Tony Romo Trained for His CBS Gig By Playing Madden While Jimmy Kimmel Watched

Tony Romo shined in his CBS debut. His predictive powers were strong and fine-tuned. He may have been a bit reserved and quiet in the beginning, but sailed along like an old pro by the end of the broadcast.

He conducted himself like a person who had worked diligently to rise to the challenge. His practice games were written about extensively.  Today, though, we got a different look at his preparation process thanks to Cousin Sal on The Bill Simmons Podcast.

The comedian, who hosts a gambling podcast on The Ringer and is a writer on The Jimmy Kimmel Live, described a summer hangout with his cousin and Romo.

(Begin at the 31:15 mark)

“I was like, you know what you should do? You should watch Madden and see what the play-by-play is and the color commentary and then you can see what’s marketable, you can see what you want to stay away from or go with. He said, ‘that’s a great idea.’ So he puts Madden on and he plays. We end up watching him all afternoon, beating up on these 12-year-olds. Now he’s only playing ranked guys in the world because at his rating that’s all you can do.

He’s not listening for a second to the color commentary. Jimmy’s like, ‘do you realize you didn’t listen at all to what they’re saying?’ [Romo]’s like, ‘I know, I have to beat this guy.’ He was changing every play at the line because he would see the defense and he’d go for 13 yards an offensive play. It was spectacular.”

Sal said the kids Romo was beating were constantly taunting over the headset but that the former Cowboys quarterback said nothing in response. A user who had mastered the defensive backfield eventually got the better of the audibling Romo.

Celebrities: they’re just like us, only better at way more things.