2018 Tom M-F&^%$ing Brady: Still Proving It

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SemperFidelisSox

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It’s funny how one play can change the perception of a performance. If Dee Ford doesn’t line up in the neutral zone, the game is over, Brady finishes the game with three interceptions and a QBR in the 60’s. We’d be rightfully crucifying him for another poor performance on the road.

After the interception, Brady goes 5-10, 85 yards, 4/4 on 3rd downs, two scores.
 

Ferm Sheller

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It’s funny how one play can change the perception of a performance. If Dee Ford doesn’t line up in the neutral zone, the game is over, Brady finishes the game with three interceptions and a QBR in the 60’s. We’d be rightfully crucifying him for another poor performance on the road.

After the interception, Brady goes 5-10, 85 yards, 4/4 on 3rd downs, two scores.
Yes, and the crazy thing is you can this about every one of the BB/Brady SBs. Every one has been decided by 4 points or fewer or tied at the end of regulation.
 

heavyde050

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It’s funny how one play can change the perception of a performance. If Dee Ford doesn’t line up in the neutral zone, the game is over, Brady finishes the game with three interceptions and a QBR in the 60’s. We’d be rightfully crucifying him for another poor performance on the road.

After the interception, Brady goes 5-10, 85 yards, 4/4 on 3rd downs, two scores.
Probably true, but two of three interceptions you mentioned were probably not his fault. I mean one hit off of Jules’ hands and the other hit right off Gronks.
Speaking of flipping a narrative, Gronk went from let the game ending interception bounce right off his hands to beast mode making two of the biggest catches in the game.

Edit - Gronks blocking was amazing all game, but his pass catching in the 4th and OT were vintage.
 

scottyno

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Anyone who continues to doubt BFB and his explanation for Butler not playing is equally misguided as well. Hell, Butler was a late add to the Seahawks game because Arrington (who played all season) was ass for a day. And did anyone notice Jones and Crossen getting snaps last night? WtF is up with that? Answer--Because Bill. That's what the fuck.

Stop reading Wickersham et al. Stop listening to Kellerman. And for the love of God, avoid 93.7 and especially 98.5.

Bill Fucking Belichick is smarter than all of us. He knows what he is doing.
Also, Duron Harmon, who has been a significant member of the defense for years and who has more crucial late game interceptions than God, played exactly 2 snaps last night. Bill does weird stuff all the time, and it almost always works.
 

Spelunker

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Probably true, but two of three interceptions you mentioned were probably not his fault. I mean one hit off of Jules’ hands and the other hit right off Gronks.
Speaking of flipping a narrative, Gronk went from let the game ending interception bounce right off his hands to beast mode making two of the biggest catches in the game.

Edit - Gronks blocking was amazing all game, but his pass catching in the 4th and OT were vintage.
The Jules one, def, but IIRC that Gronk pass was a bullet above his head. Catchable, but tough. I'd assign some blame to Brady on that one.
 

Ed Hillel

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Tom Brady absorbed those lasers and emitted them all over the field in 4Q and OT.
 

Rosey Ruzicka

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Even if Goodell didn't point the laser himself, there is no way he wasn't at least "generally aware" of what was going on.
 

Captaincoop

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I was just thinking after the game last night, if someone had visited 2000 me and told me that a Patriots backup QB was going to seize the starting job next year and go on to lead the Pats to multiple Super Bowl titles while revolutionizing the position...I would have said "I told you Michael Bishop should have been starting this year!"

Oh vey.
 

Van Everyman

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I have a question. When do Seth Wickersham, and all of the other "journalists" who spent months telling us that Brady and Belichick and Kraft's relationships were on the rocks, publish their mea culpas? Why is nobody talking about how Alex Guerrero was there yesterday, and nobody had an issue with it? Why isn't anybody discussing how Tom Brady ran Jimmy G. out of town, because Kraft had to tell Belichick that Tom Brady still had enough in the tank (personally, my favorite bullshit story of all of them)?

Months, for months last offseason, we heard this crap. And here we are, a year later, going to another Super Bowl, knocking off the #1 seed in their own house, and well, not a peep.
Speaking of trolls. I'm happy we will now never hear another story about how Tom Brady skipped OTA's, and it's caused him to not be on the same page with his receivers, and Bill was pissed at him about it.

In fact, when they win the Super Bowl, I hope Bill just fucking cancels OTA's altogether just to troll everyone else.
So, I don’t want to interrupt Celebrating What Tommy Is any more than anyone else. But I mentioned the OTAs thing (way) upthread when the team was pissing away wins and balls were bouncing off of receivers’ hands like I was running routes. And Curran has talked about this as well as the Guerrero stuff. Neither of us are trolls and just because neither of these things are issues now doesn’t mean they never were.

More likely than not, it means they just worked themselves out – Brady and Belichick worked out the Guerrero thing and if there was any rust over the OTAs thing it was knocked off by the end of the season. That they we wouldn’t have heard about it is partly because the media loves controversial takes but also because it’s not really in the team’s character to talk about this stuff, even on background.

If anything, these things being (at least somewhat) true makes what Brady is even better because rather than being some mythical robotic Football Terminator who cannot be stopped over 18 years solid it means he’s a human who has figured out how to fight theiugh and adjust to life changes over that time without ever meaningfully falling off. As far as I’m concerned, that’s even more impressive – and frankly I’d expect Curran to be writing about this over the next two weeks.

With that said, let’s get back to talking about how Tom Mother*<+|£g Brady is still proving it.
 

Deathofthebambino

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FTR, I'm not the type to take names or go back and read through threads to figure out who wrote what around here, so don't take any of this personal. I'm just glad it's a story line I'll never have to hear again from the trolls in the Boston media who are waiting for the minute they'll be right and be able to kick dirt on Brady's career once and for all.

That said, maybe the OTA's meant absolutely nothing and if Brady had attended them, things would have played out the same way, or they could have even lost to Kansas City yesterday? Instead, maybe the "rust" was due to the fact that there was very little continuity around Tom Brady during the course of the season. Julien Edelman didn't play the first four games and was coming off an ACL injury that eliminated his 2017 season, Gronk played hurt most of the year and missed 3 games and significant parts of 2 others, Sony Michel missed 3 games and parts of others, Josh Gordon showed up in week four, and they had to figure out how to incorporate him and then poof, he was gone again? Shit, even Rex Burkhead missed half the season, and now he's an important part of the playoff team.

The only point I've been trying to make (all season mind you) is that the "struggles" that people thought Brady was having weren't because the selfish, globe-trotting quarterback decided to put his family ahead of the team or because he was old and lost a step or because he and the coach hated each other, but rather, it was because it took 13-14 weeks for the music to stop on the game of musical chairs that his skill position teammates were playing. In my view, that's the Occam's Razor argument as to why Brady "didn't seem to be himself" at certain points this season. Rather than looking far and wide for reasons why, people just needed to simply look at what was happening around him on the field.
 

Jimbodandy

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Seems reasonable. My argument was that people should stop ascribing insight to clickbait reporters, columnists, and talk radio hosts. Between their desire not to be scooped and the overall desperation to keep their dying industries alive by any means necessary, shortcuts and even plain fabrication is now the norm. And our titillation over these scandals allows us to be sucked into the partially-built cases presented. If any of it were substantially true, I find it hard to believe that were would be watching the NEP getting ready to fight for another Lombardi.
 

Super Nomario

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So, I don’t want to interrupt Celebrating What Tommy Is any more than anyone else. But I mentioned the OTAs thing (way) upthread when the team was pissing away wins and balls were bouncing off of receivers’ hands like I was running routes. And Curran has talked about this as well as the Guerrero stuff. Neither of us are trolls and just because neither of these things are issues now doesn’t mean they never were.

More likely than not, it means they just worked themselves out – Brady and Belichick worked out the Guerrero thing and if there was any rust over the OTAs thing it was knocked off by the end of the season. That they we wouldn’t have heard about it is partly because the media loves controversial takes but also because it’s not really in the team’s character to talk about this stuff, even on background.
Isn't it even more likely that it was just kinda random stuff and not indicative of anything? Receivers drop passes every week. Sometimes you get unlucky and when they drop them, they deflect to the other team. I'm reminded of:



If anything, these things being (at least somewhat) true makes what Brady is even better because rather than being some mythical robotic Football Terminator who cannot be stopped over 18 years solid it means he’s a human who has figured out how to fight theiugh and adjust to life changes over that time without ever meaningfully falling off. As far as I’m concerned, that’s even more impressive – and frankly I’d expect Curran to be writing about this over the next two weeks
I agree with this though, 100%. We went from 2004 to 2014 with no Super Bowls and several gut-wrenching losses in games like last night - the 2006 AFCCG, both SBs vs the Giants, ACL injuries to Brady and Welker that essentially killed back-to-back seasons, etc. The Patriots don't have magic powers. As much as the narrative today is "you knew the Pats would win etc.", the reality is that it's hard. It's hard every time. That makes what they do more impressive, not less.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Do people know where in the stadium Roger Goodell was when this happened?
I am sure that Roger will pursue the answer to 'who pointed the laser at Tom Brady' with all the zeal OJ Simpson brought to the search for the real killer...
 

Dan Murfman

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Deadspin looking for people's help. You can rat on Brady easily and securely.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you have insights or information on how Tom Brady became one of the most impressive physical specimens in human history through not eating strawberries, you can easily and securely contact Deadspin sports reporters and Gizmodo science reporters here: <a href="https://t.co/m0YbuvQJDO">https://t.co/m0YbuvQJDO</a></p>&mdash; Tim Marchman (@timmarchman) <a href="">January 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Tim Marchman

✔@timmarchman

Dead serious, I'm interested in what editors and writers at news, sports, and science shops think of the general pass Brady has gotten on even vague, eyebrow-wriggling stories relative to say Serena. DM/email, anonymity guaranteed! Let's talk, it's not like I've cracked the case
 

Marciano490

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I’m the guy who thinks every pro athlete is on something, but Brady seems to have aged normally. His body is basically unchanged over his career. He runs a bit slower now. His decision making and processing speed are intact, but I’m pretty sure PEDs don’t affect mental acuity. Strength/arm strength can stay unchanged naturally into one’s 40s, as can flexibility, which, again, isn’t aided by roids.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Marchman had another tweet where he said he considers Brady to be in the same category as Bonds and Lance Armstrong.

He's obviously starting from a conclusion and working backwards. It's such a bad, bad look.
 

BaseballJones

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Marchman had another tweet where he said he considers Brady to be in the same category as Bonds and Lance Armstrong.

He's obviously starting from a conclusion and working backwards. It's such a bad, bad look.
All I can say is....I think we'll all be crushed if it turns out that Brady has been doing PEDs. Though I'll be less crushed than if I ever found out that Pedro was doing them. Because....Pedro. But also because football is such a violent sport that I can forgive an athlete doing PEDs to keep a career going.

But still...it would be pretty devastating, for me personally anyway.

That said...this is just a fantasy witch-hunt and smear campaign by Marchman, obviously.
 

djbayko

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I’m the guy who thinks every pro athlete is on something, but Brady seems to have aged normally. His body is basically unchanged over his career. He runs a bit slower now. His decision making and processing speed are intact, but I’m pretty sure PEDs don’t affect mental acuity. Strength/arm strength can stay unchanged naturally into one’s 40s, as can flexibility, which, again, isn’t aided by roids.
I’m not as extreme but pretty much with you in both respects - most athletes are on something but Brady seems to be in the minority.

This invitation is really sick and twisted. I can’t wait for some crackpot to submit convincing evidence using Photoshop and all of the other amazing technology people can download for $0.99 these days.

Also, LOL at Brady’s career being scandal free. I know he’s specifically alluding to PEDs here, but come on.
 
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NickEsasky

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Marchman had another tweet where he said he considers Brady to be in the same category as Bonds and Lance Armstrong.

He's obviously starting from a conclusion and working backwards. It's such a bad, bad look.
Deadspin is a joke. Their anti-Boston schtick used to be funny, now it's just sad and pathetic. It's like they are trying so hard to be the anti-Barstool that it's led them to just try to destroy all things Boston. Fuck 'em, they were a Drew Magary death away from all being unemployed as he's the only reason to even visit that site anymore.
 

Ralphwiggum

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I don't give a shit about PEDs or whether Brady is on them or not. The reason why I don't want him to be on them (or to be caught if he is on them) is just because of the media frenzy that would follow. If I squint hard enough I can see the talking heads sanctimoniously preaching into the camera that this tarnishes Brady's legacy forever and his place in Canton isn't even secure anymore. That's really the only reason I hope he's clean.

That said, there are plenty of assholes in the league who have done really bad things to other people, and plenty of actual PED users who have been caught, if he wants someplace to direct his ire. Targeting someone like this, with zero evidence, out of a need to denigrate his accomplishments, is sad and pathetic.
 

Mystic Merlin

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I’d think that Deadspin would at least TRY to distinguish itself from being the sports TMZ, but they’re quite upfront there about their motive of getting ‘dirt’ on Brady from somebody they can call a source.

That kind of tone will undermine the credibility of any ‘dirt’ they think they find.

Maybe they don’t care. They probably don’t. But kind of a large bet to place on the notion that readers don’t give a shit about accuracy in reporting.

Anyways they deserve to have someone catfish them a la Borges last year.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Deadspin is a joke. Their anti-Boston schtick used to be funny, now it's just sad and pathetic. It's like they are trying so hard to be the anti-Barstool that it's led them to just try to destroy all things Boston. Fuck 'em, they were a Drew Magary death away from all being unemployed as he's the only reason to even visit that site anymore.
I used to like the site and I just can't any more. The snark was exhausting but there would be interesting stuff there. This, this is some bullshit. They usually despise PED witch hunts too, but since it's Brady they'll make an exception. Fuck them.
 

djbayko

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That kind of tone will undermine the credibility of any ‘dirt’ they think they find.
No way. This is Tom Brady we’re talking about here. The Patriots - at least twice proven cheaters. People will jump all over it. And if/when it’s discredited 3 days later, it will be too late.
 

ShaneTrot

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This is the same crew who blasted him for looking bad when he caught the pass against TN this year and dropping the pass against Philly. Make up your mind, is he a super doper or an old guy?
 

DJnVa

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No, ignore them. Any emails they get decrying this will just be run in their Dead Letters column to generate tons of "Fuck Boston" responses.
You misunderstand me...I want to say we are an expert in the area and Brady is quite obviously on something...
 

j44thor

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I assume Marchman is putting just as much effort into digging up dirt on 40 year old Drew Brees?
Yeah Brady invests ridiculous amounts of time/ money on his overall health and fitness and gets questioned.
Brees has thrown for more yards and counting stats, not to mention came back stronger than ever after significant shoulder injury early in his career, gets the free pass.
 

rodderick

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Favre played until 41 and had the best season of his career at age 40. His diet consisted of Bud Heavies and painkillers for 85% of his career. Are they going to investigate him too?
 

NortheasternPJ

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This is the same crew who blasted him for looking bad when he caught the pass against TN this year and dropping the pass against Philly. Make up your mind, is he a super doper or an old guy?
I think it’s also the same crew that made fun of his Dad Bod when he had a picture of his shirt off.
 

Reggie's Racquet

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If I had a choice of taking PED's or eating Avocado Ice cream it would be a tough decision. Although presumably Gisele would be handing me the ice cream so that would definitely make a positive difference.
 

InstaFace

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We need to respond to this right? Like, email them?
I mean, we gotta do SOMETHING with the next two weeks other than sit around, fart and watch porn.

Brady, Pedro and Papi are the only athletes I've rooted for who have never disappointed me in even the smallest way, and for whom everything I read about them just reinforces the idea of what incredible role models they are, both for sports and for life and general attitudes. Anything that destroyed that collective impression of any of them would just crush me - I was pretty crushed by the Manny PED suspension, but that would be a whole other level of depression.

So, gotta say Deadspin is at least going after the big fish here, reputation-wise. I just hope they also solicit info on Roger Goodell.
 

brandonchristensen

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It’s funny how one play can change the perception of a performance. If Dee Ford doesn’t line up in the neutral zone, the game is over, Brady finishes the game with three interceptions and a QBR in the 60’s. We’d be rightfully crucifying him for another poor performance on the road.

After the interception, Brady goes 5-10, 85 yards, 4/4 on 3rd downs, two scores.
I feel like this could be one of those impossible things to know...

Like hitting a double after the guy gets caught stealing second.

How did Dee Ford affect that play and Brady's timing? Did the blocking formation change at all to account for Dee being unusually fast? Did Brady make a high throw after seeing the flag thrown (which was thrown right away)?

Who knows?
 

Jimbodandy

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Christ, guys, it's Deadspin. It's like becoming perturbed because the tinfoil hat guy behind Dunkin Donuts was telling a pile of cardboard boxes that our mom wears combat boots.
 
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