Have Tom Brady's Tears Tarnished His Rep with New England Patriots' Fans?

"It was just a tough day, you know?" Brady said after he composed himself.

"I just remember being there with my mom and dad...sorry about that...they were just so supportive of me. And they take it as emotionally as I do. And finally, when the Patriots called, I was so excited—I was like, 'I don't have to be an insurance salesman!'"—Tom Brady from ESPN's The Brady 6. 

This is for those of you who have not seen the "must-see" documentary about Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady and his draft day experience. 

In the middle of Brady's description of his draft day experience in April of 2000, he has to stop and collect himself when he says "sorry about that."

The NFL's Most Valuable Player was on the verge of crying and fighting back tears as he remembered that event. 

Tom Brady crying? Yes, that's right.

Has Brady's crying performance tarnished the way that New England Patriots' fans look at him? In my opinion, hell no.  

To some, Brady is a fierce competitor with a giant chip on his shoulder; to others, Brady is giant "crybaby" who sports a Justin Bieber haircut and has gone Hollywood. 

The way that I see it, how can you blame that guy for choking up a bit as he remembered how supportive his parents were in such a difficult time. Brady was projected to go anywhere from the second to fourth round, and Brady and his parents never thought that he'd free fall all the way to the sixth round. 

Brady was a proven winner at Michigan, but many NFL franchises felt Brady didn't have what "it" takes to be an NFL quarterback—and they could not have been more wrong. 

Inside of New England, most Patriots' fans can understand how emotional Brady got over that day and how difficult it was for him. But some Patriots' fans, and the majority of non-New Englanders, question Brady's "manhood."

Those people may react with a statement like this: "How can someone with three Super Bowl rings, a supermodel for a wife, and with a boatload of money cry over something like that? Brady has everything in the world."

He is a human being, you know? 

In fact, I love seeing Brady cry—not just from a journalist point of view, but from a fan's point of view. 

The way I look at it is that Brady still had that chip on his shoulder and he's still ticked off about that day. Essentially, Brady is still on a mission to prove all the doubters wrong and go down as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. 

One of my favorite quotes from The Brady 6 was when Brady discussed what motivates him: 

"I always wanna feel like I'm the best quarterback for this team—that's what gets me up and motivates me."

When Brady made that bold statement, I could still see the fire in his eyes and determination and hunger for yet another Super Bowl victory.

Brady is one of the most emotional players in the NFL as he strives for success and failure is not an option. It's perfectly fine that Brady shed a few tears after he described how supportive his parents were in such a tough time—I would too, it would be a tough for anyone and their parents. 

When all is said in done, Tom Brady is still the same California Boy known as "Tom Terrific." He's the most clutch quarterback in NFL history and with three Super Bowls in his hand, he's still hungry for more. 

To conclude, I'd like to share with you my favorite Tom Brady quote from NFL Network's Top 100 Players:

"You know what my favorite ring is? The next one, that's my favorite."

This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @TonySantorsa.