Neither Bill Belichick nor Tom Brady will admit as such - there is a game to be played, after all - but Sunday night in Foxboro will be far more than a football game. A year and change after leaving New England, Brady returns to the place where he became the greatest quarterback of all-time.
Once the first few drives take place everyone will settle in, but the pregame festivities prior to Sunday Night Football will be must-watch television, as Patriots fans welcome back the man who brought them six Super Bowls over 20 legendary years. It's a scene that doesn't happen too often in sports, with a superstar Hall of Fame talent like Brady playing in one place for so long, then returning with a different team. But it has happened, and here's how each celebration went:
Peyton Manning: The closest NFL comparison we have to Brady is (who else?) Manning, who left Indianapolis prior to 2012, and returned as a member of the Broncos in Week 7 of the 2013 season. Of course it was on Sunday Night Football, and it was a spectacle. Manning received a 90-second standing ovation prior to kickoff with a well-made video homage. As for the game, it was a good one, with the Colts winning 39-33.
Michael Jordan: His Airness' return to Chicago came in January 2002 when the Wizards visited the Bulls. While his initial introduction in the starting lineups seemed low-key, the intensity of the ovation slowly built higher and higher as Jordan acknowledged the crowd with a slight wave. He'd go on to score 16 points with 12 rebounds in an eight-point Washington victory.
Wayne Gretzky: This situation is a bit different than the others, given Gretzky wasn't at the end of his career when he was traded from the Oilers. Alas, after four Stanley Cups and eight Hart Trophies, his return to Edmonton in October 1988 was a huge deal. Multiple standing ovations, cheering, a true hero's welcome, Gretzky notched two assists in an Oilers 8-6 win over the Kings (a peak '80s hockey score).
Gordie Howe: Mr. Hockey played 25 seasons in Detroit before retiring in 1971 at age 42. Of course, a few years later he returned to the ice in the WHA, and found himself in the NHL for one final season in 1979-80 when the WHA folded and the New England Whalers merged into the league as the Hartford Whalers. He was selected to his final All-Star Game that season, which happened to be in Detroit. He received such a long ovation upon his introduction that he had to skate to the bench in order for it to end - it was timed at over two minutes.
Albert Pujols: Baseball has surprisingly few of these. Of course, in the old days superstars who became legendary in their city rarely left, and in the modern game folks either stick around with one team (think Derek Jeter or Cal Ripken) or move around to multiple teams (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, etc.). The closest we probably have is Pujols, who after three MVPs and two World Series in 11 years left St. Louis for Los Angeles in 2012. He didn't return to Busch Stadium until 2019, when he received a rousing ovation he time he came to bat.