Tony Romo calls out NFL for promoting gambling: "It’s like a slippery slope"
Tony Romo is one of the highest-paid sports broadcasters of all-time with a massive contract from CBS to call NFL games. He earned his popularity and huge contract through his attention to detail from the booth during football games. He has demonstrated extensive knowledge in breaking down plays and sometimes even predicting what is going to happen before it actually does.
While he has been extremely successful in his role, Tony Romo is apparently concerned with the NFL's new focus on the gambling aspect of the game. He recently told The Athletic that this angle not only makes his job harder, but it basically makes him feel responsible for the outcome of viewers' bets in a way.
Here's what Romo had to say:
“To me, it’s like a slippery slope. I grew up where we never talked about or thought about lines or anything like that in football. The angle that I try to communicate to the audience is how to win this game for this team, or not to lose it in some cases.
"But once you start going into that world, it strikes me as you’ve got to be great at two things. Now you’re affecting people’s lives with what you’re saying in some way. It just makes it feel less pure and less like the stuff that you grew up on.”
Sports betting has been a rapidly growing market in recent years as it continues to be legalized in many states across the country. The days of Las Vegas being the only place to legally gamble on sports are long gone and they probably aren't ever coming back. The popularity is magnified even further by online and mobile wagering, allowing users to place bets from anywhere instead of having to go to a casino.
The NFL is at the center of all of it as it has been the most bet-on sport in the country by a significant margin. This is especially true for the Super Bowl, which is often the most bet-on event of the year. With Super Bowl 58 right around the corner, this apparently creates a potential issue for Tony Romo.
Is Tony Romo the broadcaster for Super Bowl 58?
The Super Bowl broadcast rotates through the different major networks each year, giving one of them exclusive rights for each season. Super Bowl 58 this year belongs to CBS, so they are understandably assigning their top team to the broadcast. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be in the booth calling the game, with Tracy Wolfson handling the sideline reporting.
The last time Tony Romo was in the booth for the big game was 2019 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. This time he will get the opportunity to broadcast a showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. The game kicks off on Feb. 11th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, which ironically always has been the most iconic sports betting city in the entire country.