When Tom Brady did not re-sign with the New England Patriots in the 2020 offseason, he shocked the world. Brady had been the most dominant quarterback in the National Football League with the New England Patriots for two decades. Brady and his success were considered beneficiaries of head coach Bill Belichick. Since 2000, the duo is perhaps the most hated in the entire United States of America. But, what actually makes Brady such a detested figure?
He is not especially controversial, offensive, or selfish. Brady would frequently take pay cuts for his team so they could bring in more talent to remain competitive. Brady’s unselfish behavior, coupled with his continued success, should make him an ideal role model. While many respect his accomplishments, his supporters have always been outmatched by his haters. While his former franchise took part in numerous scandals, Brady’s level of involvement remains unclear.
The most pronounced wrongdoing that Brady’s patriots engaged in was SpyGate. While SpyGate seemed to be coach Bill Belichick’s doing, Brady’s legacy will be tied to the Patriots organization, for better and for worse. SpyGate surfaced during the 2007 season. The scheme’s goal was to steal as much information as possible regarding their opponent and their defensive play calling. If the Patriots watched their opponent’s practices, they could gain an advantage during the game by having an increased likelihood to predict the coverage to make it easier for their offense, similar to the cheating done by the Houston Astros three years ago. While Tom Brady was not fined or suspended for SpyGate, a later scandal, DeflateGate, caused Brady to miss a quarter of the 2016 NFL season.
As a private organization, the NFL sets its own rules regarding the conduct of its teams. One rule that every team must follow is that the footballs used during games must be properly inflated. Footballs must have a gauge pressure between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds. Before the 2014 AFC Championship Game, the NFL notified the Indianapolis Colts that the Patriots were suspected of under-inflating footballs during the season. The Patriots, as the home team, had the role of inflating footballs. After the game (a 45-7 win by the Patriots) it was revealed that 5 of the 12 footballs were more than 20 percent lower than the minimum acceptable pressure. This resulted in a loss of draft selections and a four-game suspension for Tom Brady, as well as organizational fines. It would make sense for this cheating to be the cause for fans’ animosity for Tom Brady. However, this scandal occurred in 2014, over a decade after Brady’s first super bowl.
In June 2020, Statista surveyed America regarding Tom Brady’s popularity. Only 24 percent of Americans viewed Brady in a favorable light. While some of the disdain towards Brady is from the Patriots’ scandals, much of it ought to be attributed to envy.
Form VI Student and Captain of the Varsity Football Team Josh Sacca believes Brady’s sustained success is the cause of his hatred. “Being able to stay healthy and playing for as long as he has is an incredible feat in and of itself. Then on top of that being as successful as he has been for two decades is what makes him the Greatest of All Time.” Sacca is spot on. Tom Brady is not hated for small rules violations, he is hated because his seven super bowl trophies are more than any NFL franchise holds. Tom Brady is not only hated due to his prowess on the gridiron, but also due to his legacy as the greatest professional team sports player ever.
