Let me begin by
saying that I am not a Tom Brady fan. He is one of my least favorite
football players of all time. Yet, though I despise him I have grown to
respect him over the last couple of years.
In a day and age in which we see professional athletes getting DUIs, various
felonies and misdemeanors and having many other legal issues, you never see Tom
Brady involved in any of that.
He handles himself
with a certain amount of style and grace usually only accomplished by interior
designers and homosexuals.
He also has a unique ability to say just the right thing in interviews and
press conferences, but not this time.
This time he gave me something to work with.
I feel that it is my responsibility as a Brady basher to "bash" him
while he has given me a rare opportunity to do so.
Wednesday, on WEEI's The Big Show (a Boston radio show), Brady made comments
directed toward the medias a whole and ESPN in particular casting blame for the
escalation of the Spygate scandal.
Brady said "I wish people would try to study a game and focus their energy
on trying to analyze the games better, rather than the stuff that's not
important like this whole camera stuff. I think it's a way to really sell
newspapers. And all the ESPN stations, they've got to fill the air, too,"
First of all, Tom, it IS important. It is so important that NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell, who actually seems to be on the New England
Patriots side in all of this, felt that it was necessary to fine Bill Belichick
and the Patriots three quarters of a million dollars and take away their 2008
first round draft pick.
Brady also said "I think it's just kind of the environment right now. I
think that's the way guys make it. They say the craziest things. That's
what ESPN has become. ESPN, to me, is like MTV without the videos. They just
have highlights instead."
Here's the thing about that, Tom. ESPN is a ratings driven station, just
like every other media outlet. Their function is to tell news stories
that people want to hear. And if you think that the best team in the most
popular sport in the nation being caught cheating is not what people want to
hear about then in the words of ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd "Wow, you're
dumb."
People DO want to hear that. It was and still is the biggest story in the
NFL!
I have news for you, Tom. This situation was not caused by ESPN or the
rest of the media, it was caused by your coach and his blatant disregard for an
NFL rule.
And don't think for a moment that anyone with a brain is buying the fact that
he misinterpreted the rule. Any fool could read that rule and understand
it, and Bill Belichick is no fool.
The Patriots violated the following rules:
1. Page 105 of the Game Operations manual says: "No video recording
devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the
field, or in the locker room during the game." It later says: "All
video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof
overhead."
2. And, a memo from Ray Anderson, NFL head of football operations, to head
coaches and GMs on Sept. 6, 2006 said: "Video taping of any type,
including but not limited to taping of an opponent’s offensive or defensive
signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches’ booth, in the locker
room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the
game."
Tell me you don’t understand that, Tom.
My two year old can understand that.
Tom Brady, you are making yourself look like an idiot. Why don't you do
yourself a favor and JUST SHUT UP!
comments (9) write a comment »
write a new comment
5 months ago
Not a bad article! I really enjoyed it even if I am on the side of the Patriots. Well written.
4 months ago
I am a Patriots fan, so obviously I am biased in this. But I think I would agree completely with you had Tom Brady (or any other Patriot) come out with such comments last September, or really any time during last season. But here we are, still talking about the same story, nine months later. Nothing new has really been learned. After the Super Bowl, Goodell said the Patriots admitted that taping of signals went back to 2000, and he also said he did not believe Belichick's excuse, which was a factor in the punishment. Nothing new has been learned, and this story has continued based on what we now know was a completely false article.
I won't completely blame the media though for the story staying alive- Goodell has absolutely butchered the handling of this from all sides, enough so that I am beginning to question his fitness to lead the NFL - he issued this severe punishment, the most severe punishment any team had ever been given, but then didn't really say why. this led people to believe it was just for the Jets game taping. he destroys the tapes which helped no one and was just stupid on his part. then months later he finally tells the world what the patriots admitted to, and what he thought of what the Patriots said. then he allowed the matt walsh saga to go on for months, ensuring that got dragged out. then he meets with walsh, but it turns out he didn't really do a complete job, so he is going back again. I've said it before in other places on this site, if comparing himself to David Stern, who like him or not, is clearly in charge of the NBA (look at how he moved on quickly from the tim donaghy scandal), Goodell falls woefully short. His actions in this have angered everyone, which to me doesn't say he is doing a good job, but that he is just incompetent at handling such an incident.
4 months ago
Tom Brady has really made an A&& out of himself lately. I can't believe you gave him so much credit in your introductory - don't forget he is a Deadbeat Dad who did not give his son the opportunity of having a two parent family. He hooks up with the sluttiest of Supermodels who slept her way to where she is today. He used to give good interviews and knew the right things to say, but since hooking up with the Brazilian Bozo, I think the Portugese language has distorted his own.
I am so glad he has publicly humiliated himself with his statement. It's kind of karmic like since he's been getting so much slack from the media with his unwed parenting skill while other athletes were getting killed for it. Matt Leinart for example and of course many more. Actually ESPN and their Ho' Simmons have been very tolerant of Brady's behavior, so I hope ESPN can finally let loose and crucify him.
from 4 months ago
I appreciate your support Jean, but I'm not going to pretend to know what kind of relationship Tom Brady has or will have with his child. To me, calling someone a deadbeat dad is a pretty big accusation and should not be thrown around willy nilly.
I also am glad that he has publicly humiliated himself with these statements, but I can't deny that he has been one of the more well spoken athlete's of this decade and that is why I opened this article the way I did.
When I see a comment like yours I see a person with no credibility. I wanted people to take this article seriously.
4 months ago
Are you a fool are what Jean - you seem to think ESPN are god, and your ridiculous comments about Tom are just that - I only feel sadness and pity for you - this is a free country we live in idiot - you seem to think that it is ESPN alone should talk - the nonsense they chat over on ESPN is stupid - leave TOm brady alone and go look after your own life - you are so foolish it is not funny and you would know a deadbeat dad if you say one.
4 months ago
LMAO @ "Let me begin by saying...." Uh....OK. Solid start to the upcoming commentary.
Pointless. A flat-out buffoon. Nice call, Bleacher Report. Congratulations to all.
from 4 months ago
I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to say here.
I gather that you thought my article was pointless and that I am a "buffoon", as you spelled it. But what does "Nice call, bleacher report" mean?
4 months ago
There is a little town out west, maybe you've heard of it, it's called Las Vegas. And just in case you were born yesterday, I have to tell you that in Vegas over the course of the last seven years billions of dollars have been wagered on NFL football games. When you add up all the collective betting on football on a global scale it is hundreds of billions of dollars. A lot of people lost a lot of money because of the Pats cheating.
Now,in the gambling world, its called "fixing a game" when organized cheating occurs within a sports franchise. When this happens you leave the rhelm of sports and enter the sleazy world of crime.
Regardless of what Rodger would have us believe, Specter knows that the Pats had a huge advantage from cheating. So would people betting on the game if they knew about the fix. And lots of people knew about the cheating, probably the whole team. So, how many of them were betting on the games? It's not a stretch to think at some point over seven years organized crime might have gotten wind of it. When a horse race or a boxing match is fixed, they don't loose a draft pick, someone goes to jail. I hope Specter gets to ask questions to some people under oath. A LOT OF PEOPLE LOST A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THE PATS CHEATING. You have to realize that cheating in pro sports is something bigger than the sport itself. With the amount of money that goes through gambling transactions, any type of cheating has to be investigated. And that is the door Goodell, Rooney, Kraft et. al. don't want Specter to open.
3 months ago
Good article, Justin. Tom Brady also laughed off the Giants prediction of them only scoring 17 points in the
super bowl.
write a new comment