TV govt Dick Ebersol bemused by sports activities commentator's multi-million-dollar contracts

Muricas News  — 

High TV govt Dick Ebersol has had a long time lengthy expertise of the world of sports activities broadcasting.

Along with his longevity within the TV enterprise, Ebersol informed Muricas News’s Chris Wallace that he’s flabbergasted on the sums of cash being paid out to sports activities broadcasters, as a result of he believes followers watch video games regardless of who the announcers are.

After 14 seasons within the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and 4 Professional Bowl choices, Romo retired from the game in 2017 and has gone on to develop into a longtime soccer analyst with CBS.

His present long-term contract is reported to be value $17 million a 12 months, however Ebersol, who spent 22 years as chairman of NBC Sports activities throughout a 40-year interval with the corporate, thinks Romo is failing to ship within the broadcast sales space.

“He’s an unbelievably participating man, he ought to have been a terrific, nice broadcaster,” Ebersol mentioned in an interview with Muricas News’s Who’s Speaking to Chris Wallace?

Ebersol added that the previous quarterback seems to have “misplaced his ardour” for calling video games.

“One thing’s occurred since he obtained into that chair. And it doesn’t appear to be he’s into it like he was on his approach up. He doesn't appear to be the storyteller that he ought to be … Tony has gotten additional and additional away from that I believe.”

He mentioned he would “love” to be Romo’s producer for six months and will quickly “remedy” what he sees because the 42-year-old’s shortcomings as a broadcaster.

“That is any individual who ought to be an announcer for the ages … And I'd have him in my workplace usually – to not kick his ass, however simply to maintain reminding him of what put him there within the first place,” Ebersol continued.

Nonetheless, Ebersol apologized for his feedback about Romo on Wednesday, saying: “Tony Romo is sort of a son to me. I'm actually his greatest fan on and off the sphere. As a fan, and a producer, I've all the time been identified to supply up unsolicited notes.

“However this time, after an extended day of interviews, I went too far and albeit mentioned issues that I don't consider and are merely not true.

“No announcer is extra passionate in regards to the NFL than Tony Romo, and I personally can not wait to listen to his name this and each Sunday. He's pretty much as good because it will get.”

Romo has earned a popularity as a well-respected NFL co-commentator and proved an instantaneous hit along with his colleagues, a lot in order that play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz labeled him “Romostradamus” throughout the 2019 AFC Championship Sport between the New England Patriots and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs after Romo accurately predicted upcoming performs and technique.

Muricas News has contacted Romo and CBS for a response to Ebersol’s feedback.

Throughout his time at NBC, Ebersol oversaw Saturday Evening Stay, developed the idea of Sunday night time soccer, and secured NBC’s standing because the long-time rights holder of the Olympic Video games earlier than resigning as head of NBC Sports activities in 2011.

Romo isn't alone in commanding a multi-million-dollar contract as a sports activities commentator: after he retires from soccer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady will reportedly make $375 million as a broadcaster with Fox Sports activities.

“You possibly can return and skim the entire numerous tales about guys getting paid gargantuan salaries, or ladies getting paid gargantuan salaries by NBC – throughout my years – you received’t discover them there,” mentioned Ebersol.

“We didn’t pay these sorts of issues as a result of I assumed that the fabric that we now have, we had the most effective. We had the Olympics, we had the NFL, sooner or later in time we’d had the NBA, we had issues that these individuals actually wished to do. And that was an enormous attraction.”