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Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady penned an emotional note to announce his retirement from the NFL after 22 seasons, though there were some clear omissions that rubbed some people in New England the wrong way.
In his retirement letter, Brady - who spent 20 of those 22 seasons with the Patriots - mentioned his Tampa Bay Buccaneer teammates and coaches, fans, the city itself, the owners, and general manager there; however, there was no mention of the Pats, former coach Bill Belichick, or owner Robert Kraft, much to the dismay of many of his fans.
“My playing career has been such a thrilling ride, and far beyond my imagination, and full of ups and downs,” he wrote after lauding his Tampa tenure and dismissing his time in New England. “When you’re in it every day, you really don’t think about any kind of ending. As I sit here now, however, I think of all the great players and coaches I was privileged to play with and against — the competition was fierce and deep. JUST HOW WE LIKE IT.
“But the friendships and relationships are just as fierce and deep. I will remember and cherish these memories and re-visit them often. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
Brady’s post left some salty, though, including former Patriots quarterback Scott Zola, who was among those who called out No. 12 for ignoring the team who picked him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft (199th overall) and gave him a shot when former quarterback Drew Bledsoe got injured.
“He’s either one cold, calculating son of a (expletive) to where you can release that and say, ‘That’s it, that part of my life is done. This is my new venture. And it was Tampa Bay and now I’m just gonna thank those (people),” he said during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston's ‘Zolak & Bertrand show.’ “I already did New England, now I’m doing you’ … this would be a massive ‘F’ you to the fans,” he continued.
“Tom is very calculated in everything he does. Everything is pre-programmed, pre-thought-out. Tom doesn’t just omit someone for ‘Oh I forgot that. I’m going to come back and thank that person again.’ No. This is all pre-calculated.”
In the Boston Globe, columnist Beth Teitell penned a lengthy piece on the matter stating that “Tom Brady is just not that into us.”
“Day Two. And still no call. No candy heart. No surprise announcement that Tom Brady has secretly flown to Gillette to reveal that the reason he didn’t acknowledge our existence in Monday’s retirement Instagram post was not because he doesn’t care — no, it was the opposite! It’s because he wanted to come here and rend his jersey, Harlequin-style, to thank us in person!” she wrote.
“Can an entire six-state region be jilted? Apparently. For 20 years we sat on our couches for him. We wore his clothing, and we named our dogs for him, even if they were girls. We ate his stupid avocado ice cream.
“But now we learn the truth. He’s just not that into us."
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