WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.500 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we are really 00:00:02.500 --> 00:00:05.040 getting into it with, well, arguably the defining 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:08.199 figure of American pro football success, Tom 00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:10.759 Brady. Absolutely. Seven Super Bowl titles. I 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:13.660 mean, a 23 season career. It's staggering. It 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:16.570 really is. And our mission here is to go. you 00:00:16.570 --> 00:00:19.269 know beyond just the highlights the wins right 00:00:19.269 --> 00:00:21.510 and really understand the context some of those 00:00:21.510 --> 00:00:23.769 early struggles which might surprise you and 00:00:23.769 --> 00:00:26.910 uh what's driving him now post playing and i 00:00:26.910 --> 00:00:28.730 think it's crucial you have to start at the beginning 00:00:28.730 --> 00:00:32.509 because the core of his story maybe still is 00:00:32.509 --> 00:00:34.909 that he was the ultimate underdog okay let's 00:00:34.909 --> 00:00:36.789 definitely unpack that that single fact that 00:00:36.789 --> 00:00:39.070 just blows people's minds even now yeah the 2000 00:00:39.070 --> 00:00:43.140 nfl draft he goes 199th overall Sixth round. 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:44.840 Sixth round. I mean, people call it the biggest 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:46.939 draft steal in NFL history. And it's hard to 00:00:46.939 --> 00:00:49.039 argue, isn't it? No argument here. It completely 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:51.359 changed how teams thought about finding quarterbacks. 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:54.100 And that set up, what, 20 seasons with the Patriots? 00:00:54.100 --> 00:00:56.619 Then those final three really interesting years 00:00:56.619 --> 00:00:59.479 with Tampa Bay. And, yes, seven rings total. 00:00:59.780 --> 00:01:02.479 But before the NFL, even getting on the field 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:05.540 at Michigan, that was a battle in itself. Our 00:01:05.540 --> 00:01:08.980 sources show his time there, 95 to 99, was, well, 00:01:09.019 --> 00:01:12.709 tough. Oh, incredibly tough. He shows up. finds 00:01:12.709 --> 00:01:15.609 himself seventh on the death chart. Seventh. 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:18.989 Wow. And the sources, they really detail the 00:01:18.989 --> 00:01:21.469 anxiety. He was actually thinking seriously about 00:01:21.469 --> 00:01:25.239 transferring out. So it wasn't guaranteed he'd 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:27.780 even stick with football at that level. Not at 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:29.939 all. And that's where you see the mental side 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:32.319 starting to develop. He leaned heavily on a sports 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.180 psychologist, worked weekly with Greg Harden, 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:37.879 the assistant AD, just building confidence. So 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:40.040 that grit was there early. Absolutely. It paid 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:42.120 off. Once he finally got the starting job, he 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:44.459 went 20 and 5. Solid record. And that Orange 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:47.099 Bowl. The 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama, that 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:49.000 feels like classic Brady before he was Brady. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:52.159 Exactly. Down 14 points twice, leads them back, 00:01:52.299 --> 00:01:54.599 wins it in overtime. That comeback kid thing, 00:01:54.659 --> 00:01:56.879 it started right there, way before the NFL knew 00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:59.239 him. Okay, so he gets drafted, lands in New England 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:02.659 in 2000, and basically disappears for a year. 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:05.239 Pretty much. Fourth string QB. Completed, what, 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:08.780 one pass all season? One pass, six yards. Basically 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:11.400 a ghost, statistically. Just waiting for a chance, 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:15.580 you know? Until week two, 2001. Drew Bledsoe 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:18.340 takes that massive hit from Mo Lewis, internal 00:02:18.340 --> 00:02:21.460 bleeding, he's out. And suddenly, Brady's in. 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.219 Was it genius planning by the Patriots? Probably 00:02:25.219 --> 00:02:27.060 more like depth chart necessity, right? Right, 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:29.580 just next man up, but he grabs that chance. He 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:31.800 really does. Goes 11 -3 as the starter, makes 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:34.319 the Pro Bowl that year. Just phenomenal. But 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:36.360 then the playoffs arrive, and boom, controversy. 00:02:37.020 --> 00:02:39.259 Right away. Yeah, sets the tone, doesn't it? 00:02:39.500 --> 00:02:41.180 The tuck rule game against the Raiders. Okay. 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:43.300 Refresh this quickly. What was the core issue 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:45.819 there? Why is it still debated? Well, the nutshell 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:48.539 version is Brady looks like he fumbles the ball 00:02:48.539 --> 00:02:50.319 late in the game, potentially ending it. Right. 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:53.139 Raiders recover. Game over. But the refs review 00:02:53.139 --> 00:02:56.680 it, and based on the tuck rule at the time, the 00:02:56.680 --> 00:02:58.960 rule his arm was moving forward, making it an 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:01.599 incomplete pass, not a fumble. Ah, the tuck. 00:03:01.740 --> 00:03:04.240 Got it. Kept the drive alive. Patriots win. Head 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.560 to the Super Bowl. It was... divisive. Super 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:09.960 Bowl, EPSA 66. They're huge underdogs, 14 points 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.400 against the Rams, the greatest show on turf. 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:15.479 And this is where you see that clutch gene again. 00:03:15.900 --> 00:03:18.780 Game tied, clock winding down. Most people, even 00:03:18.780 --> 00:03:21.159 John Madden on the broadcast, are saying, play 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:23.340 for overtime. Just run out the clock, yeah. But 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:26.080 Brady, no. Leaves them right down the field, 00:03:26.180 --> 00:03:29.020 calm, precise. Sets up Adam Vinatieri for that 00:03:29.020 --> 00:03:32.229 38 -yard field goal. Bang! Win. And he's, what, 00:03:32.250 --> 00:03:35.729 24 years old? 24. Youngest QB ever to win a Super 00:03:35.729 --> 00:03:37.530 Bowl at that point. The dynasty had officially 00:03:37.530 --> 00:03:40.750 begun. And that dynasty, it just dominated the 00:03:40.750 --> 00:03:44.009 sport for, what, almost two decades? The numbers 00:03:44.009 --> 00:03:45.669 are kind of mind -boggling. They really are. 00:03:45.729 --> 00:03:47.949 17 division titles with him, under center for 00:03:47.949 --> 00:03:50.949 the Patriots, six Super Bowl wins during that 00:03:50.949 --> 00:03:54.169 span. Yeah. In the salary cap era, that kind 00:03:54.169 --> 00:03:57.689 of sustained success. It's almost unthinkable. 00:03:57.710 --> 00:03:59.490 What made it work for so long? Was it just him? 00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:01.900 Belichick. It was a complex dynamic, wasn't it? 00:04:01.979 --> 00:04:04.360 You had Brady's individual brilliance, obviously, 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.960 three NFL MVPs, that first ever unanimous MVP 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:10.319 in 2010. Right. And the 2007 season going 16 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.159 on the regular season. Just perfection. But it 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.220 was also the system, the ability to adapt, often 00:04:16.220 --> 00:04:19.660 fueled by this internal tension, maybe, that 00:04:19.660 --> 00:04:22.000 us against the world thing. Which brings us to 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.160 the controversies. And we have to touch on Deflate 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.170 Jade. We'll stick to the facts reported in our 00:04:26.170 --> 00:04:29.089 sources here. Keep it neutral. Okay. So after 00:04:29.089 --> 00:04:32.029 the 2015 AFC Championship game, the investigation 00:04:32.029 --> 00:04:36.370 happens. The report comes out 243 pages and finds 00:04:36.370 --> 00:04:39.370 it was more likely than not Brady was, quote, 00:04:39.490 --> 00:04:42.569 generally aware of footballs being intentionally 00:04:42.569 --> 00:04:45.850 deflated. And the league suspends him. Four games. 00:04:46.689 --> 00:04:49.899 Commissioner Goodell upholds it on appeal. specifically 00:04:49.899 --> 00:04:52.920 citing that Brady destroyed his cell phone, which 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:55.120 they felt hindered the investigation. Which led 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.240 to this whole legal battle, right? Federal court, 00:04:57.339 --> 00:05:00.420 appeals court. Huge back and forth. A judge initially 00:05:00.420 --> 00:05:02.420 overturned the suspension, but then an appeals 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:04.860 court reinstated it. Eventually, Brady just accepted 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:06.720 it, sat out the first four games of the 2016 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.899 season. But the story didn't really end there, 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:10.759 did it? There were later reports questioning 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:13.800 the whole thing. Exactly. Years later, 2022, 00:05:14.180 --> 00:05:16.279 Mike Florio reported allegations suggesting the 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:19.910 NFL might have... maybe fudge some data or hid 00:05:19.910 --> 00:05:22.250 information. The claim was that most of the Patriots' 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:24.149 footballs were actually within the expected pressure 00:05:24.149 --> 00:05:26.970 range, according to the ideal gas law. So the 00:05:26.970 --> 00:05:29.649 science itself became part of the debate. It 00:05:29.649 --> 00:05:32.649 highlights how messy and maybe politically charged 00:05:32.649 --> 00:05:35.209 it all was. And for Brady, you could argue it 00:05:35.209 --> 00:05:36.910 just hardened that resolve, that chip on his 00:05:36.910 --> 00:05:38.829 shoulder. And the proof was kind of on the field 00:05:38.829 --> 00:05:40.569 that very next Super Bowl, wasn't it? Super Bowl 00:05:40.569 --> 00:05:42.829 hell -eye against Atlanta. Oh, absolutely. That 00:05:42.829 --> 00:05:44.750 game is maybe the ultimate Brady performance, 00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:48.949 down 28 -3. 28 -3. Mid -third quarter, it looked 00:05:48.949 --> 00:05:52.389 completely over. And he just engineers the biggest 00:05:52.389 --> 00:05:54.949 comeback in Super Bowl history, forces the first 00:05:54.949 --> 00:05:58.430 -ever Super Bowl overtime, wins it 34 -28, just 00:05:58.430 --> 00:06:00.730 refused to lose. That's the definition of clutch. 00:06:01.089 --> 00:06:04.449 So after 20 years, the Patriots' dynasty finally 00:06:04.449 --> 00:06:08.310 ends. He leaves in 2020. Big shock. Signs with 00:06:08.310 --> 00:06:11.089 Tampa Bay. Massive move. Huge guaranteed contract. 00:06:11.430 --> 00:06:15.329 Two years, $50 million. And it felt like a statement, 00:06:15.449 --> 00:06:17.850 didn't it? Proving he could win without Belichick, 00:06:17.889 --> 00:06:20.029 without the Patriot system. And he reunites with 00:06:20.029 --> 00:06:22.129 Gronk. Yep, gets Gronk out of retirement. And 00:06:22.129 --> 00:06:24.089 wouldn't you know it, first season in Tampa. 00:06:24.290 --> 00:06:26.949 Super Bowl LV wins it again. Just incredible. 00:06:27.089 --> 00:06:29.769 Takes his total to seven rings. Ten Super Bowl 00:06:29.769 --> 00:06:31.930 appearances overall. The numbers just become 00:06:31.930 --> 00:06:34.730 astronomical. And he starts setting records tied 00:06:34.730 --> 00:06:37.470 to other players too, right? Yeah, he joins Peyton 00:06:37.470 --> 00:06:40.269 Manning as the only QBs to win Super Bowls with 00:06:40.269 --> 00:06:43.439 two different teams. But crucially, Brady's the 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:45.819 first to win Super Bowl MVP with two different 00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:49.100 franchises. Cementing his legacy as independent 00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:51.959 of any one team. I think so. And at the same 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:54.439 time, he's just demolishing age records. He was 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:58.439 43 in that Super Bowl win. 43. Oldest QB to start 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:02.100 a Super Bowl, play in one, win one, and be named 00:07:02.100 --> 00:07:05.779 MVP. Yay. Defying age completely. Plus, the Bucs 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:07.319 became the first team ever to play the Super 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:09.680 Bowl in their home stadium. A nice little bonus. 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:12.160 Right. Everything just clicked that year. And 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.180 the physical aspect is stunning, too. We learned 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:16.240 later he wasn't even fully healthy that season. 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:18.279 Yeah, sources revealed he played their entire 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:22.439 2020 championship season on a torn MCL. Needed 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.420 surgery right after the Super Bowl. Which just 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:26.540 loops back to that mental toughness you mentioned 00:07:26.540 --> 00:07:29.160 from his Michigan days. Absolutely. And he didn't 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:33.000 slow down. The next year, 2021, at age 44, he 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.879 leads the entire NFL in passing yards. Oldest 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:38.199 ever to do that. Just kept pushing the boundaries. 00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:41.569 Then came the brief retirement. 40 days. 40 days. 00:07:41.689 --> 00:07:44.529 Then he's back for the 2022 season, his final 00:07:44.529 --> 00:07:47.449 season. And that last season is, well, it's kind 00:07:47.449 --> 00:07:49.550 of paradox, isn't it? It really is fascinating 00:07:49.550 --> 00:07:52.149 because individually, he's still putting up huge 00:07:52.149 --> 00:07:54.990 volume, set single season records for completions, 00:07:54.990 --> 00:07:57.730 pass attempts, breaks Peyton Manning's record 00:07:57.730 --> 00:08:00.930 for career game winning drives, just massive 00:08:00.930 --> 00:08:03.569 output. But the team results. They finished 8 00:08:03.569 --> 00:08:06.509 -9. It was actually his first losing season ever 00:08:06.509 --> 00:08:09.129 as a starting quarterback. Wow. After all that 00:08:09.129 --> 00:08:11.350 winning. It's a really interesting insight, maybe, 00:08:11.430 --> 00:08:13.990 into the limits of longevity, even for the GOAT. 00:08:14.629 --> 00:08:17.209 Mack's individual effort doesn't always equal 00:08:17.209 --> 00:08:20.069 team success anymore, perhaps. But he still retires, 00:08:20.069 --> 00:08:22.829 holding basically every major career passing 00:08:22.829 --> 00:08:25.750 record. Yards, completions, touchdowns, wins. 00:08:25.949 --> 00:08:28.250 Untouchable numbers, truly. So he retires for 00:08:28.250 --> 00:08:32.149 good in 2023. But he's hardly fading away, is 00:08:32.149 --> 00:08:34.830 he? The Patriots immediately honored him. Instantly. 00:08:34.889 --> 00:08:37.269 They waived the usual waiting period for their 00:08:37.269 --> 00:08:39.769 team Hall of Fame. Inducted him in June 2024. 00:08:40.210 --> 00:08:42.789 Retires number 12 jersey. Massachusetts even 00:08:42.789 --> 00:08:45.490 declared June 12th Tom Brady Day. Proper recognition 00:08:45.490 --> 00:08:47.950 for someone who defined that franchise for two 00:08:47.950 --> 00:08:50.850 decades. Totally appropriate. And a statue is 00:08:50.850 --> 00:08:53.070 coming, too, I think. Yeah, a 12 -foot one in 00:08:53.070 --> 00:08:55.950 2025. But he's already pivoted hard into his 00:08:55.950 --> 00:08:59.090 next career, media and sports ownership, that 00:08:59.090 --> 00:09:01.570 Fox deal. Record -breaking stuff. Yeah. Reportedly 00:09:01.570 --> 00:09:04.990 $375 million over 10 years to be their lead NFL 00:09:04.990 --> 00:09:07.289 commentator, the highest -paid sports analyst 00:09:07.289 --> 00:09:09.370 contract ever. Well, there are strings attached, 00:09:09.669 --> 00:09:11.710 right, because of his other ventures. Yeah, it's 00:09:11.710 --> 00:09:13.970 interesting. Because he's also pursuing minority 00:09:13.970 --> 00:09:16.970 ownership in the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL put 00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:19.870 restrictions on his broadcasting role. He can't. 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:23.299 like access team facilities or talk to coaches 00:09:23.299 --> 00:09:25.360 and players in that media capacity during the 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.399 season. Trying to keep those lines clear. Exactly. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:29.799 And that ownership portfolio is growing fast. 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:33.259 He's got stakes in the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:36.120 Who just won the championship. Right. Also, Birmingham 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:38.940 City Football Club in England, and even an E1 00:09:38.940 --> 00:09:41.480 electric boat racing team, Team Brady, which 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:43.620 also won his championship. So he's building this 00:09:43.620 --> 00:09:46.240 global sports brand. Diversifying, absolutely. 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:49.179 And of course, there's the TB12 method. His health 00:09:49.179 --> 00:09:51.820 and wellness brand. The book was a bestseller. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.419 It's almost as famous as his playing career. 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:58.759 Almost. Known for that very specific diet. No 00:09:58.759 --> 00:10:01.100 tomatoes, no mushrooms, no peppers thing. And 00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:04.440 other pro athletes have actually adopted parts 00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:07.440 of it. It shows his influence extends way beyond 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.320 just football strategy. But not all his business 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.590 ventures have been smooth sailing. The FTX connection 00:10:13.590 --> 00:10:16.590 caused real problems. Yeah, that's a big contrast 00:10:16.590 --> 00:10:19.169 to the on -field success. He was a very public 00:10:19.169 --> 00:10:21.850 spokesperson for FTX, the crypto exchange. Got 00:10:21.850 --> 00:10:24.850 paid a lot for it. Exactly. But then FTX collapses, 00:10:25.190 --> 00:10:28.610 files for bankruptcy, and Brady, along with other 00:10:28.610 --> 00:10:30.590 celebs, gets named in a class action lawsuit, 00:10:30.909 --> 00:10:33.169 accused of promoting unregistered securities. 00:10:33.610 --> 00:10:36.330 And he personally lost money, too. Sources report 00:10:36.330 --> 00:10:39.309 he and his former wife, Gisele Bundchen, lost 00:10:39.309 --> 00:10:42.309 somewhere around a combined $45 million in FTX 00:10:42.309 --> 00:10:44.889 shares they held. A really tough outcome from 00:10:44.889 --> 00:10:46.950 that endorsement deal. OK, lastly, just to round 00:10:46.950 --> 00:10:48.990 out his public profile, we should touch on his 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:51.129 connection to politics, which he generally tried 00:10:51.129 --> 00:10:53.490 to keep separate. Right. He's acknowledged a 00:10:53.490 --> 00:10:55.740 longstanding friendship with Donald Trump. Going 00:10:55.740 --> 00:10:58.860 back to like 2001. But he stayed out of the political 00:10:58.860 --> 00:11:01.759 arena itself. Mostly. Yeah. He turned down an 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:03.799 invite to speak at the 2016 Republican National 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:06.220 Convention. He made a point of saying, you know, 00:11:06.220 --> 00:11:07.879 supporting a friend is different from political 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:09.700 endorsement. And he eventually just stopped talking 00:11:09.700 --> 00:11:12.279 about politics publicly. Yeah. Pretty much after 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:14.879 Gisele publicly stated back then that she didn't 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:17.279 support Trump. It seemed like a deliberate move 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:20.899 to keep his public brand focused on sports and 00:11:20.899 --> 00:11:23.759 business. Keep it neutral. Hashtag tag outro. 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:25.919 So when you look back at the whole journey, it's 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.120 just this arc of constant adaptation, isn't it? 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:31.679 From that overlooked sixth round pick to the 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.179 undisputed GOT, navigating the dynasty, the controversies, 00:11:35.179 --> 00:11:38.100 pulling off that second act in Tampa. And now 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:40.740 this shift into being a major media figure and 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:43.059 owner. It really is. The theme is always that 00:11:43.059 --> 00:11:47.460 relentless drive, that high volume output. You 00:11:47.460 --> 00:11:48.679 know, that leads us back to that fascinating 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:51.240 paradox from his final season. He retires with 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:53.480 all these untouchable records. Yet that last 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:56.379 year, he sets records for attempts and completions, 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:58.519 peak individual volume, but gets his first losing 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:01.340 record. So maybe the provocative thought for 00:12:01.340 --> 00:12:04.379 you, the listener, is this. If even Tom Brady, 00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:06.879 pushing himself to the absolute max, couldn't 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:08.879 guarantee a winning season in today's NFL at 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:11.379 the end, what does that signal about the real 00:12:11.379 --> 00:12:13.480 challenges and maybe the limits of athletic longevity 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:17.370 now? And how will that idea of winning translate 00:12:17.370 --> 00:12:19.470 for him as he builds this next empire off the 00:12:19.470 --> 00:12:19.730 field.