Could Brady Ever Be Hated

Could Brady Ever be Hated?
By Patrick Ronan

July is here and that means football training camp is right around the corner. This time of year symbolizes the return of our Super Bowl champion, dynasty-in-motion football squad.

And despite the shake ups this off-season that has Patriot Nation whispering, including the loss of mainstay Ty Law, the departure of two superb coordinators, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis, and the no-show of Pro-Bowler Richard Seymour at mini-camp, the confident swagger hasn’t changed a bit for New England’s faithful.

And a large reason for that is because a man named Brady has a fat, new contract and will be at the helm for at least another six years.

That’s got to mean at least four more rings, right?

So as our Golden Boy heads into training camp with the pressure of defending another championship, I started thinking and I’ve come to the conclusion that Tom Brady may easily be the most popular athlete in Boston sports today, if not the most popular in the history of professional athletes in this region. And why not?

He’s young. He’s talented. He’s charming. And most important--he wins.

Three rings in his first four seasons as a starter. Not only can no other quarterback in NFL history claim that feat, but no athlete in any sport can do so.

He’s the man that can do no wrong. It’s almost too good to be true. And with the unthinkable happening last October with our baseball team winning a World Series, I was left dumbfounded and left with the question: what’s left to surprise me in this town? And I figured it out.

Tom Brady being the most hated man on the local sports scene.

Is it possible? I feel uncomfortable just typing it, to be honest. I can’t think of one single moment in time in the past four years when the masses doubted Brady or put him in the doghouse. Not once.

And that is saying a lot in this town. Boston is the one place where no one gets a free pass. Ask any former star athlete that has put on a Boston uniform. Nomar. Pedro. Bourque. Clemens. Bledsoe. Mo. Even Bird. The list goes on. I’ll bring up some of these names again shortly, but ask yourself this question. Can you ever remember a guy in this town getting the royal treatment more so than Brady?

And here’s the million-dollar question. Or, in Brady’s case, the 60-million dollar question? What would Brady have to do in order to have the fans in this town turn on him?

Let’s face the facts. The mood of Boston sports fans is very much like the city’s weather, it can change in a day’s notice. And so far, it’s been fun in the sun for Brady.

I have no vendetta whatsoever with Brady. I own two Brady jerseys myself and have been his biggest supporter since he filled in for Bledsoe in Week 2 of the fateful 2001 season. I’m with the rest of the country when I say that right now, he’s the man. But looking at all the past stars in this town that lost their luster in various ways, it’s kind of fun(and demonic) to theorize what would happen if it this occurred with our Super Bowl hero.

Scenario #1 He starts to suck

This scenario is not all that far fetched. We’ve seen it from young guys before. What if Brady just lost his stuff? What if Weis was the glue that held the offense together and without him, Brady is a deer in the headlights with this Patriot’s offense. Or a fluky injury puts him on the sidelines for six weeks and he is never the same upon return. What if the team is mediocre for the next few years and we find out that he’s just not as legendary as we had envisioned ala Drew Bledsoe?

Would he be boo’d? Much like Bledsoe was at times, I think so. Everyone is susceptible to some booing. But would he become a target for long-term bashing and would the prestigious image be tainted forever? I think not. Whether he wins a single game for the rest of his career or not, he’s done more for the franchise than any other has. Just tally it up. That’s three Vince Lombardi trophies since Brady became the starting QB. Before that--zilch. As much as we would all be disappointed in a performance letdown, he’d still be looked at in very high regards and as one of the greats in this city’s history.

Scenario #2: A change in attitude

Here’s another one I hate to think about and highly doubt, but I’ve got to bring it up. But what if Brady turned into the primadonna a lot of athletes with his fame have turned into over the years. What if all of a sudden Brady was a complete dick with the media? He started up the silent treatment, like one Nomar Garciaparra. Or what if he started showing up late to games or practices like one Pedro Martinez.? This town has shown no tolerance for any one who has put themselves before the team, as the aforementioned have found out the hard way.

So would the new “attitude adjustment” destroy his aura and cause Brady-hating for years to come? It would be extremely discouraging, to say the least. And many fans would quickly turn on No. 12. But, still, he’s got enough leverage with these fans that a new attitude wouldn’t necessarily destroy his icon status. I could see a good portion of fans almost backing Brady’s antics, citing past examples of athletes being run out of town by the overbearing Boston media.

And after all, we were so pissed at Nomar and Pedro’s whining because, what exactly did they win for us? A couple wild card spots in the postseason. But Brady’s name is etched in the illustrious history of the single biggest game in sports. Certain people deserve special treatment. And I think we’d put him in that category.

So again, Brady passes that test. He survives what many haven’t been able to before. Let’s raise the bar a little bit, shall we?

Scenario #3: Steroids

What if Brady tested positive for steroids? I can almost hear the sighs of everyone reading this paper right now. I’m not accusing him, in any way, of using steroids. This is an article of full of theories and what if’s.

So what if Brady tests positive for steroids? He, with no doubt, loses a massive amount of support. But I can still see it now. He gets up on stage in front of the microphone, tears fall down his cheeks as he apologizes to all his fans and assures us that he never used steroids during any of the Super Bowl seasons. He just succumbed to the pressures of trying to make the fans happy. And just like that, he’s off the hook. He is portrayed as the courageous athlete who came clean with the people. A pioneer. Basically, Jose Canseco without the mental issues.

We forgive you, Tom. As long as you didn’t shoot up for the Super Bowls

The championships would be tainted on a national level, that’s for sure. But Brady would still hold local fan support. Just look at Bonds. He’s still got a huge following and a spot locked in the Hall of Fame. Trust me. I lived with a Giants fan for a year. Barry is still loved more than any of us can imagine. And this guy has publicly lied, he’s a complete asshole, and what exactly has he won?

So, if muscle head survives the steroid scandal, Brady could, too.

Scenario #4: Coming clean

Next up. What if Brady were to come out of the closet…..as a Yankees fan??? I’m joking of course, but to be honest, in this town I don’t know which one would be more damaging to a reputation, being a Yankee fan or being a gay football player?

Scenario #5: Personal Problems

Wade Boggs. Robert Parish. Larry Bird. Mo Vaughn. All have had some personal experiences that have been made public and seriously changed people’s perception of each of them. Boggs as a sex addict. Parish as a wife beater. Larry Legend as a deadbeat dad. Vaughn as the Foxy Lady’s number one customer.

Whether you like it or not, what these athlete’s do on their own time have a large effect on how we look at them. Look at Kobe. The guy is tormented in every arena he walks into. And he was acquitted.

So if Brady had a drastic event that affected his persona as the nice guy, would the public opinion change? I say no. Because if Bird can still get a standing ovation in the Fleet Center/TD Banknorth Garden even though he completely ignores his own flesh and blood, then Brady could get away with murder. Not literally, of course.

Scenario #6: Turning on Belichick

But here’s the kicker, folks. I think I’ve figured out the one circumstance where Tom Brady could have his image tarnished forever and have almost all respect lost.

If Brady were to, one day, start bad mouthing Belichick, that would be it. No forgiving Brady for this one. Hearts would be broken across New England the day Brady went after Belichick’s reputation. It would be his turn to the dark side and the ultimate example of biting the hand that fed you.

We’ve seen athletes and coaches battle before and demand a change from ownership, and for some reason, historically, the athletes have always won those battles. Look at Iverson staying in Philadelphia while Larry Brown hit the road. Look at Kobe staying in LA while Phil Jackson said his goodbyes. (Even though he’s back) It’s just the way it usually works out with star athletes. They draw the money. They call the shots.

But this town respects Belichick too much. Belichick stuck with Brady in that 2001 season when Bledsoe came back from injury. If it wasn’t for Belichick, I wouldn’t be writing this article in the first place. The word dynasty would be more foreign than a Red Stripe beer.

So there it is. I’ve concluded that it would be DAMN hard to ruin Brady’squeaky clean reputation but a battle with Coach Bill would surely do it. In Bill we trust. Everyone knows that.

But fear not, my children. I feel confident that Brady will continue to be the MVP he has proven to be and he will be in good standing with the locals for a long time.

It’s even harder to imagine what Brady would have to do to become more popular than he currently is in this town. And to think, if one guy could give Brady a run for the money for top Boston sports heroes, it could be his backup quarterback.