Raiders part owner gives his side of the debate
Tom Brady’s double role as a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and being part of Fox’s No. 1 broadcast became a hot-button topic when he was seen wearing head phones in the coach’s box on “Monday Night Football” in Week 2.
Everyone knew Brady had the two roles, but his presence at the Raiders’ game (he ususally isn’t able to attend their games because of his broadcast schedule) was jarring to some.
The reason why, of course, is that Brady is able to talk to players and coaches as part of his job for Fox. For example, he had recently talked to personnel from the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears for his Fox role just before the Raiders were to play them.
Many thought Brady would get valuable intel from those teams he could pass to the Raider’s brass, who he talks to regularly during the season. Former Raiders’ coach Antonio Peirce fueled the fire last week by saying he would have some conversations with Brady about that information he gleamed last season. He called it a “great asset.”
The NFL basically downplayed the issue and will allow Brady to carry on in both roles despite some angst about it in the league. Brady had stayed quiet on the situation until Wednesday.
He released a post on the subject on his website.
He defended his roles and wrote only the “paranoid” and “distrustful” out there worry about his role. He wrote he has a “moral ethical duty to the sport” that will keep him from making his role a conflict of interest.
As far as his motivation as a minority owner of the Raiders, Brady wrote “I want the Silver and & Black to return to the glory of those amazing years under Al Davis and John Madden … I have a deep desire to help refresh and reinvigorate the culture of a franchise with cherished traditions and a long, storied history in professional football.”
It’s interesting it got to the point where Brady felt like he had to address the subject.
Still, I keep the same opinion on this matter. As long as the NFL doesn’t mind, it’s really not an issue and the fact is opposing teams aren’t going to tell Brady much, anyway. So, really, the only people who may mind is Fox executives because their employee may not get the same access as others.
So, in the end, this may be a Brady the broadcaster problem than anything to do with his role with the Raiders.
Category: General Sports
