I’ll take a stab at keep this brief.
Because I have to find Tom Brady to tell him how I’m doing.
And he wanted to know.
And my answer: “I’m doing a lot better than if we’d drafted Todd Husak.”
But then again, he’s probably worked that out on his own by now.
“Because this is fun for you.”
He went on to explain that he doesn’t care who wins or loses.
He just wants a story he can talk about in an interesting way.
That put this whole job in perspective in a hurry.
To live and die with our rooting interests.
And for that I’m eternally grateful.
So last night was a reminder of that.
And of something I’ve mentioned before, but have to bring up now.
And the 24 years since have all just been a coma dream.
The Tuck Rule was never called.
They didn’t win that game or the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Brady wasn’t the starter in 2002.
The free bi-weekly newspaper known as Barstool Sports never caught on.
And I’m going back to work at my courthouse job on Monday.
That’s how important Brady’s existence has been to me and millions of others.
What was remarkable about the Brady Hall of Fame induction was the size and scale of the thing.
It’s stunning when you think about it.
Events of this magnitude simply do not end careers with beginnings that humble.
Usually there’s a direct relationship between how things begin and end in this life.
If anything, things might go the opposite way, from grand beginnings to humble ends.
The same rule applies to sports tributes.
Generally speaking the sold-out-arena celebrations and the statue-worthy careers tend to be the ones we all saw coming.
Griffey Jr. Ripken Jr.
Possibly a few I can’t remember right now.
So this was one for the books.
The night started at the red carpet, with Dante on the mic and Nick Fasoli behind the camera.
And I was especially guilty.
I tried to sign Stephon Gilmore.
And might wake up tomorrow to a half dozen court summonses for Restraining Order hearings.
In fact, this whole event was like that.
No matter where your eyes turned, they landed on another person critical to the Dynasty’s success.
Team Hall of Famers.
Several Patriots rookies, including Drake Maye and Ja’Lynn Polk, sitting together wearing their own Pats jerseys.
People who need no introduction introducing themselves.
And now that I think of it, not one media member in sight.
And this happened:
It all culminated in Mr. Kraft’s announcement that Brady was getting the statue treatment.
The first one in franchise history.
A 12-footer, for the obvious reason.
I would’ve preferred something bigger.
Something along the lines of theColossus of Rhodes.
But there are probably FAA restrictions about building anything worthy of Brady.
And of course, there was Brady’s speech, which was 30 minutes of his usual brilliant oratory.
Speaking to the world, while appealing to the base.
Kicking in the dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin in all 60,000 of us.
But the highlight of the evening, without question, was Belichick.
Not even Taylor Swift ever inspired this level of noise.
Or devotion:
Capped off by Brady’s words for Belichick.
Deep underneath a 12-foot statue of the quarterback.
Soon to be joined by another of the coach who helped make him great.
Commissioned by the owner without whom none of this would’ve ever existed.
We have been truly blessed.
And the Good Lord willing, will continue to be.
The Greatest of All Time receiving the Greatest of All Tributes was confirmation of that.
