Chances are that you either really like Tom Brady or really don’t, given that he’s not exactly the kind of guy that people are ho-hum about. Winners divide us all. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ ring-collecting quarterback has vociferous fans who treasure each fresh triumph, an army of jealous deriders, and not much in between. But whichever side of the Brady-verse you occupy, we all probably owe him a word of thanks right now. Because, amid a summer where the National Football League news (and gossip) cycle has slowed to a trickle, the guy who once toed the line and played the role of corporate poster child is out there with some big talk, mixing it up to fill the void. We still don’t think of Brady as a bombastic character prone to outbursts of self-important bluster. Of course we don’t – he’s spent his entire career until now not being that guy. However, ever since he left Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots umbrella and took his talents to the land of palm trees, warm breeze and wealthy retirees, he simply doesn’t hold back anymore. Remember the whole thing on “The Shop,” when he hurled in an expletive and voiced his lingering resentment that a team passed on him when the chance came as his Patriots tenure ended, preferring to stick with their incumbent “&*#$!@” of a QB. He took that sentiment and ran with it this week, offering a deeper look on how he’s used each slight as motivation and name-checking a pair of cross-sport greats in the process. Brady’s strutting and swaggering right now. It’s fun. “It would be a no-brainer if you said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a chance to get Wayne Gretzky on your team,’ or ‘You get a chance to have Michael Jordan on your team,’” Brady said in a Sirius XM town hall event this week. “’Ahh, we don’t need him. No thanks, we’re good.’ In my mind, I’m kind of thinking, OK, let me go show those teams what they’re missing.” And, wait for it, one last zinger incoming. “I think what you realize is that there’s not as many smart people as you think,” Brady said. Admit it, that last bit made you want to chuckle, didn’t it? Maybe Brady’s even swaying a few reluctant souls over to his side. Personally speaking, this outspoken version of Brady is both wickedly funny and highly entertaining, which is very much needed at this point. For is it just me or is it turning into a long, loooong summer for fans of the NFL? How can it be that it felt like we were closer to a return to football action a couple of months ago than we do now? Back then, as April crept into May, a busy, exciting and potentially transformative NFL Draft had us feeling like gridiron Sundays were just around the corner again, or, at the very least, that there would be some enjoyable pigskin-themed distractions in the meantime. Flip back to now and it still feels like it’s going to be a good while before we can properly start thinking about Week 1, let alone getting the hot dogs and fantasy rosters primed and ready. It’s hot outside, the NBA Finals are done, the Olympics don’t really feel like the Olympics and the term “dog days” is itching to get busted out of storage. Brady is out there giving it a go, but there just isn’t a lot else happening. The strained relationship between Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers initially promised to deliver a summer soap opera that kept Cheesehead news at the forefront of our minds, but it hasn’t, with most of the machinations having been kept well under wraps, behind the scenes and away from our prying eyes. Most meaningful trade business was done within weeks of last season ending. The important coaching maneuvers took place around then, too. It’s summer, and no one is talking much trash or running their mouth. Except, in his own way, Brady. Brady had plenty to say when the Bucs won the Super Bowl and sparked a giant celebration that included him enjoying too much avocado tequila and gleefully hurling the Vince Lombardi Trophy across Floridian water to a boat full of teammates. He’s found that he enjoys this gig of saying enough to get everyone chattering, never more so than that appearance on “The Shop,” which had people around the league scribbling down names on the back of envelopes to figure out who the “&*#$!@” in question might be. Brady has played a bit of golf in his spare time and couldn’t resist throwing in a few playful jibes while taking part in a pairs showdown alongside Phil Mickelson – and against Rodgers and Bryson DeChambeau. His golf balls for the matchup were embossed with the Roman numerals of his Super Bowl wins. Yep, he’s feeling good about things. After his golfing adventure, it looked like we might not hear much more from Brady until the new campaign neared. But then it got released that he played all of the season with a torn MCL, which could have emerged of its own accord, but, with what we know about his mindset, would you be shocked if you found out he’d let it be leaked to boost his GOAT aura just a tad more? We have to acknowledge the possibility that with everything he says and does, the new age Brady is trying to procure a subtle edge. He’s capped it off with these latest remarks, a quiet reminder that not only does he stand up there with Jordan and Gretzky (he has more titles than both), but actually, he knows it too. He was wrong about one thing, There are actually plenty of smart people in the NFL, it’s just that Brady plays the game on a different level. He’s always done that on the field, now he’s learned to take his non-football game to a higher realm as well. Maybe it’s all for fun, a new lease on life, a sense of glow at winning yet another title still lingering. Maybe there’s no intent behind it. Maybe the thought never crossed his mind that by staying in the spotlight all summer and offering an ever-present reminder to all the Bucs’ rivals that they weren’t good enough last time, it could confer some added advantage come September. Do you really think he’s just messing around? Come on, we’re smarter than that. Here’s what others have said … Dan Gartland, Sports Illustrated: “A five-second soundbite was all Tom Brady needed to spark the next great NFL mystery.” Colin Cowherd, The Herd: “I love this version of Tom. I think it’s closer to who he is.” Deb Carson, FOX Sports Radio: “Just going on record to say that I’m enjoying the persona of more publicly outspoken, opinionated & having fun Buccaneers Tom Brady than the seemingly tight-lipped Patriots Brady.” |
