Tony Romo's OWI arrest exposes the absurdity of broadcast money

Tony Romo was arrested in Milwaukee on July 23 after deputies pulled him over on I-43 for alleged unsafe passing and lane deviations, then had him fail field sobriety tests. He was also cited for an open container and passing on the right. Days later, CBS confirmed he's on leave from the broadcast booth 'until further notice,' with J.J. Watt sliding in alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson to cover for him.

The Pardon My Take crew got into it during Monday's show, tucking a Romo update in between Oregon's Dan Lanning, Nebraska's Matt Rhule, and Tarik Skubal news, which tells you how fast this became must-discuss content in the football media world.

Pardon My Take

@PardonMyTake

PMT 8-3 with Oregon HC @CoachDanLanning and Nebraska HC @CoachMattRhule is Now Live! - Tarik Skubal is a Dodger - Romo Update - Mt Rushmore of Worst Places your Wife/GF Takes You - Who’s Back + more Watch or Listen Here t.co/yVU85ynoHU

But the real conversation isn't really about the arrest itself, it's about the money attached to Romo's name. He's been CBS's lead NFL analyst since 2017 and is reportedly sitting on a deal worth over $70 million with 4 years still left on it. That number is why an OWI charge for a broadcaster is suddenly national news instead of a local police blotter item.

That's exactly the thread Dave Portnoy pulled on Wake Up Barstool, ripping into how broadcast contracts even work in the first place.

Barstool Sports

@barstoolsports

“I don’t get the contracts at all. You don’t choose what NFL game you’re gonna watch based off who the crew is, it’s who the game is… They are the most bizarre contracts that are given out to any humans on earth” -Dave Portnoy

Portnoy's point cuts right to the heart of it: nobody tunes into an NFL broadcast because of who's calling the game, they tune in because of who's playing. Yet color commentators like Romo get paid closer to a starting quarterback than a sportscaster, a dynamic that only looks stranger now that his job status is in limbo over a legal issue that has nothing to do with football knowledge.

For now, Watt fills in and CBS waits out whatever legal process comes next before deciding Romo's future in the booth. Given the size of that contract, don't expect CBS to make any hasty long-term call, but the arrest has already reopened a debate about broadcaster pay that was bubbling under the surface long before this weekend.