Tony Romo landing an NFL broadcasting gig with CBS is new news.
Except not really.
Behind the scenes, Romo eventually tackling the broadcasting booth seemed a given after Romo made an impression on many thanks to his ability to analyze games and talk about them in an informed manner.
No joke—Romo had a casual conversation with CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus a few year ago that left a mark on the boss, as captured by Sports Illustrated‘s Richard Deitsch:
“I didn’t realize I would get an audition,” McManus said. “I walked away from that conversation and said to David, ‘Someday that man is going to be a lead analyst.’”
And no, the boss isn’t worried about promoting Romo directly to lead analyst:
“People have said to us, ‘Boy, you’re taking a guy who is coming right from the field into a position as a lead analyst, isn’t that a risk?’ Well, I think it’s a very manageable risk, to be honest with you,” McManus said. “I think Tony will be having all sorts of work this summer, whether it’s doing practice games, whether it’s doing preseason games, whether it’s sitting down and looking at film and tape of other analysts and the kind of job that they do. It’s going to be a full time job for Tony really starting this summer. So I think when he goes to the booth, he’ll be ready.”
Romo is indeed a major risk, but it’s clear networks have had an eye on him for years. Odds are strong he’ll be an upgrade, even if the army of fans who can’t stand the Cowboys will nitpick everything he says.
No wonder Romo was so willing to step away from the game and accept the role.
About Chris Roling
Chris is an Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism graduate and associate editor here at TSD. He also covers breaking news and the NFL at Bleacher Report and resides in Athens (OH) with his wife and two dogs.
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