Tony Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned broadcaster, has faced heavy criticism despite initial acclaim for his announcing skills.
While some have praised his enthusiasm and play predictions, others have turned against him, citing issues with his focus on quarterbacks and perceived lack of depth.
“How do you handle the criticism, Tony?” Romo was asked.
“I was the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys,” Romo said. “This is small potatoes.”
“Have you changed at all since you started announcing, or have people watching you changed?” one reporter asked.
“You call the game that’s in front of you,” Romo said. “There’s not a lot different in my personality.”
Some speculated that Romo’s style may appeal more to casual fans than hardcore enthusiasts.
“When you’re on TV and you got 35-40 million people watching and you’re making $17 million, people want to nitpick every little thing you do,” former analyst Booger McFarland said. “They’re not hoping you enjoy your $17 million.”
Despite the backlash, colleagues and peers have defended Romo’s character, highlighting his fun-loving nature and generosity.
“Tony was the flavor of the month,” Al Michaels said. “We’ve all been the flavor of the month. This month, Greg Olsen is the flavor of the month. It comes and it goes. It’s so subjective and so arbitrary.”
“Players go through this, too. Look at Russell Wilson. He went from being a surefire hall of famer to what the f—. If you’re a golden boy for too long, you’re going to get shot down. Everybody in every business: politics, sports, business. People don’t want to see the golden boy Tony Romo anymore.”
“This was God-knows-how-many people,” Cris Collinsworth said. “And wouldn’t you know it [my son and his friend] are the last two credit cards. And my son is wondering if he’s going to have to call me for $40,000 or something. They take him to the brink of total breakdown before they let him off the hook and Tony picks up the tab.”
“I know the devil within. Tony’s just a fun-loving guy. It comes through in the broadcast. When I watch one of his games, I feel like I had fun.”
“He doubled and tripled what anyone was making,” Collinsworth said. “He will forever be one of my all-time heroes. I’m going to build a statue to the guy. He’s the greatest.”
As new announcers enter the scene, Romo’s future in broadcasting remains uncertain, but he continues to have supporters who value his contributions.
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