It took less than two minutes for Tom Brady to drop the title of his latest docuseries when answering pre-approved questions from Jim Gray about his sudden retirement. At the start of his podcast this week, Brady told Gray quarterbacks must be the “Man in the Arena” for their teams at all times.
For those not up to speed on Brady’s increasingly self-indulgent dialect, the expression comes from Teddy Roosevelt, and Brady saw it displayed in the weight room at Michigan when he first got there. To Brady, the quote means that eyes are always on you. It embodies the maniacal attention and focus quarterbacks must pay to their craft.
Now, go ahead and watch the 9-part series (episode 10 has been delayed so Brady can further reflect on last season), and pair your viewings with regular readings from the TB12 Method. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to focus like Brady, and then you’ll succeed.
Everybody is set up for greatness, as long as they’re mentally strong.
“Could I have been unsuccessful? Absolutely. I just didn’t believe that’d I be unsuccessful,” Brady said later in the interview. “I really believed I was going to be a professional quarterback. I believed I was going to have a great career. Not a lot of other people believe that.”
It’s striking how much Brady’s language now resembles Tony Robbins, the obnoxious self-help guru who performs at staid corporate retreats and advises his followers to walk barefoot on hot coals. Brady teamed up with Robbins when he traveled to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in June 2017, and his message is just as simplistic.
In Robbins’ world, success is solely dependent on personal drive, which can be strengthened through purchasing his books and attending his speeches. That’s how he stays in business.
Brady is following that path. His “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray serves as his primary weekly vehicle to push the TB12 Empire.
The project borders on hero worship. Gray, who previously conducted strange pre-recorded interviews with Brady on Westwood One, is unsurprisingly reverential towards his subject. On this week’s show, Gray didn’t ask Brady about leaving the Patriots out of his nearly 1,000-word retirement post. Instead, the obsequious broadcaster wanted Brady to expound on the outpouring of support he’s received.
That’s what the people are really hankering to hear.
In fairness, it appears as if people are listening to Brady’s podcast. It’s the No. 3 sports show on Apple. When the greatest of all-time speaks, admirers are bound to listen.
But it’s hard to imagine how they don’t come away cringing. At one point in the conversation, Brady casually remarks how much harder he trains than other players, which is why he can’t muster up to the desire to return … yet.
“It doesn’t necessary have to be all-in for them. But I’ve always felt for me that’s how I do it,” he said.
Everything with Brady now is about word games. Many have brought up that his announcement on Instagram doesn’t actually include the word “retire.” Brady says it’s best for him to leave the field of play “right now.”
Upon a second viewing, it reads like Brady’s retirement message to the Buccaneers, and not necessarily to the NFL.
Brady is already going the Brett Favre route. His answer about whether he would ever come back is littered with caveats. He’s going to “take things as they come,” and tries to make the best decision he can “in the moment.”
The hints are lining up. Maybe Brady will announce his comeback in the finale to “Man in the Arena.”
Brady operates solely in the world of 199 Productions, where he gets to set the uninterrupted narrative. That’s probably why he was seemingly so perturbed about Adam Schefter circumventing his big day.
For so many years, Brady was the antithesis of a vain prima donna. He was humble and deferential.
There are still some glimpses of the old Brady. His 30 for 30 special about the tuck rule was refreshingly unpretentious, and he lifts up his teammates in every episode of “Man in the Arena.” The series is not a redux of Michael Jordan’s vindictive “Last Dance.”
But man, Brady sure puts out a lot of content about himself. He’s produced two mini-series chronicling his football career and personal evolution over the last four years.
When he comes out with his next one, you can guarantee you’ll hear about it on the “Let’s Go!” podcast.
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Not missing the never-ending Super Bowl hype: Though Covid restrictions are looser for Super Bowl LVI, it still lacks the signature build up that traditionally accompanies the big game. And that’s just fine. Does anybody miss that silly media night, when reporters from lowly rated cable stations and obscure streaming platforms would dress up in costumes and ask players what kind of tree they would be?
Super Bowl Week was a vacuum that would suck up the most inconsequential stories and turn them into national scandals. Good riddance.
What happened to Romo this season?: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth will be on the call Sunday, saving us from Romo’s yelps and inanity.
What happened to him?
Romo’s announcing stock fell dramatically this season. The bright analyst who once predicted plays now just screams into the mic and struggles to follow the game. It’s like Romo stopped trying as soon as he signed his record-setting $175 million deal.
It’s not hyperbolic to say Romo’s schtick now takes away from the games he’s calling. Obviously, this won’t affect CBS’ ratings at all. But it’s a shame the highest-paid broadcaster in sports history is now a drag on the action.
Portnoy suit: Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy in suing Insider for defamation after the outlet published two articles quoting women who accuse him of sexual misconduct. While it’s tempting to write off the suit as a PR stunt, this could be an important case to watch. It’s very hard for public figures to win defamation suits against news outlets, but if Portnoy somehow succeeds, it would carry a big impact — and probably hurt Barstool. The provocative outlet probably wouldn’t fare well in a world where defamation protections aren’t as ironclad.
