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Everyone at FOX knew what they were signing up for. The gargantuan paycheck did not guarantee anything about how good Tom Brady would be on TV right out of the box. The network did all it could to prepare Brady, but the reality is all of the practice games in the world could only do so much. The only real way to get better in the broadcast booth on game day is to be in the broadcast booth on actual game days.
It’s why I have dismissed any critique of Brady just seven games into his new career. It’s not that he is above criticism, it’s just that ripping him right now is so easy that whatever is said is boring.
To me, patience was the only approach with Brady that made sense, but after the NFL announced that it had approved the sale of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders to the GOAT, so long as he agrees to the same restrictions that other owners have on them, I am ready to criticize.
Brady will not be allowed to prepare for his broadcasts the same way his partners can. He cannot meet with players or coaches from teams that are not the Raiders. He isn’t even allowed to attend his own production meetings!
Not only will Brady be unprepared to do his job, he won’t even be allowed to actually do it. As a team owner, he cannot criticize players or coaches from other teams, nor can he criticize the officials.
Back in August, Kevin Burkhardt told Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson that he was convinced Brady wanted to be great on TV. So what changed?
Something must have, because the NFL restrictions were not a secret to Brady, and he chose to press on in his pursuit of a stake in the Raiders. That virtually ensures he can’t be great for FOX. He will never be able to give the network the nine-figure performance it’s paying for. Would any judge object to Brady being fired with cause if FOX were so inclined?
Now, neither you nor I believe FOX will be so inclined. The company carries NFL games, but it’s in the star business and Brady, no matter how you feel about him, is the biggest star on the FOX Sports payroll.
I think pursuing NFL ownership while knowing what it will mean for his broadcasting career is brazenly disrespectful to the people on screen and behind the scenes with Tom Brady every Sunday. Their excellence is defined by each week’s broadcast. They don’t have seven Super Bowl rings to point to when they are asked why they are half-assing it on TV.
It can be argued that I am being unfair to Brady. FOX knew of his desire to own a piece of the Raiders nearly 18 months ago and reportedly gave the plan a thumbs up. I’m not sure why the network would let its nearly $400 million investment do something that would diminish its value, but here we are.
So let me stop finger-wagging. I still think Brady made a selfish decision, but that is his prerogative. Also, it may not be the story here.
For all of our handwringing and bemoaning of Greg Olsen’s demotion to the number two booth this season to make room for Brady, maybe FOX Sports boss Eric Shanks was playing chess while the rest of us were playing checkers.
Again, it’s important to remember that FOX is primarily in the star business. If there is a way to keep Brady in the fold in a way that doesn’t make the network feel that its NFL coverage is compromised, I am sure Shanks would leap at it. But maybe the second he got word of Brady’s interest in NFL ownership he had inkling that the future Hall-of-Famer could end up calling fewer NFL games than Dennis Miller did.
What if the demotion for Olsen is only temporary? If Brady calls it quits after a year, FOX already has a proven replacement, someone that has earned nothing but praise from fans.
All anyone can do is wait and see, but somehow, FOX will end up no worse for wear no matter what Tom Brady decides.
If he eventually decides that it’s too hard to be a broadcaster and a part owner of the Raiders, FOX already has his replacement, and it is someone football fans already think is better than Brady is. That’s a nice bonus to go along with also not having to pay him all that money.
If Brady decides to keep at it despite not really being able to perform all the duties of the job, who cares? No one is skipping a Super Bowl or marquee regular season game because the broadcaster is no good. FOX will continue to pump up the fact that it is home to the biggest star in the business and sit back and enjoy the ratings.
As someone that has done shows with partners that are not dedicated to the product the same way I am, I can’t see Brady as anything but selfish. But hey, I’m just a guy watching at home. If FOX has figured out a way to be just fine no matter what the ultimate outcome is, then we should be congratulating the network more than we condemn the analyst.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
