Ronaldo Hat-trick Inspires Brady?

What a weekend of football news! First, Ronaldo scored a superb hat-trick at Old Trafford to become the highest goal scorer in football history! Tom Brady watches from the stands and 24 hours later announces he is coming out of retirement for his 23rd NFL season! Why not? If at 37 (basically 50 in NFL years) Ronaldo can still dazzle, then why can't Brady at 45? After all, he was almost MVP last season. 

Ronaldo's best game of the year for Manchester United saw him score three excellent goals against the Spurs. Ronaldo's 805th, 806th, and 807th career goals saw him become FIFA's all-time goal scorer, edging past Austrian marksman Josef Bican who held the record for 80 years. Each goal was different from the other, aptly showcasing the range of talent that makes Ronaldo such a prolific scorer. The first was a swerving strike from 25 meters out. The next was a classic striker's goal, with Ronaldo deftly redirecting a cross in-front of goal. The third was a powerful header late in the 83rd minute to clinch an exciting 3-2 victory against the Spurs. The win pushed Man U into the fourth place in the EPL and kept them in the running for a place in Europe next season. 

Well, in the stands was another football record holder. 

And a day later Thomas Edward Patrick Brady announced (shockingly? predictably?) that he was back! Good news for most NFL fans, except perhaps for the guy who paid $500K+ for Brady's "last" touchdown ball. 

Man in the Arena...No More?

Yesterday evening ESPN reported that after 22 seasons, 7 Super Bowl wins (10 appearances)  and over 86,000 passing yards, Thomas Edward Brady Jr ("Tommy"), was retiring. As the tributes poured in the news was seemingly confirmed by Brady's company, TB12...

...or was it? Because not long after the company deleted the Tweet and there were reports that Brady has, in fact, not made a decision. Brady has stated he didn't want his retirement plans to divert attention from the playoffs. And yet, here we are. The biggest NFL news of he day is whether or not Brady comes back for a 23rd season and not about the divisional championship games today. And why not? He's has literally had the careers of three Hall of Famers as this graphic shows:

Remarkably, this season was one of his best as led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdown passes. So, yeah...we'd love a 23rd season, but if not...thanks for all that you did for the game! He was the quintessential "Man in the Arena."

In Belichick v Brady, Is Bill the Winner? Harvard Weighs In

The burning question in the 2020-21 NFL season for many football fans was who was more responsible for the Patriots dynasty. Was it due more to Tom Brady's leadership and skills or Bill Belichick's organization and strategizing? Well, the answer seems pretty clear now...Brady won his 7th Super Bowl this winter, while the Patriots went 7-9 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years. 

Now Harvard has also weighed in. A HBR analyses of 38 years of football data has determined, indeed, that the quarterback is the most important piece of an NFL franchise. The quarterback is most responsible for the variation in a team's record (~40%), followed by the head coach and GM. Brady it is then! 

But wait, Belichick is said to exercise extensive authority over the Patriot's football operations, effectively making him the team's GM as well as head coach. In that case, maybe Bill Belichick has been more important for New England's six titles than Brady? Nah, what do academics know...

Tom Brady's SB Wins in Perspective

So, Tom Brady got his seventh SB, yes 7, siete, sete, sept, saba, sheva...(at 43, if that matters). Just how remarkable that is: it's more than any NFL franchise!

How does that accomplishment feel...probably dizzying, delirious? Let's just ask Tom:

Super Bowl Sunday is Here...and it's Brady Time Again!

It's Super Bowl time and, of course, Tom Brady is in it! His 10th SB appearance is, by far, the most of any player...the closest is six by former teamate and Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Among quarterbacks John Elway is the closest with five SB appearance. And of course (and more importantly) he's also won the SB more times than any player...six and counting.

Tom Brady is 43 and in his 20th year in the NFL, to get a sense of how long that is and how much has otherwise changed, here's how Tom looked in a video game in 2001 and 2020:

2001 Brady

2020 Brady

SB Nation has good story on why Brady left the Patriots...many little things, but mainly because he wanted a long-term contract and the Patriots refused to give him one. And that rejection looks to have been motivation for a resurgent Brady:

2019 with the Patriots: 4,0377 yards passing, 6.6 yards per attempt, 24 TDs, 8 Is, 88 QB rating

2020 with the Bucs: 4,633 yards passing, 7.6 ypa, 40 TDs, 12 Is, 102 QB rating

So defintely, in the Brady vs Belichick war, Tom is ahead Bigly.

Speaking of which, Brady has his fair share of detractors...basically everyone he is not winning football games for. But he does have a big fan in Donald Trump and Brady certainly appreciates the support, which led to his most recent roasting on SNL.

Good luck, Tom!