The hiring of Tony Romo has been one of CBS Sports’ smartest moves in recent memory. Ever since the polarizing former Dallas Cowboys quarterback first took to the booth at the start of the 2017 NFL season, he’s become one of the NFL’s most beloved broadcasters.
Football fans these days can’t seem to get enough of Romo’s cheerful exuberance and spot-on analysis. Plenty of praise has been bestowed upon CBS for this incredible hire. But how did it all happen? When did CBS Sports KNOW that they HAD to hire Tony Romo?
According to a story from The Big Lead, that moment apparently came four years ago, when CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus ran into Romo at a Super Bowl Party, two nights before the Patriots and Seahawks squared off at Super Bowl 49.
McManus reflected on his encounter with Romo earlier this week while he was in Atlanta ahead of this year’s big game, which will be broadcasted by CBS and feature Romo in the color commentary role. Here’s how McManus described that impactful meeting:
“He was at the Friday night party and he was with [Dallas Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones. [CBS Sports President] David [Berson] and I had a conversation with Tony, and I said, ‘What do you see for the game?’ And he began to break down the game: ‘How can the Seattle defense stop Tom Brady? What can the Patriots defense do?’
“And in about seven or eight minutes, he had broken down the game in an incredibly enthusiastic and interesting way. And I turned to David after the conversation and said, ‘I think that guy’s going to be an analyst for us one day.’ I didn’t anticipate him being the No. 1 and lead analyst right away, but I knew at that point and had a really good feeling that he was going to be a really good NFL analyst.”
At the time, Romo was still two years away from retirement. And he didn’t make his broadcasting debut until more than two-and-a-half years later. But that was the historic moment that set the wheels in motion for CBS to acquire what may now be their most prized employee.
Cool story, but you know what would have been even cooler? If McManus had told us that Romo got the job because he accurately predicted that Seattle would lose the Super Bowl by throwing the ball at the one-yard-line.
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Just saying.
