Tom Brady, the broadcaster, is bound to the same rules as Tom Brady, the owner.
But how the NFL enforces those rules seems to be more and more curious with each passing day. The league has emphasized that Brady needs to reach a certain threshold if he dares to denigrate players or officials on Fox’s airwaves. He hasn’t, at least in their eyes, even if the Brian Branch fiasco wasn’t without controversy.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already cleared the air that the NFL’s broadcast limitations on Brady were perhaps “overstated.” According to Schefter, if Brady wants to criticize a coach in the game for making a call, that’s his right. And if he wants to be an AP voter, apparently, that’s also still his right?
Apparently so.
According to Mike Florio of Pro FootballTalk, Tom Brady, the broadcaster, has one of 50 votes for the Associated Press award(s). However, as a minority owner of the Raiders, one whose role keeps getting pumped up by Mark Davis, Brady has a seat at the table for what Florio labeled “an obvious conflict of interest.”
In voting on the league’s awards, Brady will vote for Offensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro team(s), among other things. As it stands, he’d be able to cast a ballot for both Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby. Whether or not either is deserving is beside the point, as it creates an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved.
Florio contacted the Associated Press, which he relayed as having “no comment.” The NFL followed suit with its message to the veteran journalist, but the league said that it plays no role in the voting process, including the selection of the panel of voters.
Florio notes that the panel was chosen before Brady was approved as a minority owner. However, Brady was also bound to those broadcast restrictions even before he was officially approved. Being an AP voter seemingly doesn’t fit under that purview.
