Amid the fuss about the “Tom Terrific” nickname, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady clarified his move to apply for a trademark, saying he merely wants to make sure no one used it. In an interview with reporters following Thursday’s minicamp, Brady spoke about the outrage from New York Mets fans after reports surfaced that he filed two trademark applications for “Tom Terrific”. "It’s unfortunate. I was actually trying to do something because I didn’t like the nickname and I wanted to make sure no one used it because some people wanted to use it," said Brady, adding that his move was misinterpreted.
The 41-year-old quarterback said he learned a good lesson from the experience, saying he will do things a little different in the future.
Brady also clarified that he didn’t mean to disrespect the memory of former Major League pitcher Tom Seaver, who is known to Mets fans as “Tom Terrific”. “It wasn’t something that I was trying to do out of any disrespect or ill-manner or anything like that,” Brady stressed, adding that he has no plan of selling merchandise using the nickname. Among those who criticized Brady’s move was former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, who said that Mets fans have been calling Seaver “Tom Terrific” for decades even before Brady entered the NFL. Seaver played 12 of his 20 Major League seasons with the Mets.
Seaver was an All-Star selection 12 times and tallied 311 wins and a World Series title before he ended his playing career.
Brady discusses life without Gronkowski
Brady is heading into his 20th season with the Patriots, and for the first time in nine years, he will play without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who recently announced his retirement.
When asked about how it would be like without Gronkowski, Brady said they will have to adjust differently on how other teams will play the Patriots. Brady added that other tight ends, such as Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse and Stephen Anderson are doing a good job to fill the void left by Gronkowski. “The tight end position’s a big part of our offense and those guys are going to have to do a great job for us,” Brady added.
Earlier, Mike Freeman reported that Gronkowski’s retirement could be short-lived and he could return to the Patriots at some point in the 2019 season.
Brady says Harry still has a lot to learn
When asked about rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry, Brady said the team’s No.32 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft still has a lot to learn. However, Brady said Harry is working every day to get better and he’s confident that the wide receiver out of Arizona will display his full potential. Brady added that Harry can depend on the team’s veterans to learn the ropes in the NFL, especially from fellow wide receiver Julian Edelman. “We still have a long way to go and he’s going to learn every day so the more we do the better,” Brady pointed out.
