“He Was Like, ‘I’m Not Chasing These Quarterbacks. I’m Chasing M.J.'”
July 18th, 2022
Joe loves how the legend of Tom Brady continues to grow, courtesy of his former teammates who share their stories.
Recently, Joe was catching up on I Am Athlete podcasts and that included chatter from former Bucs running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy, who was a backup on the 2020 Super Bowl team.
The six-time Pro Bowler and the man with the most rushing yards in the 2010s calls it straight when he recounts life with the Bucs. And he told a story of how Brady explained to teammates that his sports goals are beyond the NFL.
“He was like, ‘I’m not chasing these quarterbacks. I’m chasing M.J.,'” McCoy said, referring to NBA legend Michael Jordan.
Immediately, McCoy was interrupted by a co-host and was asked if Brady really said that. McCoy emphatically said Brady did.
At the time, Brady had six Super Bowl rings and Jordan had six NBA titles, as did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Now Brady has seven rings, so who is he chasing or looking to surpass in 2022?
Joe can’t accept that Brady has Robert Horry on his mind, or various ancient NBA legends. But maybe Brady is seeing baseball legends Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle with seven titles and wanting to put them in the rearview mirror.
Brady is just a very different cat, one-of–a-kind for the ages. Perhaps when Brady’s wife famously said to him after the Bucs won the Super Bowl (caught by microphones) “What more do you have to prove?” she was referring to eclipsing Jordan on the total titles list?
Is he near the end? Perhaps. Then again, he may just be getting started.
Enjoy Monday’s Ira Kaufman Podcast. … …
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July 18th, 2022 at 2:27 pm
Just getting started?! Yes, please!
July 18th, 2022 at 2:31 pm
I’d submit that Brady isn’t even chasing MJ, but himself. Some people would argue that Jordan didn’t choose to walk away, but was forced into retirement because of his gambling addiction. Many credible reports say that David Stern was on the verge of suspending Jordan, for at least a year. Brady is addicted to nothing but football. Maybe Alex Guerrero. Brady is the most singularly driven athlete of all time. Larry Bird is the only other pro athlete that even compares.
July 18th, 2022 at 2:50 pm
Is the chase exclusive to rings and championships or is it more so the stature in the pantheon of sports? MJ is the basketball GOAT, but is also widely considered one of the greatest and most famous sportsmen of all time, owns an NBA team, is a billionaire, Nike has its Jumpman line created in his honor, and every single kid in the 90’s wanted to be like Mike. MJ transcends sports.
This post went straight to championships, but I don’t get that exclusively from the limited context of this quote presented. Think bigger!
July 18th, 2022 at 3:06 pm
I think Gisele showed him during his 40 day retirement that playing football is a better idea.
July 18th, 2022 at 3:13 pm
The bucs need to do everything they can to keep brady happy…which includes getting a monster left guard for him and super tight end.
We need to take draft picks and trade for beast on the oline.
Honestly no excuse to let brady even get breathed on.
If we don’t let him get touched by protecting him he will play 3 more years.
If we let him get beat up or hurt he will call it.
Draft next year a lt/rt so we can fine smith replacement or move wire to lt.
Marpet leaving really sucks.
Gronk leaving even more.
Mason will be a beast for us.
We only win with high power offense at this point we patch work a defense until brady calls it.
Free agent a pass rush..build this offense to not miss a beat under brady roll out the red carpet n let him run the show…
I would beg him to play action n screen much more to keep defenses off his snap count.
Fournette needs to be a god year n back ups need to make plays every time they touch the ball to push him.
Ronald clocking out messed up if not more then antonio brown scandle/tantrum…and as much as all wr getting injured
July 18th, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Very difficult to compare athletes from different sports and different eras……How do you compare Tom Brady to Babe Ruth?………Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods…..
Michael Phelps…or the new phenomenon female swimmer….Lia Thomas….
July 18th, 2022 at 4:55 pm
These writers will find something to compare a grape to a coconut. umm..they are both fruit…
July 18th, 2022 at 5:27 pm
His wife shouldn’t have said that.
It was a very negative thing to say.
Cancer girls can be very moody and manipulative.
Tom handles her well.
Go read “The Rational Male”
Save yourself from “toxic females”
July 18th, 2022 at 6:20 pm
Throwing for 400 yards, game winning drive ending in a td pass with no time on the clock, it’s his ‘drug of choice’
July 18th, 2022 at 7:03 pm
TBBF, not so fast. We have a modern day Ruth in the majors right now. He has 19 home runs, and a 2.38 ERA. His name is Shohei Otani. Ruth never had to worry about hitting, or pitching against African American, or south American ball players.
July 18th, 2022 at 7:09 pm
Bill Russel was a 13 time All Star. A five time MVP and has 11 rings. 😁
July 18th, 2022 at 7:34 pm
Bojim, but Russell was playing against six foot white guys with belts on their shorts. Save for a few, like Wilt. It wasn’t a coincidence they met in the finals almost every year.
July 18th, 2022 at 7:38 pm
Modern “training” certainly has a lot to do with it. Mickey Mantle got by on Bud heavy, Jack, and hot dogs. So it is kinda silly to compare across generations, let alone across sports. It is fun though, ain’t it
July 18th, 2022 at 8:26 pm
Well, hell, go after Ric Flair!
July 18th, 2022 at 8:43 pm
WOOOOH! Ric Flair it is Modhair. 😂
July 18th, 2022 at 11:15 pm
4 horseman 4 ever. Limousine riding, jet flyin, Rolex wearing, son of a gun. To be the man you gotta beat the man. Woooooh.
July 18th, 2022 at 11:23 pm
That’s a cool story, but without the baseball experiment, MJ would have 8 or 9. Still, to me, the best athlete of my lifetime is Jordan. The bar is to change your sport – there is a clear line in NBA history of before and after Jordan. The NFL has changed in Brady’s 20 years, but is because of Brady? Not really, unless you mean more PIs and defensive holding.
July 18th, 2022 at 11:49 pm
@Joe The Robert Horry pull was outstanding.
July 19th, 2022 at 3:15 pm
Tom “still have something to prove” Brady is on the hunt for the Saints this year. Bad year to be a Saints fan. And to View 132, Brady lost a full season to injury after going undefeated and throwing 50 TDs. He would have had Randy Moss for another year.