When Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady was show in the coaches booth alongside offensive coordinator Chip Kelly during the team’s “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this week — a game the Raiders lost 20-9 — many were quick to point out the clear conflict of interest.
Brady’s dual-role as a broadcaster and owner, he has access to things other owners don’t like communication with opposing players and coaches and production meetings before games each week.
And while many believe Brady is exploiting his role as a broadcaster to his advantage as an owner, the NFL actually issued a statement claiming that Brady isn’t breaking any rules by sitting in the coaches booth because he’s there as a “limited partner,” and as such, he’s not crossing any lines.
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However, during a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s “Mad Dog Radio,” former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce all but confirmed everyone’s suspicions that some of what Brady saw during his first year as broadcaster made it back to the Raiders last season, also his first as the team’s minority owner.
“It’s not hard for him to watch a few things on a Friday practice or hear things in a production meeting and be like, ‘Hmm,’ and have tidbits,” Pierce said, via Pro Football Talk. “And you’d be foolish enough to think that he’s not going to share that with the Raiders because we had those conversations about certain things.”
It’s widely known that Brady meets regularly with head coach Pete Carroll and Kelly, and now that his every move is seemingly under a microscope, and after Pierce’s shocking admission, one has to wonder if the NFL will step in at some point.
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If it doesn’t, the Raiders will clearly continue to have an unfair advantage, according to Pierce.
“I think everybody’s going to give you the political answer and say, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,'” Pierce added. “I’m calling BS on that because if me and you was to call the game, they’ll be secretive with us. So I just think it’s unprecedented.
“… Again, I don’t want to talk above my means. I don’t know what the NFL has set for Tom Brady and his rules, but I know he was a great asset for us with the Raiders when I was there. And I think he’ll still be a great asset as he’s going forward and I think this does help him out, and the Raiders.”
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