AP defends Tom Brady’s NFL awards vote [Video]

Initially, the Associated Press had no comment on the question of whether Raiders owner Tom Brady will continue to hold one of the 50 votes on the various awards that are announced every year at the NFL Honors ceremony. On Friday, we received an email from Nicole Meir, Media Relations Manager for the Associated Press, with a comment on the issue.

“As a credentialed media member who covers the NFL regularly, Tom Brady meets the requirement to vote for the AP NFL awards,” Meir wrote. “We are confident that the integrity of the voting process will be respected by all voters.”

The problem is that Brady’s status as a Raiders owner creates an inherent conflict of interest that necessarily undermines the integrity of the process. What will Brady do when it’s time to pick an offensive rookie of the year? Will he conduct an objective analysis that leads to Jayden Daniels or Bo Nix? Or will Brady’s …