Kevin Burkhardt talks Tom Brady and Fox’s new NFL booth

One of many beauties of The Clicker is area for extra. On Thursday, I wrote a protracted characteristic on the universally preferred Fox Sports activities broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt for the paper. I centered on his Bloomfield, N.J. roots and his sense of awe about calling the Tremendous Bowl in February, however I didn’t absolutely get into all the pieces, so let’s go over some fascinating stuff from Burkhardt in regards to the enterprise that didn’t make the story.

Tom Brady

When the present Buccaneers QB goes into broadcasting, Burkhardt can be crucial individual to Brady’s success, after Brady.

In Could, when Fox introduced throughout an 8 a.m. ET earnings name that Brady could be its future NFL lead recreation analyst, Burkhardt, who lives on the West Coast, woke as much as his cellphone being on hearth.

“I came upon about Brady like everybody else,” Burkhardt stated. “The morning it broke, I woke as much as 200 textual content messages and a voicemail from my bosses. They stated, ‘Name us again, massive information dropping this morning.’”

His bosses tried to name him to inform him what was occurring earlier than it was introduced, however Burkhardt had his cellphone on silent, so he missed it.

“I used to be like, ‘Wow, OK, I didn’t see that coming,’” Burkhardt stated.

Greg Olsen

After Troy Aikman left Fox, the community searched far and extensive for his substitute, with the concept that it had Greg Olsen in reserve. Fox had been recruiting Olsen for just a few years and preferred what they noticed in his rookie season. However it’s a massive step to go from one full-year season on-air to changing into the Tremendous Bowl analyst. And whereas Olsen had a superb school and professional taking part in profession, he’s doubtless not a Corridor of Famer, nor a Tremendous Bowl winner or a quarterback. So Fox tried to maintain its pursuit of Brady quiet, which left a number of uncertainty for Olsen; particularly when Burkhardt, as The Put up reported, bought the lead play-by-play job.

“The method was onerous,” stated Burkhardt, who referred to as Olsen’s video games in highschool and counts him as a superb good friend. “We had been simply being affected person and ready, to be utterly honest. I’m tight with Greg, like, we’re shut. We did one yr, however as you understand, I’ve identified him for a very long time and we had actually good chemistry. I actually like working with him. After all, I used to be rooting for it to be him.”

It might be a bit awkward with Brady within the on-deck circle

“[Olsen’s] been superior about it,” Burkhardt stated. “He’s been poking enjoyable about it. Who is aware of what occurs sooner or later? Let’s put ourselves within the historical past e book as a result of there ain’t many individuals who’ve [called a Super Bowl.]”

Joe Buck

After The Put up broke the story that Buck was going to hitch Aikman at ESPN, Buck texted Burkhardt.

“I hope you get it,” Buck texted, in line with Burkhardt. “I’m gone.”

Fast Clicks

The truth that Amazon Prime Video had round 1 million viewers for its first Thursday night time recreation, a preseason matchup that includes the Texans and 49ers, means nearly nothing.

The common season numbers for Amazon are going to be decrease for Amazon as in comparison with the 15 million or 16 million Fox bought in the identical time slot final yr. AdAge reported that Amazon is telling advertisers that it believes it’s going to have 12.5 million viewers for every common season TNF recreation. That may find yourself being a really excessive estimate as there are TV officers who’ve doubts that Amazon will even come close to 10 million. We’ll see.

No matter it’s, viewers progress is a course of. Discuss to us in a yr, or 5, about rankings. Amazon has Thursdays for greater than a decade. Consciousness and entry can be a difficulty at the beginning. I don’t know if it will likely be in just a few years, however audiences take time to adapt. … Final week, John Ourand and I had Aikman and Buck on the pod. Buck stated he thinks he gained’t do baseball ever once more. I don’t see why he would. He broadcast the World Collection for practically 1 / 4 century. There was nothing extra to show. And the distinction between baseball and all different sports activities (NBA and NHL are a bit related) is that it by no means ends. Meaning it’s important to concentrate always throughout the whole yr. It isn’t digging ditches, however it’s extra of a job than any of the opposite sports activities to cowl. … The Large 12 will quickly begin media rights negotiations with ESPN and Fox Sports activities to see if there’s a deal available. This is sensible, as a result of the present Large 12 contract is up in three years, whereas the Pac 12 ends in two years. The Large 12 can’t let the Pac 12 set the income quantity faculties can anticipate earlier than it does, not with faculties in each conferences doubtless contemplating a transfer to or from each other primarily based on these numbers. The Large 12 wants to have the ability to present solutions.