I know there are those out there who would liken Tom Brady to Michael Jordan and Brett Favre on a scale of retire-ability. They likely think he chooses to come back from retirement on a whim. I don’t think this is a story of an athlete who just can’t let it go. I think, not knowing him, he just wants it to be his decision.
When news first broke that Brady was considering retirement, I was driving around listening to talk radio. A source had leaked Brady’s intention to retire to the press. The talking heads conjectured it wasn’t his wish. There was no way he would have wanted the news to come out in that way, stealing coverage form the upcoming conference championship that week. But then Brady came out to confirm, before he would later walk that back a few months later and play the following season.
Then when soties broke of trouble in his marriage with Gisele Bundchen, it was allegedly due to his choice to keep playing; it was putting stress on the relationship. He continued to play even as tabloids and so-called respected media outlets continued to focus on their marital woes.
And now, it’s official. Brady is done. In a story he put out himself, at a down time in the season, but before someone else could break the news.. He is not going out o an electrifying final season, befitting a player of his caliber. But it is in a way appropriate for someone who called the shots on field for over 20 years. It is on his call.
The Sideline Fix 