Brady "Pleads the 5th" when asked if he feels appreciated.

primetime said:

He's a guy who throws footballs on TV for your enjoyment. Hes going to be throwing football for your enjoyment in September. You guys get so mad about what some guy you've never met who has never thought about any of you as a human being and never will says on TV.

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It's a team game. Tommy's a captain on the team. It seems he is choosing to undermine the coach who is the head of the team and #1 authority. It's a free country and he can say what he wants but this team and this coach is about Do your job and No Days Off and all this.

So not showing up and instead stirring up drama in the media is really unwelcome and unbefitting of a captain on the team.

Is it possible this is all bs? This is just a way to market the TB12 brand and in a way mess with the media? Like a "if you can't beat them, join them" situation?

Or, maybe Tom is upset going back to the Super Bowl and the whole Butler thing? Not to mention throw in the Guererro stuff.

BJ_McWild said:

It's a team game. Tommy's a captain on the team. It seems he is choosing to undermine the coach who is the head of the team and #1 authority. It's a free country and he can say what he wants but this team and this coach is about Do your job and No Days Off and all this.

So not showing up and instead stirring up drama in the media is really unwelcome and unbefitting of a captain on the team.

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It's the offseason, it's literally days off.

fnordcircle said:

Why?

Assuming he's a grown ass man willing to face the consequences of his actions, why should he just shutup and fall in line? Because it'd be more convenient for Pat's fans?

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This grown ass man (??) uses social media, emojis, infomercials and his wife to do his talking.

patriot1136 said:

Is it possible this is all bs? This is just a way to market the TB12 brand and in a way mess with the media? Like a "if you can't beat them, join them" situation?

Or, maybe Tom is upset going back to the Super Bowl and the whole Butler thing? Not to mention throw in the Guererro stuff.

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I don't think it's BS at all. Why? I can't imagine some of this stuff is going over well with Belichick. And I don’t think Brady is stupid enough to NOT realize that.

BJ_McWild said:

It's a team game. Tommy's a captain on the team. It seems he is choosing to undermine the coach who is the head of the team and #1 authority. It's a free country and he can say what he wants but this team and this coach is about Do your job and No Days Off and all this.

So not showing up and instead stirring up drama in the media is really unwelcome and unbefitting of a captain on the team.

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How did he stir up drama by praising the coach? You need to pay attention to what he said not the sound byte joke at the beginning of it.

AndyJohnson said:

How did he stir up drama by praising the coach? You need to pay attention to what he said not the sound byte joke at the beginning of it.

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The platitudes afterwards are surely great and what's come to be expected from Tommy. The 'plead the 5th' thing appears to intentionally stir the pot and create drama and dysfunction.

Also, come to work and try and make the team like all the other guys in the program. Diva Tommy mode is weak sauce.

Mountain_Commando said:

Oh please. Being blessed with all he has doesn't make anyone impervious to feeling upset if treated harshly or unfairly.

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Oh please. This is about PERSPECTIVE, not about Brady suddenly being egregiously transgressed or abused by BB. And I suspect the Guerrero flap is front and center with this.

Mountain_Commando said:

Let's say a local cop with a personal vendetta made it a mission to pull over Brady's vehicle and give him a ticket everyday for the most minor infraction. Should Brady just shrug that off because he's rich, successful, has a blessed life etc.? Would you?

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Hell no, I'd see to it that cop was disciplined or fired. But that's a poor analogy to begin with.

Belichick should just join TB12 gym.

The lifetime membership can't be that expensive.

I love TB12 and everything he's done for the football fans in the region. I am grateful that I have been a Pats fan and all this greatness has happened on my watch. The dude is indeed the GOAT.

BUT....

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the guy has the world... the WORLD by the sack. More money than he can ever spend, a beautiful wife who clearly loves and supports him, healthy, beautiful children, an extended family that loves and supports him. Treated as a son by the Krafts, and idolized by us fans. Yet he's upset because his GOAT coach doesn't appreciate him? Just stop. Stop talking, just play football. It comes off as whiny, and I, like most of you, would switch places with him in a second. He's got nothing to whine about. Belichick isn't gonna treat him as an equal, or as the GOAT, as long as he's playing. It's the coach's job to keep the pressure on. STFU and go do your job, or retire. Then the accolades will come from BB. Until then... stop whining.

KontradictioN said:

Eh, I don't think he intended on trying to squash the rumors. He fanned the flames with that comment and I would suspect that he did it on purpose. That said, he also made it clear that he plans on going back to work and going about his business. So, unless the team wants to trade him now and go 8-8 or 7-9 this season, it's best to just hope that the two of them work it out.

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I guess I see it differently. I doubt there is much of anything to work out. One thing is fairly certain, BB knows how to communicate and has the final say on pretty much all football matters.

I'm sure any matters related to Alex Guerrero have been settled for months.

Clearly there is tension. Love the chicken littles who refuse to believe any of this. It’s all some concoction of the media and fake. Reminds me of another group of people in his country.

BJ_McWild said:

The platitudes afterwards are surely great and what's come to be expected from Tommy. The 'plead the 5th' thing appears to intentionally stir the pot and create drama and dysfunction.

Also, come to work and try and make the team like all the other guys in the program. Diva Tommy mode is weak sauce.

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So the one liner followed by a real answer to you means the one liner is what he really believes and the long detailed answer that follows is bs? I guess people like you are why guys like felger have jobs.

Nice though, challenging the work ethic of the hardest working player in nfl history. I bet you got all proud of yourself when you did it.

To stir the pot some more:

Tom Brady on Malcolm Butler’s benching: I wish he would have played

“I wish he would have played, but the coach decided not to play him, and we still had a chance to win,” Brady said, via quotes transcribed by MassLive.com’s Kevin Duffy.

Butler played one snap on special teams and none on defense as Nick Foles shredded the Patriots’ secondary in a 41-33 Eagles’ victory.

“I’ll say this: For a team, this side of the room is the offense and this side is the defense,” Brady said. “We don’t interfere with them much. I didn’t know. Malcolm kept coming over to me during the game and was like ‘Come on, TB, let’s go!’ And I kept going, ‘What defense are we in where Malcolm’s not on the field?’ Is it short-yardage, goal line?

“And then after the game, I found out. So I just didn’t know. And I asked Malcolm, and Malcolm said, ‘I don’t know. Coach has just decided something different.’ I said, ‘OK.’ So I don’t know what was a part of that decision-making, but I know we were trying to win the game. I don’t think we were trying to do anything but win.”

Butler, who signed a five-year, $61 million contract with the Titans, has said he wanted an explanation but never asked for one. Brady said he has not asked either.

“I haven’t gone and discussed those things,” Brady told Gray. “Do you know why he didn’t play? Would you like to tell me?”

Gray asked Brady if Patriots fans deserve an explanation.

“I don’t know,” he said. “That’s probably a better answer for the guy who owns our team.”

I think brady still has that mutual respect for bill but i don't see them have any beers together in the future. I think bill will never give a good explanation for butler's benching. These guys ain't divas but when you win so much i am sure there's a certain arrogance but not a ****y attitude.

JimK said:

There is clearly something a little different this off season. There is no way Brady says some of the things he's been saying recently in years past. I understand staying positive, but denying reality is another matter. Regardless, I hope the Patriots win a lot of games this year.

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I have an intuitive hunch what's going on with Brady these days:

1). He has matured as a man and has developed a broader perspective on life augmented by his experience with fatherhood and the influence of his wife's spirtual orientation.

2). This broader perspective has seeped into his professional football life in multiple ways, chief among them his close working relationship with Guerrero, who has been ostracized by the Patriots. Brady has good reason for working with Guerrero and the Patriots have good reason for wanting to keep him away from team infrastructure.

3). Brady has evolved personally/professionally beyond needing to be regimented under BB's inflexibility and authoritarian ways. Even though BB's management style still works for the overall team aspect, it no longer applies as well to Tom individually. In this case, both BB and Brady are right but must find compromise to continue a winning working relationship.

4). In my opinion, Brady is the one who needs to do the most adjusting as he is in BB's employment and in the twilight of his career. In other words, he must humbly subordinate himself to the team aspect deemed best by his boss -- just suck it up, win games and ride off into the sunset as GOAT.

AndyJohnson said:

So the one liner followed by a real answer to you means the one liner is what he really believes and the long detailed answer that follows is bs? I guess people like you are why guys like felger have jobs.

Nice though, challenging the work ethic of the hardest working player in nfl history. I bet you got all proud of yourself when you did it.

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Wow that's a surprisingly personal attack. What fun. My feeling is, the old school Tommy who used to say things like 'I want to prove I'm the best QB for the team every day' is where it's at. It's about leading by example. The new look is not the example I think will really help the team.

Steve:Section 102 said:

I love TB12 and everything he's done for the football fans in the region. I am grateful that I have been a Pats fan and all this greatness has happened on my watch. The dude is indeed the GOAT.

BUT....

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the guy has the world... the WORLD by the sack. More money than he can ever spend, a beautiful wife who clearly loves and supports him, healthy, beautiful children, an extended family that loves and supports him. Treated as a son by the Krafts, and idolized by us fans. Yet he's upset because his GOAT coach doesn't appreciate him? Just stop. Stop talking, just play football. It comes off as whiny, and I, like most of you, would switch places with him in a second. He's got nothing to whine about. Belichick isn't gonna treat him as an equal, or as the GOAT, as long as he's playing. It's the coach's job to keep the pressure on. STFU and go do your job, or retire. Then the accolades will come from BB. Until then... stop whining.

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When the GOAT coach throws the superbowl, possibly the last one you will ever get to as a 40+ year old QB, A game where you played LIGHTS ****ING OUT, but the coach decides the superbowl is the time to go on a power trip so you bench your most consistent CB that played the most defensive snaps during the season. On top of all that you had to deal with an entire season where the GOAT coach decided he knows whats best for your body, even though its pretty ****ING clear you have a handle on it, since you put up MVP numbers at 40 years old.
EVEN AFTER SPENDING YOUR ENTIRE CAREER TAKING BELOW MARKET DEALS SO YOUR COACH CAN GO OUT AND SPEND MONEY ON OTHER PLAYERS WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY THAT YOU ARE GOING TO ASK FOR A CONTRACT THAT MATCHES YOUR WORTH, a little ****ing appreciation would be nice.

Instead BB goes out into the media after Brady played with this gash on his throwing hand during a playoff game:

And says something along the lines of "It wasn't brain surgery".

I don't blame Brady for any of this..

Keyser Söze said:

Clearly there is tension. Love the chicken littles who refuse to believe any of this. It’s all some concoction of the media and fake. Reminds me of another group of people in his country.

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I don't think you understand what chicken little was all about.

Tony2046 said:

Funny. Nothing about you says anti-authoritarian. I mean nothing at all.

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Never has a post hurt me so much. I'm telling Ian.