Dear Fox, More Aqib Talib in the Booth, Please: TRAINA THOUGHTS

1. Former NFL defensive back Aqib Talib caused a social media stir earlier this season when he made his Fox debut as an analyst calling a Washington-Detroit game.

I didn't catch any of Talib's debut that Sunday because ... it was a Washington-Lions game.

Talib made his return to Fox's booth Sunday, doing color commentary for Eagles-Cardinals. I was able to listen to some of that game in between watching Chiefs-Saints, and I'm all in on Talib.

Before we get to his actual work, let's just take a second to admire Talib's tremendous suit.

If you read Traina Thoughts or listen to the SI Media Podcast, you've heard me preach one thing when it comes to football analysts: Enough with the cookie-cutter commentators, give us something different and unique.

Talib is certainly different and unique.

What I liked about Talib was that he spoke like a player, not a former player who went to broadcasting school and got molded by network executives.

Talib was raw and refreshing. That's pretty much the opposite of most NFL television analysts.

One reason Tony Romo was a hit right off the bat was that he was different from all the other commentators. Talib is certainly different. 

I also liked that Talib wasn't a quarterback. Again, networks love to copy each other and embrace cookie-cutter. That means hiring mostly quarterbacks for analyst jobs.

Talib was fun and loose. Of course, TV executives always forget sports should be fun, so that might work against him, but we loved the energy he brought to the telecast.

Here are two examples of Talib doing his thing Sunday.

Talib's reaction to DeAndre Hopkins's wild game-winning catch–"What to do, what to do?"– was outstanding and his "The refs, they are not interested in what you were trying to do" line after a personal foul penalty was great.

Fox now needs to do two things: Give us more Talib and don't try to change Talib. 

2. Another NFL broadcaster who deserves praise today is CBS's Nate Burleson. James Brown usually anchors the network's studio coverage throughout the day on Sundays, providing highlights and hosting halftime and postgame. However, Brown was home Sunday because of 2020's most used phrase—"an abundance of caution"—so Burleson took over as the lead studio host for the day and did an excellent job.

3. Derrick Henry had yet another memorable stiff arm Sunday. Here's what I got for you below: The regular angle of the stiff arm, a close-up angle of the stiff and the Jim Ross call of the stiff arm. 

4. This is an A+ backpage by the New York Daily News.

The New York Post gets a C. I'd bet 75% of you reading this right now have no idea who Lawrence Welp is.

5. Legendary sports talk radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo joined the latest SI Media Podcast for a conversation.

We discussed NFL broadcasters needing to mention betting/covers, doing a radio show from home, keeping up with the radio business, his decision to reveal who he voted for on his show, the importance of Howard Stern to SiriusXM, the positive reaction to his son's recent appearance on his show, what he thinks of Sour Shoes, why he doesn't like Tony Romo and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.

6. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: John Krasinski's Some Good News returned for a special holiday edition, featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. If you choose to hit play on this video, have the tissues nearby because your eyes will be moist by the end.

7. SPORTS VIDEO OF THE DAY: Seems like an appropriate day to bust out this video.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram