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By Richie Zyontz
FOX NFL Lead Producer
Editor’s Note:Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and is in his 23rd season as the lead producer. He has more than 40 years of experience covering the league and has produced seven Super Bowls. Throughout the 2024 NFL season, he is providing an inside look as FOX’s new No. 1 NFL team, including NFL legend Tom Brady, makes its journey toward Super Bowl LIX. Read more behind-the-scenes stories from Richie Zyontz here.
There is a lot of real estate between Tampa, Florida and Santa Clara, Calif. — 2,800 miles, requiring 41 straight hours of driving, to be exact.
So, before Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady could even settle into the broadcast booth to call Sunday’s game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, our trucks needed to complete that journey safely, on time, and with their cargo intact.
[Related: More from Tom Brady | More from Richie Zyontz]
On the road again …
This is an unappreciated and unheralded side of network sports. After every game, our crew loads 200,000 pounds of equipment onto six semis, loads that include more than 30 cameras and adds up to a total estimated value of $30 million.
Our drivers then have to make lonely cross-country trips, witness countless Cracker Barrel sightings, and cruise through hundreds of miles of nothingness.
FOX Sports has always felt like a family to many of us. On our crew we have the Fabulous Zecca Brothers, which is not a circus act but a brilliant brother act featuring Mario on camera and Paul running replays.
This week another family played a big role. Kip Johnson and his daughter Kaye tag-teamed their way across Interstate 40, hauling some of that expensive gear. The drive was uneventful, and according to Kip, father and daughter are still on speaking terms after spending all those many hours together.
The father-daughter duo of Kip and Kaye Johnson tag-teamed their way across the country last week, hauling equipment from Tampa, Florida…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/behind-scenes-foxs-nfl-crew-long-haul-great-game
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Publish date : 2024-10-08 13:42:59
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