When Friday’s PFT Live ended, the work was far from over. Plenty of players and coaches were making their way through Radio Row, so we kept the microphones on and the cameras rolling for as long as we could.
One of our favorite guests -- Panthers tight end Greg Olsen -- was among the many who stopped by the set. The 10-year veteran, who is one of the three finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, addressed the reluctance of players to address politics in an era where political discussions have become so prevalent.
“I think right now what’s happened is people have such a distrust, people have such a sour taste in their mouth to what has generally been people that have been looked up to,” Olsen said. "[P]oliticians and community leaders [have] really lost the trust of the people and as a result . . . . people have kind of turned to us as kind of the moral compass of society. So I understand why they’re curious about NFL players and coaches, who they associate with, policies they support, don’t support, candidates. I get all that, but at the same time as players, the last thing we want to be is divisive. The last thing we want to do is feel like we are ignoring a huge part of our fan base . . . and then be misinterpreted and then have your thoughts misconstrued for a catchy headline and now all of a sudden makes you seem to be something you’re not. So I get people’s reluctance. I think the last thing guys want to be is seen as insensitive.”
I then told Olsen (with a straight face) that I never misinterpret words in order to construe thoughts for a catchy headline, and Olsen said that, when it comes to the Panthers, only Darin Gantt does that. And Olsen was joking. I think.
There was plenty more from Olsen, and you should watch the full interview in order to hear what he had to say.
