Man in the Arena Discussion

[Steve102]

Ali’s career reminds me of Brady.

Phase 1 - Upset and Rise. Begin as cinderella story (Liston/Rams)…then established themselves as dominant champions of the sport.

Setback - (Dodging the draft and losing prime years/Scandals, Giants losses, 10 year drought)

Phase 2 - Climb back to top. Rise again to championship despite no longer being at peak; adapt performance. In this stage, all of the most classic battles (Frazier, Frazier II, Foreman/ SB49, SB51)

Phase 3 - Longevity stretch. Become champion at an age no one thought possible.

This is a pretty good parallel. Let's hope he doesn't have a similar final chapter as Ali.

I think the major difference between the two is Ali was a cultural lightning rod and a worldwide household name. Brady hasn't and likely won't get to this level. On the field and in the ring, you're spot on tho.

 

[0818NePa]

I think that TB departure cannot be explained only looking at 2020 negotiations. A lot was developing under the surface since 2014. And in 2020 there was ZERO chance that TB would have resigned with NE.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Brady did say that he did like how Manning went to Denver and kind of got to reset his career. I also think he was looking for something different, and a different way of doing things. He is on the record as saying he wanted to see if there was a different approach that could also produce a championship and he obviously found that Tampa.

As I was watching the Pats/Bills game last week, it kind of struck me that Brady was done with that type of offense/game plan. He really wanted to have a better O and be a part of these more high flying/potent attacks as opposed to a defensively led team. I don't blame him at all for that as after 20 years he was ready for a change. I also don't blame Bill either because although I would have loved for him to have evolved and given Brady some of things he wanted, his program has been so successful and he is almost 70 so why change at this point.

It is nice to see both of them proving just how great they are this year after the Pats had to reset last year with Newton.

Jesus Tom would have lost his **** if he only threw 3 passes. We'd have a "miserable" press conference on our hands.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I think that TB departure cannot be explained only looking at 2020 negotiations. A lot was developing under the surface since 2014. And in 2020 there was ZERO chance that TB would have resigned with NE.

Yeah, he put his house on the market in the summer of 2019. People on this board, including Deus, were saying that it wasn't a big deal lol. Most of us knew that it signified Brady was gone after the 2019 season. Plus remember when Edelman and Brady were at the Celtics game and Edelman said "He's coming back!"? Brady turned to him and said "no he's not." Pretty clear that Brady was not happy his last few years in NE. I guess things change when you become a superstar. At first, you're a "team guy," like Mac is now - you listen and do as you're told and you're happy being a foot soldier. However, once you start getting a bunch of rings/stats, you want more power and influence over the team. Rodgers is a great example.

 

[Ring 6]

Brady did say that he did like how Manning went to Denver and kind of got to reset his career. I also think he was looking for something different, and a different way of doing things. He is on the record as saying he wanted to see if there was a different approach that could also produce a championship and he obviously found that Tampa.

As I was watching the Pats/Bills game last week, it kind of struck me that Brady was done with that type of offense/game plan. He really wanted to have a better O and be a part of these more high flying/potent attacks as opposed to a defensively led team. I don't blame him at all for that as after 20 years he was ready for a change. I also don't blame Bill either because although I would have loved for him to have evolved and given Brady some of things he wanted, his program has been so successful and he is almost 70 so why change at this point.

It is nice to see both of them proving just how great they are this year after the Pats had to reset last year with Newton.

Due to the confluence of circumstances Brady leaving was best for both sides.

 

[amfootball]

Due to the confluence of circumstances Brady leaving was best for both sides.

I think it has been better for Brady because his personal legacy was enhanced so much by his SB win last year and his bid for league MVP this year.
He just won SIs sportsman of the year at age 44. That does not happen if he does not have the success he had the past 12 months.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I think it has been better for Brady because his personal legacy was enhanced so much by his SB win last year and his bid for league MVP this year.
He just won SIs sportsman of the year at age 44. That does not happen if he does not have the success he had the past 12 months.

Yes, but you are assuming that he would have done the same things had he stayed here in NE. Little chance he throws for 40 TDs without Evans, Gronk, Godwin, and Brown.

 

[sb1]

Yes, but you are assuming that he would have done the same things had he stayed here in NE. Little chance he throws for 40 TDs without Evans, Gronk, Godwin, and Brown.

They win the Super Bowl this year with Brady.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

They win the Super Bowl this year with Brady.

Only because of the defense and Bill's coaching, which is what the formula was for 20 years.

 

[RobertWeathers]

They win the Super Bowl this year with Brady.

At Mac's salary no question

 

[VectorPrime]

I think that TB departure cannot be explained only looking at 2020 negotiations. A lot was developing under the surface since 2014. And in 2020 there was ZERO chance that TB would have resigned with NE.

After 28-3 and not getting a new contract in the 2017 offseason is what caused the real initial breach.

 

[Ring 6]

I think it has been better for Brady because his personal legacy was enhanced so much by his SB win last year and his bid for league MVP this year.
He just won SIs sportsman of the year at age 44. That does not happen if he does not have the success he had the past 12 months.

I’m not going to pick nits. It was the best move for both sides.

 

[Ring 6]

They win the Super Bowl this year with Brady.

No they surely don’t because it wouldn’t be the same team.
68 mill spent in free agency would face been 18.
The team would still be degraded from the one that limped through the end of 2019

 

[amfootball]

I’m not going to pick nits. It was the best move for both sides.

This isn't nits. It's facts. Brady did more for his personal legacy leaving and winning in Tampa and making a bid for league MVP this year. Now, if Bill wins the SB this year with a rookie QB then IMO he will have done the same for his legacy.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

This isn't nits. It's facts. Brady did more for his personal legacy leaving and winning in Tampa and making a bid for league MVP this year. Now, if Bill wins the SB this year with a rookie QB then IMO he will have done the same for his legacy.

I don't think what he did last year adds much to his legacy TBH. He's not the first QB to win a super bowl or a league MVP on another team.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

In 2020 the Pats wouldn't have done much even with tb12. It was a bad team. Lacosse, Izzo, NKeal Harry

 

[amfootball]

I don't think what he did last year adds much to his legacy TBH. He's not the first QB to win a super bowl or a league MVP on another team.

LOL. It did more for his legacy than any other win in his career because he did it away from Bill in year one. Only him and Peyton Manning have done it in the SB era and only Brady has been SB MVP of 2 teams and of course he did it in another conference.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don't think what he did last year adds much to his legacy TBH. He's not the first QB to win a super bowl or a league MVP on another team.

LoL

 

[SHOWTIME15]

LOL. It did more for his legacy than any other win in his career because he did it away from Bill in year one.

What does him doing it in another conference have to do with anything? His greatest win was SB 51. End of story.

 

[amfootball]

What does him doing it in another conference have to do with anything? His greatest win was SB 51. End of story.

This is what Manning said:
"That was interesting," Manning said Sunday on SportsCenter. "I've talked to Tom at different times, but never really about that actual decision. He seems happy, he seems excited. I'm a little surprised he jumped over to the NFC. I always see Tom Brady as an AFC guy, so he's going to have to go through initiation to learn the ropes of the NFC."

What Manning is saying is Brady played 20 years in the AFC with an unbelievable amount of intel on the AFC teams given how often he played them. To go over to the NFC to teams he only saw once every four years represented a huge learning curve, not to mention the Covid restrictions which cancelled the off-season. That is what made his run to title #7 truly historic - he left Bill, left the AFC, went to a new system, an offensive-minded HC, no off-season, year one, a team that was 7-9 and had not made the playoffs in 13 years, torn MCL ... and he won the whole DAMN thing beating Brees, Rodgers, Mahomes. MIC DROP.