This Sunday, Tom Brady will make his Super Bowl broadcast debut alongside Kevin Burkhardt for Fox Sports. But amid all the discussion about Brady replacing Greg Olsen as the network’s lead analyst, one question lingers: Why didn’t Fox consider putting them together?
The History of a Three-Man Booth
Fox has used a three-man booth for a Super Bowl before. In 2005, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Cris Collinsworth teamed up to call the Eagles-Patriots matchup. It was a well-received experiment, but Collinsworth soon departed for NBC, leaving Buck and Aikman to form the longest-running duo in NFL broadcasting history.
Now, history could have repeated itself. Olsen had proven himself as a top-tier analyst, earning praise for his Super Bowl LVII commentary. With Brady’s inexperience in the booth, a three-man setup could have been the perfect way to transition him into the role while keeping Olsen involved.
The Missed Opportunity
Olsen himself was open to the idea, as he admitted in an interview with Barrett Media. However, Fox never seriously entertained the possibility. One reason? Money. With Brady locked into a massive $375 million contract, it may have been seen as a potential embarrassment if Olsen—who was making significantly less—outshined him on air.
And now, as Olsen reflects on his demotion, he’s making it clear that his future as a lead analyst likely isn’t at Fox. Meanwhile, if Brady struggles on the biggest stage, the decision to move on from Olsen may come under even greater scrutiny.
Fox had a choice. It made its decision. And now, we’ll never know what could have been.
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Source: Awful Announcing
Photo Credit: Fox
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