Tom Brady might be in trouble with the league after he openly criticized a referee call during the Lions-Packers game. This may have not been a problem for any other analyst, but given Brady’s stake as a minority owner in the Las Vegas Raiders, rules are a little different for him. But Amy Trask, former CEO of the Raiders, doesn’t think they should be.
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As Trask, Suzy Schuster, and Rich Eisen discussed the Brady situation, Trask was transported back to her own days as an official in the NFL. She hypothesized what could potentially happen going forward based on her own experience.
Trask, also referred to as the “Princess of Darkness” by Raiders fans, recollected how the league dealt with her when they thought she was out of line. She detailed how she was sent a letter by the league after she was caught using profanity by an “Official Observer,” during a game where she was not happy about the officiating:
“I simply voiced my opinion… I was so angry at that which was going on on the field…When I would see a call I didn’t like… sometimes it was 10 or 20 seconds… I just went off on them…Apparently, that Observer of officials ratted me out and I got the letter from the league office saying that my behavior was inappropriate and it was a warning letter.”
The letters Trask received indicated that his conduct was deemed inappropriate for someone in his position. The NFL maintains strict standards for behavior among all its personnel, including executives, players, and staff.
The league’s Personal Conduct Policy emphasizes that all individuals associated with the NFL are expected to uphold a level of professionalism that reflects positively on the league and its teams.
Brady’s role as an analyst and also as a minority owner means he has to walk a fine line not to upset the balance. The 7x Super Bowl winner was issued a unique set of guidelines to follow after the NFL owners approved his minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this year.
One key stipulation is that he is prohibited from publicly criticizing NFL officials during any games he broadcasts. Clearly, he didn’t stick to it. It’s not clear what exactly Brady’s punishment would be, but it could either be a fine or as in the case of Trask, simply a letter of warning.
