There have been many predictions about how Tom Brady will do in his new role as Fox’s No. 1 NFL analyst.
WEEI Boston radio hosts Andy Gresh and Christian Fauria used a benchmark Tuesday in discussing expectations for Brady: Will he be better than Fox’s current No. 1 analyst, Greg Olsen?
Brady confirmed Tuesday on the Front Office Sports Today podcast that he will be bumping Olsen from the No. 1 booth, where he’s worked with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. That’s led to plenty of speculation about Olsen’s future, whether he moves to Fox’s No. 2 booth, or jumps to another network.
On their Gresh and Fauria mid-day radio show the co-hosts debated how Brady will perform, using Olsen as the reference.
Fauria, a former NFL player, disagreed with longtime Fox analyst Terry Bradshaw’s recent comments on a podcast that “America’s gonna like him. They’re going to love him No. 1, just because he is Tom Brady.”
“What I disagree with is what Terry Bradshaw said, that everyone is going to love him,” Fauria said. “I don’t think so at all. I think the love affair right now is Greg Olsen. The accolades and the praise is going to Greg Olsen … no one can stop praising him. He’s likable, he’s lovable.”
“I don’t think so at all,” Gresh said. “Greg Olsen is a nice broadcaster, he’s good at the role, but c’mon now, it’s Tom Brady we are talking about.”
Gresh went on to say Brady has been putting in some serious prep work, and “I think he is going to be really good at this.” Fauria countered that he didn’t think Brady would not do a good job, only that viewers are “going to be resistent and he is going to have to win them over.”
That led Gresh to level more praise for Brady, concluding with what sounded like a dig against Olsen.
“He is going to be better than (Tony) Romo right away and people will quickly forget about Greg Olsen. Again, it’s Tom Brady,” Gresh said. “Plus, he’s beautiful.”
[Barrett Sports Media]
