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Is this a fair call by CBS, or is the network guilty of unnecessary roughness?
Three months after Tony Romo was arrested for OWI (operating while intoxicated) in his home state of Wisconsin, the football legend has been sacked from his broadcasting gig.
CBS announced today that upon further review, they’ve decided to part ways with their top analyst:
“CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways,” CBS said in a statement obtained by Pro Football Talk.
“We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward. J.J. Watt will continue to partner with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on our lead NFL announce team for the rest of the season.”
Romo issued a statement of his own, in which he confirmed that the decision to part ways was a mutual one:
“I’m proud of what I accomplished at CBS Sports over the last nine years,” wrote the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback (according to PFT).
“I approached my role as a game analyst the way I’ve approached everything in my life — with a desire to win and be the best that I can be, I’m going to use this time to take a break, something I’ve never done before, and focus on my health and my family before moving on to my next opportunity,” Romo continued, adding:
“I am grateful for my time with CBS Sports and for the continued support of my family and friends, as well as the NFL community and fans.”
In the wake of his arrest, Romo admitted that he’d developed an “over-reliance” on alcohol.
He pled no contest to the charges and issued a lengthy statement in which he admitted fault but vowed to return to the broadcast booth.
“This morning, I faced a recent personal failure by pleading no contest to a civil offense for OWl in Wisconsin. I own this completely,” he wrote, adding:
“Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected and left me with constant, debilitating pain. That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.
“As I have taught my three young sons: when you fall short, you stand up and take full responsibility. This is an important first step. The harder and more important step is examining the path that brought you here and making the changes necessary to move forward.
“That path requires honesty. None of this is an excuse. These are my failures, and I take responsibility for them.”
For now, it seems that Romo’s planned return to broadcasting has been delayed indefinitely.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
