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SI Media Mailbag: Greg Olsen’s Future, Ranking ‘Sopranos’ Seasons and More

Looking at where Greg Olsen can land a No. 1 analyst job and the return of ‘The Sports Reporters’ in a new SI Media Mailbag.

Jimmy Traina

Greg Olsen will be part of Fox’s No. 2 NFL crew in 2024.
Greg Olsen will be part of Fox’s No. 2 NFL crew in 2024. / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

I haven’t done a mailbag in ages and it’s one of the last summer Fridays before the NFL finally begins, so I figured this was as good a time as any.

Thanks to all who submitted questions after I made a plea on Twitter on Thursday. Here we go.

Greg Olsen getting bumped for Tom Brady is tough because Olsen was so good and earned the No. 1 analyst role.

And Olsen has made it clear that he wants to be a No. 1 analyst somewhere. He reiterated this point with me on a recent SI Media With Jimmy Traina episode.

What’s really tough, though, is that right now there doesn’t seem to be a No. 1 spot for Olsen to move into. Tony Romo signed a 10-year contract in 2020 with CBS. ESPN’s Troy Aikman isn’t going anywhere.

As he told me on this week’s SI Media Podcast, Kirk Herbstreit still has three years left on his Amazon deal for Thursday Night Football.

That leaves NBC and Sunday Night Football. The network booted Al Michaels for Mike Tirico a couple of years ago. Would it go for a full booth revamp and try to swap in Olsen for Cris Collinsworth?

Collinsworth, 65, is reportedly under contract with NBC for either one or two more years. I would think a Tirico-Olsen booth has to sound enticing to NBC. Would the network, though, want to remain loyal to Collinsworth, who has been with NBC since 2006?

If it’s not NBC, I have no idea what it’s going to be for Olsen.

Is Mike Greenberg going to make me tune into ESPN every Sunday morning? No. Does it surprise me that ESPN gave Greenberg the job as NFL Sunday Countdown host after it parted ways with Sam Ponder? No.

Greenberg is one of the faces of the network. He’s as smooth as it gets as a host. He’s never going to cause any trouble or say anything that could get him or ESPN in hot water.

Your comparison of Greenberg to Ryan Seacrest couldn’t be more spot-on.

Do I think a reboot of The Sports Reporters will be any good? I think that all depends on the panel and whether the show will try to be like the first incarnation or if it will go the hot take route.

Based on the report from Puck’s John Ourand, who broke the news of The Sports Reporters return, it sounds like the show might be a little different from the old version. ESPN had hoped to have an episode ready within the next few weeks, hosted by Jeremy Schaap and featuring NFL play-by-play announcers, like Joe Buck and Al Michaels, Ourand revealed.

As for who I’d want to see on the panel, I think Tony Reali would make an excellent moderator. ESPN’s roster is deep enough that the network can easily come up with a formidable panel. Just pass on Mike Lupica this time around.

This question would be better for a baseball expert, not me. But I don’t think 80% of the people in the MLB Hall of Fame should be in. To me, the Hall of Fame should be for Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Willie Mays and those types of players. Not Joey Votto.

Having said that, Votto has a Hall of Fame personality and I think Fox should offer him whatever money he wants to become its lead MLB analyst.  I’ve said it a few times now here and on the podcast that we don’t have a Voice of Baseball right now. Votto could easily fit that role.

I have not tried to get Mike Francesa on the SI Media Podcast. I was very critical of Francesa’s last few years on WFAN and wrote some harsh articles (which I stand by) about how bad Francesa’s show became. So I think it would be a d--- move for me turn around and ask him to do me the favor of coming on my podcast.

As for guests I’d like to have on, it’s all about Tom Brady. While I had him on in June, I don’t count that as a real interview since it was only 10 minutes. My main goal for the 2024 NFL season is to get an hour with Brady.

I’m pretty sure you mentioned them all. If you told someone under 40 that it wasn’t until the 1990s that the down and distance in addition to the play clock were shown during every play, they’d probably think you were lying.

Noah Eagle drew rave reviews for his work during the Olympics. NBC has already named Tirico as its lead NBA voice, but it would be a huge upset if Eagle wasn’t No. 2. I didn’t watch the Olympics, so I can’t offer an opinion on Wade.

1. Season 2, which I think of as the Richie Aprile season, is my favorite. This is when the show went to a whole other level. Janice shooting Richie may have been the biggest plot twist of the entire series. In addition, you have the story line of Salvatore flipping and ultimately getting killed by Tony, Paulie and Silvio in the season's final episode of Season 2.

2. I’m going with Season 3. Livia dies, Dr. Melfi is raped, leading to one of the most riveting scenes of the show when she ultimately decides not to tell Tony and we get introduced to Ralphie. If that isn’t enough for you, I just have two other words: Pine. Barrens.

3. Season 4. I can’t believe I’m putting Season 4 in third place since it featured the single-greatest acting I’ve ever seen on television in the “Whitecaps” episode, which was the season finale. But keep in mind this season featured the worst episode of the series, “Christopher.” In addition to “Whitecaps” the other highlight was Ralphie's last scene before Tony killed him (and his head eventually rolling down the stairs).

4. Season 5. If feels like this season should be higher just based on the end for Adriana, but I can’t lower any of the previous three seasons. Plus, I didn’t love the season finale, with Tony running away from the feds at Johnny Sack’s house.

I’d slot the last two spots with Season 1 followed by Season 6. My biggest criticism of the Sopranos is that they fumbled one of the best characters on the show in Uncle Junior. Once he shot Tony, the character was never the same and his air time diminished. I hated the way his character was portrayed in the final season.

Damn! So many questions about my buddy Sal Licata and his antics during our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment on the SI Media Podcast. It makes me so happy that you guys are listening.

Sal’s wife will never be on the podcast. I’m not going to be responsible for anyone’s marital strife.

Sal worked on the Mike and Mad Dog show for a couple of years. I will ask him to share some Mad Dog stories on next week’s SI Media Podcast.

I’ve been very close friends with Sal now for many, many years. I can assure you, it’s not an act. He has a deep disdain for politics and doesn’t pay attention to any of it.

My mind was more blown by the dog poop routine. I just don’t understand how anyone would leave s--- on their grass and not clean it up immediately.

What a note to end the mailbag on.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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