Fans hear ‘awkward silence’ as early reviews of Tom Brady’s job change are rough
Tom Brady is just a rookie and could become a broadcasting Hall of Famer.
But the early impressions of the former New England Patriots great in the NFL announcer booth were not kind.
“So much awkward silence from Tom Brady during the first quarter of his broadcast,” one fan tweeted.
“This is the guy that won (seven) Super Bowls,” a second fan posted. “Tom Brady needs to do more play breakdown pre-snap. I want Tom Brady calling the game like he’s QB.”
“Why is Tom Brady glitching?” a third fan wrote.
“Where’s the insight, Tom Brady?” a fourth fan said. “Notably absent.”
Brady made his debut calling games for the Dallas Cowboys at the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 on Sunday.
While fans were adjusting to the sight and sound of the NFL GOAT in the TV booth, Brady was left hanging during an awkward introduction.
“As we welcome you to the broadcast booth, look, it’s Mike Pereira,” Kevin Burkhardt, Brady’s co-announcer said.
As the former NFL ref briefly waved, Brady reached out for a fist bump on live international TV.
But the man who won Super Bowls with New England and Tampa Bay was left hanging — and knew it.
“Aw, don’t leave me hanging,” Brady said.
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Hours before Brady became an NFL TV rookie, Jerry Jones gave Dak Prescott a record-setting $240 million contract that features an average annual value of $60 million.
“I would, too,” said Brady, supporting the Cowboys making Prescott the highest-paid QB in the league by AAV.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner and Pro Football Hall of Fame lock will be paid $375 million by FOX to call football games, despite having no previous NFL experience in the booth.
Brady is also on the verge of being a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who are valued at $6.7 billion by Forbes and are one of the league’s most legendary franchises.
ESPN reported that, if Brady’s purchase of a piece of the Raiders is approved, he will be placed under severe restrictions when being around the NFL’s 31 other teams.
What’s unquestioned is that the seven-time Super Bowl winner faces incredibly high expectations — from himself and fans — as he enters a new job in the public eye.
“For me, it’s about, ‘Did I put everything I could into it? Did I give the fans everything that they tuned in for?’ ” Brady told Colin Cowherd.
“That’s really how I’ll end up gauging myself and I’ll have to look at myself at the end of every Sunday night going, ‘Did I do a good enough job? Did I live up to the belief that Fox had in me? Did I live up to the expectations of my teammates?’ … That’s ultimately how I’ll judge myself in that new role.”
Brady warmed up as the game went on.
As some fans kept complaining about his voice and lack of hard analysis, others enjoyed hearing the GOAT calling games.
“Tom Brady can’t seem to form any sentences that have any sort of normal cadence to them,” one fan posted.
“Tom Brady knows more about what’s going on on that football field than literally anyone and probably has to actively restrain himself from word vomiting and taking over the broadcast,” another fan said. “TBH I’ll take his broken cadence over (Tony) Romo’s rambling and squealing and play predictions any day.”
“Tom Brady is a good announcer!!!” a third fan said. “I don’t know what people are complaining about!”
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