It’s been three weeks. Why is Tom Brady still saying goodbye to Patriots?
Tom Brady said his goodbyes and thank-yous to the New England Patriots on March 17 with two heartfelt statements, one to the fans and one to the organization.
The Patriots and their their fan base seem more than willing to let him pursue a new challenge with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without an inkling of hard feelings. They too have all bid a heartfelt farewell and expressed their gratitude — whether it was through official statements, billboards or homemade signs — to a guy who has led them to unprecedented success over the last 20 years.
That was nearly three weeks ago. So why is Brady still tweeting things such as, “Thank you, Pats Nation,” along with a video that features plenty of slow-motion footage of him in a Patriots uniform with an overdub of him talking about all the amazing relationships he formed on the team?
Why is he writing an essay published Monday in the Players Tribune that starts off, “Twenty years ago, I arrived in New England from a different coast ...” and includes paragraphs such as this one:
“But more than any one physical place, it’s the relationships I made in New England that I’ll miss the most. Of course, it starts with the entire New England Patriots organization, and Robert Kraft and the entire Kraft family. It extends to countless other individuals who played such a valuable role in my 20 years as a Patriot. Teammates and coaches, past and present. Old friends, new friends, the neighbors we went trick-or-treating with every year. But mostly, I’ll miss the fans.”
Tom Brady spent Sunday afternoon reliving one of his finest moments, the Patriots’ Super Bowl comeback over the Falcons, on his Instagram story.
Sure, the essay also includes things about how he needed a new challenge and how the Buccaneers have welcomed him with open arms, and that’s fine. He hasn’t necessarily addressed all that yet.
But you’ve already said bye and thanks to everyone in New England. They’ve said bye and thanks back and have been very gracious about it.
You’ve made the decision to move on. Now do it.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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