The last few weeks have seen NFL fans become divided over Tony Romo, including over whether or not his recent Michelob Ultra beer commercial, in which he pays homage to Bill Murray’s Cinderella Story scene from Caddyshack, was the “best thing he’s ever done” or “just wrong.”
MSN writes that the NFL “doesn’t seem to be as all-in” on Romo as it was when he first entered the booth.
“Does Tony Romo say anything critical any more?” one fan of the sport – but perhaps not of Romo’s – tweeted late Sunday. “C’mon Tony baby. Not everything is perfect out there.”
And his Michelob Ultra (stylized as ULTRA) is no different. It has divided audiences into two polar opposites, although even some of the positive feedback it has received merits a bit of a deeper look.
Watch Tony Romo practise his golf swing in the 2023 Michelob ULTRA beer commercial
The TV spot, which only runs to 15 seconds, shows Romo practising his golf swing while dreaming about becoming a golf champion.
He wants to be the next Cinderella story in the golfing world. And, in order to get there, he’s swinging gardening tools at flowers.
“The crowd is deadly silent,” he says in the ad, in a mock commentator voice. “Young Cinderella story happening right in front of our eyes.”
ISpot has had a webpage on the commercial since January 23, 2023, but only seemingly for the teaser version of it. It invites people to tune in to the Super Bowl LVII on February 12 to “see if Tony will go down in the history books as a golf champion.”
The Michelob ULTRA YouTube channel uploaded the teaser on January 16.
‘Tony Romo is the best actor of all the quarterbacks who have tried for commercials’
Tony Romo’s performance in the Michelob Ultra beer commercial has earned praise from certain NFL fans.
One, commenting on Twitter, wrote that he is the “best actor of all the quarterbacks who have tried for commercials,” which on closer inspection reads less like a compliment and more like a veiled criticism. However, the critic does add that he Romo “natural” and “funny on camera.”
Another said the ad gave them “Adam Sandler feels,” presumably referencing Happy Gilmore.
And finally, one Twitter user wrote Sunday that the Michelob Ultra commercial was the “best thing Tony Romo has ever done.” Michelob Ultra’s Twitter account replied that it could “really gopher an ULTRA right now.”
Others say Tony Romo ‘trying to do’ Bill Murray’s Caddyshack Cinderella Story character is ‘wrong’
The Michelob Ultra ad is more than intertextual – it’s a rehash of a scene from Caddyshack, starring Bill Murray as Carl Spackler.
It’s a 1980 sports comedy. It also stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Michael O’Keefe. It has a sequel, Caddyshack II, although not many of the original cast reprised their roles.
Murray reportedly improvised a lot of the “Cinderella story” scene with only two lines of stage direction. Director Harold Ramis directed him to act like a child; he hit the flowers with a grass whip while daydreaming about winning the US Masters tournament.
One Twitter user wrote that Tony Romo “trying to do” Bill Murray’s “Cinderella story” scene from Caddyshack in the Michelob Ultra commercial is “just wrong.” So, it does have its detractors.
Watch Bill Murray reenact the iconic scene at an event in California
On Saturday, January 28, 2023, Twitter user Project Venkman posted a video of Bill Murray reenacting the scene, to the delight of those present.
He approaches a patch of colorful flowers, wielding a golf club. He raises the club, swings it, and pelts the flowers into the air. The petals lie strewn. The crowd goes wild.
For its part, the New York Post has addressed Tony Romo’s “haters,” writing that he is the “best NFL announcer.”
“I like Tony Romo,” writes Phil Mushnick. “That’s right. I often enjoy his work on CBS’s NFL telecasts.” It is his view that his “foresight separates him above other NFL announcers.”
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