In the aftermath of the debate over which NFL athletes could cross over into the NBA and which NBA players could handle pro football, Fox NFL announcer Greg Olsen appeared on Pardon My Take to expand the conversation into the world of broadcasting. Olsen argued NFL announcers would have an easier time calling NBA games than vice versa, because of the pace of basketball and the accessibility of the sport.
Olsen highlighted the constant stop and start of football, which forces broadcasters to fill more air time and have something real to say before and after every play. While basketball is just as complex as a sport, Olsen argued he and other NFL announcers could fake their way through the small pockets of a basketball broadcast more easily.
“I think an NFL broadcaster could broadcast an NBA game with more understanding and clarity than vice versa,” Olsen said. “In football, every play is an individual story. It’s not just like a constant.”
Olsen said he personally appreciates the intricacies of NBA analysts like JJ Redick, but claimed there’s less overall talking on a hoops broadcast, which makes it a bit easier.
“They’re not really giving the play by play exactly, because it’s happening so fast,” Olsen said. “They’re flowing from offense to defense … they’re flowing through so many different situations in real time that they’re only diving into the real specifics of a great baseline out of bounds or a great side out of bounds or the strategy at the end of the game of who to foul, who to trap, really just in a handful of moments.”
On the other hand, football demands analysis over and over during the 60 minutes of gameplay.
“In football, it’s a start and stop 150 times,” Olsen said. “There’s more need and space to fill in more football lingo and talk than there is in a constantly flowing basketball game where you could kind of fake it a little bit more.”
At the same time, Olsen noted the average person feels a stronger connection to basketball because they can go outside and play it. Pro football is alien to anyone who did not play it in high school or college.
“People are just more familiar with the ins and outs of it because more people do it than they play tackle football,” Olsen said.
The longtime NFL tight end had a pretty compelling case. Yet if the beef between Austin Rivers and every former NFL athlete in sports media over players crossing over is any indication, Olsen’s take will launch a fresh round of nonsense anger across sports.
