Confessions of a Confused Brady Follower

m0ckduck

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Jul 20, 2005
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I'm in the "conflicted and confused" camp.

I hold nothing against him— zero, nada— for leaving, and I fully expected to root for him heading into the season. Then, I started watching the games and found myself... glad?... at times when he and the team struggled. But why?

To the best I can understand it, my feelings are aimed not at him but against the whole cheesy "super team" phenomenon. The way that they loaded up with Gronk, AB, etc... there's some gratification that I feel every time they struggle, that they're getting their comeuppance, that building a winning team isn't as easy as just signing a bunch of guys.
 

SamCassellsStones

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Feb 8, 2017
130
It just feels... weird. Like your inexplicably-attractive significant other of 20+ years left you to go play for a different football team. And your new significant other can’t even throw a forward pass, but you might, inexplicably, keep dating her anyway. And you *could* probably find someone serviceable to date instead, but for some reason, you don’t.

I have no clue what I’m talking about.

I do appreciate watching him do his thing, without the extreme emotional involvement I felt when he was on the Pats.
 

Leather

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Jul 18, 2005
28,451
I'm strangely apathetic. I root for him if I have his game on, but I don't search it out and I don't think about it at all unless I see his name come up on the sports page/site/whatever.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Apr 22, 2016
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I am rooting for TB (the team and person) in the playoffs now, but less because I particularly care how Brady does and more because, if the Super Bowl matchup were Tampa vs. any of the Chiefs, Ravens, or Bills, it would be hilarious if they lost to Brady yet again despite him finally leaving their conference. Like the last act of a horror movie where the afflicted family leaves their haunted house and moves somewhere else only to realize that the ghost has followed them.
 

Captaincoop

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Jul 16, 2005
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He's one of my favorite Boston athletes ever, in the rarified air of Bird and Pedro. But until he retires and becomes a Patriots force ghost, he is dead to me. The last thing I want is him winning in Tampa and turning even 1% of his legacy pewter and whatever.
 

rodderick

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Apr 24, 2009
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He's one of my favorite Boston athletes ever, in the rarified air of Bird and Pedro. But until he retires and becomes a Patriots force ghost, he is dead to me. The last thing I want is him winning in Tampa and turning even 1% of his legacy pewter and whatever.
I kind of get this, even though I'm rooting for Tom. If he wins one with Tampa the narrative will probably shift to the Patriots being a part of Tom Brady's story more than him being a part of the Patriots'. It's what happened to Peyton and the Colts (even though he obviously didn't have as much success there as Tom did in New England).
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
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Apr 12, 2005
41,947
I am rooting for Brady without equivocation. I am all in and really want him to win the SB. I will never feel differently, Tom Brady is my favorite athlete of all time. He won 6 SBs with the Pats and turned a laughingstock franchise into one of the best dynasties in the history of the NFL.

Yeah, Tom Brady is definitely someone I am rooting for.
This.

I'll go so far to say that if the Pats and the Bucs met in the Super Bowl this year, I would have been pretty torn. If BB accepts the award from Trump tomorrow, I'll no longer be torn.
 

johnmd20

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This.

I'll go so far to say that if the Pats and the Bucs met in the Super Bowl this year, I would have been pretty torn. If BB accepts the award from Trump tomorrow, I'll no longer be torn.
I would have rooted against Brady if he was playing the Pats. I also didn't think that happening was even a remote possibility.

Of course, if the award is accepted, then I'm done.
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
47,088
Here are NFL champion options:

Chiefs: Mahomes gets another and marches towards 6. Tyreek Hill gets another. Chiefs dynasty talk begins. Yuck.

Ravens: Harbaugh. Enough said.

Bills: 10000000x more "Bills Mafia" references.

Browns: Lovable loser gets a ring.

Packers: Aaron Rodgers gets some token "GOAT" coverage and more crappy commercials but that's about it.

Saints: Brees goes out on top.

Rams: McVay launches himself into the discussion of top 5-6 NFL coaches. Nothing else really of consequence since it's LA and nobody really cares.

Buccaneers: Brady gets #7 further cementing GOAT status. We get some annoying "see, it was all Brady!" hot takes.

I can't think of anyone there I'd rather win than Brady other than maybe Cleveland since that would just be nuts.
 

Shaky Walton

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Nov 20, 2019
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I am rooting for TB (the team and person) in the playoffs now, but less because I particularly care how Brady does and more because, if the Super Bowl matchup were Tampa vs. any of the Chiefs, Ravens, or Bills, it would be hilarious if they lost to Brady yet again despite him finally leaving their conference. Like the last act of a horror movie where the afflicted family leaves their haunted house and moves somewhere else only to realize that the ghost has followed them.
This is beautiful. I was around a Chiefs fan yesterday who was cursing Brady and yeah, the thought of Brady beating his team and visiting more aggravation on Chiefs fans is incredibly delicious. Thanks for this perspective!
 

Al Zarilla

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Dec 8, 2005
58,869
San Andreas Fault
Here are NFL champion options:

Chiefs: Mahomes gets another and marches towards 6. Tyreek Hill gets another. Chiefs dynasty talk begins. Yuck.

Ravens: Harbaugh. Enough said.

Bills: 10000000x more "Bills Mafia" references.

Browns: Lovable loser gets a ring.

Packers: Aaron Rodgers gets some token "GOAT" coverage and more crappy commercials but that's about it.

Saints: Brees goes out on top.

Rams: McVay launches himself into the discussion of top 5-6 NFL coaches. Nothing else really of consequence since it's LA and nobody really cares.

Buccaneers: Brady gets #7 further cementing GOAT status. We get some annoying "see, it was all Brady!" hot takes.

I can't think of anyone there I'd rather win than Brady other than maybe Cleveland since that would just be nuts.
Bills would also be that they finally won one for Marv Levy (he's 95) while also taking some of the chagrin off the four straight calendar year super bowl losses. Jim Kelly would get worked into the narrative a lot too.
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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Bills would also be that they finally won one for Marv Levy (he's 95) while also taking some of the chagrin off the four straight calendar year super bowl losses. Jim Kelly would get worked into the narrative a lot too.
Yup, if I had to rank the champions on my preference I'd go:

1. Tampa
2. Cleveland
3. Buffalo
4. Rams
5. Packers
6. Saints
7. Chiefs
8. Cancellation of Game




9. Ravens
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
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Jul 15, 2005
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I would have rooted against Brady if he was playing the Pats. I also didn't think that happening was even a remote possibility.

Of course, if the award is accepted, then I'm done.
Which coach gets you to jump to the Jets.
 

johnmd20

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Which coach gets you to jump to the Jets.
As a proud New Yorker, I genuinely would not mind if the Jets were good. I enjoyed their playoff games in the 00s, although that Pats game in the 10s was not enjoyable. That game in 98 against the Broncos had me rooting hard for the Jets, because I know so many fans. I thought they had a chance. I am not the type of fan that wants to see other teams suffer. The only exception to this is the Yankees.

So if the Jets do get good again, I wouldn't mind. But I will never jump to the Jets. It's never been my scene.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
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Sep 9, 2008
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Buccaneers: Brady gets #7 further cementing GOAT status. We get some annoying "see, it was all Brady!" hot takes.
If Belichick takes the medal I kind of wouldn't mind some of those hot takes all of the sudden. I admit this is petty.

That said, if Trump offered Brady the medal of freedom he would probably take it too and so the whole thing is just a question of opportunity.

Blech. The "stop paying attention to the NFL'" option is solidifying.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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Which coach gets you to jump to the Jets.
If they named you coach I'd root for the Jets as long as you kept you SoSH account. That is literally the only way. I rooted for them once in the Super Bowl and once or twice against the Raiders. Probably some other time along the way.
 

tims4wins

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Jul 15, 2005
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If they named you coach I'd root for the Jets as long as you kept you SoSH account. That is literally the only way. I rooted for them once in the Super Bowl and once or twice against the Raiders. Probably some other time along the way.
Co-sign

Thanks for beating the Raiders in 2001 week 17. Jets were a huge part of that title. Oh yeah and thanks for taking out Drew.
 

luckiestman

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Jul 15, 2005
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If they named you coach I'd root for the Jets as long as you kept you SoSH account. That is literally the only way. I rooted for them once in the Super Bowl and once or twice against the Raiders. Probably some other time along the way.
I feel like I should write a novella about this
 

richgedman'sghost

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For what it's worth Bill is declining to accept the Medal of Freedom from Trump. I'm not sure if that changes any of your opinions about Bill or whether you still hold his "letter" from 2016 against him.
 

vegassoxfan

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Dec 14, 2020
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what I missed the most this year was going to the betting window to collect my Pats and over tickets
 

m0ckduck

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Jul 20, 2005
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I finally figured out why I can’t root for the Bucs. It’s not about feeling jilted by Brady leaving and playing for another team. It’s that they remind me of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.
 

RG33

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Nov 28, 2005
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I thought I would support him initially, totally had the ex-girlfriend reaction that the OP talked about, and have found myself rooting for him again now that the Pats are done. 10 Superbowls is amazing — and just solidifies his GOATness. Just remarkable.

What is interesting to me seeing his postgame speech, is thinking how this experience for him must really and completely be about himself(and teammates). He has no real connection to Tampa, no emotional bond to the fans since there haven’t really been any there, and I would imagine he has spent almost no time in the community due to Covid19. Just a strange episode for a free agent in general, but more so with the GOAT going to a new team in year 1 after leaving his team of 20 years.

I’m pulling for Brady breaking Bills’s fans hearts. Yet again.
 

m0ckduck

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Jul 20, 2005
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You didn't root for the 01 Diamondbacks? Are you a Yankees fan?
I did of course root for the DBacks, but it was a tough hang: Mickey Mouse franchise, crappy coach, embarrassing uniforms, assembled super-team ambitions. Sound familiar?

Describing the dynamic to my wife an hour ago, I settled on the word “artificiality” to describe my feelings.
 

Jim Ed Rice in HOF

Red-headed Skrub child
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Jul 21, 2005
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I wasn’t sure going into the year how I would feel and I’ll admit to being a bit -happy? amused? when the lack of discipline on the Bucs would cost them and was sending Brady into a tizzy. Grass isn’t always greener, huh Tom? I will say I’m rooting for him in the playoffs in part because he’s still TFB bit also one of my college friends is a loud mouthed Packers fan who has whined for the past 20 years about Brady and the Cheatriots and I want Brady to shove it right up Green Bay’s ass when they meet.
And right on cue, my friend was melting down on FB ranting about the PI call at the end. It’s fucking glorious.
 

Dick Drago

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Mar 28, 2002
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I’m rooting for him, and appreciate his kinda dorky personality. But his refusal to wear a mask really disturbed me-the risk to his teammates, his family, and the sheer arrogance of acting like that the rules don’t apply to him.
 

MyDaughterLovesTomGordon

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Jun 26, 2006
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I’m rooting for him, and appreciate his kinda dorky personality. But his refusal to wear a mask really disturbed me-the risk to his teammates, his family, and the sheer arrogance of acting like that the rules don’t apply to him.
It was really strange to see he was the only one unmasked, especially given all of the branded SB masks handed out. Did he really refuse? Was it the whole game? I honestly didn't notice, though now I guess I can remember Rodgers in a mask, but not Tom. That's crazy lame, if so.
 

RIFan

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Jul 19, 2005
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When they showed Brady on the sideline throughout the season he would either be “half” wearing a mask or continually pulling it down to talk to someone. The late season games it seemed he never had one on the sideline. Him not wearing one when everyone else wore one was galling. He either is a covid denier, or is more interested in pushing his overpriced immunity supplements to follow the rules and set a good example on mask wearing. Neither is a good look. We’ll see if the leagues fines him or does anything about it. I would bet they’ve gotten flooded with social media messages and calls to the office given the level of Brady hatred out there.
 

rodderick

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Mooch

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Jul 15, 2005
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The '07-'13 is really a stretch considering he didn't play the '08 season and had pedestrian stats in '13 with that clusterfuck of an offense. On the other hand, that'd be 2 MVPs and 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 4th in offensive DVOA rankings for the 6 seasons he played, lol.
Yeah, that's the toughest stretch to evaluate. But as a peak window, two league MVPs and two Super Bowl appearances in 7 years compares pretty favorably to say, Fran Tarkenton's peak.

My closest imperfect comps to those three stretches would be the peak 6-7 year windows for Troy Aikman ('91-'96) for Brady's '01 to '06, Tarkenton ('69-'76) for Brady's '07 to '13, Montana ('84 to '90) for Brady's '14 to '20.
 

BaseballJones

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Oct 1, 2015
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The only thing I’ll say about the mask thing is: isn’t Brady putting himself at much greater risk for Covid exposure, and given that that could knock him out of the Super Bowl, wouldn’t he be wise to be as careful as humanly possible until the game has been played?

(Trying to tie the mask piece in with the football piece because in this case they could be connected.)
 

The Mort Report

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Aug 5, 2007
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Brady is one of the few athletes that transcend laundry to me. On the football field I will root for him unless it’s against the Pats.

Would you all have enjoyed watching him this past season with Meyers as his top target? He’s the GOAT and a first ballot HOF, as a Patriot. Why not let him spend the last few seasons padding his resume. He deserves to go out his way, not on a couple 9-7 Pats teams
 

Bowhemian

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Nov 10, 2015
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Earlier in this thread I stated that I didn't care who won the SB. That was a complete lie. I want TB (the team) to win it, but mainly because I really don't want KC to win.

I think Brady deserves a pass regarding the mask thing. IMO, the wearing of masks on the sidelines is largely symbolic. It puts on a good look for the NFL, but in reality it doesn't do a thing to prevent spread. Most of the guys barely even wear them. And it doesn't really matter, these guys are inches apart when on the field of play, spitting and breathing in each others faces.