Tom Brady’s yelling sounds like Tony Romo

Tom Brady definitely isn’t Tony Romo in the booth, but there are times that the lead NFL analysts for Fox and CBS sound alike.

Maybe it’s a quarterback thing. But a lot of the emotion Romo has been criticized for in recent years is now being exuded by Brady. Below is a compilation of some “oohs, ohhs, ahhs” and other sounds from Brady alongside Kevin Burkhardt during their Week 5 call of the Arizona Cardinals win over the San Francisco 49ers on Fox.

Are Tom Brady’s sounds and screams fun or annoying? pic.twitter.com/l240Rpty7l

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 7, 2024

Sound familiar? That’s not to say you can’t criticize Romo without criticizing Brady or vice versa because they are very different analysts. But if you’re going to point to Romo’s noises as proof that has deteriorating as a lead analyst, then it’s fair to ask, how do you feel about Brady?

Personally, I enjoy the enthusiasm from Brady and Romo. But viewers don’t want those sounds of excitement to replace analysis, which Romo does at times. Just keep it fun and exciting without letting that enthusiasm obstruct the broadcast.

One of the big concerns when it was announced Brady was going to be Fox’s eventual successor to Troy Aikman as their long-term lead NFL analyst, was about his personality. Going into his debut season there was a thought that Brady might be too buttoned-up and worried about the way he’s perceived to show much excitement during a broadcast. Does he have enough personality to be an interesting color commentator, and more importantly, will he let the audience in on that personality? But this excitement makes Brady more personable and even helps him relate to his audience of fans who undoubtedly show emotion.

Here’s, however, what you don’t want with Brady’s screams — for them to jump or overshadow a big call by Burkhardt. Say a Super Bowl call. Kind of like the Super Bowl LVIII call by Nantz that was stepped on by Romo last season.

It’s a balance that Brady will hopefully be able to learn. Display emotion and excitement, but only display it in the right spots. Show emotion when the play is big enough, but not too big that it might ruin a memorable call.

Through five weeks, Brady is still figuring out his balance as a broadcaster. There are times where he sounds unsure about when to jump in with analysis and exactly how much information to give the audience while making his point. The enthusiasm, however, seems instinctual and genuine. Which is a good thing.

[Fox]