CBS execs are apparently aware that Tony Romo’s work as an analyst has gone downhill.
On his latest podcast, New York Post sports media writer Andrew Marchand said members of CBS management spoke with Romo last year in an effort to bolster his pre-game preparation. His rough performance this season, and especially during the playoffs, indicate their efforts didn’t pay off.
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“Tony Romo needs to study more. He needs to be better prepared. As you move away from the sidelines, you need to do more work,” said Marchand. “I know CBS is aware of this. They tried an intervention last offseason. They knew, they anticipated this. That’s a credit to them, the people in charge there. But it has not gotten better.”
Romo’s performance during the AFC Championship exposed all of his flaws. He was all schtick and no substance, and seemingly wasn’t even aware of the biggest storylines heading into the game. When Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce mocked the “Burrowhead” moniker — the Bengals referred to Arrowhead Stadium as “Burrowhead” due to their success in Kansas City — Romo sounded perplexed.
“It’s not ‘Burrowland,’ he said? It’s Arrowhead,” he said.
Romo’s rough showing Sunday stood in stark contrast compared to his work calling the 2019 AFC Championship, which might’ve been his apex as an analyst. Romo predicted nearly every Tom Brady throw during the Patriots’ comeback win over the Chiefs.
Nowadays, that clairvoyance is gone.
It doesn’t seem like Romo is getting much help in the booth, either. Marchand says that Jim Nantz appears content with letting his partner struggle.
“This was the narrative out of CBS when Romo was getting all of the publicity: you heard from Nantz’ side and people from CBS that Nantz was the one creating Romo,” said Marchand. “The issue now is, why isn’t Nantz helping Romo get to this next level?”
CBS kicked off the broadcasting bidding wars when it inked Romo to a 10-year, $180 million deal in 2020. It’s fair to wonder whether CBS is now experiencing some buyer’s remorse.