Tom Brady is coming into the booth of Fox Sports top NFL team with seven Super Bowl rings.
Greg Olsen is leaving it with another Sports Emmy award.
After being named Outstanding Emerging On-Air Talent last year, Olsen was named the top Event Analyst during the three-hour ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.
“I think there’s a lot of people wondering what I’m going to say right now,” Olsen said.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” he said. “All I know is I love talking football, I love talking ball. I love studying it, I love seeing where the game is going, wherever that takes me, whatever level it is. I’m more committed to the game of football now.
“This is super cool, and I look forward to things ahead.”
After Troy Aikman left Fox for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” Olsen moved into Fox’s top analyst spot and quickly earned rave reviews for his work. It was originally thought to be for one year after Brady signed with Fox in 2022 while still playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Brady announced before Super Bowl 57 last year in Phoenix that he wouldn’t be moving into the booth until the 204 season.
Olsen though continued to excel in his role, even as the shadow of Brady loomed over.
Olsen still couldn’t escape some mention of Brady. Kid Meero let out a “Let’s Go, Baby!” — Brady’s signature phrase — after announcing Olsen as the winner.
It is the third straight year an NFL commentator has won the Sports Emmy as the best event analyst. NBC’s Cris Collinsworth took it two years ago and ESPN 2’s Peyton Manning last year.
CBS’ coverage of Super Bowl 58 and “Toy Story Funday Football,” an alternate presentation of the Oct. 1 game between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars on Disney+/ESPN+, won three Emmys apiece.
Super Bowl 58 was the top Live Special. The Super Bowl is routinely among the nominees, but this is the first time since 2015 it has won for the year’s top sports event.
The honors for “Toy Story Funday Football” included The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award.
ESPN/ABC’s Mike Breen won Play-by-Play for the third straight year while Tracy Wolfson of CBS took Outstanding Reporter for the first time.
ESPN also took home Emmys for Live Series (“Monday Night Football’) and Weekly Studio Show (“College GameDay”).
Turner Sports Ernie Johnson Jr. was named top Studio Host for the seventh time and Charles Barkley took his fourth Sports Emmy as top Studio Analyst. It is the first for both since 2020. “Inside the NBA: Playoff Edition” received Outstanding Studio Show with a Limited Run.
NBC’s Noah Eagle, who also did the Nickelodeon alternate broadcast of Super Bowl 58, was this year’s Emerging On-Air Talent.
“Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli” was the Outstanding Live Series, MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” took home Daily Studio Show and Fox Sports’ coverage of the American League Championship Series received Outstanding Playoff Coverage.
Telemundo’s Andrés Cantor received Outstanding On-Air Personality in Spanish and the network’s coverage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was named Outstanding Studio Show in Spanish.
CBS’ James Brown received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Emmy. He was introduced by Sean McManus, who retired as CBS Sports’ chairman last month.
McManus closed his speech by saying “And to pay him the greatest compliment I ever could, he reminds me of my father (the late Hall of Fame announcer Jim McKay).”
“This award is absolutely not about me. … I’ve truly worked with some exceptional talent and my focus has always been to ensure that their talent and insight was showcased,” Brown said during his speech.
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