Sometimes, hate is more than just a four letter word. That being said, I hate you, Tom Brady!
Dear Tom,
I hate you, Tom Brady.
I hate your Super Bowl rings and all of your MVPs. I hate your beautiful wife and your multi-million dollar mansion. I hate how you can thread the needle on EVERY pass, and I hate your ability to pick apart every single defense that stomachs up the courage to even take the field. I hate how you’ve been playing football for almost longer than I’ve been alive– and I hate how in five years you’ll still be considered an elite quarterback.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images. Courtesy CBS New York
I hate you, Tom Brady. But my god, do I respect you.
In the past 16 years, I’ve watched you dismantle my beloved Jets team 25 times in just 34 games–making a questionably average NFL team look like it belongs on Friday Night Tykes.
You’re a five time Super Bowl champ that has already cemented his legacy amongst the “mount rushmore” of quarterbacks: On the left we have you, then John Elway, Joe Montana, and finally yourself–again.
People argue that it was the whole “Patriots culture” that gifted you your talent, but I think not. I mean sure, Bill Belichick will ultimately go down as the greatest head coach of all time, but it takes a lot more than an old grumpy man in a jacket to bring a team to seven Super Bowls.
But what about the teammates around him?
Thanks for bringing that up, actually. Let’s look at some numbers.
You won your first super bowl in 2002, beating out the Rams 20-17 in a pretty great game. The regular season certainly saw its lows–sitting at 5-5 after week ten, no one considered you to be a contender. However, in typical Tom Brady fashion, you didn’t lose a game for the rest of the season–a trend that continued into the playoffs, all the way to the Super Bowl.
Joining you on this journey was the 6th ranked defense in the league–most notably led by Mike Vrabel, Ty Law, and Teddy Bruschi. While this was a great set of players to have on the other side of the ball, they unfortunately cannot take all the credit for the Super Bowl win, considering the offense was ranked 6th in the league as well–and this is where it gets interesting.
Joe Montana had Jerry Rice for two rings, and the best Defense in the NFL for the other two. Elway had Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe. Peyton Manning had Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clarke.
Courtesy Sports Illustrated
In 2002 you had Troy Brown, a career Patriot who only racked up over 1,000 receiving yards once in his 14 year career. In Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX, you had a freshman/sophomore Deion Branch, who (despite the Super Bowl MVP in ‘04) only caught 8 touchdowns in his first two regular seasons combined.
Sure, the defense was great in those years–one of the best in the league. But an offense being led by a non existent running game and a questionably inconsistent receiving core left one man in charge of it all–you.
You’re ability to distribute the ball to so many different wide receivers could explain some of the deflated (no pun intended) touchdown stats, but statistics don’t change personnel.
Minus Randy Moss (who I will get to in a minute) you’ve thrown the ball to 0 hall of famers. And considering Gronkowski’s history with injuries, it’s hard to say that he will be helping that number go up.
Yet it would be arrogant of me to say that you weren’t at least helped by SOME offensive players in your 16 year career. A healthy Gronkowski is one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL right now–but what is yet to be seen is whether or not he can stay on the field. LaGarrette Blount also took the NFL by storm last season, rushing for an NFL leading 18 touchdowns. But the most important offensive sidekick you’ve had is undeniably Randy Moss.
Although the two of you only played together for two seasons, you tossed 36 touchdowns to him in 32 regular season games–averaging over a touchdown per game, the two of you seemed to be unstoppable (until that is you were stopped by the Giants in ‘07, but we won’t touch on that too much).
Courtesy CLNS Radio
While Moss’ skill remains unquestioned, the most notable thing to take away from his time in New England is this: You never won a ring together. Though he did help you accomplish a perfect regular season, there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. So, Randy Moss joins the list of yet another thing that cannot take credit for your Super Bowl wins, or your overall great career.
Listen Tom, I hate you man. But it has gotten to a point where every football fan out there just has to give in, and enjoy watching the greatest quarterback ever do what he does best–win.
I mean sure, I have nicer hair than you, and I could smoke you in a 40 yard dash with my hands tied behind my back–but you get to go home to your million dollar mansion, and your super model wife, and your wheelbarrows of cash, and all of your NFL trophies and rings–while I get to go home and watch the Jets barely beat the Browns in a nail biting, yet meaningless game.
I hate you, Tom Brady. But boy, I can’t wait to tell my kids about seeing you play.
From,
Your biggest hater
