Last year, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media publicly complained about the ongoing refusal of the Associated Press to include NFL Media reporters and/or analysts on the 50-person voting panel. Coincidentally, or not, the 2025 AP panel included for the first time multiple NFL Media reporters and analysts.
But not Pelissero.
The 50 voters, as disclosed by the AP after Thursday night’s awards were announced, included Judy Battista of NFL Network, Kyle Brandt of NFL Network, Rich Eisen of NFL Network, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. (Kurt Warner of NFL Network is also a voter, but his designated affiliation is Westwood One.)
That’s five of 50 — 10 percent of the full panel — who are employed by the NFL. Which is fine. We wrote last year in the aftermath of Pelissero’s complaint that it’s getting harder to justify excluding NFL-employed reporters and analysts.
As Pelissero said, “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 irony (if I’m using the word correctly and thanks to Alanis Morissette I truly never know) is that, last weekend, the NFL Network employees became employees of ESPN, with the NFL now owning 10 percent of ESPN. Which, if the AP had persisted in its position, would have extended logically to all ESPN employees, too. (ESPN has four voters on the panel.)
So, yes, it was long overdue for NFL Network employees to be eligible to spend hours of their time and to lend their expertise and knowledge of the league and its players to the process of preparing and submitting a full awards and All-Pro ballot less than 24 hours after the completion of the regular season for no compensation whatsoever.
Just like the rest of the suckers who are working for free. Me included.
