Pats, fans mark Brady’s day
FOXBORO — Everyone outside the white lines understood the significance of Aug. 3.
The fans came ready to celebrate Tom Brady’s 40th birthday with cards, fun hats and their singing voices. Patriot Place brought five baby goats — as in, GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) — that fans could pose with. There were also a few oversized cards for fans to sign and Cupcake Charlie’s made plenty of organic avocado cupcakes to go around.
It was hard to get a glimpse of the birthday boy, however, as the first teamers spent about 45 minutes on the Revolution’s former practice field, which is located down a hill from the Patriots’ usual practice fields and was lined for football for the first time.
Those who stuck around until the end of practice were rewarded as Brady took a lap in front of everyone trying to get an autograph or snap a photo.
Inside the lines, it was business as usual. Just the way Brady would prefer it.
“He doesn’t tell anyone it’s his birthday,” said wide receiver Devin Lucien. “He just goes on about his business like it’s another day.”
Those who have shared the locker room with him for a little longer certainly took the opportunity to take a dig at the round number.
“It’s fun. It reminds you that Tom’s old — very old,” said safety Devin McCourty. “But I think he has a lot of fun with it. A lot of guys tell him happy birthday in the locker room.
“But it’s also a reminder of how good he’s been. Forty years old, still our best player, most professional player, leader, a guy everyone follows in the locker room. Even though it’s his birthday and everyone has birthdays, it’s a reminder every year in training camp, probably one of the toughest times of the year for us, to see a guy like that still competing at a high level and really taking every day like a rookie is really a good example for guys to look at.”
Bill Belichick would expect nothing more.
“I don’t want to say you take it for granted,” Belichick said, “but I wouldn’t say it’s a big shock that he’s going to walk in here today and be prepared, and go out and perform, and give us his best.”