Brady In the Booth

We're in Year 2 of Tom Brady as a broadcaster, and it's already leaps and bounds better than Year 1.  I'm not saying Brady suddenly became John Madden or Troy Aikman or even Tony Romo.  But he isn't bad anymore.  Is that what you want from your No. 1 analyst who's making $37 million a year?  Of course not!  But the fact that people are no longer talking about how bad Brady is on a weekly basis is certainly preferable to last year.  Now, he's just another NFL game analyst.

You can tell that Brady is more comfortable in the booth, too, which I think has made a big difference.  He came in completely green.  Yes, he's the greatest quarterback of all-time.  But that didn't mean he'd automatically be just as great in his post-retirement career.  But as Brady gained experience, he got better.  And it's easy to see why FOX wanted him.  It's not just the name-recognition, which was obviously a big factor.  It's because they saw his potential as a broadcaster.

There's another big thing that I think has led to Tom Brady's marked improvement in Year 2 compared to Year 1.  Last year, he wasn't allowed to go to production meetings.  That may sound like a small thing.  It's actually huge.  Production meetings with the head coaches and quarterbacks are an important part of a broadcaster's prep work, and it's where they get information that they can't find out simply by watching film.  They're a vital piece if you want to have a quality broadcast where the announcers actually sound like they know what they're talking about.

Because he wasn't allowed to attend production meetings last season, Brady was essentially working with one hand tied behind his back.  In hindsight, that might be part of the reason why he relied so much on trying to show off his football knowledge (which is obviously vast, but his is also much more advanced than the viewer's).  He had to stick with what he knew because his knowledge of the players and teams in the game was limited to what he saw on film and whatever Kevin Burkhart, Erin Andrews or someone else on the crew told him.  That's a tough situation for anyone to be in, let alone a rookie broadcaster.

Of course, the reason Brady couldn't attend production meetings last year is because FOX and the NFL had to come up with special rules for him when he bought a minority stake of the Raiders.  Among the conditions is that he's not allowed to attend practice (another thing all broadcasters do during the week) or enter another team's facility (which is where the production meetings usually take place).  Those rules still apply, but the compromise they reached so that Brady can do his job is that he can attend production meetings remotely.

FOX's booth isn't the only one that Brady has been spotted in this season, however.  During the Raiders-Chargers game on Monday night, ESPN cut to a shot of Brady sitting in the Las Vegas coaches' booth wearing a headset.  Then the details emerged of how hands-on he is with the Raiders' players and coaches and what is or isn't allowed.  The NFL is basically putting its head in the sand, saying that everything is above board and Brady is following the rules that were established when his ownership stake was approved.  Others were highly skeptical, calling out the obvious conflict of interest.

As soon as it was announced that Brady was even interested in acquiring a minority stake of the Raiders, there were legitimate questions about how it would work.  How could the analyst on one of the networks' lead broadcast crew be given access to players, coaches and everything else from one team (a requirement for his FOX job) while being actively involved in the day-to-day business of another?  What's to stop him from taking what he's learned doing his broadcast research and sharing it with the appropriate Raiders personnel?

Over the past few days, we've found out just how hands-on Brady is with the Raiders.  Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly mentioned how the two speak by phone a few times a week and Brady is very involved in several areas.  He doesn't have any input in game planning or anything else that compromises his FOX duties, Pete Carroll was quick to reassure everyone.  Except no one was reassured.  If anything, it got them even more fired up.

The frustrating part about all that, though, is how this situation only exists because the NFL let it.  It's a problem entirely of their own making.  It isn't FOX's fault.  I'd even venture to say that it isn't entirely Brady's.  He should've been made to decide, but wasn't.  So, why not try doing both if no one's going to say you can't? 

No, this is on the league.  The NFL should've made him make a choice.  Either you're a broadcaster or you're an owner.  To us, it doesn't make a difference.  But you need to decide which you are.  Instead, the NFL and Brady both wanted the best of both worlds, so that's what they gave him, which only ended up pissing off everybody else!

It's a setup that, frankly, shouldn't work.  There's a separation for that very reason!  The criticism of Brady's dual roles and the Brady Rules is extremely warranted!  What players and coaches share with broadcasters may not necessarily be something they want to share with the part-owner of another team.  Especially if Brady's FOX assignment that week is a Chiefs, Broncos or Chargers game.  Playoff teams last season or not, they'd have no incentive to divulge potentially sensitive information to one of the Raiders' minority owners.  Which is understandable.  But it also handcuffs Brady the Broadcaster.

Whether it's directed at Brady, the NFL or both, all of the criticism is valid.  And it isn't just coming from the 31 teams that aren't the Raiders.  The group of detractors keeps growing.  As do their concerns.  As do their reasons why they don't like the situation and their proposed solutions.  That chorus will only get louder, too.  Because Brady's in just the second year of his 10-year deal with FOX.  So, this will continue to be a talking point.

There are plenty of people who don't think Brady will stay at FOX for the entirety of his contract.  He certainly hasn't become the standout broadcaster they hoped/expected.  He's no longer terrible, but he isn't one of the top analysts, either.  Brady isn't even the best analyst at FOX!  That title goes to the man he replaced on the No. 1 crew--Greg Olsen.  And, while he may want to get better, broadcasting's clearly not his passion.  Not his only passion at least. 

If Tom Brady wants to dabble in ownership, he should be allowed.  No one is saying he shouldn't.  But if he wants to be an owner, he shouldn't also be a broadcaster.  Especially not with the type of access the member of a network's marquee crew would ordinarily get.  Because it's an obvious conflict of interest.  Which is something that everybody outside of the NFL office and Tom Brady himself already know!