Tom Brady Was Joined on His Podcast by Special Guest Bill Belichick and We're All in a Glass Case of Emotion

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All of us, Patriots fan, Patriots hater, that tiny percentage of the population who claim to have no strong opinion on the Pats, even as they've spent 20 years as most polarizing, hyper-relevant phenomenon in American popular culture, can all agree that no relationship has gripped the public's imagination more powerfully than the complicated bromance between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. It's been bigger than anything the Royal Family has produced. Has been more impactful than any political rivalry. And made even the most contentious and dramatic celebrity romance look like a schoolyard crush.

And it's not at all hard to see why. The last time two men of their level of genius came up against one another was Edison and Tesla. The last clash among such powerful people working on the same side came in conflict, it was Truman and MacArthur. The last time two such creative minds collaborated and then broke up, it was Lennon and McCartney. 

Which is why I have long said, and truthfully continue to say, I've invested more time thinking about Brady and Belichick's relationship than I have my own marriage of 29 years. And I regret none of it:

And so, I think I can speak for virtually all fans of both men and the team they won six championships when I say this latest step on their personal journey together is making my heart glow. Belichick guested on Brady's latest podcast, and the result was nothing less than everything you want out of two people you care about. 

Boston Herald -  “For me, there’s nobody I’d rather be associated with,” Brady said of Belichick. “From my standpoint, I think it’s always a stupid conversation to say, ‘Brady versus Belichick’ because, in my mind, that’s not what a partnership is about.”

Asked about their relationship, which according to several reports became severely strained during the 2017 season and helped grease Brady’s exit in March 2020, the former quarterback described it as “amazing.”

“(Belichick)’s not afraid to have a hard conversation,” Brady said. “And we didn’t always agree, but we always respected each other. I know he respected me for the job that I did, and I certainly did the same.”

Pardon me a moment while I pause at the keyboard to gather myself.

This is all I could've hoped for. What any child of divorce wants to see out of a couple that splits up. Not getting back together necessarily. They grew apart and the breakup was what they both needed. Just an acknowledgement of how great they were for each other. A celebration of all the good times they had. And above all else, the mutual respect they had at the beginning still intact. 

To hell with all the haters who couldn't shut up about their irreconcilable differences. Just because they disagreed about personnel decisions and the proper role of a business partner when it comes to the fitness regimen of an entire team doesn't make all those good memories go away. These two towering intellects stayed together longer than anyone in their field of endeavor could ever dream of. It ended. But the love never did. They are still the same unparalleled masterminds who used to sit down together and collaborate on things like how to deal with their mutual Ed Reed problem:

So this matters. The relationship the whole country was obsessed with for 20 years not only survives, it thrives. These two have been together through more than anyone in their profession ever has. And that dynamic has survived it all. Like the judges tell couples when they get divorced, you might not be coach and quarterback any more. But you're the parents of six championship banners forever.