"Dear viewers, welcome to join us."
"We are now at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, bringing you the second game of the second round of the 2017 NFL playoffs."
"In the game that just ended, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated last season's National Conference champions, the Atlanta Falcons, advancing first into the National Conference Finals."
"It was a very close and tough game, but the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive group stepped up to play a key role and secured the victory."
"'10:15.' The score was surprising; we didn't witness an offensive shootout, but the defensive units became the protagonists, no doubt an unexpected turn, and now, who knows what the next game will bring."
At this moment, the game being broadcast nationwide is not by the familiar ESPN, but by CBS Television.
Since Goodell took over as the NFL commissioner, the broadcasting rights have truly flourished, catapulting the market value of the NFL to new heights. Take the 2017 season for example—
Monday Night Football, ESPN.
Thursday Night Football, CBS, NBC, and the NFL Network; in addition, the Amazon platform.
Sunday Night Football, CBS.
The rest of Sunday's games were a joint purchase by CBS and Fox Television.
It's clear at a glance.
Due to the exorbitant cost of broadcasting rights, the television networks distributed the pie, sitting in a row, sharing it happily with one another.
This season, just for broadcasting rights alone, the NFL grossed over two billion six hundred and seventy million US dollars in the North American continent.
In the same season, the NBA's broadcasting revenue was only a third of this number.
The aforementioned is just for the regular season; come postseason, it's a whole different ball game.
Wild-card games, ESPN, and ABC.
Divisional games, CBS.
Conference Championships, CBS.
Four rounds of playoffs, with four networks still portraying a scene of friendly cooperation.
For fans, this obviously isn't too friendly, but it doesn't matter. Taking a leaf from the NCAA, the NFL also set up its own television platform, NFLN, where fans can catch the games by subscribing as members.
Last week, the spotlight was on ESPN.
This week, after your turn, I take the stage, with CBS taking the reins of the postseason drama.
For this game, CBS's legendary sports commentator with over thirty years of experience, Jim Nantz, took on the hefty task of live broadcasting.
Teaming up with Nantz as co-commentator was former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
As a player, Romo's career can certainly be called legendary.
In 2003, Romo attended the draft but, unfortunately, no team took notice of him, leaving him an undrafted rookie; he then joined the Dallas Cowboys, embarking on an adventure. After becoming the team's starting quarterback in the 2004 season, he never lost that job again, which was quite a spectacle.
The team's owner, Jerry Jones, greatly appreciated Romo; no matter the external criticism, he always gave Romo absolute support.
In thirteen seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Romo led the team to the playoffs four times and entered the Dallas Cowboys' Hall of Fame with countless records, undoubtedly leaving behind a glorious legacy.
In the 2016 season, Romo lost his starting position for the first time in his career, only starting one game for the team by the end of the regular season.
After the season ended, Romo announced his retirement.
As a player, Romo was never quite top-tier, but he was always impossible to overlook; his hesitant and easily toppled style of play in crucial moments drew much criticism. He could observe, plan, and pass the ball, but his chronic tendency to falter at key moments became the shackles of his career.
In March 2017, after announcing his retirement, Tony Romo casually took on the role of a commentator for CBS, broadcasting games, but unexpectedly ignited his popularity.
First, his witty humor, endless amusing anecdotes, and harmless jokes quickly captivated the audience's ears.
Second, his explanations were simple and easy to understand, allowing fans to easily grasp the complex tactics, adding flavor to the game.
Third, professionalism—
Like "Octopus Paul," Romo maximized his quarterback skills with precise analysis and predictions. He could even call out the teams' next plays in advance, like a prophet.
During the broadcasts, Romo not just once or twice accurately forecasted the direction of the game, proving to be a veritable seer, instantly sparking heated discussions on social media.
In just one season, Romo forcefully broke into the limelight several times and unexpectedly won a level of popularity in his broadcasting career that he could never have imagined as a professional player.
Actually, at thirty-seven, Romo was no longer young, but in the world of commentary, he was undoubtedly fresh meat, both handsome and new, a definite catch.
CBS immediately offered Romo a contract.
This season, Romo and Nantz were already an established team, winning countless praises for CBS's football broadcasts; tonight, they would continue to commentate on the divisional game.
"Tonight, the Kansas City Chiefs are guests at Foxborough, challenging the American League's number one seed, the New England Patriots — without a doubt, it will be a focus of attention."
"What's slightly surprising is that Foxborough has a strong warming trend today, the sky is cloudless, the visibility is clear, and the temperature is twenty-four Fahrenheit (minus four Celsius)." Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
"A pre-game focal point was that Foxborough's cold weather would definitely be an unknown factor, but now it seems like the Kansas City Chiefs have received some good news?"
Nantz smoothly and naturally segued into the game, raising a topic of focus—
Considering the temperature and the starry sky, the weather isn't bad. The much-feared heavy snow and rain didn't occur, which is a positive sign.
Romo easily picked up on the topic.
"If we're talking just about the temperature, I believe it's not a big deal for Kansas."
"Even though Kansas City doesn't face blizzards like Buffalo and Green Bay might, January temperatures in Kansas could also fall below thirty Fahrenheit."
"But the difference between Kansas City and Foxborough is that the former is a physical attack, whereas the latter is a magic attack."
"In Foxborough, the cold permeates into your bones like dampness, no coat or gloves can keep it out. Sit on the sideline for a bit, and your body cools down quickly."
"Moreover, the worst part about Foxborough is the unpredictable wind. It's not just visiting teams that are affected; even the home team can't avoid being influenced by it."
"The wind in Foxborough is unpredictable; no one can control it or resist it. Sometimes, it's calm one second and then, the next second, a fierce wind arises, but it calms down again just as quickly. The capricious winds are always a problem in January at Foxborough."
As a freshly retired quarterback, Romo undoubtedly had the most authority to speak. He had played games in both Kansas City and Foxborough and knew the stark difference between September and January, not to mention the uncertainties brought on by the playoff stage.
"Looking at the weather now, it's not terrible, but the Kansas City Chiefs still need to be vigilant. After all, this young team still lacks the ability to adapt to unexpected situations."
"Young players like Li Wei, Hunter, Hill, etc., removed their down jackets and hats during warm-ups. But after a brief acclimatization, they put on gloves again."
"The weather in Foxborough has a direct impact on the accuracy of passes and also affects catching and holding the ball to varying degrees."
In the broadcasting room, Romo was conveying the feel of the game based on his personal experience.
On the field, players were personally experiencing the chilly assault of Foxborough.
Li Wei looked down at his knees. He could feel a cold stream cascading through them, every cell in his body felt the invasion of moisture without any shield — was this normal?