Behind the scenes with the FOX NFL crew: Tracking the 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 twenty third season as a lead producer. He has greater than 40 years of championship expertise and has produced seven Super Bowls. Throughout the 2024 NFL season, he’ll present an inside look as FOX’s new No. 1 NFL staff, together with NFL legend Tom Brady, makes its journey to Super Bowl LIX. Read extra behind-the-scenes tales from Richie Zyontz right here.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton have wreaked havoc in current weeks, and their impacts have additionally touched our world. The storms created skilled chaos for all of our touring crew members and, in two particular instances, private chaos as nicely.

Jamie McCombs and Mike Davis have been pals and colleagues for greater than 20 years. Residents of St. Petersburg, Florida type the spine of our NFL audio staff, bringing the sounds of soccer into your dwelling rooms. This week they have been coping with a unique form of sound: the terrifying howl of 105 mph winds.

McCombs, a lifelong Floridian and avid boater, was nonetheless coping with 2 ft of water in his residence left by Helene when Milton hit final week. He, his spouse and their two daughters evacuated their bayfront residence to stick with kinfolk in Tallahassee. When he returned two days later, there have been queues on the petrol station with 100 vehicles ready to replenish, however happily no additional injury to his home. His home, nevertheless, was stripped to the naked bones as a part of the drying out course of.

FOX Sports’ Jamie McCombs’ residence needed to be stripped to the bone as a part of a drying out course of following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

For Mike Davis and his spouse Kristina, Milton hit tougher than Helene. Their residence suffered wind injury and a whole lack of electrical energy, which has but to be restored. Sleep was valuable as Mike nervously waited for the hurricane to go from the safer confines of the prolonged household in Clearwater. Kristina remained on the house entrance. As a social employee at an area hospital he was on name all week doing the heroic work of serving to others.

A ship ran aground in FOX Sports’ Jamie McCombs’ yard after a pair of hurricanes hit his neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

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Game sounds

Sunday’s recreation between the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys was actually a reduction from the storm for Jamie and Mike.

Since FOX’s inception in 1994, audio has all the time been central to how we cowl sports activities. From NASCAR to baseball, NFL to school soccer, the sounds at our occasions are given prime precedence.

Jamie controls 150 faders, expertly balancing the quantity from 150 sources. His sales space is each Geek Squad member’s dream: littered head to toe with wires and knobs. Mike’s workspace is a soccer fan’s dream. It sits on the sidelines and is chargeable for all of the wi-fi microphones.

Audio engineer Mike Davis (left) and lead audio mixer Jamie McCombs, each primarily based in St. Petersburg, Florida, type the spine of the FOX Sports NFL audio staff. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

The audio staff contains two different key members, who happily didn’t must take care of hurricanes final week.

Eddie Verstraete is the middleman between Mike and Jamie’s efforts. He is chargeable for taking these sounds from the sphere and mixing them into Jamie’s total combine. Every time you hear the crunch of an enormous deal with or a quarterback throwing alerts, it is Eddie’s work you admire. When Dak Prescott shouts “right here we go” on the line of scrimmage, Eddie V’s mics work fantastically.

The fourth member of Jamie’s staff is the artful veteran Ben Altopp. He manages the audio operations in our broadcast sales space and has been doing so for 20 years. Ben is an element technician and half concierge. Not solely does he clear up technical issues, he makes positive our announcers really feel snug and joyful. The vary of snacks out there up there would impress any well-paid restaurateur.

Evolution of a debut broadcaster

One factor that’s clear six weeks into Tom Brady’s new profession is that he needs to be coached. Now all of the announcers say it, however not all of them imply it. Egos might be delicate and talking “fact to energy” might be uncomfortable for producers. Not with Tom. It calls for honesty and these conversations have led to enhancements each week.

Without a scoreboard to test, the printed might be complicated for rookies. If you forged a large sufficient web, you’ll collect a variety of opinions. Any remark or evaluation could elicit opposing opinions.

Tom’s enthusiasm was a welcome shock. Many thought the best quarterback of all time would name video games from the commanding vantage level of a member of the NFL’s Mount Rushmore. On the opposite! In six weeks, Brady attended 4 non-competitive video games, however his power by no means wavered.

Tom Brady, proven right here with broadcast associate Kevin Burkhardt, requested for sincere suggestions on his performances, which led to enhancements every week. (Photo courtesy of Richie Zyontz)

In Sunday’s tilt between the surging Lions and struggling Cowboys, that pattern continued.

Detroit’s star defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson suffered a horrific leg damage, so ugly that we watched it throughout a business break and deemed it unfit to air. His leg actually broke and dangled as if hanging by a thread. The air rushed out of the stadium as gamers from each groups gathered on the pitch in concern.

Brady and associate Kevin Burkhardt stored the tone proper. But as soon as the sport resumed, the power returned.

Brady fell in love with Detroit’s highly effective offense and its sensible younger coordinator Ben Johnson. In reality, he mentioned it was an offense he would have appreciated to play in – excessive reward certainly.

Now our consideration shifts to subsequent week and the Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. It shall be Brady’s first take a look at Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes from the printed sales space. It must be an enchanting hear.

Additionally, Brady can have a gathering with Mahomes for our FOX pre-game present. This shall be Tom’s first foray into internet hosting a function movie and must be must-see tv.

Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and is in his twenty third season as a lead producer. He has greater than 40 years of NFL expertise.