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NFL legend Tom Brady finally made his eagerly-anticipated debut as a broadcaster for Fox on Sunday. It didn’t go very well.
He sounded nervous, awkward, stiff, and even got left hanging on an attempted fist bump with officiating expert Mike Pereira during the broadcast.
Mike Pereira and Tom Brady's first booth interaction could have gone a little smoother… pic.twitter.com/RmJYFF1qQj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024
Brady also was criticized for sounding too laid-back and not showing excitement while calling the game.
At one point during the Cowboys and Browns game, Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey attempted a 71 yard field goal attempt. That’s right. 71 yards.
Why he was kicking from 71 yards away is a whole other story, but Tom Brady’s lack of excitement during the moment upset a few fans.
One of those fans was none other than NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson.
“Oh, come on, Brady’s got to get more excited than that in the booth!” Hanson scolded the future Hall of Famer.
Scott Hanson "Brady's got to get more excited than that in the booth" pic.twitter.com/VK8QrskqHZ
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) September 8, 2024
On Monday after some reflection, Scott Hanson apologized.
“This was unfair & inconsiderate by me,” he wrote on X (Twitter). “Yes, I was saying it tongue in cheek – but I didn’t calculate how it may come across. @TomBrady, I apologize. I promise I am rooting you on in this new venture!”
The comments on Scott Hanson’s apology almost universally said he shouldn’t have apologized.
“Don’t apologize for being correct,” read one comment.
Meanwhile, over at the Pittsburgh Steelers-Atlanta Falcons game, Greg Olson and his new broadcast partner Joe Davis were “killing it.”
"Good to see you, buddy." And the Joe Davis-Greg Olsen partnership begins… pic.twitter.com/8eHNmKUavc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024
“Tom Brady in the booth now,” wrote Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. “I’m sure he’ll be fine/good, but it’s hard to think he’ll be better than the demoted Greg Olsen. Olsen just put on a masterclass in the No. 2 booth for PIT-ATL.”
“Joe Davis and Greg Olsen, the real A team booth on FOX,” NFL writer Scott Kacsmar commented.
“Maybe someone should have listened to Tom Brady actually say words before dropping $300 million on him,” Tom Brady’s former teammate Antonio Brown wrote.