LOS ANGELES — Terry Bradshaw spills a cup of espresso, however Curt Menefee doesn’t flinch. Menefee leans towards a tray not seen on tv for some tissue to assist clear up as Bradshaw continues to make some extent in regards to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Howie Lengthy helps with the cleanup, and Bradshaw retains speaking. Jimmy Johnson listens intently.
Menefee then ribs Bradshaw about needing one other cup of espresso, and Johnson makes use of espresso as a transition to speak in regards to the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks.
“So Terry spills espresso on dwell TV … now, how do you react?” Menefee stated shortly after whereas sitting in a dressing room at Fox Studios. “As an alternative of going into panic mode, we made it a part of the present, and we laughed it off and had some enjoyable with it.”
It’s a humorous second within the studio. And Menefee, the longtime sports activities persona for Fox Sports activities, would let you know he has one of the enjoyable jobs on the planet because the host of “Fox NFL Sunday.”
Curt Menefee (left) with Terry Bradshaw on the “Fox NFL Sunday” set. (Courtesy of Lily Ro Pictures / Fox Sports activities)
It is likely to be espresso at some point. The following day, Johnson may get fired up speaking a few teaching scenario, or Lengthy may need a passionate dialogue in regards to the Raiders, a franchise he performed with for 13 seasons. Michael Strahan is as busy as anybody on the present along with his a number of tv jobs. He will be humorous, or he will be dialed in and critical when discussing soccer. If the present had a script, it could go off-script more often than not.
However somebody has to maintain the present flowing. That’s the place Menefee steps in.
His colleagues name him a buddy, therapist and some extent guard of types on the present. Menefee, 58, is in his 18th season as host of a present that’s all about soccer however is likely to be greatest identified for the wacky moments that make viewers chortle.
Menefee is not only the host; he’s the easy persona in an NFL comedy troupe.
“Folks by no means go, ‘You probably did an ideal job of breaking on the Cowl 2.’ It’s, ‘I like it whenever you guys bust one another’s chops,’” Menefee stated. “That’s one thing that folks will bear in mind from the present greater than the rest: (Bradshaw) spilled espresso, and also you guys laughed it off and talked about it getting on his swimsuit.”
To know Menefee’s significance, take into consideration the solid. There’s Bradshaw, the four-time Tremendous Bowl champion and Corridor of Fame quarterback from the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the Seventies. There’s Lengthy, a Corridor of Fame defensive lineman who gained a Tremendous Bowl with the Los Angeles Raiders. There’s Strahan, a Corridor of Fame defensive finish and the NFL document holder for many single-season sacks (22.5, tied with the Steelers’ T.J. Watt) who gained a Tremendous Bowl with the New York Giants. And there’s Johnson, a Corridor of Fame coach who gained two Tremendous Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and in addition a nationwide school soccer championship on the College of Miami.
Curt Menefee (left) with the “Fox NFL Sunday” solid: Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Michael Strahan and Howie Lengthy. (Courtesy of Lily Ro Pictures / Fox Sports activities)
Somebody comparatively new to the combination is Rob Gronkowski, who gained 4 Tremendous Bowls as a decent finish with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and certain is headed to the Corridor of Fame. Add within the ever-energetic NFL insider Jay Glazer, and that’s a variety of persona on set with the potential for tv chaos. Somebody may go on a rant with nobody realizing the route.
Menefee has discovered tips on how to let everybody have their time whereas additionally ensuring the present stays on schedule.
“Folks don’t know what he does for us,” Glazer stated. “He’s our chief. He’s our therapist. There are six of us on the present, so there’s 19 personalities — and Bradshaw and I received 12. For Curt to have the ability to hold us in verify like this … you already know, we’re household.”
The espresso spilling is only a microcosm of what Menefee means to the present. Glazer and Bradshaw each have publicly mentioned a few of their psychological well being struggles. Glazer stated Menefee takes the time to verify on them and has been a confidant when instances are powerful. When he’s coping with a potential nervousness assault, Glazer stated it’s Menefee who typically is the primary to cease what he’s doing to assist.
That’s as a result of Menefee has constructed real friendships with the crew. There are offseason holidays. Glazer was Menefee’s greatest man at his wedding ceremony 10 years in the past. Their spouses know one another, too.
Menefee stated he’s one of many “uncommon” visitors capable of spend two days fishing at Johnson’s dwelling within the offseason as a result of Johnson normally solely provides guests at some point. Moreover, Menefee watches school soccer with Bradshaw and Johnson each Saturday, the place there’s bonding and the place Menefee picks up perception into how they’re excited about the NFL that is likely to be helpful on the present.
“I get to spend time with my greatest pals in life. That’s not a job,” Menefee stated. “It’s simply enjoyable time. It’s simply an extension of the blessings that I’ve been given and the enjoyment that I’m capable of have in life to have the ability to do that and name it my job. I do know that not many individuals get to say that.”
The friendship is the inspiration of what makes the present go. It permits Menefee to know when to let somebody hold speaking and in addition when to make use of nonverbal communication to inform somebody to wrap up his level. Menefee gauges what’s engaged on the fly. He does all of this with present producer Invoice Richards talking to him in his earpiece.
What makes the present a lot enjoyable is the unpredictability — however it additionally will be traumatic if somebody can’t keep order. The present isn’t rehearsed, so Menefee will react to a Bradshaw rant or a Johnson monologue on the fly. Controlling the room is a crucial talent to ensure segments don’t run lengthy and sponsor reads aren’t forgotten.
Emphasis on “controlling the room.”
“I’m not ripping the fellows, but when this kindergarten class goes loopy, I want a instructor to say, ‘Now we’re going to industrial,’” Richards stated. “We are able to simply let it go and these guys can go for an hour, we’d by no means take a industrial, and we’d all get fired. Curt maintaining the practice on the tracks, I can’t let you know how necessary that’s.”
It additionally helps that Menefee has been on dwell tv since he was 19 years outdated, going again to his time as a pupil at Coe Faculty in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He’s been educated to remain prepared for something.
Menefee took over because the full-time host of “Fox NFL Sunday” in 2007 after James Brown left for CBS. Lengthy stated he admired how Menefee dealt with being the “bullpen man” as Fox first experimented with utilizing Joe Buck to host and in addition name video games. Menefee taking up meant the present didn’t should journey to the place Buck was working.
For practically 20 years, it’s labored. And friendships have fashioned within the course of.
Curt Menefee (far proper) with Jimmy Johnson and Jay Glazer on the Empire State Constructing in November. (Noam Galai / Getty Photos for Empire State Realty Belief)
Menefee’s preparation is meticulous. The Santa Barbara, Calif., resident is up by 5:30 a.m. on daily basis for meditation along with his spouse, Viollette, and to work out. The early begin additionally permits Menefee to name or textual content numerous sources across the NFL on the East Coast who wish to talk early of their day.
Menefee likes to maintain soccer to a minimal on Mondays in order that Viollette has a day with him with out the pressures of labor. By Tuesday, he’s speaking with Richards in regards to the imaginative and prescient for Sunday’s present. The rundown for the present is normally set by Thursday, which is when Menefee begins specializing in groups and stats that will likely be necessary for Sunday.
Friday is spent with a variety of texts and telephone calls to individuals across the league. On Saturday, he drives from his dwelling in Santa Barbara roughly 100 miles to a resort room in Los Angeles for his weekly custom of watching school soccer with Bradshaw and Johnson at their resort round midday. Menefee likes to be again in his room by 5 p.m. to work on among the written elements of the present, and he prefers to be in mattress by 8 p.m. He’s then up by 4 a.m. for meditation and to reach on the Fox studio by 5 a.m. for present preparation.
Menefee jokes that his soccer profession resulted in center college, however he’s not seen as a soccer outsider by his pals on set. They acknowledge the work he does, together with visiting a number of coaching camps within the offseason and sustaining relationships and perception throughout the league to assist the present’s progress.
He is aware of the game and might juggle halftime highlights in a number of markets. He additionally will help somebody with a bit of data on the fly.
“If I used to be in a professional soccer sport present and I needed to telephone a buddy for some type of data, Curt can be the man to name,” Lengthy stated. “Curt is so good with a variety of massive personalities on the present. We’re not a rehearsal present. To be trustworthy, I believe that’s a part of the rationale why we’re profitable, as a result of what you’re seeing is real, genuine reactions to a first-time dialog.”
For all the reward Menefee receives, he’s admittedly his personal worst critic. He used to obsess over stumbling over a phrase or a mispronunciation. He stated these issues don’t hassle him anymore, as a result of, in common dialog, these issues occur.
His focus in after-show conversations with Richards is on the circulation of the present. What labored for every section? What didn’t? For Menefee, it’s extra the large image.
“Did I get Terry in quickly sufficient? Did I wrap him up fast sufficient?” Menefee stated. “Did I transition from this being critical to this being lighthearted or vice versa? I don’t assume I’ve ever accomplished an ideal present. I’m nonetheless striving, nonetheless making an attempt to get there. I haven’t gotten there but.”
“The most effective level guard goes to take a few pictures, and people are those you may take into consideration on the way in which out,” Richards stated. “However he’s an ideal shooter, so he’s making most of them, so no one cares. Curt’s errors aren’t one thing I spend a variety of time on, as a result of there’s not lots (of them).”
Glazer’s friendship with Menefee dates again to the Nineties when each have been working in New York and Glazer requested Menefee to co-host a present, “Pointless Roughness” on the MSG Community. He believes Menefee is nice to work with as a buddy however added that Menefee will be “very, very, very onerous on himself” after a present.
“I at all times inform him we type of go as you go,” Glazer stated. “So, it’s possible you’ll assume one thing wasn’t good, however the remainder of us don’t see it. So, don’t put that in our heads. Our present is imperfect. We’re off the cuff. I’ll simply say to him, ‘Hey, bro, you beat up on your self, however the remainder of us don’t see what you’re upset about. So, don’t convey it out. Let’s you and I simply discuss it up.’
“Then we discuss it out, after which he’s like, ‘You’re proper.’”
Therapist. Level guard. Perfectionist. The grownup within the room. There are a variety of methods Menefee is described. His major focus, although, is ensuring his pals look good on air.
He’s change into a star in his personal proper. The present was inducted into the Nationwide Affiliation of Broadcasters Corridor of Fame in 2019 — so technically, Menefee is a Corridor of Famer like his panelists.
But when his pals are shining on air and the viewers proceed to return again, he’s comfortable.
“The No. 1 objective is for individuals to depart the present feeling like they had fun, that they loved it, as a result of leisure is the very first thing,” Menefee stated. “The second factor is that they get some data out of it.”
Spoken just like the grownup within the room.
(Prime picture: Noam Galai / Getty Photos for Empire State Realty Belief)