Tom Brady is used to being the best.
For 23 seasons, he was the most dominant quarterback in the NFL, and it could be argued that no player in the history of the league has ever played the position with greater skill.
But after decades of dismantling opposing defenses, Brady has finally encountered an adversary capable of neutralizing his prodigious talents.
We’re talking, of course, about the broadcasting booth.
Tom Not-So-Terrific
Yes, if you’re a football fan then you’ve probably heard the criticisms of Tom Brady’s color commentary for Fox.
It’s been one of the inescapable narratives of this season, right up there with the awful officiating and the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce breakup rumors.
For the sake of fairness, we should note that Brady is not the most unqualified announcer ever to call an NFL game.
That title probably belongs to comedian Dennis Miller, who was inexplicably hired to join ABC‘s Monday Night Football team in 2001.
But Brady is considered one of the great football minds of the century, and Miller, needless to say, is not.
So TB12’s ineptitude behind the mic has come as quite a surprise to many viewers.
This is, after all, not only a man who knows football, it’s a man who should be quite comfortable in front of a camera.
Two and a half decades as one of the world’s most famous athletes means a whole lot of TV commercials and movie cameos.
But for some reason, Tom has been stiff as a board alongside his highly capable play-by-play partner, Kevin Burkhardt.
An Old Rivalry Resumes
Adding insult to injury is the fact that Brady is currently being bested by two of his longtime rivals:
Peyton and Eli Manning were constant thorns in Brady’s side during his playing days (Eli even beat him in the Super Bowl! Twice!), and now, the brothers’ ESPN2 Monday night Manningcasts are beloved by casual fans and industry insiders alike.
The Mannings possess an easy charm that eludes Brady.
He’s certainly no less knowledgeable about the game, but it’s the ability to convey that knowledge in a fun and accessible fashion that turns a Jon Gruden into a John Madden.
And speaking of the Raiders, Brady’s situation might soon be further complicated by a conflict of interest.
Multiple outlets are reporting today that Brady is close to reaching a deal to become a part owner of the troubled Las Vegas team.
That means he might soon find himself in the unprecedented position of calling a game for a team in which he has a considerable financial stake.
It’s an odd situation, and while there are no clear rules against it, it seems like the sort of thing that could create problems.
After all, this is the league that has a rule for just about everything — especially when there’s even the slight appearance of possible duplicity.
Players have been known to get longer suspensions for gambling on games than for committing violent felonies.
The reason for that is that any hint of internal corruption could sink the entire organization.
Sure, these days, the NFL is the biggest thing in the world of entertainment.
But that might not always be the case. Heck, there was a time when baseball dominated the sports world.
These days, even highly anticipated postseason matchups pull in fewer viewers than a new episode of Tracker.
It’s tough to imagine the NFL suffering a similar fall from grace, but it’s worth noting that there’s been a marked decline in fan satisfaction in recent years.
In fact, Brady is one of the high-profile insiders who complained that the NFL has been putting out an inferior product.
And the moment that the NFL’s poster boy became its biggest critic offered a glimpse of what he’s capable of as a commentator.
Tom Hatey
Tom Terrific might be at his best when he’s playing the role of the game’s crotchety elder statesman.
Take, for instance, the recent flap with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in which Brady blasted the young signal-caller for suggesting that he had placed undue pressure on his teammates during his own playing days.
It was the kind of backstage drama that rarely plays out in the public eye, and it was without question Brady’s most memorable moment in the broadcast booth thus far.
And if he embraces that side of himself, he could wind up becoming as successful a broadcaster as he was a player.
For most of his life, Tom Brady was so good at one job that his path was entirely laid out for him. He almost considered another career.
But now, at the age of 47, he might be forced to make a decision.
Whatever course he chooses, of course, Brady will still be involved with the game he loves. But can he excel as both a broadcaster and an owner?
We can’t make the choice for him, but we can point out that if he fails in the latter position, at least he’ll only piss off one fan base!
What do you think, TV fanatics? Does Tom Brady have a future in the broadcasting booth?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!