The unfortunate reality of show business is that for every star, there is an understudy who never got their due time on the stage. In the case of the Fox Sports broadcasting crew, that understudy just so happens to be the former star Tight End of the Carolina Panthers, Greg Olsen.
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In order to justify Tom Brady’s 10-year, $ 375 million contract with Fox Sports, some cuts had to be made. Unfortunately, one of those cuts came at the cost of Olsen. His $ 10 million salary was reduced to $3 million, and he also lost his role as a premier analyst with the network.
In light of fans voicing their complaints on behalf of Olsen to the network, the NFC South legend is now reiterating the fact that he harbors “no animosity” towards the former New England Patriot, and he is more than understanding of how things go sometimes.
“Tom and I have a really good personal relationship, a really good professional relationship. We’ve hung out and played golf together. We’ve talked on the phone about raising our teenage daughters and things that we share in common, so there’s no animosity towards Tom. Obviously, that was a unique situation the way it all played out. I get it,” Olsen shared in an interview with Ross Tucker.
Even though Olsen was effectively willing to cite the old adage of “it is what it is,” he remains adamant about his desire to be on the call for the game’s most premiere events. Simply put, despite seeing both his pay and his on-air presence be reduced by the network, Olsen is determined as ever to provide fans with a quality viewing experience at home.
“My aspirations of still calling top games I have been very clear about. How that all transpires, who knows, but I enjoy doing this profession. I enjoy learning, I enjoy speaking the game to people on live broadcasts… Do I want to call the Super Bowl? Yea. Do I want to call playoff games every year? Of course, everyone does… I want to see how good I can be and how far I can take it,” he added.
Notably, Olsen’s willingness to accept the unfavorable circumstances and face the network’s challenges head on are reminiscent of the same drive that helped to make him a household name in the southern region of the United States. Suffice to say, the flames of his nine-year stint with the Panthers may be extinguished, but the embers are still glowing hot in his broadcasting career.
For all of the controversy that Fox’s decision has resulted in, the network seems content with its decision to make Brady the premiere face of its NFL coverage. After all, Fox Sports has routinely ceded viewership totals to its competitors for the better part of the last decade.
Hitching your wagon to the game’s greatest signal caller has proven to be a sound business strategy, but the timing couldn’t have been any more unfortunate for Olsen, who was seemingly beginning to blossom as a commentator following Super Bowl LVIII.
Then again, there’s no shame to be had in losing to the likes of Tom Brady.
