Brady honored, booed in reunion
Tom Brady’s return as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer brought plenty of fanfare and mixed emotions to Gillette Stadium, where fans grappled with turning the page on the Foxboro double-dynasty.
“We’re sad to see him in a different jersey. But we have to thank him for the amazing 20 years. For all the games we’ve attended. It’s been an honor to have him as our quarterback for two decades,” said longtime Patriots fan Diane Wildenhain, who attended Sunday’s game. “It’s bittersweet.”
Watching Brady on television in Tampa Bay red is one thing, but seeing him on his old home turf as the opposition was a horse of a different color for fans.
“It feels weird, it feels wrong in a lot of ways,” said Patriots fan Mike Riffenburg. Riffenburg wore a No. 10 Mac Jones jersey, but No. 12 Brady jerseys far outnumbered the rookie QB’s gear. The area of the stands fans marked the “Mac Attack Corner” was briefly changed back to “Brady’s Corner.” One fan dressed as a pirate in a long red cloak.
It’s hard to compete with a 20-year hero’s homecoming after starting under center for just three weeks in the league.
By all appearances, Brady’s pregame reunion with Patriots staff was warm and fuzzy. A video from NBC’s Sunday Night Football showed the former Patriots quarterback meeting with owner Robert Kraft in a stadium tunnel and embracing hours before warmups. Brady didn’t take the field at any point before team warmups about 7:30 p.m., but fans rained down chants of “Brady” when he made his entrance.
After taking a half-lap around the field, he rant to the 40-yard line and gave a quick hug to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Earlier in the week the assistant coach told reporters he remains “super impressed” with Brady’s performance in Tampa at the age of 44.
The Patriots honored Brady’s career with a brief tribute video on the newly installed massive Jumbotron, highlighting his six championships with the team. The video showed Brady tossing to fellow Buc Rob Gronkowski in the end zone back in their Patriots navy uniforms. Multiple clips showed Brady hoisting the Lombardi trophy.
Fans told the Herald they found the tribute completely appropriate for the Patriots, even though Sunday night Brady was “the enemy,” as Ivan Fears said Tuesday. They stayed on their feet throughout Brady’s video and second entrance to the field, and chanted his name again.
“Tom Brady gave us so many good years and so many good experiences. And he’s such a role model,” said Pat Stockford, who brought her son Kyle to the game. “His whole life, people are going to talk about this game. He’s going to be able to say he was there.”
But fans said when the pomp and circumstance wrapped they were firm in their allegiance to New England, as evidenced by boos that echoed end zone-toend zone when Brady took the field with his own offense.
“Once that ball was kicked, it’s Patriots all the way,” said Jeanine Hornig.
The game very well could have been Patriots fans’ last chance to see Tom Brady play at Gillette. Historically the Patriots have played the Bucs just once every 3-5 years. Their last meeting was in Tampa Bay in 2017, and Brady has mused in the past about hanging up the pads when he’s 45.
Some fans hold out hope that Brady still might get the chance to end his career a Patriot — at least on paper.
“I just hope he comes back here to sign a one-day contract so he can retire as a Patriot,” Wildenhain said.