Shame on you. Yes, I said it. Shame on you. No, not for Spy Gate. No, not for Deflategate. Not for dominating the NFL for 20 years and six Super Bowls. Shame on you for making us all hate Tom Brady for 20 years.
Somehow, some way, you turned a really funny, engaging personality into a mindless drone for two whole decades, but now, he is free. Now, we get to see the real Tom Brady. Ever so slight glimpses began to appear in the last couple of years in Foxborough. His post-win videos with highlights and Gronk walking to the plane were the first glimpses of his true personality.
Today, we see a 44-year-old quarterback who clearly knows how to engage with his fans. He has mastered social media, especially with his Twitter jokes. He trolls us all with his fake golf videos. He talks trash. He’s just funny, to be honest.
Now that Tom and his family have relocated to their new, much warmer home in Tampa, FL rather than the harsh cold of Foxborough, MA, his personality has warmed to match. Granted, I absolutely hate his crypto.com commercials, but he is all of a sudden likable.
He has evolved. He has broken free from a cocoon of Belichick-ian no-nonsense malarkey to become one of the more enjoyable athletes in sports. The only comparison is that of JJ Redick.
Both players were unilaterally hated for a large portion of their careers. Both players played under authoritarian leaders that would not put up with any distractions or deviations from the norm in Belichick and Coach K, but when both players moved on elsewhere, they have become two of the most likable athletes in recent memory. ~~~~
The great thing is, we don’t have to part ways with these two athletes in the future. Redick has his podcast and seems to have carved out a nice role on ESPN with First Take, and boy is he needed to balance out the sometimes nonsensical Stephen A. Smith. Brady just signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports to move into the booth when his career finally raps up, so maybe once he turns 50 at this point.
I simply do not see a path where the pair will fail in media. In their careers, both are legendary for their precise and detailed preparation. Brady has his pliability and avocado ice cream. Redick had his game-day routine down to the very minute. Both are smart and engaging personalities.
After watching The Match yesterday, I cannot help but feel that Brady is destined for greatness in the booth, much like his performances on the field. Not only are his preparation and knowledge of the game of football unmatched, but he also is able to combine that with quality comedic timing and a quick wit. Move over Tony Romo, Chris Collinsworth and Troy Aikman because Tom Brady is coming for your throats in the color analysis game. The only solace you have is that he cannot overshadow you in the booth as long as he is on the field, but make no mistake, Brady is coming and will do it better than each of you.
Back to you, Bill. I blame “The Patriot Way.” I blame “We’re on to Cincinnati.” I blame you, Bill. You took someone who should have been this unbelievable, underdog story and turned him into a robot elite that everyone hated.
But the good news is…Now that he’s out from under your thumb, he has turned himself into someone that you cannot help but root for. For the first time since college, Tom Brady feels like a human being. He feels like someone that the general public would enjoy hanging out with at a bar or over dinner.
It’s not him, Bill. It’s you. He won another Super Bowl. He won over public perception. He won the break-up.