When Tony Romo turned the biggest sensation in NFL broadcasting, it was as a result of he was a gunslinger as an analyst, predicting performs with an unconventional type that ultimately led to a 10-year, $180 million contract, then the richest recognized deal in sports activities media historical past.
These days, 4 years into that deal, in any case the criticism of Romo, CBS clearly went into his third Super Bowl as a TV analyst in search of a sport supervisor as a substitute of a sport changer. But outdated habits die onerous.
On the ultimate name to finish the Super Bowl LVIII time beyond regulation basic between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Romo and play-by-play associate Jim Nantz’s lack of teamwork confirmed up at the worst time.
At first, Romo did a wonderful job with the Chiefs down three factors and inside the 5-yard line late in time beyond regulation, explaining that it didn’t matter as viewers watched the clock wind down towards zero — the sport wouldn’t finish and would simply roll right into a second quarter of OT. But Romo stored speaking too lengthy.
This blocked Nantz from correctly organising the ultimate play. As the successful landing was scored, Nantz mentioned, “First and goal, Mahomes flings it! It’s there! Hardman! Jackpot! Kansas City!”
THE CHIEFS ARE BACK-TO-BACK SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/ZzfhTyUXg9
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2024
Romo first muttered in the background of Nantz’s name as if he had been a yahoo on native radio. After Nantz completed, Romo began in, “This was the Andy Reid special. …” And then on and on.
For 30 seconds, as CBS confirmed response, Romo talked about the play when the greatest evaluation would’ve been silence, which might have allowed the crowd and footage to inform the story. It ought to have been Nantz’s broadcast second, if anybody’s.
Nantz and Romo had been as soon as imagined to be the subsequent Pat Summerall and John Madden however have fallen to this point that their disjointed efficiency Sunday was one CBS will probably take. Before the ultimate play, the broadcast was removed from good, nevertheless it was principally manageable. Maybe not one to in a single day to the Sports Emmys, however, on the manufacturing facet, it had its moments.
Nantz and Romo make the massive cash — a close to $30 million a 12 months between them — so, like quarterbacks, they obtain the most credit score and blame. Their quarterback score was not excessive sufficient, lacking apparent massive themes.
The duo didn’t ever clarify why the defenses — particularly the 49ers on Travis Kelce in the first half — had been having their means for therefore lengthy with the offenses. They additionally had been very underwhelming when CBS’s manufacturing workforce expertly noticed Kelce bumping and screaming at his 65-year-old head coach. They hardly ever spoke about line play. And the overarching themes of the sport had been usually missed. There had been no threads.
The grading for the Super Bowl broadcast is the highest degree as a result of it’s the most prestigious project in American sportscasting. Nantz has known as the sport six instances, however his companions, first Phil Simms and now Romo, have regressed below his watch. A foul pattern.
Meanwhile, Romo lacks consistency in his ideas. With 10 seconds left in regulation and the Chiefs at the 49ers’ 11, Romo mentioned, “If you have six seconds, you feel comfortable taking another crack at it.”
After an incomplete move, there have been six seconds left, and Romo opined, “If he had seven, I’d do it,” including Kansas City ought to kick.
Umm, however, Tony, you simply mentioned …
Never thoughts.
The inconsistency occurs an excessive amount of with Romo, inflicting CBS Sports executives to placed on a courageous face publicly and privately, defending him, however actions are virtually at all times the place the reality lands, and their truest ideas appeared evident of their strategy.
Early, it was clear, CBS’s sport plan was to simplify the offense. In the first half, it reduce down on the overuse of too many voices, sticking principally to Nantz and Romo. Romo appeared chilled. It wasn’t unhealthy.
The manufacturing workforce got here up massive in the second quarter. After Chiefs operating again Isiah Pacheco fumbled, it discovered a sideline shot by which Kelce accosted Reid.
Travis Kelce appeared lower than enthused pic.twitter.com/yncKhjtNl4
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 12, 2024
“He goes, ‘Keep me in,’” Romo mentioned, apparently lip-reading. “What happened is, on the fumble, he was not in the game. Noah Gray went in, and he had to block. Noah Gray, the tight end, had to block (Deommodore) Lenoir. Lenoir made him swim and actually created the fumble. And I think Kelce is like, ‘Just keep me in there, even if we are running the ball.’”
Let’s put to the facet we would have liked to seek the advice of Google Translate to go from Romo to English to know what, “(Deommodore) Lenoir made him swim and actually created the fumble” may imply, the story is Kelce practically flattening his coach.
It wasn’t Latrell Sprewell on P.J. Carlesimo, nevertheless it was Taylor Swift’s boyfriend in entrance of about, give or take, 115 million viewers. We type of wanted the former All-Pro Cowboys quarterback to weigh in if that was kosher or not.
The greatest a part of Romo is his unscripted enjoyable character. Non-hardcore followers can like him as a result of Romo comes throughout as — and from all first-hand reviews is — a genuinely good man. He could be cool to have a beer with, a superb high quality in an announcer.
Sunday, the most character Romo confirmed was when he sang Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” to interrupt, channeling one other Cowboys nice turned broadcaster, Don Meredith. Romo would do it once more in the third quarter, attempting to entice Nantz — who’s a broadcaster from a Peter Jennings/Tom Brokaw anchor period — for a singalong to Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas.” Romo even did slightly Beastie Boys late with “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)!”
As for Nantz, he sounded further amped to open the sport, perhaps overcompensating for some less-than-enthusiastic early calls in the playoffs. On the two Romo-isms of the first half, Nantz did appropriately problem him. Romo mentioned a fumble is likely to be a lateral in the second quarter, and then late in the interval, with the scoreless Chiefs down 10, he mentioned they is likely to be in four-down territory. Nantz rightly threw the problem flag on each.
In the finish, the downside with the tandem is that regardless of all their “pal” and “buddy” speak, to not point out their over-the-top, on-air, “I love yous,” they don’t sound on the identical web page.
That disconnection exhibits up in the biggest spots, when the world is watching, when what you will have performed all season is on show.
Nantz and Romo ought to have the broadcast technique of that final play down. Romo’s attraction could also be that he’s like a fan, however he’s doing the Super Bowl broadcast and being paid handsomely to take action.
He simply wanted to get out of the approach to enable Nantz to make his full name, then wait till after the footage and sounds had their second to notice that Mahomes is Michael Jordan.
It wasn’t time for the gunslinger. CBS had the proper plan, and Nantz and Romo executed at instances. But, on the biggest play of the season, Romo freelanced and lost.
(Photo of Tony Romo and Jim Nantz: Rob Carr / Getty Images)
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