Fox Sports personality and radio host Colin Cowherd believes he knows why Tony Romo has allegedly regressed as CBS’ lead NFL analyst.
“I’ve used this for years when I would interview people and I was going to hire them,” Cowherd explained during the latest edition of his podcast, as shared by Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post. “If I had lunch or coffee with them, I always asked them if they loved golf. ‘Oh, I love golf. Do you love golf?’ And if they said yes, I wouldn’t hire them. Because I always had this theory that as guys age, many of them get addicted to golf.”
Cowherd was reacting to a report about CBS attempting an “intervention” for Romo last offseason because he sounded at least somewhat unprepared while calling certain games.
CBS Sports spokeswoman Jen Sabatelle later said in a statement that claim “is a complete mischaracterization,” but New York Post sports media columnist Andrew Marchand wrote that Jim Nantz, Romo’s broadcast partner, and CBS executives met with the retired quarterback last year regarding his performances.
Such supposed messages apparently didn’t get through, as Romo earned widespread criticism during and after last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s no secret Romo is an avid golfer who has attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open on multiple occasions.
During an interview with Golf.com in October 2020, Romo said at that time he sometimes spent “six to eight hours” on golf courses per day outside of football seasons.
Per Tim Schmitt of Golfweek, Romo has won the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament on three occasions.
“Romo wants to be on the Tour,” Cowherd added. “He literally wants to be on the Tour. And what’s the first thing (Green Bay Packers quarterback) Aaron Rodgers does in the offseason? He goes and golfs, he loves it. Both, by the way, great golfers, especially Romo. But I’ve always felt like Tony Romo is one of those guys, and we all have somebody in our social circle like this, they got the golf bug. He’s had it for 15 years. Tony wants to be on the PGA Tour — but he likes the paycheck from CBS.”
Romo signed a 10-year contract with CBS back in 2020 reportedly worth $17.5 million per NFL season.
Like others have throughout the 2022 football campaign, Cowherd also offered high praise for Fox No. 1 analyst Greg Olsen.
“When I listen to Greg Olsen, he sounds like he’s been studying for those three hours for six days,” Cowherd remarked. “Romo sounds like sometimes — and he’s entertaining — he’s winging it.”
While the situation is playing out much differently than Romo probably imagined, the former Dallas Cowboys star is finally generating plenty of headlines ahead of a Super Bowl.
