MONTREAL – Since Tom Brady was an exceptional athlete, I allow myself one with this column. I throw you the idea of telling your best – or worst – sporting moments associated with this legendary athlete.
Personally, I was so fascinated by Brady that I went to see him play six times and loved traveling hundreds of miles to watch him in action in Kansas City and Indianapolis. By the most wonderful of coincidences, I also had the chance to cover the last Super Bowl he won in a Patriots uniform, the 13-3 victory over Sean McVay‘s Los Angeles Rams in February. 2019 in Atlanta.
Moreover, unlike many journalists in the Boston area, I managed to maintain my journalistic impartiality until the very end.
But let’s go back to the beginning. Thanks to some of my best friends (hi to LP, Chuck, Martin, Dom, Nick and company), I fell in love with football during my high school years. That was before Brady came onto the scene following Drew Bledsoe’s injury in September 2001.
We already loved watching the Bledsoe Patriots except that I especially admired the Troy Brown, Ty Law, Kevin Faulk and Tedy Bruschi. When Brady took off, he multiplied our passion a thousandfold. Of course, it’s always nicer when your favorite team wins more often than not.
It was therefore only natural to pay for a first trip, in November 2005, to watch him defeat the Chiefs of Dick Vermeil, Trent Green and Tony Gonzalez at the striking and intimidating Arrowhead Stadium.
It didn’t take long for this stadium to live up to its reputation when friend and colleague François Poulin was shown on the giant screen with his Patriots jersey. The goal was obviously to allow fans to boo him in chorus.
Misery of misery, Brady did nothing to avenge the spectators. Instead, he had one of his worst career games being the victim of four interceptions!
Four years later, in October 2009, we noticed at the last minute that there were several relatively affordable tickets left for the visit of the Tennessee Titans to Gillette Stadium. Too naive at the time, we find four friends en route to Foxborough preparing, at worst, to see the match in the rain. But it was rather a memorable storm that was preparing to fall on the Patriots stadium. And yes, that famous match in the snow won 59-0 by Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker… I still laugh thinking about my friend LP who only had his tiny shoes and ankle socks. We were so badly dressed that we left before the end of the game!
A month later, it was already time to leave for Indianapolis to attend an epic duel against Peyton Manning. The tension was palpable in the stands (tell my friend Martin) as the Colts prevailed 35-34 with the highly controversial fourth down and two-yard verdict denied to Kevin Faulk.
In September 2011, my heart was a little torn because I came to watch a duel against the Chargers, a team that I was very fond of at the time of LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees. The Pats had the upper hand and it was sublime to see Vince Wilfork’s interception.
The following season, in December, another little tour of the Patriots’ realm to see them stomped the Houston Texans 42-14 thanks to four touchdown passes from Brady. Everything had been perfect tailgate At the end of the match.
In October 2017, the opportunity to see a rematch between the Falcons and Patriots was all too enticing after the Super Bowl’s extraordinary 28-3 comeback. If the match was rather ordinary, a thick fog gave a cachet to the evening.
The icing on the cake was the Super Bowl in Atlanta. Throughout the week, I was able to do interviews with a variety of Patriots players. But the fact of having asked a question to Brady will remain a lasting memory. I’d chosen to wear an Expos cap to get his attention and he had the class to add ” Nice hat! ».
After having lived all these beautiful moments, and even if I love the Expos, I can only thank him for not having chosen a career in baseball. So persistent and dedicated, Brady would no doubt have found a way to break into the sport as well.
My only regret is related to this pandemic. I had postponed until the 2022 season the project of going to see a game of Brady with my son. At least we will have been able to watch, as a family, the conquest of his seventh Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers.
And you, what are your (or your) memorable memories of Brady? And no problem if you prefer to hate it.
