Greg Olsen is taking a very different approach than Charles Barkley as both broadcasters respond to significant changes on their careers.
While Barkley awaits news on the future of the NBA on TNT, he’s gone scorched earth on his bosses for seemingly botching negotiations with the league and Adam Silver. But as Fox made the decision to bump Olsen from their lead analyst chair with Tom Brady, he’s been nothing but a good teammate.
Recently, Olsen acknowledged he let Brady pick his brain about broadcasting, and on the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today, the former tight end opened up about that conversation.
Greg Olsen just won an Emmy for his work as Fox’s top NFL analyst last year—but he’ll be bumped for Tom Brady this season.
Olsen still wants the top seat.
“My aspirations are still to be a number one analyst, whether it’s at Fox or elsewhere.”https://t.co/7QeMoll7zn pic.twitter.com/DuKobAVMS5
— Front Office Sports Today (@FOS_Today) May 23, 2024
“He’s been super grateful and humble coming on board, so that process has been great,” Olsen told Front Office Sports Today host Owen Poindexter. “But listen…I’d love to be that calling the Super Bowl this year, I think everybody would. My hunger, my approach, my aspirations, if anything have just gotten stronger.”
“I made it very clear to him that I want to be a great teammate,” Olsen continued about his conversation with Brady. “I want to be a great resource at whatever level I can be, and he echoed the exact same sentiment. I look forward to working with him. I look forward to sharing the network with him. I look forward to competing against him I’m sure as he looks to compete against us and make a name for himself. I think all that healthy competition is really good.”
Obviously, Olsen’s situation with Fox is very different than Barkley’s with Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT. Fox is investing in the NFL by adding Brady to its roster, while WBD appears to be losing the NBA.
Still, no one would blame Olsen for being a little bitter toward Fox or Brady. And maybe he is behind closed doors. But behind the microphone and in front of the camera, Olsen continues to present himself as a great teammate, which will only further ingratiate himself to fans.
