We should’ve known that Tom Brady would probably be a lot more nervous than we thought for his NFL announcing debut during Sunday’s matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. Yes, even all-time NFL legends need patience to be comfortable with a new big job.
And we should’ve seen it coming from a mile away after an awkward first booth interaction with Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira.
As Fox’s No. 1 announcing team featuring play-by-play Kevin Burkhardt, Brady, and Pereira set the table for their matchup, Brady couldn’t have been more awkward saying hello to Pereira. First, he flashed him a random thumbs-up when Pereira glanced in his and Burkhardt’s direction.
Then, Brady held out his hand for a fist bump, with Pereira not even looking, leaving him hanging for an uneasy amount of time.
Truly, it was a masterclass in anxiousness:
Mike Pereira and Tom Brady's first booth interaction could have gone a little smoother… pic.twitter.com/RmJYFF1qQj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024
Ah, man, everything about this clip is giving me secondhand embarrassment.
This trio will probably get a lot better as the season goes on. But it’s abundantly clear they’ve got to work on their internal chemistry a lot more than we saw in Week 1.
