Troy Aikman offers Super Bowl broadcasting advice for Tom Brady

Regardless of what critics say about the subject, Tom Brady, the minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Fox's lead NFL in-game analyst remains on track to call the Super Bowl LIX matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 9. 

During a recent appearance on Jimmy Traina’s Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and ESPN Monday Night Football broadcaster Troy Aikman offered some advice for Brady, noting that "preparation" is vital to giving casual viewers and diehard football fans an enjoyable experience. 

"The more prepared I am, the better I feel about knowing both teams," Aikman explained, Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing shared. "...When you call a preseason game, it’s a different broadcast than when you call a regular-season game. When you call a postseason game, it’s a different broadcast than a regular-season game. And when you call a Super Bowl, it’s different than any other game you would call as well." 

Brady understandably sounded a bit nervous in the booth back in September but grew more comfortable in the role up through conference championship weekend. The Athletic's Richard Deitsch mentioned earlier this week how the seven-time Super Bowl champion "has provided significant value for viewers...when he’s dissecting a quarterback and how a defense approaches quarterbacks," such as when Brady discussed during the NFC Championship Game how Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders has "got the ability to thread the needle" while facing a defense trying to "force a lot of tight-window throws."

Earlier this month, legendary head coach Bill Belichick admitted he sometimes had to study a bit harder because when Brady was still playing, he spent hours in film rooms ahead of games when the two were with the New England Patriots. Aikman suggested that Brady embracing similar habits will help the first-year announcer avoid the distractions that come with any Super Bowl. 

"For anyone who’s played in a Super Bowl, to say that, 'Well the Super Bowl is just like any other game,' they’ve not played in it. Because it’s not," Aikman said. "...The same is true as a broadcaster. The entire day is different. When you first do your hit on the pregame or even right before you go on-air, the timing is very different. The halftime is very different. But eventually, like it does as a player, things settle in. You’re ramped up to begin, there’s a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotion and you just try to let the game unfold and ease into it." 

History shows fans and media members alike will be listening closely on the second Sunday of February, waiting for a chance to rip Brady's performance. If nothing else, his call of Super Bowl LIX will certainly generate Monday-morning headlines and sports-talk radio conversations.