Tom Brady Is Officially Retired From The NFL
After teasing this news for a while, 44-year-old Tom Brady has gone ahead and confirmed that he’s officially done playing with balls for a living. Excuse me, in more technical terms, he’s retiring from the NFL after 22 years, seven Super Bowl wins, and one very messy sunken ball scandal. And it’s for real because he posted his exit interview on social media (and you know there are no take-backs when it comes to celebrity Instagram posts).
If it feels like Tom Brady has been almost retiring for several years now, well – you’d be correct. A few years ago, Tom was involved in a will he/won’t he situation with his longtime team, the New England Patriots, and some thought he might leave football altogether, due to being pretty old for the profession. It turned out he wasn’t retiring, but just moving to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And there he stayed, for all of two seasons. Because Tom is done. Goodbye, Tampa! Tom made the announcement earlier today on Twitter and Instagram, with an explanation for why he was choosing to leave now. Tom says that he believes in giving 100% to the game and that only 100% commitment will result in success. Success is what makes Tom’s tummy tingle, but he’s not going to be able to make a 100% commitment to the game anymore, and therefore he needs to walk away. He also says that he needs to dedicate his time and energy to other things that deserve them, and that’s not football.
And, Tom has a bunch of businesses that he wants to focus on, although he doesn’t know what his new day-to-day will look like. Somehow I fail to picture a frazzled Tom rushing into the office at 9 am every day with a no-cream no-sugar take-out coffee substitute splashing all over his Super Bowl rings, muttering something about traffic being a goddamn nightmare.
Along with thanking his teammates, coaches, managers, Buccaneers staff, and the fans (yet mysteriously no personalized thank you to his biggest fan Donald Trump) Tom also gave a shout out to his family, aka his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen, and his three kids, saying:
“And lastly to my wife, Gisele, and my children Jack, Benny, and Vivi. You are my inspiration. Our family is my greatest achievement. I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career. Her selflessness allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family. Te amo amor da minha vida [I love you, love of my life].”
Tom thanked pretty much everyone in his extended good-bye letter. Everyone except those who truly worked with him to create the inhuman super-baller we know today. As TMZ points out, Tom didn’t say anything about the New England Patriots, or head coach Bill Belichick, or owner Robert Kraft, who he spent 20 years playing for. Personally, I think the biggest snub in Tom’s goodbye letter was the lack of acknowledgment of Tom’s extremely boring and restrictive diet! Tom couldn’t have been a seven-time Super Bowl champion without a diet rich in water, unsalted carb-free grains, and wilted green vegetables. Not a single thank-you to quinoa? To a reasonable portion of organic swiss chard blanched in a pot of unseasoned water? That’s so unbelievably rude. Strawberries I can understand, but you don’t deliberately forget those carried you along the way.
Pic: Backgrid