Grade TB12's first season as a broadcaster

[NashuaPats]

He knows so much and he never seems to show it. Seems like more platitudes and generalities - the sort of commentary any one of us could come up with. "They really need a stop now" kind of thing. Maybe he's been told to not talk about the X's and O's but I wish he would give us some actual insights. In the game he often mentioned the KC run defense (lots of talk of "flat") but never talked about how that might have cost them in the pass defense. I don't think he ever mentioned that Mahomes was getting pressured without a blitz (unless maybe late in the game), let alone how the Eagles DL was doing it.

Give it to us how a QB might see it pre-snap and after the snap. Even simple stuff like how the QB can tell its zone vs man.

I loved what Romo did at the very outset and then he went away from that style for some reason. Brady should be able to do that even better.

I vaguely remember that CBS told Romo to stop giving so much detailed analysis. I assume Fox told Brady the same. It’s a shame because I really enjoyed it particularly when Romo would accurately predict the next play. Apparently, most people and the network didn’t.

 

[Pape]

C

Hes not glib. He often stumbles with his words. thinking faster than he can get the words out.

 

[Tunescribe]

I don’t know man, they’re paying him a lot of money

Yes, but he's already independently wealthy many times over. Seems to me he's struggling for a sense of purpose. Unless, of course, he has a burning passion for broadcasting.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I'm very thankful we got Summerall and Madden calling the Pats vs Packers Super Bowl and then the Pats vs Rams Super Bowl.

They could make any game more entertaining.

 

[lancerman]

I vaguely remember that CBS told Romo to stop giving so much detailed analysis. I assume Fox told Brady the same. It’s a shame because I really enjoyed it particularly when Romo would accurately predict the next play. Apparently, most people and the network didn’t.

They don't want commentary to be too inside baseball and alienate casuals who have no clue what they are talking about. It's awesome for hardcore fans, but they don't want the pink hats who only watch when it's a big game to find it inaccessible.

They hire Brady mostly because of what he did in the Super Bowl. He has a pedigree so he speaks with credibility and he can use his own personal experiences from highly memorable moments to contextualize things going on now. Like very few people on the planet could watch Mahomes struggle while trying to make history and put such a big moment in a very personal context so the average viewer could empathize with it.

 

[lancerman]

I still question why he's doing it. It seems beneath him. It's hard work and lord knows he doesn't need the money.

I mean almost every big name has tried the media circuit at one point. Troy Aikman was the star QB of the top team of the 90's and did it. Montana tried it even though he sucked. Manning does the Manningcast which is effectively a more casual commentary for hardcores. Bradshaw is almost a hundred and has done pre and post game shows for years. Dan Marino tried the media stuff for awhile. Hell Bill Belichick was doing draft commentary with a bunch of fratbros last offseason.

Hell almost every high profile dynasty figure from the Patriots that can talk is running the media circuit.

It's just kinda what these guys do to still have a career around football after they played. He doesn't need the money, but he's getting paid a lot for a lot less stressful work.

 

[FCB02062]

I thought brady was awful the first few times I heard him do color. But he was decent in the super bowl. he's improved but Greg Olsen is still a far better color commentator. I think Brady finally surpassed Beasely Reece at least.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

He's ok. He sounds like he's aged a lot.

 

[Headcase]

Didn't see a single game he did.

 

[doesntmatter1]

He started out bad and gradually improved. The superbowl was the best he has done imo. He will never be one of my favorite commentators since he just isn't a natural speaker. He is far inferior to the guy he replaced, Greg Olson. An underrated commentator is Vilma and I hope Brady becomes more relaxed like him.

 

[Thelonious]

I thought he got better as time went on and that he was quite good at the Super Bowl.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I found Olson to be unbearable myself. He still talks like a player. He never explained anything.

For example, the big phrase I started hearing more this year was 'game'. Noooooooooobody took the time to explain what it meant like John Madden would do. You know, "Ordinarily, you got these big guys just running through these gaps here...but when we run a game, okay, we get this big guy running to the other hole, and this other big guy running to the other side. This can really mess up an offensive line."

"....great, John. 3rd and 20." And Summerall would just deadpan his reaction to what Madden just said. Good stuff.

 

[lancerman]

Olson was a little more natural, but let's be real, Olson and Brady both got those jobs because of their name value and not competency for the job. There's probably close to 100 commentary teams calling football games at either the Pro or College level ever week when you account for radio. Olson and Brady are lucky if they are as good as even half of them going in.

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

Tom is OK. I don't know if it's his overall delivery or just the sound of his voice, but I really have to focus on what he says to avoid tuning him out. In terms of commanding attention I think Tony Romo is much better.

His voice is his weakness. It's too high with too much crackle and fizz. Maybe he can work on his announcer voice and iron some of that out.

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

I found Olson to be unbearable myself. He still talks like a player. He never explained anything.

For example, the big phrase I started hearing more this year was 'game'. Noooooooooobody took the time to explain what it meant like John Madden would do. You know, "Ordinarily, you got these big guys just running through these gaps here...but when we run a game, okay, we get this big guy running to the other hole, and this other big guy running to the other side. This can really mess up an offensive line."

"....great, John. 3rd and 20." And Summerall would just deadpan his reaction to what Madden just said. Good stuff.

Those were the days. I also liked early Romo, but the network killed Romo.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I only heard him a couple of times but I thought he sucked.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

First couple of times I didn't even know it was him, he talked softly and with my bad hearing I hardly heard him, I admit, he did get better and was good at the super bowl. Olsen was and probably still is better.