Pat Riley wasn`t the only one moving on New York`s 6th Avenue Wednesday.
Pro football analyst Merlin Olsen, who was bumped out of his top spot at NBC Sports last year with the hiring of Bill Walsh, walked up the street to sign a three-year contract with CBS.
”I would prefer not to get into personalities,” said Olsen, who was criticized last year in a book by now NBC sports executive producer Terry O`Neil. ”I`d rather concentrate on the positives. . . . Emotion and ego play a big role in this business. I`ve always felt it was important to let my work speak for itself.”
Olsen`s NBC contract ran out at the end of last season.
Among the positives Olsen stressed was a chance to return to the National Football Conference, where he gained fame as a Pro Bowl defensive lineman with the Los Angeles Rams, and a possible role in CBS` upcoming Winter Olympics coverage.
Olsen`s acting career, which propelled him to NBC in the first place, was not part of this deal.
”It`s a better opportunity for me as a broadcaster,” Olsen said.
”This is basically a football contract. I will continue to do some acting, but that`s not part of this contract.”
Olsen, 49, joined NBC in 1977 after ending a 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams. He was that network`s leading analyst for 10 seasons, working five Super Bowl telecasts along with nine Rose Bowl games.
