Two years ago, Fox was preparing to televise a Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl. Greg Olsen was preparing to call the game.
Videos by FanBuzz
Currently, Fox is preparing to televise a Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl. Greg Olsen is not.
Olsen's candid reflections on his situation came this week during a media tour. In an interview with Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, he didn't mince words, saying simply, "It sucks."
It's clear that Olsen feels some frustration with his current role. He's now the No. 2 analyst behind Tom Brady, who is locked into a nine-year contract with Fox.
"In my mind, I'm going to call big-time games again," Olsen told Fowler. "I'm going to call Super Bowl games again. I just don't know the timeline or the venue."
As for Brady, he's made it clear that he fully intends to fulfill his contract, and given his influence at Fox and his minority ownership stake in the Raiders, Olsen's path to the top could be a long wait.
"It's pretty clear that the path, the upward trajectory as far as Fox goes, probably is a non-factor," Olsen acknowledged. "I don't know what the future holds. I enjoy working at Fox. Fox has been very good to me. They know. I've been very honest with them that I'm not content just calling one o'clock regional games for the rest of my career."
Olsen has every reason to want more. After all, he's already had more. He's been at the top of the broadcasting game, calling Super Bowls and NFC Championships. But after Fox made a high-profile hire in Brady, Olsen found himself sidelined.
"To go from calling two years of the top games — a Super Bowl and then last year through the NFC Championship," Olsen said. "And now this year, your season just ends in Week 18, and you're home like everybody is, sitting on the couch watching it."
Some have wondered whether Olsen harbors resentment toward Brady for taking his spot. But Olsen made it clear that there's no personal animosity, though he did admit there's a fine line:
"I don't think resentment's probably accurate," Olsen told The Athletic's Joseph Person. "But I also think it's not too far off, if I'm being honest. I don't have any ill will — there's no personal resentment towards Tom, or obviously [Kevin Burkhardt] and Erin [Andrews]. I still talk to all of them fairly regularly. I'm hoping to see them next week down in New Orleans and grab dinner or a drink and just kind of shoot the shit, catch up."
As for his future, Olsen's career is far from over. He's still a two-time Emmy winner, and while he may not be calling the biggest games this year, his experience will continue to sharpen his skills. There's always room for improvement.
"The art of critiquing broadcaster performance is incredibly subjective and inherently uninformed," Olsen acknowledged. "No one knows the connection between the analyst's base of knowledge/depth of preparation and the words the analyst chooses to formulate and express in short snippets formulated on the fly."
Olsen might not be calling the Super Bowl this time around, but his day will come again. The challenge, though, is that top NFL broadcasting spots are rare, and they usually don't open up unless a network is willing to pay a premium for the next big name in the business. Or, perhaps, unless a network hires a former player with plans to also own one of the teams he's covering.
So, Olsen keeps his eyes on the horizon. It's a long road back to the top, but don't be surprised if he finds his way there again.
