Tiki Barber Analyzes The War On Tom Brady
June 30th, 2020
Remember when Tom Brady told The Howard Stern Show that he doesn’t trust the media like he used to?
Brady was being wise, and voilà, a matter of weeks later we sit amidst The War on Tom Brady.
Joe’s been documenting the national and local assault for days. How dare Brady flout the NFL players union request for players to cease private — and legal — workouts in small groups?
Why Brady is an irresponsible member of the human race for hosting workouts with a dozen adults outdoors at a private school — a matter of minutes before legions of kids and counselors arrive at the premises for mask-free summer camp. What a monster!
After Brady posted a photo of himself on social media with the famous Franklin Delano Roosevelt quote, “Only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” well, the media bombs escalated to heavy artillery.
Tiki Barber did some self-reflection this week on live radio after explaining how he first reacted to Brady’s comments.
Barber was mad, he explained on CBS Sports Radio, but then decided to invest time to learn what Roosevelt’s quote and speech were about roughly 90 years ago.
Barber described his initial reaction to Brady’s social media post.
“When I read that, it kind of infuriates me. As much as I like Tom Brady, it almost infuriates me,” Barber said. “Because who is he, despite his success as a football player and as a leader, to thumb his nose at a pandemic that is taking over this country?
“Just because you’re invincible on a football field doesn’t mean that you’re invincible off of it for an invisible virus — that you might not even know that you have and could be passing on to anyone you come in contact with. I mean, c’mon Tom Brady. I would think that he’d be better than this.”
Again, that was Barber’s initial take — after Barber was a miffed because weeks ago Brady’s company, TB12, marketed a new supplement to boost immunity.
“It was almost like look at me for advice on how to, you know, beat the coronavirus. It was insensitive,” Barber said he thought. “I don’t care what you’re making, Tom Brady, or your team. It’s not going to stop a pandemic from happening. Your immune system’s not going to automatically turn invincible because you’re taking TB12 products.”
Barber wanted to “excoriate Brady for being reckless,” he said, but instead dove into deeper study of the FDR quote.
What Barber found, he said, was an inspirational speech about the need for hope. He believes Brady was sending a similar message to the world — to not be paralyzed by fear in the midst of major changes due to coronavirus and protests of racial discrimination.
“Despite the fact that my initial reaction was to crush Tom Brady, I’m actually going to commend Tom Brady for trying to use his position as a champion, as a leader, as this great example in the most popular sport in the United States to send a message of hope,” Barber said. “At least that’s what I hope Tom Brady meant.”
Obviously, Joe doesn’t know Brady. Barber said he used to hang out with Brady years ago. But Joe does know that blasting Brady for his social media post and for practicing with teammates is lunacy for so many reasons. The hypocrisy hits a new level of stunning.
The NFL and the NFLPA do a lot for youth football across the country. Joe wonders if the media will hammer these entities into halting their financial support immediately because youth leagues won’t be able to follow the same safety protocols as the NFL? You know, blasting the NFL for being potential accessories to murder.
Joe just hopes Brady doesn’t get caught posing for a photo with a fellow jet-skier on Hillsborough Bay this weekend.
June 30th, 2020 at 5:06 pm
Am I the only one sick of the word “insensitive” used in today’s conversation?
June 30th, 2020 at 5:18 pm
Cobraboy
How about the intolerance of those who complain about intolerance.
Or the wokeness of those who are truly clueless
New game!
Everyone try to come up with a unique one
June 30th, 2020 at 5:19 pm
If you’re weak enough to allow a pro athlete to influence how you handle your pandemic response, you’ve probably contracted it already. We don’t need celebrities lecturing about other celebrities. Please God let this be done.
June 30th, 2020 at 5:28 pm
Yawn.
June 30th, 2020 at 5:32 pm
Very well written Joe. Sometimes you can be a wordsmith!
June 30th, 2020 at 5:42 pm
that you might not even know that you have and could be passing on to anyone you come in contact with. I mean, c’mon Tom Brady. I would think that he’d be better than this.”
………
T TOTAL BS!!!!
Thanks to the greedy business owners in this town we have had over 150,000 tourists come through our town in the last two weeks!! They come through the gate to stay for a nite, shop for souvenirs, go to bars, and eat at the restaurants.
My 13 year old works at a T shirt shop for the summer and has to deal with hundreds of tourists a day. We have already had the “sickness” so I am not so worried about him but WTF about Brady hurting people by holding private workouts. NOTHING like people like my son being exposed to tourists All Day Every working day. Can’t wait till one of the people on the city council that voted to open the Gates too early catches it.
June 30th, 2020 at 5:48 pm
Now we know Barber is uber woke.
I will never think of him the same way ever again.
June 30th, 2020 at 6:06 pm
I’m curious if people here are aware that Goldman Sachs is NOT considered some liberal cabal out to get Donald Trump. In fact many of his economic advisors have GS backgrounds
“National mask mandate could save 5 percent of GDP, economists say
The requirement could protect the public while avoiding some of the pain of an economic shutdown, Goldman Sachs research finds”
If there is a desire to read the story just go to the WAPO or I can do a link.
June 30th, 2020 at 6:07 pm
Brady is the type of guy I want to be next to me in a foxhole……
I will never apologize for having hope.
June 30th, 2020 at 6:22 pm
Hey Joe there has been a lot of chatter from talking heads Michael Lombardi included about Brady pushing for AB have you heard anything about that?
June 30th, 2020 at 6:34 pm
Cobraboy
He didn’t read it, so he can’t debate it.
Oh, but he’ll tell you all about it when it arrives!
June 30th, 2020 at 6:51 pm
Like I said…deaths are on the decline and for young people this is less deadly than the flu. It’s here, it isn’t going away so let’s learn to live with it. New York accounts for half the deaths. In my opinion this is being handled in a manipulative way. Protect the vulnerable but let’s open this country back up.
June 30th, 2020 at 7:03 pm
The games need to be played so we can start talking about the games and stop talking about all this other crap.
June 30th, 2020 at 7:17 pm
A doctor myself, I love all of these non doctors know everything!! Rhonde I respect you, always have. But you are ignorant to what is going on! Never have been a Brady fan, but he is successful because he has reasoning power and the mental aptitude to comprehend what is going on. SoTry Rhonde you are just bought off by the media, be a coach and get out of the box.
June 30th, 2020 at 8:45 pm
Joe,
Doesn’t all this negative attention towards TB12 make him the new “America’s QB”?
June 30th, 2020 at 9:27 pm
Great article Joes. Tiki is a wise man and a great example of why rushing to judgement is nearly always a bad idea. Sadly, it seems to be ingrained into a sizable portion of our country right now. Or maybe it’s deliberate? Humans evolved to communicate with one another and if any one side thinks that it has all of the answers, things are going to get worse before they get better. I miss football.
June 30th, 2020 at 9:41 pm
DoooshLaRue Says:
June 30th, 2020 at 8:45 pm
Joe,
Doesn’t all this negative attention towards TB12 make him the new “America’s QB”?
……………..
So, So, SO True.
He was “America’s Q@B at first because he “moved the needle”
Well that Dam ‘needle’ has never been moved as much as the last two months.
July 1st, 2020 at 4:13 am
Would be awesome if the Buccaneers would pay for player health monitors for little leagues and schools in Tampa Bay and surrounding communities.
The monitors would be responsible to check players health and monitor player health performance during contests. Would be a great way to give back to the people who support the team and I am sure that there are all kinds of tax breaks for the Team for creating economy in Tampa Bay and surrounding communities.
Go BUCS!!!
July 1st, 2020 at 8:28 am
Since the media, sports leagues, social media and press are pretty much one monolithic voice I’m pretty sure in another five years we will have one news source….
I’ve got an idea let’s call it ‘Truth” If your Russian you can call it “Pravda”
July 1st, 2020 at 9:15 am
T^his is pretty amazing, from a good friend elsewhere:
I call shenanigans.
July 1st, 2020 at 10:52 am
The “WAPO” is a Commie rag!
July 1st, 2020 at 12:19 pm
I see my commentary on the Russians might’ve been hacked by the Russians!
Too far I guess, Joe?
July 1st, 2020 at 1:20 pm
Increasingly the numbers world wide are telling us The Sickness is pretty much in line w/ (average to slightly above average) seasonal flu numbers. People can be so easily bamboozeled.
July 1st, 2020 at 1:55 pm
^^^Is that a fact?
Fun fact: Historical data, maintained by the CDC, shows that the U.S. in 2017-2018 had the most Influenza (Flu) deaths of any year since 2010, ~60,000.
In case you missed the point, that was the highest total over the last decade.
One might argue, in this case, that the numbers are just a hair above “slightly above average”! Just a hair though!
July 1st, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Initially thought this was Ronde and once I realized it was Tiki it made sense. The term “insensitive” is code for snowflake.
July 1st, 2020 at 2:13 pm
Indeed it is. Feel free to peruse the studies..
“According to the latest immunological and serological studies, the overall lethality of Covid-19 (IFR) is about 0.1% and thus in the range of a strong seasonal influenza (flu).
In countries like the US, the UK, and also Sweden (without a lockdown), overall mortality since the beginning of the year is in the range of a strong influenza season; in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, overall mortality is in the range of a mild influenza season.”
“Even in global “hotspots”, the risk of death for the general population of school and working age is typically in the range of a daily car ride to work. The risk was initially overestimated because many people with only mild or no symptoms were not taken into account.”
July 1st, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Too bad training camps arent open Tiki might then have something worthwhile to be incensed about.
July 1st, 2020 at 4:43 pm
Dodgy-Maybe the rate is in line, certainly not the number though. 126,000 vs 60,000 at the high point? The difference, one would have to assume, is the aggressiveness of this particular strand versus a standard flu, no?
Much more data is needed to make any type of fair comparison, IMO. It’s kind of why I take issue with the flu comparison.
Off topic, imagine that we are nearing flu season in just a few short months!
This is a mess!
Thank you for citing.
July 1st, 2020 at 6:46 pm
Bucsfanman Says: Off topic, imagine that we are nearing flu season in just a few short months!This is a mess!
Not to worry. Hospital discharge planners already have a plan in place to keep those numbers “in line”.
July 1st, 2020 at 8:05 pm
“Joe’s been documenting the national and local assault for days.”
That’s pretty ignorant to say in this article I hen this is the only one that doesn’t start out by calling him park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Bucs quarterback Tom Brady much longer than a few days