Hyde: Tampa Brady the team to root for
How can’t you root for Tom Brady this Super Bowl?
Go Tom. Win Tampa Brady. If you’re looking for a team to root for this Super Bowl — and Dolphins fans are for the 36th straight year — this one’s easy: Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay over Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City. The Goat over the Kid. The star of the last 20 years over the star of the next 20.
Sure, it’s a little like rooting for Elon Musk to get richer, but this isn’t the New England Brady anymore. He made a mockery of this season of age, defenses and New England coach Bill Belichick. How can’t you get behind that? Even as Tampa Bay celebrated its win against Green Bay in Sunday’s NFC Championship, a
photoshopped image of Belichick’s grumpy face hit the internet atop Bernie Sanders’ slouching, socially popular body.
Belichick, smart as he is, successful as he’s been, must have the scowl on simmer with the rest of New England now. Belichick watched the ex-spouse succeed. What would sting his legacy more: Spygate, Deflategate or Brady winning a Super Bowl the year he leaves?
Brady bet on himself. That’s another reason to root for him. He bet on writing a better ending himself than New England provided. Who can’t appreciate him saying after Sunday’s game, “It’s been a great journey thus far.”
Finally, for any of us growing older — and it happens, look in the mirror — Brady has a chance to be the oldest winner in Super Bowl history. He’s 43. Patrick Mahomes’ dad is 50. Brady represents a chance to think the dimming of the light can be put off a little longer.
He rode Todd Bowles’ defense a lot Sunday, just as he did the previous win against New Orleans. But Brady also picked his spots to change the game. Just before half, Tampa Bay considered punting but kept Brady on the field for a fourth down near midfield.
He completed a 6-yard pass for a first down to Leonard Fournette. Eight seconds left now. Set up a field goal, right? Brady surprised Green Bay by throwing 39 yards to Scotty Miller for a touchdown and a 21-10 lead.
He then closed out the game in a manner Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers didn’t. Rodgers wasn’t helped by coach Matt LeFleur kicking a field goal late in the game rather than go for a fourthand-goal at the 8-yard line. Education can be painful sometimes, and LaFleur perhaps cost Rodgers a Super Bowl trip with that decision.
This time of year is harder on older quarterbacks. One week Brady helped retire Brees. This Sunday he helped send Rodgers home to ponder a 1-4 record in NFC Championship games.
Now comes the risen star of Mahomes. In the AFC title game, Mahomes outclassed Buffalo’s Josh Allen, just as he’s done against everybody for the past few years. He now has the chance to be the first quarterback to win two rings by age 25.
“We’re going to try to run it back,’’ Mahomes said, referring to winning the title last year at Hard Rock Stadium.
Tampa Bay becomes the first team to play the Super Bowl in its home stadium. That’s something the Dolphins always talked of doing.
“Home Super Bowl for the first time in NFL history puts a lot of cool things in perspective,’’ Brady said. “Any time you’re the first doing something, it’s usually a pretty good thing.”
Brady and the Bucs won’t be the pick. Not this game. Not against these Chiefs. So you can root for the underdog. He doesn’t need anyone to root for him anymore. He’s won more than anyone in football. And if he were still a Patriot, this Super Bowl would come with a repetitive eye-rolling quality. But he’s a Buc.
He’s old.
He’s showed up Belichick.
The Chiefs might be the pick. But isn’t it easy to root for Brady this Super Bowl?