IT’S ONE TOM CAN’T WIN
No right answer to concussion question for Brady
“19-0” has become a four-letter word for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
But the real curse word at Gillette Stadium these days is “concussion.”
The Patriots’ Blitz for Six — as in, for a sixth Super Bowl ring — officially commenced yesterday and that Boston University CTE study was addressed by Bill Belichick, Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater. Those paying attention learned Slater is married to a pathologist.
Brady is not married to a pathologist, but that didn’t stop his supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen, from lobbing a concussion grenade in May by telling Charlie Rose that her husband “has had concussions” and that “he had a concussion last year.”
Thanks to those remarks, the 2017 season is shrouded in speculation about whether Brady has suffered a medically diagnosed concussion while playing for the Patriots. If so, was the team ever aware? And does Brady believe the effects of head trauma can be mitigated by whatever liquid concoctions his business partner, Alex Guerrero, can create?
Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said, “Tom was not diagnosed with a concussion last year.”
The NFL and NFLPA chimed in — in full CYA mode — saying, “There are no records that indicate that Mr. Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms.”
Brady addressed this briefly with ESPN in June, but did not deny what his wife said. (No sane man would.)
“She’s there every day. I mean, we go to bed in the same bed every night, so I think she knows when I’m sore, she knows when I’m tired, she knows when I get hit. We drive home together (from games). But, she also knows how well I take care of myself. She’s a very concerned wife and very loving,” Brady said.
Does that bed include one of those $4,999 Beautyrest Black mattresses?
How does one take care of oneself when it comes to concussions? Does avocado ice cream heal all wounds? Or does Brady still have a case of NeuroSafe in the basement?
Here’s what Brady did not say.
He did not say: “I love my wife and know how much she loves me. But I have never been medically diagnosed with a concussion.”
Nor did he say: “That weird guy in the mattress commercial gives Gisele the creeps, especially when he’s hanging around outside the bedroom.”
Eventually, Brady will be made available to the famished media horde in Foxboro.
We won’t get any answers that will differ from the current party line — which is muddled at best. Brady can’t win. If he flat-out denies having suffered a concussion, he is contradicting his wife in a very public way. Good news, there’s always room with Gronk and Edelman in the pool house.
If Brady admits suffering a concussion any time during his career, all hell breaks loose. The NFL goes into DEFCON-1 mode and the QB is left at odds with his agent, team and coach. NFL State-Run Media — led by Roger Goodell — would turn its fury toward New England screaming: “Spygate! Deflategate! Concussiongate!” Brady turns 40 next week. My bets are hedged, but I can still see him chucking it until 2032 when Michigan QB Benjamin Brady is chosen by the Patriots and holds up a No. 12 jersey on draft night.
My scenario has more validity than Brady playing 16-plus NFL seasons without suffering a medically diagnosable concussion. The humane hope is that he has done whatever is necessary to mitigate and prevent damage — including increased pliability.
How well the newly nimble Brady can dodge this issue will be something to watch.