the England women\u2019s team has helped it hugely by being successful themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her focus on delivering a broadcast that provides accurate and insightful commentary in a sport where passions run close to religious fervour remains her priority. However<em>, <\/em>having recently signed a new contract to remain at NBC, does Lowe have any other career moves in mind? \u201cWho knows?! \u00a0I am with NBC for the next 5 years and by 2028 the landscape of broadcasting will have changed even more,\u201d added Lowe. \u00a0\u201cI am loving my job still but one thing I do miss from the early part of my career is interviewing. I love long-form interviews so hopefully I can do more of that one day.\u201d However, she does unequivocally rule out one role \u2013 that of a play-by-play announcer. \u201cCall games? Absolutely no way! That is NOT my bag at all. I would be terrible!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Terrible\u2019 maybe an overstatement, but Lowe knows her strengths. And with high-profile assignments on the horizon, including the Kentucky Derby and the upcoming Olympics in Paris, she will continue in her role as one of NBC Sports most trusted presenters. And a trusted voice that Americans turn to \u2013 even if the accent is not homegrown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The face and voice to whom Americans turn to better understand the beautiful game is one of Britain\u2019s great exports, Rebecca Lowe. A native of Ealing, Lowe has been the host of NBC Sport&#8217;s weekly Premier League coverage for more than a decade. Becoming a television sports pundit was a stroke of luck. \u201cI applied [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":46254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[3303,3222,2545],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[4084],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.9.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Rebecca Lowe: The English expat tackling critical issues in sports whilst educating Americans - Sports Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rebecca Lowe NBC Sports Premier League Host from Ealing\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/rebecca-lowe-the-english-expat-tackling-critical-issues-in-sports-whilst-educating-americans\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rebecca Lowe: The English expat tackling critical issues in sports whilst educating Americans - 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