By Monday morning, Tom Brady will have finished calling Super Bowl LIX and his first season as an NFL color commentator will be done. For some fans, that day might not come soon enough.
Perhaps that’s a harsh criticism of the seven-time Super Bowl champion and definitive greatest quarterback of all time, but Brady’s first season in the booth was one of growing pains as much as it was about growth.
This was the first season of Brady’s ten-year, $375million contract with Fox to be their No. 1 color commentator.
Alongside play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt, Brady has been often panned by viewers – who have not taken too kindly to the former Buccaneers and Patriots quarterback in his first season calling game.
But Brady, whose ex-wife Gisele Bundchen welcomed a baby with her new boyfriend Joaquim Valente this week, has admitted that this season hasn’t exactly matched the standard he set for himself.
On a conference call with reporters the week of the Super Bowl, Brady was candid about his first season behind the mic.
When it comes to ways to improve, Brady said that a lack of experience was really his undoing this season. ‘Understanding the challenges and the art and the science of this, you can really only do it through doing it,’ he said (via Sports Illustrated).
‘I always thought it was gonna be a challenge and has certainly been that, and a very positive challenge,’ Brady added.
‘Part of the experience of life is challenging yourself and getting outside your comfort zone to experience new things where it can be more of a transformational experience for you.
‘To use your voice and your vision for a live television audience, there’s a lot of adrenaline in that. It was very different from when I played where I would see all these things, I just didn’t have to verbalize them.
‘I knew subconsciously what to do and my body just took over because ultimately, that’s how I trained it.’
Even though he’s the most successful quarterback in the history of the NFL, Brady isn’t above recognizing when he’s stumbled – especially in this new profession.
‘I think the mistakes that I’ve made, and I’ve made plenty, I’ve learned from all of them,’ he said.
‘You’re not happy they happen, but at the same time, you understand that when they do happen—and I mispronounce words or I forget a certain statistic or the preparation’s a little off in terms of my thoughts on something and I screw up the analysis—I go back and I want to get it right the next time.
‘And without the mistakes, you don’t learn from them and apply them going forward. And I think all the mistakes I made, although I wish I didn’t make them, the fact that I can learn from them and move forward with a greater sense of awareness just allows you to improve.’
Brady added that he’s seen plenty of criticism of his broadcasting ability online – with fans constantly nitpicking his every word.
‘Naturally, you hear different things on social media and such,’ said Brady. ‘And I have friends that will kind of give me little briefings about how it was. Again, all I’m trying to do is deliver for the fans.
‘They’re the ones we’re trying to serve and I’m trying to elevate the game the best way I can. I tried to do that as a player by doing things the right way. I was just using my body to do that. Now I’ve gotta use and articulate through my words to do it.’
The quarterback knows that it’s hard pleasing everyone – but he’s been able to get feedback from multiple other fellow broadcasters.
On the call, Brady specifically named people like Tony Romo, Cris Collinsworth, Greg Olsen, Troy Aikman, Al Michaels, and Jim Nantz among others.
‘I’m forgetting 25 others,’ Brady said. ‘I get the nicest messages….People watch the game and listen and send me messages, ‘Hey, this is what I think you can do a better job of.’ Those are people in the industry that I have always looked up to and respected and I always tried to be available to them in my playing career and they’ve really given back to me in so many ways.’
Brady recognizes the opportunity to call this Super Bowl, even though he’s been to this game many times in the past.
‘This is an incredible event in our country and around the world and to showcase this great game and to offer really unique insights is kind of a dream come true for me, so I’m very excited for what’s ahead,’ said Brady.
Brady and Burkhardt will be calling the Super Bowl on Fox – which kicks off at 6:30pm Eastern Time.
