Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned lead CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo has faced severe backlash over a slip-up during his commentary on Sunday’s Bills-Chiefs game.
Despite his reputation for insightful analysis, Romo is often scrutinized for any misstep – and this time was no exception.
During the game at Highmark Stadium, the Bills handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season, securing a 30-21 victory.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen was phenomenal as usual, bolstered by a stellar performance from his new No. 1 wide receiver, Amari Cooper, who contributed two crucial catches for 55 yards.
Cooper, traded from the Cleveland Browns just before the trade deadline, played alongside Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel in the Bills’ offense.
However, Romo appeared to forget the timing of Cooper’s acquisition.
While calling the game, he mistakenly suggested that Cooper had joined the Bills during the offseason.
“Great job by Brandon Beane in the offseason, to go out and get a No. 1 player,” Romo said on the air.
The error didn’t go unnoticed by NFL fans, many of whom labeled the mistake “embarrassing.”
ESPN personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo addressed the blunder on First Take, delivering a pointed critique.
“Can somebody tell my buddy, Tony Romo; Tony, they did not – Buffalo – get Amari Cooper at the offseason. They got him eight days ago!” he said.
“Tony told us that they acquired, ‘What a great move by the GM.’ They didn’t get Amari Cooper in July! They got him a week ago at the deadline! He’s doing the games for crying out loud.
“You can’t make that mistake. This is national TV, football, that mistake cannot be made.”
While Romo’s error drew sharp criticism, mistakes of this nature are not uncommon in live sports broadcasting.
Romo, who spent his entire NFL career with the Cowboys from 2004 to 2016, is known for his partnership with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz on CBS.
After working Week 11, Romo and Nantz are slated to take Week 12 off before returning to cover two games in Week 13.
Their next assignment will be the Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears, a game eagerly anticipated by fans.
Romo’s broadcasting performance has been up-and-down through the years. He’s been accused of being somewhat lazy and not preparing as well as he should.
Perhaps this played a factor in his Cooper slipup.
Having said that, we’ve all heard much worse mistakes than the one he made. At the end of the day, no one should lose sleep over this.
Regardless, what are your overall thoughts on Romo as a broadcaster???
