Well, one thing’s for certain: Tom Brady can B.S. with the best of them.

Guessing you already knew that.

We have no idea what kind of NFL analyst Brady will become, but as a pitchman, no worries. Brady had to participate Monday in the Fox Upfronts, which are sort of broadcast cheerleading sessions for advertisers. He quickly proved that he’s got plenty of flesh-press game.

“I love being part of that Fox family,” Brady schmoozed at one point. “Walking out of my first meeting with Fox, it reminded me of my amazing teammates. To be part of the game I love, to be part of the greatest telecast in football every single week, ultimately made my decision.”

So a Fox programming meeting = Super Bowl winning rosters. Hoo boy. But you see where this is going, and so does Brady: Right to the bank, thanks to a 10-year contract with Fox worth a reported $375 million.

More interesting was the news of Brady’s first assignment. Fox was given the Cowboys-Browns game in the late afternoon window on Sept. 8, with CBS assigned no corresponding contest. (The league and networks have been dripping out these game announcements all week.) That’s a huge early win for Fox, which would’ve done fine with either Brady’s debut in the booth or a national telecast involving the Cowboys, but now gets both.

Brady will be working with Kevin Burkhardt on Fox’s No. 1 announcing team, which makes it at least semi-official that Greg Olsen will have a new role. Olsen has already said as much, though it still seemed to sneak up on some people that he didn’t become a free agent after the 2023-24 NFL season ended and the Brady takeover went into effect.

Olsen said he remains bound to Fox, telling the Charlotte Observer in March, “Still under contract with them. Still get to call some of the best games of the NFL slate.”

What that will look like isn’t entirely clear, and there’s no broadcast universe in which getting bumped from the No. 1 team doesn’t also involve a financial haircut. But Olsen will be fine. He’s really good, and he received strong reviews for his two seasons alongside Burkhardt. There may not be a top job up for grabs right now, but when the time comes, Olsen will be there to take it.

About Brady, there’s just way less known. The game-prep for which he was known as a quarterback certainly won’t hurt him here, but it’s still to be seen which of Brady’s personality traits will come across most powerfully when he’s working four quarters from upstairs.

And the math is different for Brady. It just is. Olsen was a fine, fine football player; Brady is football royalty. What he says and how he says it are going to be scrutinized more closely, probed at greater depth for cues and clues, than virtually anyone else who might settle into that role.

Folks will be trying to crack the T.B. code to figure out whether he’s tossing roses or darts. It’ll be a little Swiftian – maybe only for a while, but at least for that long.

The Upfronts didn’t generate much of that kind of curiosity, but they’re not supposed to. You can’t trust these events; they’re put-ons to get the big media buyers excited about a network’s programming plans for the coming ratings season. It’s show-pony stuff. All Brady proved Monday was that he knows how corporate money moves.

He stood around swapping scripted jokes with Michael Strahan. He listened while Erin Andrews described him as “one of the best storytellers out there” – about which, we’ll see – and he was part of the big finish, when celeb chef Gordon Ramsey, Strahan and Brady gathered together to shout to the advertisers, “Let’s f—ing go!”

Again – nobody’s fault. That’s what the Upfronts are for, and I think we already knew that the seven-time Super Bowl winning QB understands how to handle a moment of public enthusiasm.

But you can’t blame the media buyers, much less the fans, if they’re looking forward to seeing which of the Tom Bradys they’ll get when the games are live and the calls are real. Can’t wait to find out.

FOX Sports Radio afternoon host Doug Gottlieb was hired as the new men’s basketball coach at UW-Green Bay Tuesday in what was a somewhat surprising move to the uninitiated.

Gottlieb had openly flirted with taking the job last spring when it came open and said as much on his nationally syndicated radio show. When the coach who took the job departed to return to Wyoming as its next head coach this late in the hiring cycle, the radio host seemed like a natural fit to take the job.

Now, ponder that end of that sentence for a moment: “the radio host seemed like a natural fit to take the job.” Because, despite being hired as the new head men’s basketball coach at UW-Green Bay, The Doug Gottlieb Show is going to continue as if nothing has changed.

Many have opined on the credentials — or lack thereof, in most cases — of Gottlieb and the how/why he got hired. I’m not going to do that. This is a media column, after all.

But I will question just how in the hell Doug Gottlieb is going to pull this off.

I’m not going to pretend as if being a sports talk radio host is one of the more difficult jobs you can have. It isn’t. But there are challenges that, I have to assume, being the head coach of an NCAA Division I basketball program would exacerbate.

On the flip side, I can’t help but think it’s likely that having a two-hour nationally syndicated radio show (and a daily one-hour podcast) will eventually lead to some sort of dust-up between the host and a player, opposing player, coach, university, athletic department, fan base, official, broadcaster, or the league office. It’s just simply bound to happen at some point.

To his credit, Doug Gottlieb is an insanely personable radio host. It’s one of his more redeeming qualities. He discusses what’s going on in his personal life, personal anecdotes, and says what’s on his mind, despite how frequently that gets him in trouble.

But — no offense to the likes of Scott Shapiro and Don Martin, who I greatly admire — answering to a University President or an Athletic Director for inserting your foot in your mouth on a national platform is an entirely different ballgame.

Similarly, being at the top of your game in two professions is insanely difficult to accomplish. Should he not be as knowledgeable on a topic as he should be on his radio show, won’t the suits have to question his level of commitment? If ratings slip, or if he’s not available for a meeting when he’s needed, won’t doubt begin to creep in about whether or not he’s still the right person for the job?

And at Green Bay, if his team looks unprepared or is outcoached on some random Wednesday night Horizon League matchup, will the fan base or administration wonder “If only he had two more hours to prepare today instead of talking into that damn microphone?”

Not only is this a gamble for UW-Green Bay, but it’s also a gamble for FOX Sports Radio and Gottlieb. There’s a very real possibility he could lose two jobs by doing neither of them to the best of his ability.

While the questions persist, and I think they are fair and warranted, the only person who can know whether or not this is going to work is Doug Gottlieb. And you know what? If he believes he can pull it off, who am I to say he can’t?

I genuinely hope he can manage to do both national sports talk radio and be a Division I basketball coach. But knowing how territorial employers get, I won’t be surprised if he has to choose, at some point, which career he wants to continue in.

I wish Doug Gottlieb the best of luck. Not just because I think he’s going to need it, but because I think it would be a fantastic story to be told some day about just how in the hell he pulled it off.

Last Wednesday, Westwood One Executive Vice-President and Executive Producer Howard Deneroff went through a spectrum of emotions following the announcement that his 35-year run with the network had come to an end. It was a literal “who’s who” in the sports media world that had so many great things to say about the legendary broadcasting executive whose contract was not renewed.

“I don’t know anybody who does his job better than Howard Deneroff,” said Cincinnati Bengals and University of Cincinnati play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard. “His knowledge, attention to detail, and ear for what makes a great broadcast (and broadcaster) is unmatched. If you’ve enjoyed the national radio call of a big sporting event, Howard was likely in charge.”

“Ian Eagle told me the more people who can take credit for your career, the better,” said veteran play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler.“Howard Deneroff is one who takes a chunk of credit for me, hiring a guy calling D-2 sports in Nebraska & putting him on a big stage. A risk for him. One I hope he feels paid off.  Forever grateful.”

“Had the honor and privilege of working with (and for) Howard Deneroff,” said Dallas Mavericks play-by-play voice Chuck Cooperstein.“Hearing of his leaving Westwood One Sports after 35 years is jarring to say the least. There’s never been a producer more prepared or an executive completely committed to doing things right.”

That’s just a few of the tributes to Deneroff on social media and it was those words and so many others that certainly combined for a big giant tug on the heartstrings.

“Overwhelmed, appreciative, and emotional,” is how Deneroff described his reaction during a phone interview with Barrett Sports Media. “I spent the better part of Wednesday upset that the run is over because I still want to work in this business, and it was almost as if I was reading my own eulogy. They were wonderful comments, and I had no idea that many people felt the way they did. I’m thankful for it but sad that that part of my life is in the past.”

What people wrote and said about Deneroff should definitely not be construed as a eulogy and it’s clear that, while it’s the end of his long run with Westwood One, Deneroff still has the burning desire to work and to produce radio broadcasts that sports fans enjoy listening to.

After 35 years, Deneroff built many great relationships and hopes that he can continue at a new home.

“Players say this all the time…they miss the locker room,” said Deneroff. “Broadcast crews are your second family. I want to work. I still think I can do this at a very high level but for the moment, I’ll miss working with all those great people and I will miss being at all those great events. Hopefully I’ll have another opportunity to be at them in some other capacity.”

When the news broke last week, it was initially reported that Deneroff was “leaving” Westwood One, but that was not the case. It was Westwood One that chose not to renew his contract and while Deneroff acknowledges that these are situations that come with the territory, especially in broadcasting, it’s still painful when it happens to you.

“We all know that most people don’t get to write their own exit but that doesn’t make it any easier,” said Deneroff who worked 35 Super Bowls, 25 NCAA Tournaments along with countless other big events for Westwood One including the Olympics, World Series, The Masters, the Kentucky Derby and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“They did not renew my contract. They did not make me an offer which was incredibly disappointing after 35 years but that’s their right and that’s the way contracts go. I’ve done enough contracts over the years and not renewed other people’s contracts so I understand that’s part of the business. But, it’s still stunning when it happens to you.”

It has been a special career in broadcasting for Deneroff.

Growing up a huge sports fan, Deneroff majored in Broadcast Journalism at Syracuse University and then set out on a path to fulfill a dream.

Mission accomplished for Deneroff.

“I got into this business, truthfully, because I wanted to go to as many different sporting events as possible for free,” said Deneroff. “That was the reason I became a producer. To be able to go to all of these games was a dream come true. I produced the games like a fan would want to hear.” 

When he started out in radio, Deneroff was able to work with the likes of Brent Musburger, Jim Nantz, Jack Buck, Vin Scully and Ernie Harwell and later on Marv Albert and Dick Enberg. He would grow from being a young producer into a high network executive who ultimately became responsible for hiring some of the great play-by-play, analyst and studio host voices that you hear and see on the air today.

There are certain things that Deneroff looked for during the last 18 years in the capacity of hiring announcers for Westwood One.  He has spent his entire career being diligent in making the right choices and has done a hall-of-fame job doing just that.

“I tried very hard to select announcers that could deliver the best description of what was happening along with the best passion and energy and the best perspective,” said Deneroff. “To me, unless you can do all three of those, something is missing from a broadcast.”

Sometimes, announcers looking for work would send him a resume and demo tape and there were also times when Deneroff would find new talent just driving through different parts of the country listening to local play-by-play. He knew what he wanted in an announcer and left no stone unturned in finding the right people.

“Play-by-play is a very specific art,” said Deneroff. “I couldn’t do it. I tried. I couldn’t do it well but I know how it should sound and so I’ve spent 35 years trying to find who I believe are the best people to deliver that to fans like me so they could be excited and passionate about what’s happening.”

Deneroff was working the College World Series in 2003 when he met Kevin Kugler who was doing a local talk show. Kugler didn’t ask for a job or express an interest in working for Westwood One. He just wanted Deneroff to listen to his tape.

“I listened to the tape,” said Deneroff who would hire Kugler in 2004. “From the first tape I ever heard of his I said this guy is really good and I want to hire him. I’m thrilled that now he’s doing so many other things for Fox and everybody else because I always thought he was talented.”

John Sadak, Ryan Radtke and Brandon Gaudin are some other outstanding play-by-play voices that Deneroff brought to Westwood One. Sadak was doing Delaware Women’s Basketball, Radtke was doing minor league baseball and basketball and football games for the University of Nevada while Gaudin was doing Butler Basketball when Deneroff first heard them. 

Deneroff also hired Jason Benetti as a play-by-play announcer and Jason Horowitz, now the radio voice of the Las Vegas Raiders, 15 years ago as a studio host.

While Deneroff brought all of those announcers on board, he believes if he didn’t find them, someone else would have.

“I should not be given credit for them,” said Deneroff. “I just happened to hear them before someone else might have discovered them. I believe I helped them along the way and I gave them a forum to do their craft in which I felt they were really good, but I do think they all got better working with me and Westwood One.” 

There are so many other announcers that could be mentioned as part of the fraternity of voices who were hired by Deneroff at Westwood One. If you wanted to draw an analogy to great athletes who have excelled on the field, court or ice, Deneroff has put up some impressive numbers when hiring announcers.

Whether you want to call it a completion percentage, shooting percentage or winning percentage, Deneroff has produced (no pun intended) and has produced in a big way.

“Obviously, I’ve hired a lot of people in 18 years and so if I’m forgetting anybody, they should all know how I feel about them if I hired them,” said Deneroff. “I don’t think I made many mistakes over those years in hiring talent. Nobody is perfect but if I hired them, they know my opinion of them.”

I’m proud to be in the group of announcers hired by Deneroff. He took a chance on me in 2008 bringing me on as an update anchor for Westwood One’s Olympic coverage and I was proud and honored to work multiple Olympics for him. To his point of making announcers better, I’ll certainly vouch for that. I was already doing updates for other outlets, but I can safely say that my experience working with Deneroff made me a better announcer and I could never repay him for that.

It’s not that often when a marquee athlete becomes an unrestricted free agent available to any team that would want him or her as part of their team. That also applies for sports broadcasting as you can be sure that networks will be lining up to inquire about securing Deneroff’s services.

So far, Deneroff has received one part-time offer but he has also been inundated with so many calls, text messages and e-mails that he has yet to get back to everyone.

“It’s been overwhelming and hundreds of people have contacted me,” said Deneroff. “Anybody who knows me really well knows I don’t sit still so I’d like to work sooner than later because I love what I do. For the first time since 1989, I’m looking for a job. We’ll see what the future holds and hopefully I’ll be back at a stadium somewhere soon and continue to do what I love.”

It’s just not realistic to think that Howard Deneroff will be on the open market that long. His resume and accomplishments at the highest level of sports broadcasting speak for themselves and it shouldn’t be too long before we find out about the next chapter of his storied career.