Super Bowl-winning coach offers harsh critique of Tony Romo
A Super Bowl-winning coach claimed Tony Romo's call of the big game made him want to hurl.
"I try to watch the game and not let the announcers ruin the game for me," former New England Patriots OC and Notre Dame HC Charlie Weis recently said of Romo on "Airing It Out" on Sirius XM, via the New York Post. "But then there's announcers where if I have to listen, I'd rather go to the bathroom and throw up."
While Weis' critique is harsh, fans and pundits are also ripping the CBS Sports color commentator and former Dallas Cowboys QB. The 43-year-old has been castigated for interjecting on the final play of Super Bowl LVIII when Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown to WR Mecole Hardman Jr. Typically, announcers pause on a winning play to let the moment soak in. Romo only waited three seconds, however.
"This was the Andy Reid special, we talked about he was saving all day. He is going to fake a motion to go across. That moment he turns and goes back — Hardman, who they didn't have, right? And they go get Hardman and bring him back," Romo said. "The game-winning drive of Mahomes' career, he has been waiting for. He's won Super Bowls, but he's never had it in overtime. He is the best, he is the standard, Michael Jordan. Wins it again."
Romo could've waited longer, but why the take irritated so many is unclear. Regardless, it could prompt CBS to make changes.
CBS Sports chairperson Sean McManus recently admitted he told Romo — who signed a 10-year, $180M contract in 2020 — to "calm down a little bit."
Awful Announcing floated moving Romo out of the booth into the studio on "The NFL Today." The network did the same with lead analyst and former New York Giants QB Phil Simms in 2017. Most of the analysts on the show have contracts up for renewal.
Even if some of the Romo bashing seems unwarranted, networks cave into their audience's demands, raising questions about his future with CBS.
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