When networks broadcast their games on Thanksgiving, they try to really lean into the giving nature of the holiday for the audience. Yet, sometimes these interactions can feel forced, as was the case for CBS on Thursday.
Before the Cowboys-Commanders game on CBS, announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo hugged on camera to show their appreciation for each other. However, the hug between the two was extremely awkward, and fans commented on how strange it was almost immediately.
Nantz and Romo have been working together since 2017, but apparently that hasn’t been long enough for them to figure out how to hug each other naturally.
did tony romo and jim nantz just have the most awkward hug to ever be recorded on television? pic.twitter.com/V0G28u1aFW
— kari (@kgd26) November 23, 2023
I'm just here for the awkward Nantz-Romo green screen holiday hug.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) November 23, 2023
I don't think Jim Nantz or Tony Romo have ever hugged or been hugged by anyone before. That was actually hard to watch!
— alexsolimani (@mralexsolimani) November 23, 2023
That Nantz and Romo hug was extremely awkward lmao
— Tom G (@touchdowntomgbn) November 23, 2023
I don’t think I can watch the game after that Romo-Nantz hug
— Tim (@timmydwestside) November 23, 2023
That was quite the interaction between Romo and Nantz
— Billy “Arm Wrestled Travis Bagent” Riccette (@Billy_Riccette) November 23, 2023
The Most Awkward Hug Ever...Nantz & Romo...lol #Thanksgiving #Cowboys #Commanders pic.twitter.com/wf46VwZ6ba
— Chris Raff (@ChrisRaff7) November 23, 2023
Luckily for the pair, they only need to use their voices for the majority of the game and aren’t asked to do much work directly on camera. Nantz and Romo might want to work on their hugging ahead of the Christmas season for a smoother result.
