Did A Ticket Agent Give The Bucs An Idea To Go Get Tom Brady?
February 1st, 2021
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
The headline seems hysterically nuts, sure. But the way Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht tells the story, it’s almost plausible that Licht got the idea to chase Tom Brady from a ticket agent.
Last week on the Peter King Podcast, King wanted to know the genesis of how Licht and/or Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians hatched the plan to go chase Brady, now the park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback.
Licht said he first mentioned the idea to Arians at a social gathering of all Bucs employees roughly a year ago.
“We had like an end-of-the-year get together with the staff, with the business side, the entire organization,” Licht said. “Bruce and I were mingling with people we don’t normally mingle with. You know, people that work in ticketing and accounting and that kind of stuff.
“I pulled [Arians] aside and I remember saying, ‘You know, there is one player out there that may sound like a pipe dream but we could consider. It is Tom Brady.’ And it just kind of went from there.”
Joe just pictures Licht, walking around with a vodka in hand, making nice small talk with fellow Bucs employees (“Why won’t you draft a defensive end?”) and a ticket agent tells Licht he read in the Boston Globe that Brady may not re-sign with the Belicheats. And then a light bulb goes off in Licht’s head and then he pulls Arians aside with his brainstorm.
Joe has zero idea if that is how it went down, but he way Licht told the story it sure doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
Regardless, Brady is here. And the Bucs are six days from playing in a Super Bowl in their own crib.
Enjoy this week Bucs, fans. This is as rare as it gets. What do you think the odds were when the NFL awarded the game to the Bucs that they might actually be the NFC representative in the same Super Bowl?
February 1st, 2021 at 7:09 am
I actually think it was someone from the catering staff……”Would you like a miniature shrimp & grits Mr. Licht….and why don’t you go get us Tom Brady to replace America’s Quarterback?”
February 1st, 2021 at 7:12 am
Go check out the NFL experience along Riverwalk…..its great, especially for the kids. GO BUCS!
February 1st, 2021 at 7:36 am
Uh Joe we do have a idea what happened. He clearly states that he threw the idea out there and made no mention of a staff person giving him the idea. SMH! Go Bucs!!!!!!!
February 1st, 2021 at 7:37 am
We could probably concoct any story desired out of rumor or shear fantasy. I emailed Mark Dominik in the third quarter of the 2013 season as asked him when he was going to make some coaching changes, becuase Schiano had clearly lost his team, and the fans (what was left) were next. He told me “Let’s just wait and see how the season plays out.” At a game a week or so later, I saw Joel Glazer, and told him answers from Dom were simply unsat–“How long do you expect people to support this team in the state it’s in?” I even suggested he bring in someone from the lore of old to spark interest, like Lovie Smith. Within weeks, both Schiano and Dominik were gone. So I’m surely not the only guy that raised he11 about the terrible team and coaching, and hope I had nothing to do with influence on the Lovie hire (joking here). But, it was always a no brainer to me that Tom Brady, if you can get him, would start a transformation and they needed to go after him. But I suppose I could claim “I am the one” when I know that’s bunk. But ticket agents, called “member associates” with the Bucs, probably have less influence and access to the GM than the fans, believe it or not. I remember they even held cocktail parties and Q&A breakfasts for Club members at one point. But since Schiano, and fans calling in and beating him up on the radio, they’ve seemed pretty guarded. Even fan access is now very antiseptic, even before COVID.
February 1st, 2021 at 8:42 am
Rumor has it that an Uber driver mentioned it to Licht. Lol. Brady has been on Lichts mind forever. There’s an interview out there with Licht talking about the Super Bowl vs the Falcons. Licht worked for the Falcons at the time. Everyone was celebrating in the management boxes when Falcs went up big and Licht says to them all that that’s Freddy Fn Krueger (Brady) over there on that other sideline so don’t celebrate yet. Look it up. Great interview.
February 1st, 2021 at 9:15 am
licht was sitting at home watching a “tom gravy” chunky soup commercial, when his wife brought him out a piping hot and tasty bowl of new england clam chowder…
he said: “where’s my oyster crackers bish!”…
she stormed of yelling: “tell tom brady to bring them to you!!”…
he said “I will”…
the light bulb went off…
the rest is history
February 1st, 2021 at 9:45 am
When Gronk was co-hosting the New Year celebration 2019-2020 with Steve Harvey, he made cryptic references to coming out of retirement. We all know he wasn’t going to play for Belicheat again, and also wasn’t likely to play with anyone but TB12. So, the plans were already in the works by then by TB12 at least. Even though I’m sure he had not spoken with any other team yet cause that would be against the rules.
February 1st, 2021 at 6:33 pm
These “scenarios ” are hilarious keep em comin guys! GO BUCS!