Vikings GM Rick Spielman said that he has "spoken with the NFL and Fox to express the team feels it’s inappropriate" to have Panthers TE Greg Olsen in the broadcast booth for their game against the Rams on Sunday, according to NFL.com's Tom Pelissero. Olsen is currently on IR, but "can come off" in time for Vikings-Panthers on Dec. 10. The Vikings’ request to have Olsen work a different game was "declined." Olsen "won’t be" in production meetings or walkthroughs for either team. The Rams and Panthers do not play during the regular season, but "could see" each other in the playoffs (TWITTER.com, 11/14). Fox in a statement said, "We fully respect the Vikings concerns and will limit the amount of pre-game access allowed to Greg. We look forward to welcoming him in the broadcast booth and giving viewers a unique perspective" (NFL.com, 11/14). Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on Monday when asked whether he had an issue with Olsen calling the game said, “I don’t know, I’m going to let higher ups than me handle that" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/15).
NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE: Olsen said that he "understands the Vikings' reservations." Olsen said, "Fox called me a couple nights ago to kind of tell me some of the concerns of the Vikings. I understood where they were coming from. I think once we made it clear to everyone involved that by no means did we ever intend to go to any practice, or being in a production meeting, interviewing the players, the coaches and getting behind the scenes info like what would traditionally happens in a production meeting, I think everyone kind of understood a little better." Olsen added, "I don't know if the Vikings still do but the way we think about it -- nothing I'm going to see from that booth a million miles in the sky is any different than what we would see on a game film" (NFL.com, 11/15). Olsen also said, "From the beginning we had no false notions that I would be in production meetings, meeting with players or coaches. We never would. I understand where everyone is coming from, but these are things we thought through" (USATODAY.com, 11/15).
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE? NBCSN's Chris Simms said Olsen should "back out of this and pull out of the game altogether," calling the situation "unethical." Simms: "You're putting the Vikings in an uncomfortable situation, the Rams as well. I don't care that he's not at the production meetings and things like that. He'll be talking to the other two in the booth who have been at the meetings, and they'll be talking about the details they got and details he's not supposed to know." NBCSN's Mike Florio said, "Fox is paying Greg Olsen to be a 'Panthers advance scout' of the Vikings-Rams game. They play the Vikings in three weeks, and Olsen could be on the field playing in that game. The value is significant” (“PFT,” NBCSN, 11/15). Meanwhile, NBC Sports Bay Area's Greg Papa said he "would not allow this to happen" if he was Panthers GM Marty Hurney. Papa: "Spielman has no say over Greg Olsen, but Marty Hurney does. I would not want Greg Olsen speaking about the Vikings personnel where they can hear it" ("The Happy Hour," NBC Sports Bay Area, 11/14).
