Tom Brady, Mark Messier & Blake Bolden, Say What?

Words, my dad always taught me, matter. In sports media, they are crucial—whether written or spoken. The best announcers know that silence, the art of when not to speak, is truly a gift.

Showing up and caring matters, too. Back in the day, when I was lucky enough to work around athletes, the GM I reported to always said he could tell who’d done the work, who was ready, and who genuinely cared. Now, as a fan of this wild media world, I believe I can tell, too, when someone’s invested and when they’re just phoning it in.

Now, let’s get to why you’re here. I promise, you won’t see Tom Brady, Mark Messier, and Blake Bolden paired in the same sentence anywhere else. But hey, you came to read my take, so here it is.

No need to remind you of Brady’s success on the field. Most of you north of the border don’t need the Messier recap either. But Blake Bolden? Let me fill in the gaps.

Blake’s career has revolved around the ice—from her days playing college hockey at Boston College to her groundbreaking professional career. She became the first Black player drafted in the CWHL’s first round and later, the first to compete in the NWHL. She previously worked with the Los Angeles Kings as a professional scout—only the second woman in the NHL to hold that role—and served as their Growth and Inclusion Specialist. Currently, Bolden contributes to ESPN’s NHL coverage, where her “Breaking the Ice with Blake Bolden” segment features her interviewing and skating with top NHL players for The Point, ESPN’s weekly NHL studio show.

So why compare these three? Because despite their success on the ice or field, all three are struggling with a mic. Granted, Brady and Bolden are rookies in this realm. But think of them as first-round draft picks who went straight to the majors without a single minor league game. Each of them is tripping up, not yet grasping the weight of words.

Brady, for instance, needs to learn that less is more. Last Sunday, I got home in time to catch the Seahawks game—and promptly had to mute it. I actually texted someone: Will he ever just stop talking? Brady’s issue isn’t content; it’s quantity.

Messier, on the other hand, comes across as though he simply doesn’t care. Aside from segments promoting his new Amazon series, he’s tongue-tied and disengaged. With all his Cups and games, he’s earned the right to do as he pleases, but he’s one of three talking heads on a flagship NHL broadcast. If he can’t muster some interest, he’s watering down the product.

Then there’s Blake. Her main challenge is rawness. In the first two games, she was tough to watch—both content and delivery were off. For this week’s Maple Leafs-Jets game, her content improved, but her delivery? Flat, like reading the phone book. She did have a few sharp insights (the Maple Leafs power play remark, for instance), but her energy was so low I doubt many noticed.

This brings me to why the ecosystem of the industry matters so much. We need spaces where new voices can develop. We need mentors willing to guide those eager to learn. Brady, I’d wager, is just nervous. In time, someone will pull him aside and tell him that brevity is his friend. Messier? Apparently, he only has one more Amazon game on the calendar. If I were in charge, I’d be having a serious chat with him about future appearances. If he’s not willing to put in the effort, there are plenty of other voices out there. And Blake? Energy isn’t easy to teach. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I don’t have the experience to say one way or another. She improved from game one to game three, but her delivery is part of who she is. Unfortunately, she’s in a tough spot, paired with Adnan Virk, a seasoned, high-energy broadcaster. That only highlights her quiet demeanor. How did no one spot that in pre-season testing?

Words matter. So let me close with these: I didn’t encounter the audio glitch that most of you did in this week’s game. For me, these Amazon broadcasts have been a breath of fresh air. The production quality is sharp. The play-by-play team is excellent. Here’s hoping they iron out the remaining kinks—and that someone reminds Brady to let the game speak for itself.