NGT: Brady retiring 'for good'

[MightyGiants]

As I don't share the cynicism of some others, I will take Brady at his word. And so it goes that I can admire his accomplishments as a player and have no problem in recognizing him as the GOAT among QBs. As for his future and that of his family, I wish them well, and have little doubt that they will continue in their success. Indeed, only a rather mean spirit might wish otherwise.

Cheers!

Larry,

After Brady retired and then unretired last season, I can't blame anyone for taking this latest announcement with a grain of salt.

[MightyGiants]

https://twitter.com/NFL_Stats/status/1620818875897221120

[BluesCruz]

I am in Larry's camp, I also feel he knew it was time to go this year but stuck it out. Sure we said he wanted to play till he was 50 but time takes its toll.

While many outside of NE (and some even there) don't particularly care for him, I really never minded him. We were jealous of his talent and his winning and there is no doubt he is the GOAT.

I wish him well and do hope he can reconcile with his family.

I was hoping he would break George Blanda's record.....I think George retired at 48 but he was mostly kicking FGs at that point

[TDToomer]

He may say he is retired but the media won't be convinced. After the SB they will need to create controversies, make up stories that don't exist and argue about who he is really going to sign with. Then when is remains retired till August and the first starting QB goes down with an injury they will spending 24/7 debating when he will be called in to replace that player. I can almost hear Screaming A Smith shouting down his round table of morons. 

[kartanoman]

$375 million contract with Fox is a far easier way to roll in dough, stay in the spotlight, and broaden his resume than getting beat up this season, pick up and move somewhere else for a year or two, and have to start preparing with a new team with no guarantees he'll ever get to the show again. At least with Fox, he's guaranteed to be at the show once every few years.

I also have a feeling that Tom Brady will be solicited to exercise some creativity, in his new role, in order to differentiate Fox from its competitors. One thing nobody will ever question about Brady is his competitiveness and I would expect to see nothing less from him in his new role at Fox. He has nothing left to prove as a player. We complain all the time about announcers, analysts and studio panelists. But what if Tom Brady can revolutionize these roles to where we cannot get enough from him? I would envision that's how he will pursue his Fox commitment in the new football season.

Peace!

[President Rick]

I have to wonder IF he had walked away from playing when he first started to discuss the broadcast $$$$$ deal with fox if maybe he couldn't have managed to save his marriage.

[TDToomer]

Is Fox really going to bump Greg Olsen off their top broadcast team? Brady is kind of wooden and we have no clue if he will be good at this job. Olsen has emerged into the best color analyst on TV now that Romo has lost his luster. Greg Olsen deserves better. Put Brady on the #2 team.

[GordonGekko80]

I have to wonder IF he had walked away from playing when he first started to discuss the broadcast $$$$$ deal with fox if maybe he couldn't have managed to save his marriage.

Dunno. I think there were also other elephants in the room we don't know about I guess.

Bottom line is, if I look at the lady Brady now has at his side... I mean.. 

[MightyGiants]

Is Fox really going to bump Greg Olsen off their top broadcast team? Brady is kind of wooden and we have no clue if he will be good at this job. Olsen has emerged into the best color analyst on TV now that Romo has lost his luster. Greg Olsen deserves better. Put Brady on the #2 team.

I don't understand why TV networks assume a guy who was good at being a QB would automatically be a good color commentator.  I appreciate that QBs tend to know the game better than any other position (coaches being even better), but it's not just knowledge.  It's the ability to share that knowledge understandably and entertainingly.

[BluesCruz]

Greg Olsen is too good to keep him down

He is as good as it gets amongst the new class of commentators

[kartanoman]

Is Fox really going to bump Greg Olsen off their top broadcast team? Brady is kind of wooden and we have no clue if he will be good at this job. Olsen has emerged into the best color analyst on TV now that Romo has lost his luster. Greg Olsen deserves better. Put Brady on the #2 team.

It seems a lot of folks feel the same way ...

Greg Olsen is about to call his first Super Bowl

Peace!

[TDToomer]

It seems a lot of folks feel the same way ...

Greg Olsen is about to call his first Super Bowl

Peace!

Well yes he is calling this Super Bowl because he is on the # 1 Fox broadcast crew. But what happens next season if Fox gives Brady $375 million?

I don't understand why TV networks assume a guy who was good at being a QB would automatically be a good color commentator.  I appreciate that QBs tend to know the game better than any other position (coaches being even better), but it's not just knowledge.  It's the ability to share that knowledge understandably and entertainingly.

I agree. It used to be that QB who went into broadcasting had a solid personality, did a lot of commercials and were very comfortable in front of the mic as a player. Boomer comes to mind.

The route Olsen took is that he was a guest commentator one season while as a player recovering from an injury and then during the playoff as the Panthers were eliminated. That got him the air time for a trial run to set him up for a color job as soon as he retired.

Since Romo went straight from retirement to the #1 Fox color job it has become an entitlement that big market QBs will get to cut the line into these jobs. It also helps to have played for the Cowboys where a guy like Jason Witten was a disaster his first and only season on MNF. 

[kartanoman]

Since Romo went straight from retirement to the #1 Fox color job it has become an entitlement that big market QBs will get to cut the line into these jobs. It also helps to have played for the Cowboys where a guy like Jason Witten was a disaster his first and only season on MNF.

You know, you can look back to the 60s, 70s and 80s and see very similar scenarios which played out.

Frank Gifford and Pat Summerall come to mind. Dandy Don Meredith is another. Pat and Frank had radio and television gigs while still playing and their mark in football media has been cemented for the ages. Dandy Don brought color to the MNF booth, but had a limited shelf life. A great QB who didn't pan out as an analyst was Roger Staubach when he was paired with Frank Glieber for CBS. But Terry Bradshaw was a natural and, after he moved to Fox, after a decade at CBS, found his niche by just being himself in the studio. Phil Simms made the jump from an ESPN studio analyst to the #1 broadcasting team on NBC, when he was paired with Dick Enberg and Paul Maguire. I also remember the earlier tandem of Enberg and Merlin Olsen who was a great analyst while he starred on Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy. Finally, for every John Madden, there were OK head coaches turned analysts, such as Hank Stram or George Allen. Even Bill Walsh tried the analyst role for NBC, after hanging it up in 1988. A superior technical analyst, but his media skillset was not conducive to retain the interest of the casual fan. Dan Dierdorf was a bit of a blowhard, but had staying power for CBS and ABC. I thought Matt Millen was one of the best Madden clones of the day.

But how will Brady pan out? It's hard to say, but I agree it shouldn't come at the expense of what's currently working at Fox.

Over the history of players/coaches-turned-broadcasters, it's not always the best who make it but, instead, those who can articulate to connect with their audience. A play-by-play commentator and analyst are engaged in a dance of sorts. If they have the close rapport, and they can connect with their audience, chances are they will be in demand.

Peace!