Time For Tough Love
August 10th, 2020
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
It’s been almost five months since the goat packed his bags for Tampa and we’ve yet to see the first eruption of Mount Brady.
It’s coming.
The words will soon spill out like molten lava, directed toward a lazy teammate, perhaps even a misguided coach. Yes, there’s a new sheriff in town, armed with a razor-sharp mind, a golden resume and a salty tongue.
If things aren’t done to Tom Brady’s specifications, the F-bombs will flow — and Bruce Arians would have it no other way.
During his 20-year reign in New England, Brady won six Super Bowls and the hearts and minds of everyone in the organization. He did it by believing in himself, then passing on that faith to his compatriots.
He did it with a wink and a smile. If that didn’t work, Brady tried intimidation.
“I know how he is,” said Julian Edelman, Brady’s most trusted receiver during the past six seasons.
Edelman’s comments came four years ago on Boston sports radio. “He would be a little more scary if he wasn’t yelling at me because if he yells at you, then he says he loves you. So he really loves me I guess. I let him take his steam off. I’ll be that punching bag as long as it makes him feel good.”
Brady’s new punching bag will soon be revealed.
New target?
Over the years, Brady’s rants have gone viral. Whether he’s lashing out at receivers in Jacksonville or berating offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels at Buffalo, Brady doesn’t mind voicing his frustrations.
“You try to do the best you can,” he says. “You know the players and the personalities as much as you can. We spend a lot of time together. I think everybody is open to constructive criticism. I think there’s an element of emotion that you have on the football field. If you don’t play with emotion, you’re probably going to get beat.”
Heavyweight versus lightweight, writes Ira Kaufman.
A rant is only as effective as the person doing the yakking.
When Jameis Winston spoke about eating a win before a 2017 game in New Orleans, bewildered teammates didn’t know what to think. Winston was all fired up, but he lacked a body of work to command everyone’s attention.
The Bucs responded by playing sloppy, undisciplined football in a 30-10 setback, falling to 2-6 with their fifth consecutive loss.
When Brady lets loose, he’ll have the weight of 249 career wins behind him, by far the most of any quarterback in the league’s 100-year history.
While learning about the skills of his teammates in the next month, Brady will also determine some men of stature who can take the heat.
It might be Mike Evans or Ryan Jensen, veterans with enough mental toughness to withstand Brady’s daily diatribes without folding.
Free Swinger
If Brady wasn’t shy about voicing his frustrations in Foxborough, where winning was as natural as January frost, he’s certainly not planning to go silent in Tampa.
If anything, he’ll be even more animated and engaged, knowing he is free of Bill Belichick’s aura and nearing the end of his playing days.
Brady won’t hold anything back … and he shouldn’t. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the huddle. The man who gives you very little at a podium has been known to give you hell on the sidelines.
In this case, that’s a good thing. Buc players have been coddled for far too long.
It’s time for some tough love, and nobody does it better than No. 12, who was once asked about his penchant for public beratement.
“Well, I do that quite a bit in practice,” Brady said. “I speak in a lot of meetings, on practice fields, in the games, in the huddle.”
Soon, Buc players will be taking the field, led by a 43-year-old drill sergeant. Grab your helmets, shoulder pads and mouthguards.
Leave the ear muffs at home.
Bill Currie Ford
813-872-5555
5815 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33614
BillCurrieFord.com
Ira Kaufman’s column is presented by Bill Currie Ford. Click on Ira to visit BillCurrieFord.com.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:37 pm
I’m guessing he will be giving Donavan Smith a mouthful once or twice. I just hope he is able to make it upright when he does so. If he blows too many assignments, it could be the Blaine Gabbert show, yiiiiiiikes!!!
August 10th, 2020 at 2:43 pm
I’ll never forget the eating the W game. I seriously thought it was the Babylon bee type spoof.
August 10th, 2020 at 2:51 pm
Thank you Mr. Kaufman for pointing out the “eating W’s” speech from JW without the body of work to give it legitimacy. What a bizarre pregame pep talk. I’ve said it a few times on this here site. Brady and JW are polar opposites as leaders and QB’s. I think with all things being equal (practices, full preseason etc) our beloved Bucs would be a legit SuperBowl contender’s. I expect that TB12 may have a chemistry adjustment period.
August 10th, 2020 at 5:45 pm
Enjoyed the article.
August 10th, 2020 at 5:45 pm
Buckle up Tampa Bay! TB12 is here & we will see the best 2 years in franchise history!!! Jose can kiss my pasty white butt with his America’s QB for Porky Jamesis!!! The GOAT is fired up & will show Tampa what America’s QB looks like!! Let’s Goooooooooo!!
August 10th, 2020 at 7:06 pm
Well done Ira. It’s amazing how many of the Winston Lovers always focus on his 5,000 (garbage) yards last year, as if that is a body of work that matters. Yup, Winston led the charge in the NFL on that, clearly throwing for more than the next four QBs in the NFL who also threw for a lot of total yards. Like Winston, NONE of them made it to the playoffs either.
Oh yeah, Brady’s got the proven body of work. He has a stellar record making him the goat. That said, the Winston lovers still focus on him being only 26, though he’s started for five years…and he too has a body of work. One that all 32 NFL teams passed on. Rightfully so.
August 10th, 2020 at 7:08 pm
Isn’t it nice to have a QB we can be proud of? One who doesn’t make us wince every time he goes back to pass? One who doesn’t embarass us in our own stadium when other team fans cheer his throws right to them? One who doesn’t eat Ws? One who isn’t the only QB in NFL history other than Big Ben to be suspended with what Winston was suspended for? One who dosn’t proclaim he’s ballin’ after shattering the NFL turnover record and given another game away?
Yes, it’s nice.
August 10th, 2020 at 7:27 pm
Buford, they didn’t pass on Jay Miss. He’s got a 3rd string gig in NOLA. That makes him somewhere between the 65th and 96th best QB in the league. You go Jay Miss. You eat them W’s!
August 10th, 2020 at 8:18 pm
I am not sure you can eat “W’s” holding a clipboard Alvin.
Takes two hands I think.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:31 pm
Alvin, SB…you are right…they didn’t “pass” on Jameis…he is clearly the 65th to 96ths best in the world. Who wants him as their starter? Well, ZERO. LOL, Jameis will not be worried about holding a clipboard if he’s #3. How many hands does it take to put on a uniform? Well, that may not matter either. He may not even dress.
August 10th, 2020 at 11:01 pm
Roy…….rumors have it that the Kicker in N.O. won’t give up his number for JW.
August 11th, 2020 at 2:15 am
The team would have been fine and just taken Jameis’s quirkiness, his childlike nature just fine- all the high paid talking head former vets were so appalled by the eating W’s because they are washed up followers.
Pathetic-
How the beta male society piles on- people like Jaymiss pick 6 again
Get over it buddy
August 11th, 2020 at 2:16 am
Check yo sheet- JW led the NFL in total offense.
August 11th, 2020 at 9:40 am
Awesome article Ira. Gosh I’m pumped for football!