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Strangest thing about Burkhardt and Olsen

jdf : 1/29/2023 8:03 pm
I don't usually complain about announcers, and think most criticism is overblown. But these two don't seem to see what's actually going on with a play. Many times Burkhardt didn't seem to notice that, for instance, a ball had fallen incomplete or a punt had rolled into the end zone, until long after the play was complete.

This is especially frustrating when it comes to critical plays; they don't seem to notice things even when they're being prompted by their own cameramen and producer. In today's game, it wasn't just that they missed Smith dropping the pass on the first drive. On the roughing the punter call, they had no clue that the 49ers were complaining 9er player had been blocked into the punter.

Same thing last week on the pass to Slayton that was underthrown: they didn't even consider it might be pass interference, although the Fox producers showing the replays were obviously teeing it up for them. For the penalty on Davis, they only noticed that he was pushed into the runner when Pereira pointed it out (and today Pereira failed to pick that up in the roughing the punter call).

Whether or not you agree with these calls -- and I'm not saying they would have made a difference in who won the games -- the first job of announcers is to actually notice and discuss what's going on in the game. And these guys just seem to miss too many things.
I like Olsen but this was a ridiculous comment ...  
robbieballs2003 : 1/29/2023 8:10 pm : link
It went somwthing like this at the start of the 2nd half. "I think SF needs to stick to their script and not change because of their QB situation. You don't want to turn this into a drop back game against this DL."

I guess Olsen wasn't watching the first half because that is all Shanahan was doing he wasn't running WR screens. He wasn't running quick passes. He wasn't running jet sweeps. He ran one screen. Shanahan was a huge problem on why his offense was so bad. There is a reason both QBs got killed. As an offensive "genius" he played right into Philly's strength. It made no sense what he was doing.
I was sitting in my living room screaming that the Smith catch  
Chris684 : 1/29/2023 8:12 pm : link
should have been reviewed in real time.

The fox broadcast simply had no interest in bringing it up as a possibility, no good replay, not even a thought from Olson or Burkhardt until after the next commercial break.

I said in the game thread and have been saying all year that Fox has a broadcast problem. Burkhardt and Olson don’t cut it as a top team, I’m sorry. Maybe Brady would help but I doubt it.

Right now Nantz, Harlan, Eagle, Buck and Tirico are all better.
Terrible choice for FOX lead team  
RetroJint : 1/29/2023 8:13 pm : link
They both stink. Olsen knows the game thoroughly but he appears to be from the Carl Banks School of Analysis , whereby you see what you want to see. Stick with the script .

They work in tandem shilling outrageously for whoever the favorite is , especially when they are the home team. Their call of the Giants -Cowboys game on Thanksgiving was a joke. FOX did better in their early years with all the Madden imitators : Maas, Baldinger, Millen & Green .
I never notice announcers  
pjcas18 : 1/29/2023 8:13 pm : link
or care enough to comment, but Burkhardt is the worst and Olsen isn't great either.

tell me again, how the Eagles are inspired by Rocky.
RE: I was sitting in my living room screaming that the Smith catch  
RDJR : 1/29/2023 8:20 pm : link
In comment 16018801 Chris684 said:
Quote:
should have been reviewed in real time.

The fox broadcast simply had no interest in bringing it up as a possibility, no good replay, not even a thought from Olson or Burkhardt until after the next commercial break.

I said in the game thread and have been saying all year that Fox has a broadcast problem. Burkhardt and Olson don’t cut it as a top team, I’m sorry. Maybe Brady would help but I doubt it.

Fox made a business decision to not get into a bidding war over announcers last off season when there was so much movement. As a result, if Brady retires he’s in the #1 booth with Burkhardt. Olsen will go to the #2 team with Joe Davis. Fox is high on Burkhardt and he’s their #1 play by play guy moving forward. He’ll be paired with either Olsen or Brady depending on what TB decides to do.

Right now Nantz, Harlan, Eagle, Buck and Tirico are all better.
Yeah  
Straw Hat : 1/29/2023 8:27 pm : link
Burkhardt is really bad..
Fox does indeed have a problem with their #1 announcing team.  
Optimus-NY : 1/29/2023 8:30 pm : link
If Brady is decent, he might transition well right off the bat, but it looks like he might play another year. Burkhardt and Olsen leave a LOT to be desired as a broadcast team.
RE: Fox does indeed have a problem with their #1 announcing team.  
Eman11 : 1/29/2023 8:33 pm : link
In comment 16018829 Optimus-NY said:
Quote:
If Brady is decent, he might transition well right off the bat, but it looks like he might play another year. Burkhardt and Olsen leave a LOT to be desired as a broadcast team.


Mark Sanchez is really good and their best analyst. I’d rather him on the #1 Fox team than Olsen. No idea who they could get to be their top play by play hub but agree Burkhardt isn’t it.
thoroughly mediocre team  
bluepepper : 1/29/2023 10:13 pm : link
thankfully they are not terribly annoying but not good either.
Just a pair of company men  
ghost718 : 1/29/2023 10:17 pm : link
This is all that's left.

Nobody is going to tell you anything worth remembering
RE: I was sitting in my living room screaming that the Smith catch  
Fred-in-Florida : 1/30/2023 5:22 am : link
In comment 16018801 Chris684 said:
[quote] should have been reviewed in real time.

Smith was calling for the Eagles to hurry up and get the next play off. He knew he didn't catch iy. Shanahan or at least his assistance should have be paying attention and challenged the play.
...  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 1/30/2023 5:24 am : link
I don't think the duo is as bad as some think, but I don't get the feeling that this is a 'big game' like I did with Buck & Aikman. They don't have the same gravitas, if you will.
RE: ...  
Route 9 : 1/30/2023 8:26 am : link
In comment 16019440 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
I don't think the duo is as bad as some think, but I don't get the feeling that this is a 'big game' like I did with Buck & Aikman. They don't have the same gravitas, if you will.


Which is pretty bad but I have to live life on the edge on here because I did not like Buck/Aikman at all.

Agreed with the OP though about the "not knowing what's going on" part. I feel like these two call current ones call the game as if they have no idea how they got to be the #1 sports game on FOX. They just sound confused. I did not feel that way with Buck/Aikman. It seemed like those two had more confidence in themselves ... or whatever.

Everything just sucks balls about the current NFL to me. The Eagles always winning, the officiating, the announcing. Get off my front porch!
Sanchez should be their guy. Much better than Olsen.  
Lafferty, Daniel : 1/30/2023 9:06 am : link
He is really good -- it has been surprising to see how well he handles the role. Has a natural talent in the booth and he also does a lot of situational X's and O's stuff that Romo used to rely on. Mark could not apply this stuff in real time as a QB but he has a knack for explaining it well as an analyst. He also does not take himself too seriously - which is a huge plus.
I like Sanchez  
The Dude : 1/30/2023 11:32 am : link
But will get the "Shut Up Romo" treatment if hes ever elevated to the number 1 team.
RE: ...  
Ten Ton Hammer : 1/30/2023 11:39 am : link
In comment 16019440 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
I don't think the duo is as bad as some think, but I don't get the feeling that this is a 'big game' like I did with Buck & Aikman. They don't have the same gravitas, if you will.


You only develop that feel by time. Buck and Aikman got to that point by calling dozens of national games of the week, wild card games, title games and super bowls.


If they never introduce any new crews, you will never associate them with big games.
RE: ...  
BigBlueShock : 1/30/2023 1:35 pm : link
In comment 16019440 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
I don't think the duo is as bad as some think, but I don't get the feeling that this is a 'big game' like I did with Buck & Aikman. They don't have the same gravitas, if you will.

This. Whether you like Buck and Aikman or not their presence meant that it was a big game. When I hear Burkhardt and Olsen on the call it just feels like a Panthers-Falcons game buried in the 1 pm time slot. Their voices and style are completely forgettable
RE: RE: ...  
BigBlueShock : 1/30/2023 1:38 pm : link
In comment 16019760 Ten Ton Hammer said:
Quote:
In comment 16019440 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:


Quote:


I don't think the duo is as bad as some think, but I don't get the feeling that this is a 'big game' like I did with Buck & Aikman. They don't have the same gravitas, if you will.



You only develop that feel by time. Buck and Aikman got to that point by calling dozens of national games of the week, wild card games, title games and super bowls.


If they never introduce any new crews, you will never associate them with big games.

While this is true, the top guys also have very unique voices that were noticeable from the start. Burkhardt and Olsen sound like every other random announcer doing the lower tiered games. That’s how I hear them come across, anyways
Burkhardt is by far  
moespree : 1/30/2023 1:39 pm : link
The worst number 1 NFL play by play guy probably ever. He also has an incredibly annoying habit in the way he calls the game. He drags out the last words of what he is saying; almost every time.

It's a caaaaaaatch, what a throoooooooow, what a hiiiiiiiiiit, what a ruuuuuuuuuun.

Once you notice this is it cannot be unnoticed. It's almost every play.
I don't care i really like  
Festina Lente : 1/30/2023 6:22 pm : link
Chris Olsen. I enjoy his commentating. Not sure about B<man though. I think Romo really benefits from parterinh with Nantz. Either way i don't feel quite as strongly as many of you but i feel the is no consensus announcer people like.
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