WFAN’s Gregg Giannotti doesn’t think Greg Olsen is better than Troy Aikman in the booth. On Monday’s Boomer & Gio, he questioned why ESPN would see Olsen as an upgrade.
What We Know: Aikman and Joe Buck each signed five-year deals with ESPN in 2022. Since then, Buck has signed a six-year extension worth roughly $108 million. Aikman, however, still has no new deal, and his $90 million contract ends after Super Bowl LXI in February. Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that ESPN is cutting costs and sees the Buck-Aikman relationship as too strained.
What They Said: (all quotes via WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio” show):
Gregg Giannotti doesn’t understand why Greg Olsen is the leading candidate to replace Troy Aikman: “If Troy Aikman really is replaced by Greg Olson on Monday Night Football, it’s going to confuse me. If that’s what their plan was all along. Maybe it was the relationship between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman that deteriorated. Maybe it was all the money that Troy was asking for. But if their plan was to upgrade this booth and also save some money by hiring Greg Olson, I think that they’re just making a mistake.”
Gregg Giannotti feels Greg Olsen being replaced by Tom Brady changed public perception of him: “He [Greg Olsen] doesn’t stand out to me as the next big color commenting star of the NFL. I really think a lot of this has to do with the fact that he burst onto the seat and did a nice job. Then Tom Brady, who everybody loves to hate, comes in. Takes his job, and he had to get a demotion. Then he became this sympathetic figure amongst people because he took the high road. Then because of that, the way people look at him was sort of elevated.”
Gregg Giannotti just doesn’t believe Greg Olsen in better than Troy Aikman in the broadcast booth: “The Troy Aikman Joe Buck thing is fascinating to me. I know Troy’s not perfect, and I know there’s been some stuff out there about the way that him, some of the producers, and things that have gone on there. But just listening to a game as an NFL observer and fan, to me, Troy’s much better than Greg Olson is.”
What Remains Unclear: ESPN hasn’t named anyone to replace Aikman. On top of that, Olsen’s own Fox contract runs out after this season. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, people across the industry see Olsen as the clear favorite. Even so, nothing is signed, and ESPN says it won’t discuss talent contracts before the Super Bowl.
What It Means: Giannotti’s take pushes back against a growing wave of Olsen support. In his view, Olsen’s stock rose after Tom Brady bumped him to Fox’s No. 2 booth. Fans rallied behind Olsen, he argued, because he took the high road. In the end, ESPN has to decide whether a cheaper, fresher voice is worth more than a Hall of Famer.
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