Alright, let’s gab about them fellas on the TV, the ones who ain’t playin’ the football but talkin’ ’bout it. The best NFL color commentators, they call ’em. Now, I don’t know much ’bout fancy words, but I know what I like when I hear it.
Some of these guys, they used to play the game, you know? Like that Troy Aikman fella. He was a quarterback, a good one, I hear. Now he’s up in the booth, tellin’ us what’s what. He’s on that FOX channel, and folks seem to like him a lot. They say he’s one of the best, and I reckon they might be right. He knows his stuff, that’s for sure.
- Aikman on FOX: He’s pretty good, explains things so even I can understand. And that’s sayin’ somethin’!
- Romo, the new hotshot: Folks are all gaga over this Tony Romo guy. They say he’s a real smart cookie, can tell you what play’s comin’ before it even happens. Now, I ain’t sure ’bout that, seems like magic to me, but he’s entertainin’, I’ll give him that.
- The old timers: Then there’s the ones been doin’ it forever. Like that Madden fella, used to be with Summerall. They was a good pair. Made the game fun, even when it was a snoozer. And those other fellas, Collinsworth and Michaels, they’re alright too. Been around the block a few times. I remember watching with my late husband Joe when they were on TV, seems like just yesterday.
Now, see, these fellas, they gotta do more than just say, “He caught the ball.” They gotta tell you why he caught the ball, or why he shouldn’t have caught the ball, or what the other guys shoulda done to stop him from catchin’ the ball. It’s a lot of talkin’, but it’s gotta be the right kinda talkin’.
They use all them fancy stats and numbers too. Talkin’ ’bout percentages and yards per carry and all that jazz. Most of it goes right over my head, but I guess it sounds important. They gotta know the players, gotta know the coaches, gotta know the plays. And sometimes, they tell stories, make you chuckle a bit. That’s always nice. Keeps things lively, you know?
Some were players, some weren’t: Like I said, some of these color commentators, they played the game. They been there, done that. They know what it’s like to be out there on the field, gettin’ your bones rattled. That gives ’em a certain somethin’, I reckon. They can see things regular folks can’t. But then there’s some who ain’t never played, but they know the game just as good. They studied it, I guess. Like that Jim Nantz fella, he ain’t never played, but he’s been callin’ games forever.
It ain’t easy, you know? Talkin’ for three hours straight, makin’ sense of all that chaos down on the field. And they gotta sound excitin’, even when the game is a blowout. That’s a skill, I tell ya. They gotta paint a picture with their words, make you feel like you’re right there on the sidelines, even though you’re sittin’ on your couch in your pajamas.
And let me tell ya, some of ‘em are better than others. Some of ‘em just talk and talk and don’t say nothin’ at all. Just fillin’ the air with noise. But the good ones, they make you understand the game better. They point out things you wouldn’t notice otherwise. They make it more fun to watch.
What about that Tom Brady fella?: Oh, and I heard that Tom Brady fella, the one who just retired from playin’, he’s gonna be doin’ some talkin’ on TV now too. He was a heck of a player, maybe the best ever, some folks say. So, I reckon he’ll be a good talker too. He’s been in the game a long time, seen a lot, so that counts for something, don’t it? It’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say, you know? He might just give them other fellas a run for their money.
So, there you have it. My two cents on them best NFL color commentators. It’s just my opinion, mind you. I ain’t no expert. But I know what I like, and I like the fellas who can tell a good story, make me laugh a little, and help me understand what’s goin’ on down there on that football field. And that’s all that matters, right?
They all bring somethin’ different to the table: It’s like makin’ a stew, I reckon. You need different ingredients to make it taste good. Some guys are good at explainin’ the Xs and Os, some are good at tellin’ stories, some are just plain funny. You need a little bit of everything. And that’s what makes the football broadcasts so entertainin’. Or at least the good ones are entertaining.
And that fella, Michael Strahan, he used to play too. Now he’s on TV all the time, not always talkin’ ‘bout football, but he’s good at it. He’s got that personality, you know? Makes you want to listen to him. Maybe he should be a color commentator, I bet he’d be a good one.