After Sunday’s win over the Eagles, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers I had things to say on the things Fox’s Greg Olsen had to say about Nabers during the game.
Monday, Olsen I had things to say on how the New York Post And The United States today characterized the things he said.
Olsen accused these publications of making up quotes and putting “worlds (sic) in my mouth.”
To avoid any doubt about what Olsen (and others on the Fox show) said — and didn’t say — about Nabers, we went to the video (and audio).
Early in the fourth quarter of the Giants-Eagles game, after Giants quarterback JJ McCarthy threw a pass behind an open Nabers who was running from right to left, Fox cameras showed Nabers waving an arm in apparent frustration.
Fox’s Joe Davis said of Nabers: “His body language was terrible today. »
“It’s just not good,” Olsen said.
Olsen returned to the subject a little later.
“You brought up Malik Nabers,” Olsen said, “and you never know exactly what’s being said. It’s easy for us to sit here and interpret body language. When we asked (offensive coordinator) Matt Nagy about him, he said, ‘Look, he’s very loud. When he didn’t get the ball to start the year, he let everyone know.’ He said: “Malik and I have a good understanding at the moment. What is seen as negative, what is seen as a distraction, I think we both have an understanding of each other that allows that to co-exist. And it’s definitely something to watch out for.
Shortly after, the Stand asked Fox reporter Pam Oliver to find out more about Nabers.
“Yeah, you’re talking about his body language,” Oliver said. “I can tell you a little bit about his mindset. I talked to him. And he said, ‘I just demand excellence from everyone around me. Everyone who has an impact on my career. Because you only get one chance. It’s your life, it’s your career.” That’s fueled by a great sense of urgency in this hard-fought return to the field after that knee injury. Nabers said — told me, ‘I’m not going to run all these routes to not get the ball.’
Davis said in response: “I totally understand. But when your teammate scores the touchdown and you still have that look? Not great.”
“Yeah, look,” Olsen said, “it’s a fine line. I’ve played with a lot of really good wide receivers. A lot of really good players. There’s never been a great wide receiver that didn’t demand the ball. That’s part of the territory. There are some exceptions for guys who just have a different personality and a different approach.
“But there’s a very fine line between being demanding, being a competitor and all those great things. It’s great. You can never cross it, it feels like it’s detrimental to your teammates’ success. So when your teammate makes a wide-open touchdown, you have to be the happiest guy on the field. You still can’t worry about your goals. So that’s the fine line. He’s a talented, young, very good player. He just has to keep that in check.”
That same drive included a third-down throw to Nabers in the end zone. Nabers was unable to make the catch, leading to a field goal.
“Listen, you want to demand the ball, you can’t throw that ball any better,” Olsen said after Nabers failed to catch the pass. “It’s a touchdown. You’re a premier player in this league. You have an opportunity there, you have to take it.”
That is the full extent of everything that was said on the Fox show during the relevant exchange.
The problem is that too many outlets don’t capture quotes accurately. Some will overwrite pieces of different sentences. Even though the overall message is the same (and, frankly, it seems like both Davis and Olsen were criticizing Nabers, with Davis being sharper than Olsen), the lack of accuracy opens the door to criticism of the message.
In this case, Olsen never called Nabers a “bad teammate.” However, Olsen explained that there is a “fine line” between “being demanding, being a competitor and all those nice things” and “taking success away from your teammates.” This is basically one of the characteristics of a bad teammate.
This is why all media outlets that will broadcast quotes made during broadcasts should strive to obtain correct quotes. This removes any ambiguity as to what was said – and prevents a later attack regarding the accuracy of the quote.
Especially when the precise quote tends to lead to the same place.
Gn sports
