Tom Brady replaced Greg Olsen in Fox’s lead NFL booth, but not before seeking some advice from his predecessor.
Earlier this week, Fox announced that Brady’s first regular-season assignment alongside Kevin Burkhardt in their top booth will be the Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns game in Week 1’s late national window. This highly anticipated debut relegated Olsen to the No. 2 booth, where he will team up with play-by-play voice Joe Davis.
Brady has reportedly been preparing intensely for his NFL on Fox broadcast debut, and part of that preparation included asking Olsen for guidance. Olsen recently discussed his interaction with Brady on USA Today’s Sports Seriously.
“I had a chance to speak with Tom a couple of weeks ago, and he was just kind of picking my brain about the prep and the industry and what to expect and whatnot,” Olsen told USA Today. “Every guy has their own journey in sports broadcasting. I think everyone thinks it’s easy. I think everyone thinks getting up there and calling a live football game for three hours, off the cuff and being able to get in, get out, deal with the flow of the game, the players, the schemes, the terminology…there’s a lot going on during a game, and I think some guys really transition to it well and take to it pretty quickly, and other guys haven’t. We’ve seen a mixed bag of results over the last couple of years.
“So, obviously, his playing career and his resume are all-timers. We’ll see how the year goes. I don’t think there’s any real correlation between being a great player or an average player, and how that correlates to being a great broadcaster or an average broadcaster. We’ve seen examples on both ends of that spectrum. So, we’ll see how it all plays out.”
Olsen has successfully transitioned from the playing field to the broadcast booth. Tasked with replacing Troy Aikman for Fox, Olsen faced the additional challenge of knowing he was a placeholder for Brady. Despite this, Olsen became one of the most popular analysts in the NFL.
Given his success, it’s smart for aspiring broadcasters to seek any insight Olsen can offer. It’s somewhat surprising to learn that Brady, who is replacing Olsen, is among those seeking advice. Despite potential feelings of bitterness towards Brady or Fox, Olsen has handled the challenge of being a No. 1 broadcaster and the subsequent demotion with class.
