It’s early but the clear on-air standout of the NFL season
is a rookie.
CBS color commentator Tony Romo has made the transition from
the playing field to the broadcast booth almost seamlessly. There’s little
question about his expertise and the few questions about his approach and style
seem petty.
Unfortunately, the few people complaining about Romo are
those who would seem most likely to support him -- in one case a longtime
sports broadcasting legend.
Romo has made the biggest impact for his ability to
“predict” what’s going to happen on the field.
It’s not so much a parlor game as a familiarity that leads
to correct down-and-distance suggestions. His accuracy has, at times, seemed
uncanny and that’s because he was in game-plan meetings every week last season.
He’s familiar with the league, and it’s great that he can flash a connection
and some expertise that others do not have. That’s what viewers want from the
folks working on TV.
His accuracy might also relate from something for which he’s
not getting credit, his work ethic. Broadcast teams prepare for games every
week by watching video and by asking questions during pregame interviews with
coaches and players. So, maybe Romo is gleaning what he needs from those
sessions, too.
No matter the reason, what the former Cowboys quarterback is
doing seems fresh and informative. It merits praise.
Instead, though, sports broadcasting legend Brent Musburger
recently took a shot at Romo’s approach. He said as Romo develops and gets
farther and farther from the locker room, the predict-the-play ability will
wane because he’ll lose his connection with the league. That’s probably true
but that does not mean Romo should not play to his initial strength.
Romo’s knowledge of personnel groupings and tendencies gives
him intellectual muscle he should flex. It’s not hype or a trick.
And, in fairness, Musburger was a hype master. He never met
a standout college football player during a game that he did not hesitate to
champion for the Heisman Trophy. And he certainly never failed to give a
wink-wink acknowledgement of betting lines during a game to make sure folks
knew he knew.
For him to criticize anyone’s work as hype is the pot calling
the kettle black.
Also, Musburger intimated Romo should be more deferential to
his play-by-play partner, Jim Nantz. My sense is Nantz can stand up for himself
if he wants. Plus, Nantz’s reverential, stale approach could use a shakeup.
Adding Romo and bouncing Phil Simms to the studio was an acknowledgement of
that by the folks at CBS.
Romo does need to drop the jargon, terms like PI (pass
interference) and RPO (run pass option), and hopefully that will come. Still,
he does an excellent job explaining what quarterbacks do, and quarterbacks are
the stars of the NFL so that’s another a good thing.
