Behind the Scenes with FOX’s NFL crew: Tracking hurricanes and the evolution of Tom Brady
By Richie Zyontz
FOX NFL Lead Producer
Editor’s Note:Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and is in his 23rd season as the lead producer. He has more than 40 years of experience covering the league and has produced seven Super Bowls. Throughout the 2024 NFL season, he is providing an inside look as FOX’s new No. 1 NFL team, including NFL legend Tom Brady, makes its journey toward Super Bowl LIX. Read more behind-the-scenes stories from Richie Zyontz here.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton have wreaked havoc over the last few weeks, and their impact has touched our world, too. The storms created professional chaos for our traveling crew members as a whole, and, in two specific cases, personal chaos as well.
Jamie McCombs and Mike Davis have been friends and colleagues for more than 20 years. The St. Petersburg, Florida, residents form the backbone of our NFL audio team, bringing the sounds of football into your living rooms. This week they were dealing with a different type of sound — the frightening howl of 105 mph winds.
McCombs, a lifelong Floridian and avid boater, was still dealing with 2 feet of water in his home left over from Helene when Milton struck last week. He, his wife and two daughters evacuated their bayside home to stay with relatives in Tallahassee. When he returned two days later, there were lines at the gas station 100 cars long waiting to fill up, but luckily no further damage to his home. His house, however, has been stripped to the bone as part of the drying out process.
The home of FOX Sports’ Jamie McCombs had to be stripped to the bone as part of a drying out process in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)
For Mike Davis and his wife Kristina, Milton hit harder than Helene. Their home had some wind damage and a complete loss of power, which has yet to be restored. Sleep was at a premium, as Mike nervously waited out the hurricane from the safer confines of extended family in Clearwater. Kristina remained on the home front. As a social worker at a local hospital she was on call all week doing the heroic work of helping others.
A boat washed up in the backyard of FOX Sports’ Jamie McCombs after a pair of hurricanes hit his neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)
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Sounds of the Game
Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys was literally relief from the storm for Jamie and Mike.
Since FOX’s inception in 1994, audio has always been central to the way we cover sports. From NASCAR to baseball, from the NFL to college football, the sounds of our events are given great priority.
Jamie controls 150 faders, deftly balancing out the volume from 150 sources. His booth is a Geek Squad member’s dream — strewn from head to toe with wires and knobs. Mike’s work space is a football fan’s dream. He is located on the sidelines in charge of all the wireless microphones.
Audio engineer Mike Davis (left) and lead audio mixer Jamie McCombs, both residents of St. Petersburg, Florida, form the backbone of the FOX Sports NFL audio team. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)
The audio team includes two other key members, who fortunately weren’t dealing with hurricanes last week.
Eddie Verstraete is the middleman between the efforts of Mike and Jamie. He is responsible for taking those sounds from the field and blending them into Jamie’s overall mix. Every time you hear the crunch of a big tackle or a quarterback barking out signals, it is Eddie’s work you are appreciating. When Dak Prescott calls out “here we go” at the line of scrimmage, Eddie V’s microphones are working beautifully.
The fourth member of Jamie’s team is the wily veteran Ben Altopp. He runs the audio operation in our broadcast booth and has done so for 20 years. Ben is part technician, part concierge. He not only troubleshoots technical problems, he ensures that our announcers are comfortable and content. The array of snack foods available up there would impress any well-paid caterer.
Evolution of a rookie broadcaster
One thing that’s clear six weeks into Tom Brady’s new career is that he wants to be coached. Now all announcers say that, but not all mean it. Egos can be sensitive, and speaking “truth to power” can be uncomfortable for producers. Not with Tom. He demands honesty, and those conversations have resulted in improvements each week.
With no scoreboard to check, broadcasting can be confusing for newbies. If you cast a large enough net, you’ll reel in a broad range of opinions. Any comment or analysis can draw polar opposite opinions.
Tom’s enthusiasm has been a welcome surprise. Many thought that the greatest quarterback of all time would call games from the imposing vantage point of a member of the NFL’s Mount Rushmore. Au contraire! In six weeks, Brady has witnessed four non-competitive games, yet his energy has never wavered.
Tom Brady, shown here with broadcast partner Kevin Burkhardt, has demanded honest feedback on his performances, which has led to improvement each week. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)
In Sunday’s tilt between the surging Lions and the floundering Cowboys, that trend continued.
Detroit’s star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a gruesome leg injury — so gruesome that we looked at it during a commercial break and deemed it unfit to air. His leg literally snapped and dangled as if by a thread. The air came out of the stadium as players from both teams gathered on the field out of concern.
Brady and partner Kevin Burkhardt maintained the proper tone. But once the game resumed, the energy picked back up.
Brady fell in love with the high-powered Detroit offense and its bright young coordinator Ben Johnson. In fact, he said it was an offense he would have loved to have played in — high praise indeed.
Now our focus shifts to next week and a Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. It will be Brady’s first look at Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes from the broadcast booth. It should be a fascinating listen.
In addition, Brady will be doing a sit-down with Mahomes for our FOX pregame show. This will be Tom’s first foray into hosting a feature piece and should be must-see TV.
Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and is in his 23rd season as lead producer. He boasts more than 40 years of experience covering the NFL.
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