New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots legend Tom Brady can’t stay out of NFL headlines, even though his playing career has been over for a few years. The recent news about Brady involves his dual role as minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and broadcaster for FOX, a combo that some people find controversial and perhaps even illegal by league standards.
It turns out that the NFL doesn’t believe Brady is breaking any rules with his two roles, even if he’s bending them. Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer weighed in on the ongoing Brady story. During a mailbag segment, Breer responded to a fan who asked if owners are upset about what Brady is doing.
“There’s definitely annoyance with it, particularly from the teams in direct competition with the Raiders,” Breer said. “I asked one rival exec about it, and he said, “Even though he doesn’t go to production meetings, he does observe a lot as a broadcaster. That, combined with his vast knowledge, probably does help them somehow.” I then told him that Brady is in production meetings this year.”
“The access Brady has to players and staff … could help the Raiders down the road in free agency, trades or even with coaching and front-office hires,” Breer continued. “In that area, Brady essentially is allowed to do what wide-ranging tampering prevents every other team from doing, which to me is as big a deal as any week-to-week strategic advantage the Raiders get.”
“So why would the league allow it?” Breer added. “Well, the league office itself is most concerned with the entertainment product, and having Brady under that tent is considered a huge plus. Think of why ESPN had to break the bank for Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. The NFL wasn’t letting Disney into the Super Bowl rotation unless they had a broadcast team that could make the big game feel even bigger. So, now, you should understand why the NFL is bending over backwards for Brady. That said, Monday was a peculiar look for the league. And if enough owners are upset over it, then we could see some change.”
From Breer’s assessment, it certainly sounds like Brady is receiving special treatment from the NFL, based mostly on the value Brady is providing the league from his seat in the broadcast booth. It’ll be interesting to see how this saga develops, especially if other owners stay on the gas pedal with continual complaints about Brady.
