Gone Brady Gone

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cornwalls@6

Less observant than others
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Apr 23, 2010
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I don't get being mad at Brady or BB. The last 20 years don't happen without BOTH of them. I'm 46 and I've been a Patriots fan for as long as I can remember, heading out to Bryant college every year to watch camp and collect autographs. I love Tom Brady. Tom Fucking Brady. He's a goddamn legend. And so is BB. It was time to move on. Nostalgia is for fans, not for parties directly involved.

This team wasn't winning a Super Bowl with or without Brady this year. Keeping him for nostalgia, at the detriment of the future, isn't how BB is wired. The breakup was inevitable. I just feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to watch and appreciate the last 20 years.
The bolded is probably true, though I thought/hoped with some creative cap management/roster moves, and a good draft, they might have had a chance to make one more run. But, the overall sentiment of your post is exactly where I am. Brady's consistently stated desire to play past an age where it makes good business sense to give out multi-year, high dollar guaranteed contracts made this inevitable. Bill just wasn't going to roll that way. What a glorious, glorious ride the last two decades have been. It will never be duplicated. I wouldn't trade a minute of it, and it ending this way doesn't tarnish it one bit for me.
 
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B H Kim

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I'm somewhat surprised to see how little this matters to me. Between everything else going on right now and my decidedly guilty feelings about continuing to even follow the NFL over the last few years, I just can't work up the energy to really care about this.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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Dec 16, 2010
53,850
Whatever happens, I still see the Dolphins, Bears, and Giants as more likely landing spots for Brady than the Bucs.
No way on the Giants. Jones was good. They aren't cutting his career off at the knees for Brady.
 

HomeBrew1901

Has Season 1 of "Manimal" on Blu Ray
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Poor you. True fan that you are. My first games were on metal benches watching shit QBs in the freezing cold, so really go fuck yourself. I won';t be paying $250 a ticket for that privilege only with seats instead of bleachers. I've also said for a few years that watching has given me a mixed/shitty feeling because of what is happening to player's brains. This makes a nice easy transition time. But you win for like, realest fan, or something. Pick up your free app at the bar during your next visit.
Edit:

I'm sure you'll be missed. If you were on those metal bleachers in the freezing cold then you have no reason to bitch after experiencing all that we have over the last 20 years.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
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Apr 12, 2005
41,948
I love TB12 and the Pats almost as much as I love my own family, and interestingly, I'm ok with this. Been texting back and forth with my friends who I've seen over 200 Pats games in person with, and it seems pretty much the same with them.

Next year's Pats were not going to be very good, regardless of whether or not Tom stayed. When they resigned McCourty and tagged Thuney, the writing was on the wall. If they resign Brady, they have no money to put anyone around him again. And the thing I keep coming back to that seems to get very little play is next year's schedule. IT IS FUCKING BRUTAL. Forget the teams they play, they have the AFC and NFC West on the schedule, and the travel alone is going to be ungodly. Even with Brady, I would have put their best case scenario at 9-8 (how fucking weird does that record look).

Now was the time to blow it up. Roll with Stidham, win maybe 4-5 games, get a high draft pick and find a QB in the draft. The last fucking thing i want is for them to bring in some washed up veteran like Mariota or Dalton, and win 7-8 games which accomplishes nothing. Give it a year, get the salary cap number as down as possible and rebuild it all around a new QB in 2022....I think that was the only play here, TB12 knew it, Kraft and BB knew it, and it was time for everyone to move on...
 

Catcher Block

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Mar 7, 2006
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I'm surprisingly indifferent to this. If Brady wants to ride until the wheels fall off, I don't want it to be in my favorite team's uniform. It's selfish, given what he's done for the team, but I think that's where I'm at.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
37,059
Hingham, MA
I’m also feeling surprisingly unemotional about this. I was more upset about the Miami loss to be honest because that felt like “the end”. I am not sure that sports will ever be the same to me going forward, both due to CV and to the attachment I felt to this franchise, coach, and QB. Time will tell.

I will be neutral about his performance in 2020. Won’t root for or against.
 

NomosRubber

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Dec 27, 2007
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Madeira Beach, FL
And that gave him nearly $10 million that effectively made him impossible to resign.

I have been saying for a year that it made absolutely no sense and was the most non Patriot like thing that I had ever seen. They gave him no franchise and put themselves further in cap jail for absolutely nothing in return. Obviously it wasn’t to buy him goodwill to stay. It was simply an outright gift from Kraft and BB.

I think everyone knew this was coming a year ago. Except us.
In retrospect, it seems the Patriots made their decision a year ago, gave Tom an appreciation gift, and rewarded him with his choice of his future beyond the Patriots to either retire or move on. A couple of their personnel decisions that seemed un-Patriot-like (AB, Sanu, Flash Gordon) may have been attempts to catch lightning in a bottle for his last year so he could go out on top.

I hope he takes a team all the way to a 7th SB rather than riding the coattails on his way out like Peyton. But that's just me.
 

Laser Show

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Nov 7, 2008
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Oh man that last line from Belichick just makes me want to cry. “Sometimes in life, it takes some time to pass before truly appreciating something or someone but that has not been the case with Tom. He is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all time.”
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Nov 19, 2008
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How are you going to blame anyone but Tom Brady, if you feel the need to "blame" anyone? Tom was a free agent, one he wanted to be for at least a year now, and he got his wish. He's willingly leaving the most successful NFL franchise and coach of all time. He wants a new challenge. I'm not sure why, but he decided he was done with the Patriots. Not the other way around.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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I’m also feeling surprisingly unemotional about this. I was more upset about the Miami loss to be honest because that felt like “the end”. I am not sure that sports will ever be the same to me going forward, both due to CV and to the attachment I felt to this franchise, coach, and QB. Time will tell.

I will be neutral about his performance in 2020. Won’t root for or against.
For me, vis-a-vis the bolded, it all depends on where he ends up. If it's Tampa, I'll probably root for him to do well. I love the guy. But if it's Miami? They are the team in the NFL that I have always hated the most; even the Jets are a distant second. So there is NO CHANCE IN HELL that I'll root for Brady if he's on the Dolphins. I will not be neutral in that case. Maybe neutral if he's on the Chargers.
 

PBDWake

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May 1, 2008
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Some of these takes are fucking baffling to me. If there is one person to be mad at, it's Father Time. Beyond that, forget it. We finally hit the breakpoint where the priorities of the team and the player diverged enough to cause a split. It's nobody's fault. Why is it Brady's obligation to take a sizable pay cut to play for a team that hasn't made helping him on the field a priority for a while? Conversely, why are the Patriots obligated to devote a massive portion of their cap over multiple years to someone who might not be able to hold up the offense when that money can go to trying to prop it up? And perhaps most important, why aren't YOU obligated to be an adult about the whole situation?
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
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Sep 9, 2008
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The part of Bill’s statement that stands out is “I am extremely grateful for what he did for our team and for me personally.”

Bill doesn’t just say shit. And that last part is very honest and a bit inconsistent with how I sometimes imagine he thinks. It is not something that I imagine he says lightly in a public statement even if he personally thinks It. He is very much an “it’s all about the players” guy, but he is rarely personal in it.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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It's entirely possible that this is one of those rare occasions where things end....amiably, instead of bitterly. Sounds like Brady, Belichick, and Kraft are all still on very good terms with each other, but they just know that it was time to move on. There's nothing whatsoever wrong with that except that, as fans, it sucks.

Maybe things don't *always* end badly. This sounds as professional and amiable as it could possibly be.
 

pappymojo

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Jul 28, 2010
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I hold no grudges and place no blame.

I do wonder, however, if the NFL finally gets the parity it wants through salary cap limits and deferred cap hits. For any team with a highly paid quarterback, how long can you push off the bill being due before your hand is forced.

For anyone who wants to compare Brady's and Belichick's performance next year to see which one was more responsible for the success of the past 20 years, I would just point out that Belichick will still be dealing with the cap hit with this year's roster construction.
 

Laser Show

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Nov 7, 2008
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The part of Bill’s statement that stands out is “I am extremely grateful for what he did for our team and for me personally.”

Bill doesn’t just say shit. And that last part is very honest and a bit inconsistent with how I sometimes imagine he thinks. It is not something that I imagine he says lightly in a public statement even if he personally thinks It. He is very much an “it’s all about the players” guy, but he is rarely personal in it.
I know what you're saying, but I think it's extremely consistent. I take that as acknowledgment that he is not BILL BELICHICK if Tom Brady didn't walk into his life 20 years ago.
 

Shaky Walton

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I'm much more crushed by this than I thought I would be. Hell, I expected it. Nothing added up given the salary cap situation. Bill had not left room for Brady and skill players on offense.

With that said, Brady was/is truly my favorite player in all of sports, and I will miss rooting for him tremendously. I root for the laundry and will regard Tom sort of like I have regarded Jimmy for the last few years; with interest and generally favorably, but not as a fan. That's not to equate the two. That would be laughable. But I was generally pro Jimmy, as a member of a team outside NE, which is rare for me. Tom will be no different.

Unless he joins Miami. Then my mood will come darker than it should.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
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Sep 9, 2008
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For me, vis-a-vis the bolded, it all depends on where he ends up. If it's Tampa, I'll probably root for him to do well. I love the guy. But if it's Miami? They are the team in the NFL that I have always hated the most; even the Jets are a distant second. So there is NO CHANCE IN HELL that I'll root for Brady if he's on the Dolphins. I will not be neutral in that case. Maybe neutral if he's on the Chargers.
I sort of think will you root for TB could be its own thread because it is fascinating. I think the answer might be different depending on how long a person followed the team before Brady.

I love Tom Brady. And I will love him when he comes back for a heroes welcome after he retires. But right now fuck him. I don’t care if he does well unless he can help the Patriots and I hope he goes zero for a million if he is in position to hurt the Patriots. For the next two years he is just another guy and I hope that officials don’t stop calling that intentional grounding thing when he is on another team.

I know that he is going to be good. Because he is Tom Brady. But he is Drew Brees to me now.
 

RedOctober3829

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I've taken a step back and after reading more of Kraft and BB's comments it was more about Brady wanting to move on more than anything. It does not take away any of the hurt or emotion us fans have because of what Brady meant to us, but there really is nobody to blame. It was going to happen someday. Now, it's about what Belichick/Caserio do from this point on.
 
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Mrmojo

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Nov 30, 2005
11
I feel the same with Brady as I did about Mookie. Both were going to be gone sooner or [not much] later. 2020 post-season success for both the Red Sox & Patriots was unlikely in either case. Now its moot. Great 21st century runs for these teams. I couldn't have imagined their success. Hate to see 2 of my favorite players go though.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
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Sep 27, 2016
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We're onto the rebuild.

I'm oddly not too upset by this. The weeks and months of stories and rumors did soften the blow I guess. Nevertheless, it just feels like finishing the best book I ever read. The only other sports-related thing I'll ever experience is when Messi decides to hang it up for Barca.

When these guys are on your team, you know you had the best and most clutch player on the field. If there was even a sliver of a chance they could win, they'd find it and rip it away from their opponents mercilessly. TB is an assassin on the football field. His career is a goddamn fairy tale and it was a privilege to root for him. GOAT.
Amen to all of this. I'll root for him, and will probably still follow the NFL in 2020 with Belichick still on our sideline and Brady still in the league. But when they retire, man, it ain't never gonna feel worth it to watch, not for me.
 

EddieYost

is not associated in any way with GHoff
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Jul 15, 2005
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If he goes to the Chargers, I want the Pats to tank. I'll kill time rooting for Brady and the Chargers.
 

Beomoose

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May 28, 2006
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I've taken a step back and after reading more of Kraft and BB's comments it was more about Brady wanting to move on more than anything. It does not take away any of the hurt or emotion us fans have because of what Brady meant to us, but there really is nobody to blame. It was going to happen someday. Now, it's about what Belichick/Caserio do from this point on.
Yeah, I was trying to prepare myself for this being the outcome when all the "No, seriously, he really wants to play for SF" stuff was going around. He's earned the right to go where he wants, to make what he thinks he should make, many times over. Still stings.
 

Al Zarilla

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Dec 8, 2005
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Everything just sucks right now. I know sports pales in comparison to what is going on in the world but this is icing on the cake.
I’m disappointed too, but what is the life span of a quarterback with the same team, or even an elite quarterback with the same team? We got 19 years, not to mention the six titles with Tom. Unbelievable.
 

bakahump

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I will love him forever. Hell I may well root for him for the next couple years (the rest of his career??) even if playing the Pats. A Patriot Loss at this point will probably only help the franchise in Year +1 onward. I see can see the threads now "Embedded Brady is so good he helped the pats get the 3rd overall pick".

I am disappointed though. While he earned the right to make this decision I thought he wouldnt. I thought based on a series of fortunate events that he was a guy for whom the Money literally didnt matter. Not to mention his maniacal determination to win (by allowing the best Possible team). Does that make TB wrong? or Bad? Certainly not. It was his decision to make. But as a schmo I am really kinda perplexed how you take less money for years, be incredibly wealthy regardless and succesfull in part because of that practice, and then decide that you needed to take the highest amount now.

Of course I am operating from a place where I assume the Pats did "make an offer". And that this was indeed about MONEY. And that Brady DID want to stay. Not sure if that was necessarily true anymore. Maybe both the Franchise and TB have moved on. Maybe Tom wanted new challenges (credit to whomever mentioned this previously) and so while Money wasnt the deciding factor it was a convenient excuse for him to step away and exercise his well earned right of choice. (and for the team).

In the end despite me being disappointed and not understanding (/knowing) why he left, Its probably for the best. He can hopefully go to a strong offense, continue to pad his numbers and finally put to bed who the GOAT is for the 25% that still debates it. He can then Retire HEALTHY and come back home.

Meanwhile the Pats can begin the inevitable rebuild. Winning is AWESOME. But coming up from the Bottom and seeing weekly progress and success is a close second. Basically the View From the Mountaintop is great. The Climb Up almost as good. The descent (Which I think we have been on for the last season....and would have been on for the next couple had we chosen not to bottom out Now) is always the worst.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
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Since it seemed inevitable for so long, I think I'm already on to being interested (not quite excited) about what BB does going forward.
 
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