Kurt Warner calls out NFL talking heads pretending to be experts

Kurt Warner has a way of preparing for his media job as an NFL analyst that doesn’t seem to align with most of the so-called experts out there.

By Monday afternoon, plenty of sports TV, radio and podcast hosts had already spent hours reacting to the NFL’s Week 2 slate of games. Warner, however, was still knee-deep in game film wondering how all of these Monday morning quarterbacks were prepared enough to evaluate players and teams on TV. And the former NFL MVP would like to know their secret.

I have been grinding tape since 8pm last night & I have gotten through 10 games – how do all these ppl talk about these players & teams on a Monday as if they have watched the games & really can evaluate them??? Can you guys share your routine so I can see if it’s more efficient?

— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) September 16, 2024

“I have been grinding tape since 8pm last night & I have gotten through 10 games – how do all these ppl talk about these players & teams on a Monday as if they have watched the games & really can evaluate them???” Warner wrote on social media. “Can you guys share your routine so I can see if it’s more efficient?”

Warner didn’t call anyone out, but the culprits are obvious. Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe, and Colin Cowherd, among others. Sharpe might be the most impressive of the bunch. Not only is he able to go on TV without watching the film Warner finds necessary, but he can even find time for an afternoon delight.

Warner clearly prides himself on being an NFL expert, and there is certainly a need for those in sports media. But not everyone has to be an expert to have an entertaining take. Cowherd, Greeny, Smith, and Sharpe are entertainers, not experts.

Imagine if 10 a.m. rolled around and Stephen A. Smith told ESPN he couldn’t host First Take because he wasn’t finished watching every snap from every game on Sunday. Or imagine if the clock hit 10 a.m. and Smith told ESPN he could host the show, he just can’t talk about the NFL, so cue up NBA highlights on this weekday in September.

One thing daily sports hosts repeatedly prove is that you don’t have to be an expert to be entertaining. Cowherd recently had no idea the Chicago Bears won their Week 1 game. Sharpe just found out Klint Kubiak is the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator and Cam Akers is no longer on the Los Angeles Rams. And in an entirely different realm of sports media, there’s Kurt Warner, apparently watching every snap of every game before he’s willing to talk about the NFL.

Cowherd, Greeny, Smith, and Sharpe are reacting to scores, headlines, and highlights. They’re not breaking down the X’s and O’s of games the way Warner or even NFL Live does. Fans who want sports entertainment on a macro level can go to First Take. Those who want more in-depth expert analysis can wait for Warner to finish watching film.

There’s an audience for both.

[Kurt Warner]