Tom Brady Blames Broadcast Struggles on Simplifying for Fans

Tom Brady is widely viewed as one of the best players in NFL history, but now the retired football player has a new assignment. After winning seven championships and completing the most extraordinary marathon as a quarterback in history, Brady is going to take the next step in his career: becoming an insider.

However, this journey from the pitch to the television set is not without its teething problems. During his first outing as a Fox NFL broadcaster, which covered the Week 1 NFL match between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns, Brady received a less-than-warm reception from the viewers.

As the week progressed toward Week 2, however, the former New England Patriots quarterback did not appear rattled but instead provided evaluations that were quite understandable to viewers at a reasonable pace. Nonetheless, the former Most Valuable Player says that when addressing the fans in an attempt to try and address the conditions of the sport, being in front of a camera has its complications.

Brady Discusses Broadcast Challenges

While Brady was a guest on the "Let’s Go" show, now hosted by Jim Gray and Belichick, Brady recounted how hard it can be to switch from sports to media. He noted that perhaps one of the most significant difficulties associated with his new position of $375 million is how to break down the headaches of the American footballing game to layman casual fans.

“I think when I am up there in the booth, a lot of my narrative is because I am trying to dull the game's complexities for the viewer, which we know is usually not the case,” said Brady. “Just anyone gets on there ‘Yeah in Cover 2 that is what you gotta do.

You have to read the high-low. There is a low man in the middle, a high man covering you on both sides. Why!’. this is reasonable and technical. But people are not going to understand s--- if we do that”. Brady acknowledged that aspects of the sports commentary take time to master, especially the need to find a middle ground between depth and simplicity.

“So we gotta find simple ways, and I’ve gotta keep looking for simple ways to communicate that to people who are only watching three hours a week”.