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Sports. There’s not much to report. Given the definition of news as “noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events,” these days the terms “sports” and “news” seem oxymoronic (or maybe just moronic).
But hey, just because there’s no real news to present, why should that stop me—or ESPN—from simulating news in the form of opinion. So many certified sports fans, starved for something real, will settle for recalling great moments and teams from the past, or comparing greats from different eras (who do you like: LeBron or Michael? Manning or Montana? Ted Williams or the Babe?).
So what the heck, I can fill the vacuum with uninformed opinion as well as the next guy.
If the name Tom Brady makes your ears perk up, please follow along, as I think I’ve got a different take on his leaving the New England Patriots than most of what I’ve read. If, however, you could care less about Tom Brady, or if you say, “Isn’t that the guy they named the Brady Bill after,” you can go back to… whatever you found to fill another exciting day of sitting at home. (For 5 points, what’s the first name of the Brady Bill guy, and for 10 bonus points, state the year it was enacted. Answers below.)
Concerning the current quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s my belief that when he announced he was leaving, Bill Belichick said to himself quietly, “Good bye. It’s about time.”
That’s not because he doesn’t like the guy or hold him in the highest esteem. It’s not because he thinks Brady is washed up and terrible. And it’s not even because Bill wants to prove that he’s the more important part of the Brady + Belichick equation by winning without him. But when it comes to anything, Brady or not, it has everything to do with winning.
Belichick has won so consistently because he is both smart and ruthlessly unsentimental in team building. Like every one of his competitors, Bill begins by asking how much this guy’s presence on the roster contributes to winning this week and this season. But, while most coaches and general managers go no further, Belichick, like all great chess masters, sees things many moves down the road.
For every player he signs, trades, or cuts, Bill is thinking about the effect of that move on next season and the one after that, and the one after that. In particular, Belichick always prefers to dump a player a year or two early rather than a year or two too late. Think Richard Seymour, Lawyer Milloy, Vince Wilfork, all great players, all great Patriots, but all gone sooner rather than later. Given Brady’s long-time greatness and his immense popularity, it’s my belief that Bill had actually been forced to violate his own rule for a season or two.
There’s a rumor, most likely untrue–but perfectly fitting my take on his thinking about Brady— that when the 49ers asked to trade for Jimmy Garappolo, Bill asked them whether they would be interested in Brady instead. In his totally unsentimental and long-sighted way, Bill knew that Brady represented the past, and Jimmy the future. And Bill is all about the future. When Brady told Bill that he wants to keep playing forever, I’m guessing that Bill muttered under his breath, “Okay, but not for me.”
Ever so simple, but missed by so many, Bill’s thoughts on Brady fit his unique brand of logic: Tom has to stop playing some time, so why continue to invest in him rather than face the future now. Inside that brilliantly strategic head, Bill thought, “Some day the Patriots will have to begin the post-Brady era, and, yes, the Patriots are likely to struggle for a while without Tom, but why not start anew and face that day today rather than putting it off for another year or two of declining performance?”
Open and shut case. Tommy, you are the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. You won six Super Bowls for us. We owe you our love and respect and thanks. But there’s a bigger future-oriented picture to consider, so we’re moving on. Good luck in Tampa. I hear that the weather is great down there.
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For those who follow baseball and want real news about ballgames: Yesterday in the Korean Baseball League, the Doosan Bears beat the KT Wiz Swon 13-12 in extra Innings. The Bears are currently in fourth place, just a game behind the NC Dinos.
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Quiz answer: James Brady, who served under President Ronald Reagan, was shot in an assassination attempt on Reagan. The bill passed in his name went into effect in 1994.
