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Troy Aikman\u2019s hiring as a consultant for the Miami Dolphins highlights the issue of an NFL team hiring a broadcaster.<\/p>\n
Aikman, who was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys when he retired from the NFL in 2000 and is now an analyst for ESPN, spoke about the genesis of his broadcasting career and his experience with the league during a visit with Dallas Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. on his podcast, DLLS Dallas Cowboys Podcast<\/i>.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Dolphins were wise in understanding my relationships around the league and knowing that I have information that they don\u2019t have or can\u2019t get. And I think they were smart in taking advantage of that, whether it was through me or through somebody else. The Cowboys have never elected to do that, at least with me. You know, maybe they have with others,\u201d Aikman told Hill.<\/p>\n
But as Awful Announcing<\/a> notes, this is exactly why teams are wary of broadcasters \u2014 such as Aikman or Tom Brady \u2014 working directly for a team.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only are there clear competitive integrity issues at play here, but the knowledge that Aikman works for the Dolphins could negatively impact his ESPN broadcasts,\u201d Awful Announcing wrote. \u201cThe other 31 teams in the league now know Aikman is communicating information back to the Miami Dolphins front office, so now they\u2019re incentivized to not divulge any sensitive information, or worse, mislead Aikman by giving him false information that he relays back to the Dolphins. Either possibility gives Aikman a skewed sense of reality, which can negatively impact the quality of the broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n There are also concerns that Aikman may be favoring the Dolphins, and his recent comments won\u2019t alleviate those concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I will say I\u2019m pulling for the Dolphins, because now I have something at stake,\u201d Aikman exclaimed. \u201cAnd I think they hired two really talented, wonderful people, and I think that\u2019s gonna prove itself out. \u2026But, yeah, I\u2019m pulling for them. I want to see them do well because I feel like my fingerprints are on it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n It all raises fears over conflicts of interest that have many NFL insiders alarmed.<\/p>\n Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: Facebook.com\/Warner.Todd.Huston<\/a>, Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston<\/a>, or at X\/Twitter @WTHuston<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n