LAUREN FRAYER, HOST:
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady appears to want to have it all in retirement. His debut as an announcer was one of the most anticipated things about this NFL season. Then he officially became part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. That dual role - team owner and TV broadcaster - has put the NFL in uncharted territory. NPR's Becky Sullivan reports.
BECKY SULLIVAN, BYLINE: The appeal of Tom Brady as a broadcaster is obvious. The man played for more than 20 years in the NFL, and with seven Super Bowl rings on his fingers, it is not controversial to say he's the greatest quarterback ever. So Fox signed him to a $375 million broadcasting contract, and now every Sunday since September, Brady has been on TV calling the shots.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KEVIN BURKHARDT: He's Tom Brady, and I'm Kevin Burkhardt. You're a broadcaster. How about that?
TOM BRADY: We're here. It's been quite a journey. But I love...
SULLIVAN: Fox is betting that fans will tune in to hear Brady specifically, to hear personal stories about his legendary career, like last Sunday, when he pointed out the Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, a man who helped spoil Brady's aspirations of a perfect 2007 season when his New York Giants upset Brady's New England Patriots and the Super Bowl...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BRADY: And there's Steve Spagnuolo. He's been the bane of my existence. I still have PTSD from some of those blitzes in the 2007 Super Bowl. But...
SULLIVAN: ...And to see moments like his interview with Patrick Mahomes, the most decorated quarterback in the game today.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BRADY: People have compared me to Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. Four Super Bowls - you got three and all their records. Now they compare you to me. So how does that make you feel now that I'm sitting right here in front of you?
PATRICK MAHOMES: No, it's honestly an honor. I'm not saying that 'cause...
SULLIVAN: Now Brady has a stake in the games he's calling - a big one. Earlier this month, he became a 5% owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. His portion is valued by Forbes at more than $330 million. And that investment could grow the more valuable the Raiders become as a franchise.
ALAN ABRAHAMSON: The journalism 101 issue here is that as you're a team owner, you're in competition with 31 other teams.
SULLIVAN: This is Alan Abrahamson, who covered sports on air for years and now teaches journalism at the University of Southern California.
ABRAHAMSON: When you have a vested interest in the outcome of the game - and as the team owner, that's obvious. You care who wins and loses.
SULLIVAN: Brady hasn't yet called a Raiders game, but in a recent press conference, NFL executive Jeff Miller confirmed to a reporter's question that it would be allowed.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Tom Brady's part owner of the Raiders now. Can he do Raiders games?
JEFF MILLER: Yes. He can.
SULLIVAN: Now, the NFL has put some restrictions on Brady. He can't go to other teams' facilities or watch their practices. He won't be able to sit in on pre-game meetings with their coaches. Those are all ways that TV announcers usually prepare for games. And like any NFL player or team official, Brady isn't allowed to criticize referees.
(SOUNDBITE OF WHISTLE BLOWING)
SULLIVAN: And in football, bad calls or missed calls are inevitable, like at the end of Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER #1: Yeah, he got that face mask. He sure did.
UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER #2: Yeah.
SULLIVAN: It's illegal to hold onto another player's face mask, but that's exactly what a Rams defender did to the Vikings quarterback in his own end zone. It should have been a penalty and a fresh chance for the Vikings to keep trying for a game-tying touchdown. Instead, the refs didn't call anything and let the game come to an end. And unlike Tom Brady, the announcers on Amazon Prime, Kirk Herbstreit and Al Michaels, were free to criticize what happened.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KIRK HERBSTREIT: And he got away with one right there.
AL MICHAELS: And Viking fans are going, what the hell?
SULLIVAN: Brady also isn't allowed to criticize other teams or NFL officials. In theory, he could be fined or even suspended if he breaks those rules. For now, neither Fox nor the NFL will make him choose between broadcasting and ownership, and because Fox will broadcast this year's Super Bowl, Brady will be there, too.
Becky Sullivan, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF PETE ROCK'S "SMOOTH SAILING") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
