Tom Brady Skipped OTAs to Spend More Time with ... Phil Mickelson

Golf – How is Phil Mickelson prepping for his latest run at the career Grand Slam? For starters, a round with Tom Brady.

Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte reported on Tuesday that Mickelson’s schedule for the next two days includes rounds at nearby Friar’s Head. Rosaforte said his round today is with Rickie Fowler, investment banker Jimmy Dunne and Brady.

Well OK then. There you have it. For a Patriots fan base that has pretty much spent the last five months living an episode of Black Mirror where everyone we care about is being systematically replaced by replicants programmed to act like the Cincinnati Bengals, this is welcome news indeed.

Remember in Tom vs. Time where Brady talked about needing more time with his loved ones? And that interview with Jim Gray where he talked about his time commitments with “A lot of people are getting the short end of the stick in my life” and his need to “invest in them too”? And Mr. Kraft a couple of weeks ago at the owner’s meeting discussing his quarterback’s “responsibilities”? Well now we’re seeing the GOAT live up to those commitments, just like he and RKK said. We just know the loved ones they were describing were Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and some investment banker.

So this is where we are at I guess. The man who used to greet Rodney Harrison in the workout room at 6:30 in the morning with “You decided to sleep in?” and stay on the field for extra work after training camp practices is now officially in the “Optional Means Optional So I’m Golfing With Tour Pros” stage of his career. I mean, I get it. If Barstool told me about an “optional” conference call and my other “option” was playing a round at Friar’s Head with Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and some money manager, I wouldn’t burn one mental calorie weighing the “options.” But I’m a lazy, Type B, barely employable slacker, not the most uber-motivated athlete of all time. And I’ll say right now that, while I love my kids, if I’m given a choice between playing Fallout 4 with them or 18 holes with golf legends, it’s “See you guys when I get home.” But I’m a mediocre dad who let’s their mom do all the parenting. I didn’t do produce a six-part miniseries about my need to balance work and family.

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The bottom line is that OTAs are non-mandatory which means anyone who blows them off is answerable to no one. Until further notice this is still America and what you do with your free time is your business and yours alone. Tom Brady doesn’t owe me or you an explanation. But if we’re being honest, it’s getting harder to recognize the guy who used to be the hardest working man in football. And that is tough to admit.