Panthers TE Greg Olsen "insists he won't gain an unfair advantage assisting in the broadcast" of Rams-Vikings for Fox on Sunday "as some in the Minnesota organization have suggested," according to David Newton of ESPN.com. Olsen said, "The notion that I'm going to gain an unfair advantage is crazy. We have scouts at every game across the league. I'm going to have enough trouble on my hands broadcasting a game, let alone looking for little nuances on the sideline." Newton noted the Vikings' concern is that Fox' Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis will have "access to practice and production meetings, and they could share team secrets with Olsen." Olsen: "For anyone who has ever been in those broadcast production meetings, if you're spilling your deepest, darkest game-plan secrets to the broadcast crew, that's kind of on you. We're not getting anything that's really going to give you much insight on how to beat them" (ESPN.com, 11/15). Olsen said that the Vikings' response this week has "soured the experience a bit." Olsen: "It kind of sucks that there's controversy, as opposed to people just being excited for a little bit of a different take on a game. But that's the world we live in" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/16).
THEY HAVE A POINT, TO A POINT: ESPN's Adam Schefter noted the Vikings "are not wrong in their complaints, even if it does sound a bit paranoid," but Fox can "do what it wants, and they believe Greg Olsen would be an asset on this broadcast." However, in addition to skipping the production meetings, Olsen is "not going to participate in some of the other activities to gain some of the insight that some of the other broadcasters covering the game will have.” ESPN's Damien Woody noted the Vikings are concerned Burkhardt and Davis may tell Olsen "what's going on in practice and stuff like that." Woody: "Other than that, I don't see too much of a concern.” ESPN’s Herm Edwards said, “Greg's a pro, and he understands why there was a little bit of concern." Edwards: "He'll pick up a couple things. The nuance of it, he's going to watch the game like scouts do. I was an advanced scout, I get it. There are scouts that go to every game. You take notes and watch things, that's part of it as well” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 11/15).
