March 17, 2020

In this time of unselfish coming together of communities, one man stands alone...

"Tom Brady says he will not re-sign with New England Patriots.... The 42-year-old has spent his entire 19-year NFL career with the Patriots, winning Six Super Bowls during that time. But he will become a unrestricted free agent when free agency opens on Wednesday" (CNN).

The man looked at his options and decided this, this is the time to turn my back on the people who supported me all these years.

You would think that out of sheer PR if nothing else, he would have thought to saying I will be a Patriot forever... I love you, New England… This is the time for all of us to embrace our dear family and stay together and support each other.

ADDED: For those who think maybe the Patriots kicked Brady out:
“Tommy initiated contact (Monday) night & came over. We had a positive, respectful discussion,” [Patriots owner Robert] Kraft said. “It’s not the way I want it to end, but I want him to do what is in his best personal interest. After 20 years with us, he has earned that right. I love him like a son.”

Kraft said shortly after the season that he wanted Brady to either return to New England or retire.... There were reports that [GM Bill] Belichick was hesitant to pay Brady the $30 million that other franchises seem willing to do.

121 comments:

Kevin said...

I will be a Patriot forever.

That requires the efforts of both sides.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Do we know for certain he wasn't pushed? I can understand both the coach and owner wanting someone younger.

Eric said...

Brady's performance has declined enough that many, if not most, Patriots fans know that committing to him isn't good. I'd expect that a Wisconsonite would recall how the Pack made the mistake of staying with Favre long after he was in decline, and they had an obvious replacement.

Curious George said...

Like Brett Farve? May shock you Althouse, but HOF QB's are often prima donnas.

Drago said...

"The man looked at his options and decided this, this is the time to turn my back on the people who supported me all these years."

This is a joke, right?

The Patriots modus operandi for 15 years has been to trade away many of their best players at the peak of those players abilities to maximize their trade value while riding on Brady's brain and talent.

Brady has also been willing to renegotiate and restructure his contract year after year to facilitate the Patriots organization strategy.

And its worked magnificently. Note: I'm not a Patriots fan, at all.

But its time for some serious retooling there to set up the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, did you happen to notice the Brady's want to be West Coasters and those Raiders will be playing in air conditioned comfort in Las Vegas in a brand new shiny stadium and "Li'l" Davis with the astonishingly horrific haircut will be happy to make Tom Brady the highest paid quarterback for the next several years.

Its time.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Leaving the Patriots may be the unselfish thing.

Spiros said...

Oh my God this is awful!

Drago said...

Btw, last time I checked, the NFL is a business.

You want a friend? Get yourself an LA based supermodel wife.

gilbar said...

isn't he, like two HUNDRED years old? why didn't he Just Retire?

GatorNavy said...

Out of all major sports, the NFL will be (mostly) okay. Unlike basketball and quite probably baseball. Unless they Godell it all up.

MayBee said...

"This great coming together" as people are begging others to stay at home seems like rightthought to me.

mockturtle said...

I'm no fan of Brady but football is business. They offered him only a one year contract. Is that gratitude?

mockturtle said...
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Drago said...

Dont forget, Belichick was ready to deal Brady away 2 years ago to maximize the trade value.

And Belichick was right to try. Kraft stopped him.

StephenFearby said...

In the last year, "Tom Terrific" has morphed into a drama queen. The likely next stop for him is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Remember in the last year he also tried to copyright the handle "Tom Terrific" but he withdrew this attempt due to the cries of outrage from fans who remember the appellation deservedly belongs to Tom Seaver.

mockturtle said...
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Drago said...

The Pats could have had Jimmy Garoppolo plus extra draft picks.....

A lost opportunity.

AllenS said...

You can have all of the love from the fans that you want, but sports people are constantly going to other teams to make more money. And, let's not forget that the owners of the teams will trade your ass for any number reasons. Sometimes it's personal, and other times it's just business.

This has happened like forever.

tastid212 said...

I'd love for the Dolphins to pick him up. Together Tom and Tua would be a great pair - old and new in Miami.

narciso said...

They didnt suggest they wanted him back did they?

Johnathan Birks said...

Most Pats fans I know have been resigned to TB's departure for months. He got them 6 rings; he owes them nothing.

Brady wants one last big paycheck, the team doesn't want to give it to him. Happens all the time, in sports and elsewhere.

Lurker21 said...

It does break the 24-7 coronavirus news and give people something else to talk about.

Tom could help us out even more if he would declare his candidacy for the presidency or announce that he is transgender.

If Jennifer Anniston has some bombshell of her own that she wants to drop now it could see America through the rest of the pandemic.

Rory said...

"... I love you, New England… This is the time for all of us to embrace our dear family and stay together and support each other.…"

Our culture would be healthier if it reduced the attention paid to celebrity entertainers.

brylun said...
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rehajm said...

I would be way more upset if Belichick was leaving. He can build another Brady...

Bob Boyd said...

Is leaving the Patriots social sadism?

Amexpat said...

Brady has also been willing to renegotiate and restructure his contract year after year to facilitate the Patriots organization strategy.

Yes. If anyone owes anything in this, it's the Patriots to Brady for his outstanding service to them without trying to maximize his compensation as most pro athletes do.

brylun said...

As a Buffalo Bills fan, we are very happy that "The GOAT" will no longer be in the AFC East!

exhelodrvr1 said...

Or, he is going to go where he can do the most good

Shawn Levasseur said...

Johnathan Birks, above, has it right.

Many of us Pats fans are a bit bummed that he won't have his entire career here, but so long as the foundation of the organization's success (Coach Bellecheck) is still around, we'll be interested in what happens next. We may well cheer for him elsewhere (unless he's playing against the Pats) the same way Pats fans have cheered for Jimmy Garrapolo on the 49ers.

Better for him to say it outright at the top of free agency than to string the Patriots along.

Yancey Ward said...

The Brady era was coming to an end. I think he just wants to try some new challenge before he is forced into retirement. It is kind of amazing that he is still an effective QB at his age.

Yancey Ward said...

And, in any case, being 42 years old, he was going to die of coronavirus soon.

rhhardin said...

It's scapegoating, a new outrage opportunity.

Fernandinande said...

Oh my God this is awful!

Try to be strong and don't waste your toilet paper on tears.

Calypso Facto said...

Brady wanted to stay, but in his call with management two weeks ago ("Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's recent phone call about upcoming free agency 'didn't go well,'") they showed him the door. Probably not the wrong move for the team at this point.

Drago said: ""Li'l" Davis with the astonishingly horrific haircut will be happy to make Tom Brady the highest paid quarterback"

Raiders signed Mariotta yesterday. Out of the hunt, probably.

stonethrower said...

This makes the coming NFL season much more interesting. Yea!
We get to see what Brady can do, and same with Belichick. Double Yea!

Meade said...

"Is leaving the Patriots social sadism?"

Ha. One would think.

Breezy said...

I'm a Pats fan, and am not surprised nor saddened about this. Had a great unprecedented run with him and the rest of the team - no regrets. Happy Trails to you, TB. On to the next chapter.

rhhardin said...

Jean Shepherd in the early 60s mocked the lifestyle concerns of the tabloid women gossiping on the bus about the tragic breakup of Liz and Richard Burton.

traditionalguy said...

The new to town teams with super rich owners will pay Tom Terrific for the PR value. Marketing is the thing. The talent is irrelevant. It’s all about being a celebrity.

Let the bidding begin.

gspencer said...

Had Brady been somewhat, even the teeniest, weeniest, generous to the Patriot Fans (yeah, yeah, I know; he owes them nothing), he would have stepped aside* so that the Patriot machine could go on. Garropolo, young and talented, represented the future. Belechick knew that. Brady knew that but didn't care. And Kraft knew that but Kraft's give-Brady-anything-he-wants attitude prevented that. Belechick then made a good deal for Garropolo, with SF. Garropolo is proving his worth, and proving how wrong Kraft was.

*By either retiring or allowing himself to be traded

Sebastian said...

"You would think that out of sheer PR if nothing else, he would have thought to saying I will be a Patriot forever... I love you, New England… This is the time for all of us to embrace our dear family and stay together and support each other."

You would think that if you didn't think of teams and players making rational decisions. You would think that if you think football is about love.

You would think that if you were caught up in the we're-all-in-this-together anti-virus hype. You would think that if you think "support each other" means the young support the old at limitless expense.

MayBee said...

Earlier I heard the 49ers were interested, and I thought about poor Jimmy Garapolo.

robother said...

The rest of the AFC East breathes a sigh of relief. On the other hand, if he goes to the Chargers, Broncos fans develop a dry cough.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

He should retire. Leave on a high note. I know the Pats didn't win the SB this year, but so what. 6 SB wins is impressive. Even with the deflated balls. Something tells me his ego wants one more super bowl ring - where ever he can get it.

Retire and enjoy your health, Mr. Brady. 42 is OLD in FB years.

Bay Area Guy said...

Tom is not reading the general public. He's not gonna make magic without Belicek. It's time to say goodbye after an incredible run, Tom!

Dave Begley said...

It's all about the money. As it always is in the NFL.

That's why I prefer the college game.

Ann Althouse said...

I like when players are identified with particular teams and fans have a home-team bond. If it's just a free market of product moving around, the meaning is drained out of it. Why give of yourself — give your time — to a team that has no meaning? Either you care about spectator sports or you don't... but why care? Why? Where is the meaning?

Curious George said...

"Dave Begley said...
It's all about the money. As it always is in the NFL.

That's why I prefer the college game."

Yeah, because that's not about the money. Well, not for the players anyway.

Curious George said...

"Dave Begley said...
It's all about the money. As it always is in the NFL.

That's why I prefer the college game."

Yeah, because that's not about the money. Well, not for the players anyway.

Michael K said...

My favorite QB story was when Carson Palmer told the Cincinnati owner he wanted to be traded before their crappy O line got him crippled. The owner said no. Palmer said, "I've got $80 million in the bank. Trade me or I'll go home." They finally traded him and he had another five good years with other teams. He took the AZ Cardinals to the playoffs and finally retired after 2017

Known Unknown said...

Hot take, Prof.

Ann Althouse said...

"It's all about the money."

There is only money because people care. If they act like it's only money, then there will/should be no money. The money comes from the people and the people experience it as love. The business should respect the love and be true.

MikeR said...

I'm in favor of allowing people to live their lives, to whatever extent we can during this difficult time. Are you really going to demand that everyone be completely unselfish on things that have absolutely nothing to do with fighting coronavirus?
We're with you, Tom!

Ralph L said...

He got part of it: DM: Brady thanks fans, teammates, coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft on Twitter while declaring he is 'FOREVER A PATRIOT'

rehajm said...

Where is the meaning?

12 championships and 11 additional finals in this young century. There are New England kids in grade school that believe Boston wins every year. When's the parade this year, dad?

New England fans have grandpas who never saw the Red Sox win. There are Yankee fans who are old enough to drive but can't recall them winning a world series...

In team sports great players, great teams are ephemeral. Sentimentality is for losers...

Yancey Ward said...

This is like when Joe Montana was forced out of SF.

rehajm said...
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rcocean said...

Why blame Brady? Its obvious he wanted $X and the Patriots didn't want to give it him for Business reasons. He's 42, and the Pats want to move on to another QB. Brady meanwhile, wants to eek out another couple years as a starting QB.

As for being loyal to Pro Teams, it never made any sense to me. People in Oakland loved the Raiders even when Al Davis moved them to LA because he wanted more $$$. As he said in so many words, they weren't the Oakland Raiders, they were the Al Davis Raiders. Some owners have a sense of community, but most of them are just greed-head businessmen out for $$$.

rcocean said...

Why blame Brady? Its obvious he wanted $X and the Patriots didn't want to give it him for Business reasons. He's 42, and the Pats want to move on to another QB. Brady meanwhile, wants to eek out another couple years as a starting QB.

As for being loyal to Pro Teams, it never made any sense to me. People in Oakland loved the Raiders even when Al Davis moved them to LA because he wanted more $$$. As he said in so many words, they weren't the Oakland Raiders, they were the Al Davis Raiders. Some owners have a sense of community, but most of them are just greed-head businessmen out for $$$.

Breezy said...

I think TB gave up the $$ he could have had to get the rings. I doubt he has regrets on that front, though I could be wrong. No one else is the GOAT! So I don't think this is about $ for him, but about proving he is the key to the record run, and not Bill.

rehajm said...

Tom will take a payday year or two like many of the greatest QBs have done. He'll retire with a pile of cash he'll put with his wife's bigger pile of cash for his next sports chapter. His sports career is far from over...

Curious George said...

"Ann Althouse said...
"It's all about the money."

There is only money because people care. If they act like it's only money, then there will/should be no money. The money comes from the people and the people experience it as love. The business should respect the love and be true."

Yeah, they should put their health...hell life...on the line and get there brains bashed in for love. Like you did at UW Law.

rcocean said...

I remember in college suggesting to my Finance professor, that fans in the local area should own the Pro teams, just like the Green Bay Packers. He was horrified. "that's socialism, boy" he said unironically.

Dave Begley said...

I'm sorry Ann, but you don't understand pro sports.

Badger Athletics is a business. A big business. But the players don't jump around if they get a better offer from the Gophers or Huskers. Many players love their schools and coaches. Dr. Tom at Nebraska keeps in touch with his former players. He's a huge father figure to many. He tried to help the troubled Lawrence Phillips and he got attacked. But he's done that for many players and former players. He helps young people with his Teammates program.

The above is one of the reasons I love college sports. I'm loyal to my alma mater.

rcocean said...

Every athlete knows their day in the sun has to end. Golfers have it easiest. You can be No. 1 in the world at 42-43, and win major championships at 46. Some don't hit their peak till their mid 30s. Brady has been a freak of human nature, probably because he was never a "running QB" and the new rules protecting QB's. You have to wonder how long some the 70's QB's could have lasted if they weren't getting "creamed" every Quarter.

rcocean said...

Players just want to get paid what they're worth. That's not greed.

Sebastian said...

"I like when players are identified with particular teams"

How many fans know more than a few players on any team's O line? How many care that a running back gets ditched after three years? How many in New England ever complained about the ruthless strategy of getting and then moving cheap talent?

"Either you care about spectator sports or you don't... but why care? Why? Where is the meaning?"

The meaning is in the excitement of winning. Did Cleveland fans think LeBron loved the Cavaliers? No. Did they count on him staying? No. Did they enjoy their championship run and find "meaning" in it? Of course.

It's almost as if Althouse has a little difficulty seeing the world from the perspective of other people. Happens to many artists wrapped up in their own visions.

rehajm said...

And Belichick was right to try. Kraft stopped him.

I have never heard this. Ever since the 'let me buy some of the groceries' incident with Parcells Bob Kraft has mostly been a hands off-style owner...mostly...

Amadeus 48 said...

Hmm...it is time for Brady to leave the Patriots. They need to build the next generation. He should retire.

It was great to have Greg Maddux come back for his career sunset with the Cubs, who had refused to pay him when he was young but successsful. So, with a Cy Young under his arm, he went to Atlanta for his hall of fame career. But at the end, he came back, and we loved him for it.

How do you Green Bay folks feel about Favre? He should have retired from Green Bay, right?

Ray said...

With diminished skills, he's still better than 3/4 of the quarterbacks in the NFL.

rcocean said...

College sports are not a "Business". The football and basketball teams make money, but that's because its popular - unlike the Girls Field Hockey team. I like college sports because its not focused obsessively on the players. They're all going to leave in 4 years, if not sooner. BB players are now just doing 1-2 years and moving on to the NBA. So its about supporting particular teams, usually because its the local team or its your alma mater.

Amadeus 48 said...

I always think about the great Jim Brown leaving at the top of his game.

AlbertAnonymous said...

Professor... where’s that cruel neutrality of which you so often speak.

Perhaps Tom did this, now, especially now, because he new leaving would make for more sports talk. And with people quarantined in the great red state of communism (I mean California) sports fans need, now more than ever, sports to talk about.

“Tom Brady leaving the Pats. Where’ll he go. My top 5 predictions next, after this message from Lysol”

Xmas said...

Ryan Tannehill got a 4-year, $118 million deal this year. There was no way the Patriots would give Brady a similar deal at his age. Some spendthrift owner is likely to offer TB12 a ridiculous 4-year deal.

Charlie said...

We had a good run, time to move on.

boatbuilder said...

Well, his 401K is getting crushed. Can you blame him for looking for a little extra cash?

Curious George said...

"Dave Begley said...
I'm sorry Ann, but you don't understand pro sports.

Badger Athletics is a business. A big business. But the players don't jump around if they get a better offer from the Gophers or Huskers. Many players love their schools and coaches. Dr. Tom at Nebraska keeps in touch with his former players. He's a huge father figure to many. He tried to help the troubled Lawrence Phillips and he got attacked. But he's done that for many players and former players. He helps young people with his Teammates program.

The above is one of the reasons I love college sports. I'm loyal to my alma mater."

College football uses and abuses their players. Even Dr. Tom. They make huge money off them, for very little in return. Sure, those few that make the NFL received a place to showcase their talent, they rest don't.

But I'm sure you are loyal to your alma mater. Because you're still a fan and they have sucked for the last twenty years.

boatbuilder said...

Well, his 401K is getting hammered. Can you blame the poor guy for looking for a little more cash?

mockturtle said...

There is only money because people care. If they act like it's only money, then there will/should be no money. The money comes from the people and the people experience it as love. The business should respect the love and be true.

You can't be serious. You realize that the Green Bay Packers is the only team that is locally owned and non-profit, don't you?

BarrySanders20 said...

Cabin fever must be setting in. Althouse riffs on sports, and the result is not good.

chuck said...

He is 42, that's geriatric for an athlete. Heck, I remember a company softball game where the twenty year olds were scooting around the bases while the thirty year olds were still chasing the ball in the outfield. Same age curve generally holds for scientists and mathematicians. Gauss was a bit of an exception, doing good work into his fifties.

frenchy said...

Out of all major sports, the NFL will be (mostly) okay

As one amphib to another, lemmee just say the NFL is a long long ways from being "okay." Stadia were already half empty even without viruses and tv ratings cratered and never really came back. Thanks Colin for all you do!

Curious George said...

Althouse, you and Meade are Brewer fans. Their star player Christian Yellich, came from somewhere else. As did Mike Moustakas, Josh Hader, and Lorenzo Cain. Current manager and local boy Craig Counsell played for five teams in his career.

Browndog said...

Pats fan here.

Stunned. Thinking about it a little, the writing was on the wall all last year. The way Tom kept shaking his head and moping I kept thinking he was turning into Peyton Manning.

I'm much less of a football fans since the whole kneeling thing so I'm not exactly devastated by this. Still going to root for Brady and the Pats, but don't expect a lot out of either one.

BarrySanders20 said...

"You can't be serious. You realize that the Green Bay Packers is the only team that is locally owned and non-profit, don't you?"

And the Packers jettison loyal players all the time. Today's paper is the very clinical obituary for Blake Martinez and Brian Bulaga. Thanks for all the years of service to the club. But you cost a few million more than the guys we can replace you with, and we want the cap space to sign some other guys. Dont let the door hit your huge ass on the way out. And the writer praises management for making the right call to help win games nest season.

Signed, BarrySanders20, who retired at the peak of his talent as a big FU to management in Detroit.

BarrySanders20 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Skeptical Voter said...

Brady's favorite target Gronkowski left the Patriots while his body was still mostly together and he wanted to keep it that way. He could have played for several more years,but I suppose he wasn't "loyal" to the Patriots. He did make the intelligent choice however.

The Chargers parted ways with Phil Rivers who had started 235 consecutive games with the team.

I think that both Brady and Rivers will find some other team to lead for a year or two---but it won't be the team they are remembered for.

As a Chargers fan, I would have liked to have seen Phil pull the plug on the team and retire, rather than the team casting him off. But that didn't happen.

tommyesq said...

Badger Athletics is a business. A big business. But the players don't jump around if they get a better offer from the Gophers or Huskers.

College football players have to sit out a full year if they opt to transfer, and up until two years ago college coaches could deny permission for their student-athletes to transfer for any reason. Plus, NCAA rules prohibit other schools from tampering with a student athlete, so the players cannot get a "better offer."

tim in vermont said...

I watched every game this past season, including one at the stadium. Tom didn’t have the weapons, that’s for sure, but a lot of the incompletions were not drops, they were misses by Brady. Some of that could be that without the weapons, defenses could focus on Brady’s weaknesses. One of the definitions of an offensive weapon is that they can’t really be contained. Edelman was a great weapon, but you needed another guy who could terrify with pure speed and sure hands to spread the defense, which they didn’t have.

So I figure that he will succeed in the right situation, fail in the wrong one. Take that to the bank, but stop for coffee on the way, maybe think a little bit, then turn around and sit on your money.

Wilbur said...

Who in professional sports/entertainment is happiest the Coronavirus pandemic appeared?

The Houston Astros.

Maillard Reactionary said...

Are you serious, AA? Football, like all major sports, is a business. Tom Brady is a quickly wasting asset. It's entirely appropriate for him to do what he sees fit for himself personally, including dumping the Pats if that's what he decides.

Do you think the Pats have (or had) any loyalty to him? As opposed to calculated self-interest?

Loyalty is a personal virtue, but expecting it in a business situation is naive.

Drago said: "You want a friend? Get yourself an LA based supermodel wife."

Agreed, she'll last as long as the money does. And if you can't manage that, get a dog.

Browndog said...

Aunty Trump said...

I watched every game this past season, including one at the stadium. Tom didn’t have the weapons, that’s for sure, but a lot of the incompletions were not drops, they were misses by Brady.


I forget which game, but the Pats were 3rd and goal and had the rookie wide open for a TD, but didn't throw it to him because he had a drop earlier. He threw it high to a double covered Edelman in the endzone. It cost them the game. I knew right then this cannot last.

daskol said...

Seinfeld said it best: you're rooting for laundry.

Ann Althouse said...

"The money comes from the people and the people experience it as love. The business should respect the love and be true."/"Yeah, they should put their health...hell life...on the line and get there brains bashed in for love. Like you did at UW Law."

You didn't read that very well! I didn't say they should play for love. I said there is money to be made because the spectators watch out of love and there will be no money to be made without spectators. "The business should respect the love and be true." See?

You're so hot to be nasty to me personally that you let yourself be seen reading incompetently. Tsk tsk.

tommyesq said...

Tom didn’t have the weapons, that’s for sure, but a lot of the incompletions were not drops, they were misses by Brady.

Agreed. Brady can still zip it in there with the best of him, but on the touch passes (screens, back shoulder fades) he has lost the touch - low, behind, etc. This is a common first fall from being elite for the older athlete - Chara with the Bruins still plays a mean defense and has a blistering slap shot, but when he gains possession in the defensive end and has to lob a saucer pass to initiate the breakout, its 50-50 which team it will go to. See also pro golfers who develop the "yips" on putts as they hit their 40's. Sad.

tim in vermont said...

https://twitter.com/Super70sSports/status/1239928287788511232

Ha!

tim in vermont said...

Bars closed on St Patrick’s Day on the day Tom Terrific leaves Boston. Like somebody said the other day: “Who’s playing Jumanji?"

Nichevo said...


Ann Althouse said...
"It's all about the money."

There is only money because people care. If they act like it's only money, then there will/should be no money. The money comes from the people and the people experience it as love. The business should respect the love and be true.

3/17/20, 9:10 AM


As FBI agent Clarice Starling, I think, observed in one of the Hannibal novels by Thomas Harris: You may love the Bureau, but the Bureau doesn't love you. Neither Brady nor the Patriots had any debts to pay.

Nobody has your expectations. You are not a valid sports fan ("costumes," forsooth!) and your perspective is yours alone-at best, a relic of a bygone age. If you owned or ran a sports team it would be a miserable failure. You simply don't understand, and moreover, you are uneducable.

I hope you didn't find that nasty.

Nichevo said...

It's almost as if Althouse has a little difficulty seeing the world from the perspective of other people. Happens to many artists wrapped up in their own visions.


I think it's a lawyer thing.

Nichevo said...
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GatorNavy said...

Frenchy said

As one amphib to another, lemmee just say the NFL is a long long ways from being "okay." Stadia were already half empty even without viruses and tv ratings cratered and never really came back. Thanks Colin for all you do!

Better Colin, than Troy and Buck.

Frenchy, lets wait to see how much money the NFL makes this season, shall we?

stevew said...

Thank you to Tom Brady, with this announcement the local sports talk stations and obsessed sports fans are back to talking about sports and have abandoned talking about stuff they know nothing about, e.g.; Covid-19.

Sam L. said...

He's 42 and still plans to play football??????????????????????????????????????

bagoh20 said...

He's coming to to Vegas. It's where you go once have some money and still want to take some risks. Go Vegas Raiders! The new stadium is walking distance from my work. It's almost finished. It's all jet black, which looks cool, but seems crazy in the Nevada sun, but hey, if it's in Vegas, it's air conditioned.

Browndog said...

Nobody is talking Raiders. I see Drago mentioned it.

All the talking heads say Tampa, Rams, or bust.

DanTheMan said...

Brady made more millions than many energy company "greedy CEO's".

Maybe Bernie wanted to put Tom in jail, too.

mockturtle said...

Bagoh20, I love the idea of the team moving to Vegas and believe it will prosper there. Vegas really supports its teams.

daskol said...

Seinfeld on Letterman in the 90s, talking about rooting for clothes, screaming about laundry.

Calypso Facto said...

"Nobody is talking Raiders. I see Drago mentioned it."

Hello, "Calypso Facto said: :Raiders signed Mariotta yesterday. Out of the hunt, probably."

Roger Sweeny said...

StephenFearby,

The original Tom Terrific wasn't Tom Seaver. He was a cartoon character on television, dating from 1957-59. You can see all the episodes on YouTube.

Roger Sweeny said...

I like when players are identified with particular teams and fans have a home-team bond. If it's just a free market of product moving around, the meaning is drained out of it. Why give of yourself — give your time — to a team that has no meaning? Either you care about spectator sports or you don't... but why care? Why? Where is the meaning?

The fact that people do indeed care says something deep about human psychology. I'm just not sure what it is.

For years, the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees and Boston fans had as a point of pride that the Yankees bought championships and the Red Sox didn't. Then the Red Sox "opened their checkbook", signing star players from other teams, winning several World Series and last year having the highest payroll in baseball. As long as the bought players said the right thing (and performed up to expectations), the fans loved them.

Roger Sweeny said...

I always think about the great Jim Brown leaving at the top of his game.

Jim Brown was doing acting in the off-season. He had a role as one of the prisoners in The Dirty Dozen. However, shooting was running behind schedule and the team was pressuring him to come into training camp. He finally told the team he was going to finish the movie and never come back.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Fans love winning even more than individual players. The evidence points to Brady being on the decline. Nothing will make fans fall out of love faster than seeing their team taking a massive salary cap hit on a player who can only offer diminishing returns. I don't blame Brady for wanting to cash in one last time, but if he was really concerned about his legacy with the Pats, he should have retired.

KellyM said...

PAts fan here, too. TB doesn't owe me anything as a fan. By the time the Pats delivered the first three Super Bowls I was satisfied. The rest has been gravy. The most delight came in watching the entire team (particularly from 2001 - 2007) perform at the levels they did. I had so many other fave guys from those teams who have moved on... it's what happens.

I've enjoyed this run and knew the day was coming. As other posters above stated, the time to gracefully exit stage left was when Jimmy Garoppolo looked as if his time in the sun was about to begin.

Thanks, TB - See you on the flip side.

mccullough said...

Willie Mays played for The Mets. Jordan played for The Wizards.

Brady might be the first great to win a championship with another team late in his career. Hope he chooses wisely.

As for The Patriots, Bellichick is old and there is too much turnover on that team. He rubs the players the wrong way. They took it because Brady dealt with it. No one is going to put up with him anymore.

Brady has a much better chance of winning another Super Bowl than Bellichick.

Earnest Prole said...

The Patriots are cheaters, which may explain why there appears to be a pox on their house.

Rick said...

Brady might be the first great to win a championship with another team late in his career.

Peyton Manning did it.

Steve Pitment said...

The man is a very special athlete, but he is also 42. People considering blowing their salary cap to obtain him must like losing.

Unknown said...

Waiting to dump Boston on St. Patrick's day is a master troll.

walter said...

Man, even having wrangled cam on sports players, just not that important.