We're weeks into the 2017-18 NFL season and as a defending Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady will continue to be one of the focal points of this season. Don't let that distract you from what the Patriots want you to forget about TB12.
Selected late in the 2000 draft
The person that people consider to be the “GOAT” wasn’t even on anyone’s radar as a potential star. During the 2000 draft, Brady was drafted in the sixth round as the 199th overall pick. That is not good for the CV. New England’s golden boy was a nobody until he made the Pats playoff contenders.
Losing to the New York Giants twice
Look - everyone knows this and it’s a running joke. It first happened in the Super Bowl 42. The Patriots came into the game as the favorites; with one win away from a perfect season, whereas the Giants barely made it in through the Wild Card game. This was a far from perfect game. Brady was sacked five times for a loss of thirty-seven yards. He only completed 29 out of 48 passes - for only two touchdowns. Brady tried to redeem himself in a rematch in Super Bowl 46. That didn’t go any better. The omens were bad from the beginning. On the Patriots’ first drive, there was an intentional grounding call, resulting in a safety for a Giants early lead. In the last seconds of the game, Brady set up a Hail Mary but failed to score.
Deflate-gate scandal
Brady’s legendary career will forever be tainted with the “deflate-gate” scandal. This happened during the 2014 AFC Championship game against the Colts. The claim was that Brady had the footballs deflated. In doing so, he had a better grip on the ball. For his actions, Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season.
Losing to the Manning Brothers
As mentioned, Brady has lost to Eli Manning, costing him two Super Bowl victories. Peyton Manning also cost Brady three potential wins. On the road to Super Bowls 41, 48, and 50, Manning’s Colts (2006) and Broncos (2013 and 2015) beat Brady in the AFC Championship games. In other words, if the Mannings had never existed, Brady might have had ten Super Bowl victories.
The only non-Manning to beat Brady was the Ravens’ Joe Flacco.
Spygate scandal
Even before “deflate-gate,” Brady was indirectly part of a different scandal. In the 2007 season, it was claimed that Belichick had practices of his opponents recorded. With that information, Brady had the upper-hand throughout the almost perfect season. Once the evidence came to light, the legitimacy of Brady’s 2007 season is left for the fans to decide. In an ironic twist of fate, the Patriots lost to the Giants at the Super Bowl.
Age and injuries
No matter how illustrious one’s career is, the least anticipated moment is an eventual retirement. This is mainly the case for players that have suffered consistent or season-ending injuries.
In Brady’s decade-long run in the NFL, he has sustained various injuries. These include (according to ESPN), one shin, one calf, 117 shoulder, six finger, nine arm, five rib, two thigh, 17 knee, 18 ankle, and nine foot injuries. At the age of 39, his body won’t be able to take more punishment. The NFL continues to praise and glorify Brady’s growing accomplishments which is good and it all but covers up for his eventual retirement.
Being friends with President Donald Trump
That’s right; Tom Brady is not only a supporter of President Trump but also a friend. When a MAGA hat was spotted in the Patriots’ locker room, it was confirmed that it belonged to Brady. The President later admitted to being “friends” with Brady.
Various sources date this friendship all the way back to 2002. As if it wasn’t enough that plenty of people hate Brady, the Patriots would like you to forget his “bromance” with the man that the country hates; President Trump.
