Four years and the end of a once-in-a-century pandemic made for a much different experience when Fox NFL Sunday returned to San Diego on Sunday.
The network’s flagship pregame show broadcasted live from Naval Base San Diego for its annual Veterans Day weekend tribute to former and active-duty military servicemembers.
Fox NFL Sunday last visited San Diego in 2020, while the world was still in the grips of COVID-19. Health and safety protocols in place at the time limited the program’s participation at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to behind-the-scenes coverage provided by Jay Glazer and CooperManning.
Sunday’s do-over took on a much more festive atmosphere.
Hundreds of sailors gathered on the makeshift Fox NFL Sunday set on Pier 6. Members of the marching band performed traditional music, including “Anchors Aweigh,” and a few of the sailors participated in a simulated formation with Fox NFL Sunday co-hosts Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson.
Servicemembers sat in the grandstands, some waving flags and jerseys representing their favorite teams. The Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Washington Commanders appeared to have the most supporters.
In the backdrop, which included the USS Kansas City and the Coronado Bridge, one could not have asked for a more idyllic representation of San Diego itself — even though the city lost its NFL team eight years ago.
Sailors reach for free hats thrown by Howie Long as the FOX NFL Sunday crew broadcasted from a pier at Naval Base San Diego in front of hundreds of sailors on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
With a population of nearly 90,000 Navy personnel in San Diego County, the military branch is as synonymous with the city’s identity as the clear sky and sparkling water — or, as much as celebrating a Padres win during baseball season, as Machinists Mate 2nd Class Petty Officer Amaru Bradley put it.
“San Diego’s the birthplace of naval history,” Bradley said.
A Spring Valley native who graduated from Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, Bradley had a unique perspective. Hes a San Diego native and a serviceman with colleagues from throughout the country.
“It means a lot coming out here with everyone showing support for us active-duty personnel and veterans, showing that we are a family,” he said.
From left, Howie Long, Jay Glazer, Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Rob Gronkowski, and Michael Strahan stand for the national anthem as the Fox NFL Sunday crew broadcast from a pier at Naval Base San Diego in front of hundreds of sailors on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Bradley may be a Southern California native, but he’s a lifelong fan of the NBA’s Boston Celtics and the NFL’s New England Patriots. He was thrilled that Sundays broadcast included former Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, now a Fox NFL Sunday contributor.
When Fox NFL Sunday visited MCAS Miramar in 2020, Gronkowski was pushing for a fourth career Super Bowl championship, this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sunday, Gronkowski provided a memorable moment during a morning filled with them. The former tight end jumped from a helicopter into San Diego Bay, part of a simulation demonstrating how Naval servicemen dismantle underwater mines.
Former NFL player and current Fox studio analyst Rob Gronkowski jumped into San Diego Bay from a U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter as the Fox NFL Sunday crew broadcasted their live pregame show from Naval Base San Diego on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Such moments are becoming a part of the Fox NFL Sunday Veterans Day tradition. Last years show, which broadcast live from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, featured a segment where Gronkowski skydived with military personnel.
“It’s just a quick 10 minutes here,” Gronkowski said of these experiences. “If it was the real deal and you’re overseas really fighting in combat, then I’d probably say the anxiety ramps up a little bit. But you’ve got to stay cool and calm, and that’s what I’m really taking from these guys.”
Gronkowski said he continues to be impressed by the servicemembers.
“They’re all calm, and they all get the job done. No one is in over their head,” he said. “Whatever situation they come upon, they’re always ready to figure it out and have a solution.”
As Gronkowski emerged from the bay and returned to the set, he delivered his signature spike of the football — a fitting punctuation to this four-year-delayed celebration of San Diego’s military community.