Tom Brady Gets a Dig in at the Patriots and is Not Particularly Subtle About It
It's often said that living well is the best revenge. But I disagree. To me the best revenge is living well and making sure that whoever you harbor a grudge with knows damned well how well you're living while they're still consumed with whatever started the beef in the first place. After all, what's the point of leaving a job where you were miserable if you don't occasionally let your old boss and coworkers know you are, as the kids say, vibing at 100 since you got out from under the yoke of their oppression and started living your best life?
I had an old boss who assigned me to the worst coworker in the history of the MA Trial Court for two full years as punishment for writing Barstool blogs when I was on break. If you think I wouldn't love her to know I have a press pass to Gillette and I've been to the White House and spend my days at home in a "Star Wars" t-shirt writing stuff that amuses me while going right from morning coffee to afternoon beers and almost no detoxing opioid addicts threaten to kill me on a daily basis any more, then you don't understand how human nature works.
And without a doubt in my mind, that is exactly what Tom Brady is doing here. Reminding his old boss that he and his favorite target are reunited and it feels so good. Acknowledging the fact that he and Gronk are now the No. 2 touchdown hookup duo of all time not with some video they recorded yesterday. But by breaking out this old chestnut. The one from the 2017 postseason that pans to Gronk wearing his AFC Champions shirt. Just pointing a big neon arrow at the fact the good times they once enjoyed together are back. This is the Twitter equivalent of sending your former employer a Christmas card of you and your wife on your new boat while they're struggling just to say in business.
As a fan of the Patriots first and Tom Brady a very, very close second, I don't like this but I'll be damned if I don't appreciate it. It's petty and vindictive. But I always wanted more petty vindictiveness out of the GOAT than he was willing to give. This makes him even more human, even though it's directed at the coach who has my undying loyalty. It's kicking Bill Belichick when he's down. And I've always believed that when someone is down is the perfect time to kick them. It's much less effort and you barely have to lift your leg.
After all, here are his numbers so far:
Coming off a game where he put up 21 points in the 4th quarter and was throwing touchdown passes from the 1 up by 18 with 3:13 left. And hit Gronk with a perfect TD toss at the boundary for the second straight week. Just being a Man in Full, with seemingly 14 tight ends and 20 wideouts on his roster and a blank check to do whatever he wants to do with his offense. Meanwhile, here's his replacement's game log:
A passer rating that's gone steadily downward since Week 1 when everyone was saying Cam Newton was an upgrade and wondering why Brady was throwing so many picks.
As Opal Fleener told that other hardened, taskmaster coach Norman Dale, "The sun don't shine on the same dog's ass every day." The lesson, I think, being that when you're riding high like Brady is and the sun is shining on yours, make sure you show that nice, sun-baked ass to anyone you feel did you wrong.
This totally sucks for me. But I can appreciate the artistry. Dammit, this year just refuses to run out of new ways to suck for me.