I have a bit of a confession today. And please \u2014 no judgment. I\u2019m simply being transparent. And remember transparency doesn\u2019t mean sharing all about all. It means communicating in such a way that what\u2019s behind what we articulate can be distinctly seen. So\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truth: for years I couldn\u2019t stand Tom Brady.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I know, I know\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s the so-called \u201cG.O.A.T.\u201d \u2014 the \u201cGreatest of All Time\u201d\u2026 the man who guided his team to 7 Super Bowl wins \u2014 6 with the Patriots and 1 with Tampa Bay; no player has won more than 5. He\u2019s the NFL career leader in both passing yards and touchdown passes. He was named the league MVP 3 times and Super Bowl MVP 5 times. Suffice it to say, that in his profession, that of being an NFL quarterback, the resume of no one<\/em> is comparable to that of Mr. Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. He is, unquestionably, the \u201cG.O.A.T.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But as one who didn\u2019t like him, let me also add this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t see how good he was. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I disliked him so much, I compromised my assessment of his greatness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow me a bit of a brief back story, if you will. (Note: backstories always matter.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing up, I didn\u2019t possess a hometown football team until the Baltimore Colts cryptically crept into the Midwest one midnight in March. Their first seasons in Indianapolis were rather dismal, almost as if they were destined to pay for their blatant disloyalty to Johnny Unitas and the entire state of Maryland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Colts were soon resuscitated by none other than Peyton Manning, who endured a year of learning the pace and profession of an NFL QB, but would soon become the great hope (and passing arm) <\/em>of the franchise. He would do very well\u2026 very well! <\/em>However, each year, every year, the team that stood most between the Colts and the Super Bowl was the New England Patriots. The player that stood most between Peyton Manning and the Super Bowl was Tom Brady. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 17 times the two played against one another, Brady won 11 times. Hence, call Brady our opponent. Call him our nemesis. Call him whatever you want. Call him the source of my annual, dreaded angst\u2026 the one I rooted against like crazy. But whatever you do, do not \u2014 <\/em>I repeat, do not <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 call him the \u201cG.O.A.T.\u201d<\/em> He was good, sure. But he wasn\u2019t Peyton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A funny thing then happened. After 20 seasons in New England, Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This occurred ahead of the 2020 season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then something else fascinatingly happened. Often stoic and tight-lipped in his tenure with the Patriots, when Brady came to Florida, there was something different about him. He seemed a little more jolly. A little more at ease. It was easy to tell he was having fun playing the game \u2014 something not always visible to those of us watching him in the Northeast. But he began to exhibit a personality that seemed increasingly more attractive to be around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One more thing, of course, had also happened. With Manning\u2019s previous retirement, the two never again faced each other on the field. Neither stood in the way of the other in their most prized pursuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly \u2014 and here is where I will once more argue this is not really a sports post \u2014 this is where the keen learning comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no question that I couldn\u2019t see either how good or how great Tom Brady was. I knew he had gifts, but I negated the entirety of his skill set. Not only did I negate his skill set, I diminished his character. I even poked holes in it. I intelligently also argued with others as to why their glowing perspective was completely untrue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the zillion dollar question. Why?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because he was in competition with something I wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends, I couldn\u2019t see Tom Brady for the person he was because I let other things get in the way. My perspective was skewed. Not because of Tom Brady. But because of me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s the learning. Where else do we do that? Who else do we do that to?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s amazing how much our perspective changes. It\u2019s equally insightful how much it needs to change, recognizing how so much unknowingly skews what is good and right and true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I have a bit of a confession today. And please \u2014 no judgment. I\u2019m simply being transparent. And remember transparency doesn\u2019t mean sharing all about all. It means communicating in such a way that what\u2019s behind what we articulate can be distinctly seen. So\u2026 Truth: for years I couldn\u2019t stand Tom Brady. I know, I … <\/p>\n