When Tom Brady entered the NFL 24 years ago, he was still shrouded in a thick cloak of anonymity in the sixth round. In his latest football appearance, Brady is arriving with the biggest fanfare ever received by a sportscaster.
Everything is about Tommy. From the moment the schedule was released and Brady was ranked first in Week 1 ahead of the Cowboys and Browns. In-game promos during the Penn State-West Virginia game last weekend called Brady’s debut “historic”! And Fox has done nothing but set the bar sky high.
They have also kept Brady under wraps. As Andrew Marchand of TheAthletic.com recently noted, Brady two and a half live NFL training gameshe has not broadcast any preseason games. His first appearance in the locker room will be Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
He won’t get the benefit of a full preparation. His impending purchase of a stake in the Raiders will keep him away from team facilities, production meetings and practices, per league decree. However, as Marchand notes, Brady will be allowed to speak with colleagues who have been allowed to move freely in and around the teams. He will also be allowed to talk on the phone with anyone he wants.
That makes the restrictions, frankly, more about form than substance. The deeper message may still be that when it comes time to vote on Brady acquiring a stake in the Raiders, at least nine out of 32 will say no.
It remains to be seen what fans and the media will say about Brady’s performance. He will be criticized, as only the most boring and forgettable TV personalities escape criticism. Will he criticize players? Coaches? Officials, even though as a potential Raiders owner he could be fined for doing so?
Will Brady point out that the NFL tried to tie one hand behind his back? (The restrictions – perhaps the most newsworthy aspect of Brady’s new career – was never mentioned during a recent appearance on FS1 The Herd with Colin Cowherd.)
Ultimately, will a single person who didn’t want to watch the top Fox game of the week tune in to hear Brady? Will people who would otherwise change the channel continue to watch a crappy game because of Brady? Will some people change the channel? because of Was Brady involved in the call?
Whatever the outcome, the expectations for Brady, the new sportscaster, are much higher than they ever were for Brady, the new quarterback.
There are only two possibilities. Either he meets expectations, or he will fail.
