BRADY COMES UP A WINNER IN THE END
NFL QB displays sharp sense of humour under spotlight at celebrity golf event
Even when he stinks, Tom Brady comes out smelling like roses.
While spraying golf balls all over the course during Sunday’s The Match: Champions For Charity, the most successful quarterback in NFL history suffered what the rest of us would consider an embarrassing moment when he reached down to grab his ball and ripped his pants up the middle, with cameras showing that action across the world.
A few hours after the match, Brady turned to Twitter (where he can also flash a decent sense of humour, by the way) and, along with the photo of the bend-and-tear, he added the caption: “Pants wanted in on social distancing I guess.”
When ESPN retweeted, with the quote, on Monday morning, Brady chimed in again: “Next time I’ll make sure I’m wearing my @Uagolf pants,” with #Lessonlearned.
That should get Brady and family a lifetime supply of Under Armour Golf merchandise.
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Upon further review, The Match was the most watched golf event in cable TV history, drawing an average of 5.8 million viewers while peaking at dinner time in the east (from 5:45-6 p.m.) at 6.3 million.
CHANGE OF HEART
After losing last year’s opener 10-3 to the Packers, Bears coach Matt Nagy was asked if not playing his starters in the pre-season was a factor.
“I really don’t believe that,” he said. “I’m sticking with my gut. I really feel that. I know what our guys can do.”
Apparently, Nagy’s stomach has turned.
“That’s one of the things from last year that I’m not happy about,” he said Friday on ESPN’S Waddle & Silvy radio show. “No. 1, I think it’s good for them to have (pre-season snaps), but No. 2, it sets the mentality. So that’s not going to happen this year.”
Of course, at the time of Nagy’s answer, he didn’t know his 12-4 (from 2018) team would fall to 8-8 in one season. He also thought QB Mitch Trubisky was worth protecting. Now the latter will have to fight for his job as starter with Nick Foles.
SIDELINE TO SIDELINE
Surely, Devonta Freeman is bluffing. After a report last week that said the 28-year-old free agent running back was willing to sit out the season if he didn’t get the contract offer he wanted, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says retirement may be an option for the former Atlanta Falcons star, who has earned an average of more than US$7 million a season for the last three years.
Freeman was a touchdown machine in 2015 and 2016, when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards and had more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage. But, last season he scored just twice on the ground and four times off passes, while averaging a careerlow 3.6 yards rushing.
Given that the average career length of an NFL player is about 3.3 years (according to statista.com) and he’s already been around for six seasons, Freeman should be happy with what anybody is willing to give him.
TROUBLE FOR LEAF
Just when Ryan Leaf appeared to have his personal life straightened out, the former second overall pick of the 1998 NFL draft was arrested Friday on a charge of misdemeanour domestic battery.
Leaf, a 44-year old ESPN college football analyst, battled an addiction problem before spending two years in prison after a 2012 arrest for breaking into a home and stealing prescription drugs.
He was an NFL bust, compiling a 4-17 record in three seasons after the San Diego Chargers drafted him immediately following the Indianapolis Colts’ selection of Peyton Manning.
EXTRA POINTS
Go figure this one. Fanduel has Bill Belichick as one of the favourites to win the coach of the year award. It would be his fourth time as a winner, but first without Brady or much of an offence at all.
The co-favourite is new Dallas coach Mike Mccarthy.
The rumour mill has the Jets trading all-pro safety Jamal Adams to the Cowboys at some point. It also says the Jets want to give him the long-term contract he desires.
Don’t expect either to happen soon, or Adams going anywhere when it does.
Already beginning the process of at least partially reopening their facilities — in keeping with the criteria set out by commissioner Roger Goodell — are the Cowboys, Falcons, Steelers, Texans, Colts, Cardinals and Chiefs. The Bengals are expected to follow suit Wednesday.