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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

OPINION: What more do you want from Tom Brady?

Tampa+Bay+Buccaneers+quarterback+Tom+Brady+sits+at+the+podium+and+answers+questions+from+the+media+ahead+of+Super+Bowl+49+in+Phoenix%2C+Ariz.%2C+in+February+of+2014.+Tom+Brady+responds+to+reporters+at+Media+Day+by+WEBN-TV+is+licensed+under+CC+BY-ND+2.0

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady sits at the podium and answers questions from the media ahead of Super Bowl 49 in Phoenix, Ariz., in February of 2014. “Tom Brady responds to reporters at Media Day” by WEBN-TV is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Now that the Super Bowl is over and Tom Brady, of course, walked away with the title, can all the doubters and haters just admit that he is the G.O.A.T? 

For starters, the man is 43 years old. Most 43-year-old men are either watching TV, eating chips or taking naps throughout the day. Brady has won more Super Bowls by himself — seven to be exact — than every NFL franchise. Of the 20 years Brady has been in the NFL, 10 of those years he went to the Super Bowl. For those who enjoy math, that means that he has played in the Super Bowl for half of his career — half! 

This all from a guy who was picked No. 199 back in 2000. 

Nobody likes someone who brags, but that is exactly what I am going to do. I called this win! As I said in our roundtable discussion the week before the Super Bowl, I am baffled that everyone still doubts Brady. Please name another player who can go to a dead franchise in the NFL with average to below average players and in one year, turn them into champions?

Exactly. You cannot name anyone else because there is nobody else. Now you might be thinking, “What do you mean below-average players? The only reason Brady got to the Super Bowl is because he had an excellent team.” Really? Okay, for the sake of entertaining myself and true sports fans, here is a quick look at some of the players who supposedly carried Brady to his seventh title. 

Running back Leonard Fournette was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars because they felt he was not worth keeping around. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was on his third team in three years. Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett was undrafted and could not crack the starting squad with the Denver Broncos. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was acquired by Tampa Bay in exchange for two players whose names nobody knows. Wide receiver Tyler Johnson and all the safeties were rookies. Finally, wide receiver Antonio Brown was busy doing the salsa on “Dancing with the Stars” because he had worn out his welcome in the NFL. 

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By now I hope you understand the message I am trying to convey. Without Brady, this team would have been a dumpster fire. With Brady, this team of cast-outs and kids blew through the NFC’s best teams in the playoffs and dethroned, who many say is the next face of the NFL, Patrick Mahomes, in Super Bowl 55. 

Better yet, Tampa Bay became the first NFL team to win a Super Bowl at their home stadium. Brady is to thank for that. The question is not, is Tom Brady the best to ever play the game? That was answered when he won the Super Bowl and MVP of the game. The only question that matters is, how much longer can he keep this up? My answer, I do not know, but my goodness is it fun to watch.


Follow Sean Fagan on Twitter


Sean (he/him) is a Business Administration major from California. He enjoys playing video games and watching Disney+ in his free time.


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