As Tom Brady gets ready to call his first Super Bowl for Fox, he has received some advice from Phil Simms, who has called eight Super Bowls himself. Like Al Michaels, Simms understands the weight of this moment. The former New York Giants quarterback, previously ousted from The NFL on CBS after last season, is well-qualified to share insights.
Brady, during his gap year between playing and broadcasting, reached out to several media members for tips on making a successful transition. Interestingly, he didn’t consult Simms, who previously expressed difficulty in envisioning Brady as an announcer and even criticized his views on young quarterbacks.
As Brady prepares to call his first Super Bowl during his debut season, Simms has shared valuable advice. “I was always a big believer in this: what’s the big theme of the game?” Simms stated in a recent appearance on the Awful Announcing Podcast with host Brandon Contes. “I liked starting our broadcast by discussing the game and sharing our expectations. The wonderful part was having so much insight from studying throughout the week, courtesy of players and coaches with whom I had good relationships, especially head coaches.”
“Honestly, they’d tell me about everything, allowing me to piece it together and almost predict the winner right off the bat. I will say this: I had a sign above my telestrator that I can’t disclose because it included some curse words. However, no announcer has ever been accused of talking too little. My sign roughly indicated, ‘Shut the [insert expletive] up.’” Even though people would joke about it when entering the booth, Simms used it as a reminder not to overtalk.
“I aimed to be succinct,” he explained. “There were times I did well, but sometimes I’d finish and think, ‘Damn, I couldn’t get the words out today. What’s wrong with me?’” His advice emphasizes the importance of simplicity while also recognizing when to delve deeper into the analysis.
Brady has shown improvement as the season progressed, and as Simms understands, balancing the ability to let the game unfold naturally while providing meaningful insights will be crucial. Here’s hoping Brady steers clear of adopting his own “Shut the [expletive] up” sign above the telestrator.
Listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast featuring Phil Simms beginning Friday, Feb. 7. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.
