Athletes who make the jump to the broadcast booth usually have a period of adjustment. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten famously struggled as color commentator for “Monday Night Football” on ESPN this season.
But Witten’s former teammate, Tony Romo, is a different story.
While critics like to call Romo a failure on the field despite his impressive numbers, most of America now sees Romo as an elite broadcaster. Not only is he incisive and informative, he also obviously loves what he’s doing.
During the thrilling AFC championship that went to overtime, Romo, sounding like a kid in a candy store, repeatedly predicted what the Patriots were going to do and why.
Late in the fourth quarter and overtime, Romo correctly called at least six Patriots plays, particularly on their game-winning drive.
On a 4th-and-1 in the 4th quarter, Romo saw New England quarterback Tom Brady call an audible at the line of scrimmage on a presumptive quarterback sneak up the middle, and instead handed the ball off to rookie running back Sony Michel to the right, creating a massive lane for Michel to score a 10-yard rushing touchdown, taking a late lead.
His aptitude for predicting play calls has been noted since 2017, but his stellar performance in the AFC title game has made the nickname “Romostradamus” stick.
While that play is just a snippet of what Romo brings to the game, it’s refreshing. So many fans have loathed football announcers for so long, particularly the likes of Joe Buck and Cris Collinsworth.
Maybe Romo’s schtick will grow tiresome. It’s certainly possible other commentators will try and maybe succeed to copy his style. But it’s most likely inimitable for one key reason: In an age of angry cynicism, Romo brings an earnest enthusiasm that reminds us why we follow sports in the first place. Some gripe that he’s the too-peppy-before-coffee coworker, but at least he’s having fun. That’s a good lesson for the rest of us.
