It's not uncommon for Tom Brady to get panned, but unlike his famous Netflix special, not many people are laughing this time around.
The future Hall of Famer made his broadcast debut as an NFL analyst for Fox on Sunday, co-hosting the Browns-Cowboys game in Cleveland with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhart.
“You're the announcer! How about that,” Burkhart said. said after introducing the seven-time Super Bowl champion to the crowd.
“Here we are,” Brady replied. “It's been a long journey. I'm happy to be your partner.”
Brady seemed hesitant to talk in the first half, with Burkhart trying to fill the silence with lengthy commentary and even color analysis. But as the game went on, Brady seemed to come alive. Dallas' relentless pass rush and Cleveland's pressure on Deshaun Watson seemed to jog Brady's memory and he began offering insights about the game more frequently.
Still, it was clear to everyone that it was Brady's first day on the job.
The comments about X were pretty relentless.
That's pretty cruel.
Was it that bad? Not at all. Imagine knowing everything about your subject and having to explain it to an idiot in a 13-second audio clip while still sounding entertaining. That's essentially the challenge facing Brady. He knows everything about football, in minute detail and detail, but how do you distill that into something the average person can understand?
It seems like an easy thing to do, but it's not.
Brady has to figure out how to simplify his vast knowledge of the game into bite-sized pieces that people can digest and understand.
Will he do that?
If he approaches his new job with the same enthusiasm as he did his last, he will undoubtedly be successful. Brady's work ethic and relentless pursuit of excellence is legendary, and if he maintains that same determination, he'll be legendary in the booth too.
What if? He'll finish his contract with Fox and pursue whatever he wants to do, whether that's making movies or selling supplements.
But I have no doubt he will hear the criticism, heed it, and improve every week to make big strides.
