Tom Brady stirred up a bit of a storm this week - and not for anything he did on the field. With Super Bowl LX right around the corner, the former Patriots quarterback was asked the classic question: *Who you got?
- Brady, ever the diplomat, played it safe. “I have no dog in the fight,” he said.
Now, considering Brady spent 20 seasons in New England, won six Super Bowls there, and basically is the Patriots in the eyes of an entire generation of fans, that answer didn’t exactly sit well with some folks. Patriots fans - and even a few former teammates - were quick to voice their disappointment. They wanted their guy to still be their guy.
But not everyone’s losing sleep over it. ESPN’s Stephen A.
Smith, never one to shy away from a hot-button topic, came to Brady’s defense in classic Stephen A. fashion. On First Take, he acknowledged that sure, it would’ve been nice for Brady to give a nod to the Patriots, especially for the fans, the organization, and owner Robert Kraft.
But at the end of the day? He’s not mad at it.
“I don’t give a damn that he didn’t!” Smith said. “People are walking around acting like they should be losing sleep.”
Smith also pointed out a few key factors that might explain Brady’s neutral stance. For one, Brady now holds a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders - a direct AFC rival to the Patriots.
On top of that, he’s working for Fox, while the Super Bowl is airing on NBC. Translation: he’s got business interests to consider, and this isn’t just about fandom anymore.
Even when his First Take co-host Shae Cornette looked visibly puzzled by his defense, Smith doubled down. “It’s not a big deal,” he said.
“Again, it would have been nice. If it was me, of course, I would have said, ‘Hell yeah, I want the Patriots to win.’
But people walking around acting like it’s so offensive and they’re losing sleep? Calm the hell down.”
At the end of the day, Brady’s legacy in New England is secure. No one’s taking those six rings away.
But as he transitions into the next phase of his career - part-owner, broadcaster, business mogul - he’s making it clear that he’s not just tied to one team anymore. And whether fans like it or not, that’s part of the game now too.