Tony Romo, if you haven’t heard, is going to retire from the NFL and join CBS as a replacement for Phil Simms, per reports. Many are thrilled about this development. Just don’t count legendary broadcaster Bonnie Bernstein, who expressed her strong opinion about the news on Twitter Tuesday.
Tony Romo, w ZERO broadcast experience, reportedly replacing Phil Simms on CBS' #1 NFL game crew.
No offense. But that's total crap.
— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) April 4, 2017
Romo/3 "All they do is talk," *live* broadcasting so much harder than you realize! Try, on the fly, sharing cohesive thoughts in 10-15 secs.
— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) April 4, 2017
Romo/4 I like Tony. As a fan, I hope he'll be a great listen!
But I've worked on that crew. And I know how tough that gig is. That's all.
— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) April 4, 2017
Now, Bernstein knows better than most what kind of work it takes to do an excellent job in the broadcasting business. She has been recognized as one of the top female broadcasters in sports in the past and has spent the past two decades-plus working in the industry.
That said, it’s also worth pointing out that Simms entered the broadcast booth without any previous experience as well. And many former athletes do the same. Another thing worth mentioning is that Al Michaels, one of the best broadcasters in this era, has singled Romo out in the past as a potential gold mine for the job of color analyst (more on that here).
So, while Bernstein isn’t happy, and we’d be surprised if she’s the only one in her profession (including Simms, of course) who feels the same way, we’d be surprised if Romo doesn’t nail his new gig.