This Sunday, FOX will unveil a new broadcast team as Gus Johnson and 12-year NFL veteran cornerback Aqib Talib will be on the call for the Vikings-Cardinals matchup.
Calling games isn’t new for Talib. He was in the booth for two games last season, and he was part of the Los Angeles Rams’ preseason television crew. However, he has never done a game with Johnson, who fans are excited to hear on NFL games again.
The duo joined the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast on The Athletic this week. Johnson is very high on Talib’s future in the business.
“Aqib had called games last year and we talked about me calling some games and it kind of just fell into place,” the excitable play-by-play man said. “It was kind of the perfect situation for us to work together because we feel really confident and strong about Aqib’s talent. We think he has a very, very bright future as a broadcaster. They wanted to put him with someone who had a little experience and I was excited about getting back in the NFL. The way I like to say it, it was perfect…It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Talib mentioned that he has an eight-game schedule at FOX this season. He will call Cardinals-Jaguars in Week 3 and Lions-Bears in Week 4 with Johnson.
“I thought we sounded good. I’m a people person, so I will vibe with just about anybody you put me with,” Talib said of his partner. “When I was with Gus, Gus has a way with making me more comfortable. When we did the practice game, I just felt more comfortable sitting there. After hanging out with Gus, I can tell you right now I will feel a lot more comfortable than any other booth I have sat in because we are building a relationship.”
When viewers hear Talib call games, they are getting more of the defensive perspective as opposed to hearing an analyst that is a quarterback. Johnson is drawn to Talib’s authenticity and insinuated that he may be a little jealous of the broadcast industry the former defensive back is starting in versus the one Johnson himself walked into.
“I’ve heard Aqib do games and yes he does sound different and that’s a good thing because nobody’s made up the same way. It’s a different sound from what we are accustomed to hearing, but I think it is a great sound and I think the sound is going to continue to improve as he does this more. The world is changing, that’s what I realize. I’m 54 years old, I look at the world and I see how people react to authenticity and it is kind of refreshing. I came in at a time where there was kind of a standard sound. This is going to be fun.”
With Johnson’s enthusiasm that for calling games and Talib’s different perspective on the game, this should make for a fun broadcast duo.
