Steelers Hall Of Fame QB1 Terry Bradshaw Is Open And Honest About On Air Gaffes

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Terry Bradshaw are forever linked to one another. Bradshaw was Chuck Noll's selection with the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft and after 14 seasons, four championships and one NFL MVP, the man known as the blonde bomber retired from playing professional football. He wasn’t done with the sport as he joined CBS Sports in 1984 and stayed with the network until 1993 in various studio and analyst roles.

In 1994, when Fox got the rights to broadcast NFL games, Bradshaw joined Fox NFL Sunday and he has been with the network ever since. The Hall of Fame quarterback has a unique style that sometimes comes under fire, but Bradshaw is who he is and makes no apologies. 

The perception of Bradshaw as a good old boy is the basis of his appeal and the root of the notion that he is less intelligent because of his thick Southern accent and self-deprecating style.

Bradshaw joined Jay Glazer’s Unbreakable podcast which can be found here on YouTube. The analyst joked with Glazer about some of the on-air gaffes that both add to his charm and have caused fan speculation about his well-being over the last year. Glazer shared one of his particular favorites with the former NFL MVP.

“I think it was a couple of years ago you know Russell Wilson had torn a tendon in his middle finger,” Glazer recalled. “You went into this five-minute dissertation about the problem is 'when you break your pointer finger, you’re not able to spin the ball.' Howie [Long] turns and says 'Jay was talking about his middle finger' and you go 'America disregard everything I just said.'”

Steelers Legend Terry Bradshaw Struggles Noticeably On Fox NFL Sunday Prompting Health Concerns From Fans

Bradshaw struggled with his health in 2022 and it bled into his on-air performance. There was genuine concern for his health after he struggled early in the year before admitting he was battling cancer. During the lead-up to Super Bowl LVII, Bradshaw granted an interview to Chris Wallace. 

Bradshaw thought it was a good idea to recycle the dumb hick labels that infuriated him during his playing days and that still cause heavy emotional damage when they are occasionally talked about today.

He has learned to take it in stride, but is more comfortable admitting mistakes than being accused of not knowing when he made them. Bradshaw joined in the laughter and Glazer followed it up with glowing praise.

“You are the greatest person who has ever done highlights,” Glazer bubbled. “I mess up everybody’s name. I am horrible with names. After 30 years of doing highlights at Fox, it is unbelievable how you are able to take that and pronounce all these cats’ names as they get harder and harder to pronounce.”

Bradshaw will never be confused with a top scholar, but he has been a highly successful public figure for 50 years. He is almost universally beloved and a highly successful horse breeder, author, singer, Nascar team owner, and purveyor of Terry Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 

The bourbon boasts a 51.9 percent ABV (103.8 proof... which is Bradshaw’s career passing percentage). Almost everything he touches turns to gold, but Bradshaw was quick to respond and open up about a situation he dreads on Sundays.

“When those Hawaiians come into the league, I’m dead,” Bradshaw shared in response. “You’ve heard me say that. Oh my God, please don’t have a good game.”

The Steelers’ former quarterback has butchered his share of names over nearly three decades of broadcasting, but that is hardly unique to him. Bradshaw’s highlights at halftime on Fox have become an event that is only rivaled by Chris Berman's primetime and the original gold standard Howard Cosell's Monday Night Football halftime highlights. 

Glazer complimented Bradshaw on another portion of his role on Fox that came under heavy fire after NFC Championship games and Super Bowl eye-opening podium interviews.

“Getting up and interviewing the MVP and the quarterback and owner and coach at each Super Bowl and AFC Championship game, that’s got to be horrifying because you are going on the fly and all of a sudden, it’s like okay what do I ask this guy? I gotta make sure I get his name right but it’s going out to 116 million people. How do you compartmentalize?”

Bradshaw came under intense scrutiny on Twitter after the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl for his podium antics with Jalen Hurts after the NFC Championship game and Andy Reid after the Super Bowl. He responded with his country charm in a refreshingly honest answer.

“We don’t get to meet these guys,” Bradshaw said. “We are in the studio. If you take 40 superstars in the league and lined them up on Rodeo Drive and we walk by and name them, chances are I’m going to get most of 'em wrong and if you line up head coaches, I can promise you I still don’t know the head coaches name from Minnesota. I always do this with the producer: 'tell me the name of the player that I’m about to interview when you bring him in.'”

Professional broadcasters like Curt Menefee, who anchors the Fox NFL coverage, are smooth veterans who still occasionally make mistakes. Fans tune in to see Bradshaw because he gets excited and even though he is an NFL legend, isn’t perfect and makes the mistakes fans would make if they were sitting in that seat.

It may not be the smoothest ride, but in an increasingly polished and generic approach to covering sports, the charm of broadcasters like Myron Cope, John Madden, and Bradshaw is being lost. At 74, Bradshaw can’t go on forever and someone will sit in his chair eventually, but no one can ever replace him.

What do you think Steeler Nation? Do you miss the days of big personalities who enhanced the game day experience? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.