For better or worse, the influence that the media has over the world of sports and everyday life seems to be more prevalent now than ever before. Where journalists used to be obligated to tell the truth, they are now compelled to focus on being first rather than being accurate.
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Given the amount of scrutiny and drama that’s been routinely dealt to him by members of the legacy media throughout the past 25 years, it’s safe to say that Tom Brady is painfully aware of this. Factor in that he’s now being paid $375 million to commentate on the game itself, it appears as if the former New England Patriot is doing his best to remain cautious when speaking.
In light of Brady’s recent statement that he will never aim to criticize the likes of Patrick Mahomes from the booth, the pair of former NFL stars in Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Shannon Sharpe, suggested that his decision is more indicative of the decline in modern reporting rather than personal bias.
While the former Denver Bronco did suggest that he is well aware of how difficult it is to be a fair yet accurate commentator, he also noted that an unbiased voice in the booth is all that fans have been wanting for quite some time now.
“That’s all we asked, is that you don’t make excuses. If Patrick Mahomes makes a bad throw, say “Patrick Mahomes made a bad throw.” That’s all… If a guy doesn’t play well, it’s your obligation [to say so.] …I don’t think that’s asking much… You can’t be too critical in that position, because then they won’t do production meetings with you. So, you have to walk a very fine line.”
In the eyes of Ochocinco, the art of color commentary is primarily about “word play and sentence structure,” something that fans should expect Brady to improve upon throughout the next several seasons. Nevertheless, he also found it to be worth noting that Mahomes is one of the most consistent players to ever compete in the league, implying that the opportunities for Brady to criticize him will be so few and far between that the issue isn’t worth worrying about.
“He’s not going to have to say much often, because players like Patrick Mahomes, your Tom Brady’s, Peyton Manning’s, they are much more consistent as opposed to being bad.”
The Hall of Fame tight end is certainly no stranger to dealing with the media. Having had more than his fair share of quotes be misrepresented in the press, his frustrations with the media were rather clear.
According to Sharpe, the industry’s ability to spin a narrative is as annoying as it is skillful.
“I had to be careful, because every time they asked me “Do you think such and such should be in the Hall of Fame?” Well, I ain’t got a vote. “Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe doesn’t think such and such should be in the Hall of Fame.”
Unfortunately, the state of modern-day media is unlikely to change anytime soon. Until things do begin to change, perhaps it’s best that more athletes heed the warnings of Brady and Sharpe and begin to mind their tongues a bit more when in the presence of reporters.
