What is lifted from Tom Brady's broadcasting rules?
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are getting ready to play Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday. When fans turn on Fox to watch the game, they will see Tom Brady as the color commentator finishing his first season in the booth. The legendary quarterback has controversial rules surrounding him. He cannot go to meetings, practices, or criticize officials among others due to his Raiders ownership. But The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that the Chiefs are helping waive the Tom Brady rules for the Super Bowl.
“Tom Brady, Fox Sports’ Super Bowl game analyst and a Las Vegas Raiders minority owner, will be allowed to take part in the Kansas City Chiefs’ production meetings leading up to Sunday’s game, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told reporters Tuesday,” Marchand wrote.
“Brady will still be barred from Chiefs practices, though the rest of the crew — play-by-play caller Kevin Burkhardt and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi — will be allowed to attend,” Marchand continued.
Brady is in the first year of a ten-year deal to broadcast games for Fox. This sets a precedent that could be followed by teams in the next nine years. Will teams start letting Brady in their buildings despite his Raiders connections?
The Chiefs could be setting a Tom Brady precedent
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The Chiefs have nothing to lose by letting Tom Brady speak with Andy Reid and his coaches before Sunday's game. This is their last game of the season, they won't play the Raiders for at least seven months, and Brady isn't going to practice anyway. There is no word on if the Eagles will do the same thing for Brady, so the precedent has not started yet. But it should be something the league looks at for the playoffs.
When the Raiders are not in the playoffs, Brady should be allowed to meet with coaches. Going to practice is something different, as there are play calls and strategies discussed other teams cannot know. But discussing the upcoming game with the coaches when the Raiders are out should not be an issue, even for a division rival like the Chiefs.
Brady has been panned by critics and fans throughout his first season in the booth. He does not have the same information that other broadcasters do because of the rules. If he improves dramatically during the Super Bowl, fans will be calling for a change in the rules moving forward.
