Tom Brady Takes The Blame After His Own Notes Cause Broadcast Mishap

Tom Brady knows how to deal with pressure on an NFL field, but a stack of notes nearly got the best of him in the broadcast booth. During FOX Sports coverage of the Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles game, Brady was caught off guard as he couldn't hear his fellow commentators. The reason was it was remarkably simple. His big research board had fallen on the talkback button and he had an audio problem not knowing what had happened. Burkhardt realized he had made a mistake and gave Brady a chance to explain himself. It became one of the more amusing moments of the broadcast.

Tom Brady explains the broadcast mistake

Since he moved into broadcasting, Brady's preparation has become part of his identity. But this time his notes were more of a hindrance than a help, even he often shows up with a lot of information to the booth.

Finally, Burkhardt came right out and asked him about the mic problem, and Brady had to admit it. “Okay. My fault. I have this big clunky board which I have all this information about what I want to say all day,” Brady said in the clip FOX Sports shared. “And I dropped it on the talkback button.”

The former quarterback then realised just how long he had been blaming the equipment for a problem he had created himself. “And I'm sitting here going, ‘God, I can't hear anyone. You guys.' And it's my fault the whole time,” Brady said.

It was funny because Brady didn't try to duck responsibility at all. Instead, he explained precisely how his own preparation had caused the confusion.

It was also an easy chance for Burkhardt to poke fun at his broadcast partner. “The exchange offered a look at the rapport between the two FOX Sports commentators.

Tom Brady's preparation creates an unexpected moment

The incident also speaks volumes about the seriousness with which Brady takes his role as a broadcaster. He's in his third year as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and his transition to life after playing has been a frequent topic in his preparation.

Brady was so well-prepared with information, FOX lead producer Richie Zyontz previously explained, that part of the learning process was picking and choosing what to leave out.

“Tom overprepared last year because he had so much to say,” Zyontz said. “Starting a thought is a lot easier than finishing a thought.”

Since then Brady has been working to narrow his analysis. But in Sunday's game, his giant board was a literal reminder that sometimes prep work can go too far.

The error didn't throw the show off course. If anything, it gave it some character. Brady owned up to the mistake, Burkhardt had some fun with it, and viewers got to see a lighter side of the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

It was a broadcast blooper, unexpectedly apt for a quarterback known to be involved in every detail, that his own notes were a source of chaos.