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Tony Romo can’t seem to stop going viral for awkward NFL broadcast moments.
A week after the former NFL quarterback was criticized by fans for making strange noises while analyzing a play, the CBS color commentator again grabbed attention during the New England Patriots-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.
Romo was describing the Patriots, now 8-2 under Mike Vrabel after a 28-23 win over the Buccaneers, when he used a phrase that some viewers took out of context.
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Tony Romo on “The Drew Barrymore Show” prior to Super Bowl LVIII. (Gail Schulman/CBS via Getty Images)
“This team is DTF, Jim,” Romo told his broadcast partner, Jim Nantz. “Details, toughness and they finish.”
Nantz replied, “It’s also very close to what Vrabel is telling them,” before adding that his “T” in Romo’s acronym would stand for “technique.”
However, many on social media interpreted the acronym differently, referencing the NSFW phrase made popular by the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore.” NFL insider Albert Breer noted the connection in a post on X.
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“Tony Romo just said the Patriots are DTF… Guess he hasn’t seen it [MTV’s] Jersey Shore?” Breer wrote.
On “Jersey Shore“ cast members used “DTF” to refer to a sexual encounter, leading to confusion—and laughter—among fans watching the broadcast.
To Romo’s point, however, the Patriots embodied his version of “DTF” as they extended their winning streak to seven in Vrabel’s first season as head coach. Quarterback Drake Maye, an early MVP candidate, went 16-for-31 for 270 yards with touchdown passes to Kyle Williams and Stefon Diggs. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson also had a breakout performance, rushing for 147 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 1, 2017. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)
Last week, Romo and Nantz were on the call for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs game when Romo drew attention for making awkward noises while describing a holding penalty on the Bills.
“Tony Romo is making some very suspicious noises again,” wrote one X user.
Romo has faced plenty of scrutiny since transitioning from the field to the broadcast booth. Before Super Bowl LVIII, he addressed some of the criticism.
“It’s a normal arc of anyone’s career,” he said at the time. “Honestly, I think a lot of people are rooting for Mahomes because he’s been there. They want to see new people.
Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Mary Kouw/CBS)
“It’s just part of an arc when you do something at a very high level. I think it’s normal. The same thing happens in football. You become dominant at things and then all of a sudden people are like, ‘OK’. Then eventually Tiger Woods comes back and everyone is rooting for you. It’s just a normal arc of a career. It’s not abnormal. It’s absolutely what has to happen.”
Romo joined CBS Sports in 2017 as the network’s lead NFL analyst after a 14-year career as the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback.
