FOX is really lucky to have a guy like Greg Olsen. Broadcasting is an ego-driven business. Even the nicest guys have a need to be the center of attention. You choose a job that puts you in front of a camera or behind a microphone because you want to be seen and heard. There’s nothing wrong with that. A desire to stand out is one of the key ingredients for success in this business.
That ego though can get in the way sometimes and derail your own goals or your employer’s plans. Greg Olsen didn’t indulge his ego this summer. That was a good thing for FOX at the time. It gave them a placeholder in the analyst’s chair on their top NFL broadcast until Tom Brady’s playing days are done.
Now? It seems like a pretty great thing. I hope the network is ready to reward that.
Who among us can say we have a good idea what the future holds for Brady? His personal life has been as big of a story or bigger than anything in the NFL since the preseason began. Even without knowing the intimate details of his absence from training camp or he and Gisele Bündchen hiring divorce attorneys, anyone that follows the news can see that the GOAT’s life is in turmoil right now.
I thought a lot about Brady’s future on Sunday as I first watched him lead my Buccaneers to victory over Atlanta and then stuck around for America’s Game of the Week on FOX. Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen are such a good broadcast team and I can’t help but wonder if we are going to be watching them for a little longer than we may have anticipated when Brady’s deal was first announced.
There is a seat in the booth waiting for Brady when he finally does retire. When the deal was first announced, you could understand why FOX was willing to cut the check they have promised. He’s 45-years-old, has won his Super Bowl without Bill Belichick, and already retired once. But now, if he really is on his way to a divorce, he may not be as motivated to hang up his cleats as he was in the summer.
Add to that the bad taste NBC’s Drew Brees experiment left in the industry’s mouth, and the Murdoch family, Eric Shanks, and Kevin Burkhardt are probably thanking their deity of choice that Olsen remains in the fold.
Not only is Greg Olsen a great analyst, he is also a great ambassador for FOX and the NFL. He is a fun, dynamic presence in radio interviews. You can hear that on national platforms like The Dan Patrick Show, but he is just as good when he calls into The Mac Attack on WFNZ in Charlotte.
Olsen may not be as famous as Tom Brady, but people are invested in him. They care about him. He played in Chicago, Charlotte, and Seattle. Those places all care about his family. The story of his son’s heart transplant last year brought prayers, well wishes, and celebrations from fans and colleagues all over the country.
FOX is going to need Greg Olsen in its top NFL play-by-play booth next year no matter what Tom Brady decides to do. If Brady decides he isn’t ready to retire after all, Kevin Burkhardt still has a partner he trusts and it is one the network already knows is great.
If Tom Brady does decide his playing days are over though, I don’t know that FOX should be thinking about re-assigning Olsen. The network has used three voices in its top NFL booth before. When John Madden left for Monday Night Football, the network turned to Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Cris Collinsworth. Collinsworth, the experienced player-turned-broadcaster, was a nice safety net for both Buck and the network as Aikman grew into his role.
Why not embrace a similar strategy? Tom Brady himself said that he has “a lot of shit going on.” It is fair not to expect him to be able to solely focus on broadcasting and nothing else. Why not give him every advantage as he transitions into a new field?
It would give FOX an advantage too, because Greg Olsen is excellent at what he does.
Demetri Ravanos is a former columnist and editor for Barrett Media. He is the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host of the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
