https://sports.yahoo.com/exclusion-nfl-media-employees-ap-170930683.html
The unexpected (especially for the voters) decision of the Associated Press to disclose the full ballots of the 50 media members has sparked unprecedented scrutiny of the votes, and the voters.
It has also sparked a debate of sorts over the ongoing exclusion of NFL Media employees.
The Associated Press has taken the position for years that reporters and analysts who work for and are paid directly by the NFL are not eligible to vote. And while that policy makes sense in theory, it no longer makes sense in practice.
Somewhat surprisingly, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media went there on Friday, with this tweet: “If you’re wondering why the [AP] gives votes to people paid by sportsbooks, people from debate shows, people who own parts of NFL teams, people you’ve never even heard of, but nobody from NFL Network. . . . Yeah, me too.
The tweet refers directly to Raiders minority owner/majority influence Tom Brady, in his separate role as the lead analyst for Fox. (None of the other No. 1 analysts for the other broadcast partners currently has a vote.) It’s the kind of public statement that risks a phone call from one of the suit-wearing executives. But it’s also 100 percent accurate.
The broad conflict of interest that comes from working for the NFL is nothing compared to Brady’s conflict of interest — in this specific context — from owning a piece of one of the teams. As best we can tell, the issue slipped through the AP’s five-hole and likely will be rectified in 2025. Still, it happened. And the AP defended the decision with this statement: “As a credentialed media member who covers the NFL regularly, Tom Brady meets the requirement to vote for the AP NFL awards. We are confident that the integrity of the voting process will be respected by all voters.”
Under that standard, every media member who works for NFL Network qualifies, too.
Although Pelissero’s gripe about “people paid by sports books” (NFL Network programming is rife with embedded gambling ads) and “people from debate shows” (so what?) misses the mark, his reference to Brady hits the bull’s-eye. If Brady can do it, anyone/everyone from NFL Media can, too.
Then there’s the observation that the panel consists of “people you’ve never even heard of.” I’ve been covering every nook and cranny of the NFL for 23 years, and there were/are multiple names that prompt me to borrow a line from Conor McGregor. There are people on the list of voters who cover the NFL on a part-time basis, at best. There’s at least one who hasn’t been employed to cover the NFL, for multiple years.
But the larger point is this. If Brady’s conflict of interest as an owner of the Raiders passes the bar, anyone and everyone else does, too.
Then there’s the question I’ve been internally pondering since the AP created a storyline (and created a click-harvest) by disclosing the votes, without telling the voters that the votes would be disclosed.
What’s the point of being a voter?
It’s the equivalent of a vanity license plate. A feather in the cap that does nothing to feather any voter’s nest. It pays nothing. It’s a lot of work, especially with the votes due in the inherently hectic days after the conclusion of the regular season. The juice, frankly, isn’t worth the squeeze. Especially now that people who aren’t accustomed to being trolled for their opinions are getting a taste of the thing the rest of us deal with every single hour of every single day.
No one is getting hired because they have a vote. No one is getting fired because they don’t. It’s free labor, devoted to a project for which the NFL undoubtedly pays the AP.
We’ve asked both the NFL and the AP to disclose the terms of the arrangement; we’re not holding our breath that either will be transparent about the compensation that the league pays to essentially subcontract the task of picking the winners of the official NFL awards to the AP.
At some point, the NFL should just determine the awards on its own, like it currently does for the players of the week and players/rookies of the month. Maybe that point is now. The NFL has a small army of reporters and analysts who are already being paid by the league to cover the league. Why not tell them to vote on the end-of-season awards, too?
So, basically, here’s the ultimate message for Pelissero and any other league employees who chafe at being excluded: Be careful what you wish for.
https://sports.yahoo.com/exclusion-nfl-media-employees-ap-170930683.html
