Two Sundays ago, I felt sympathy for Tom Brady. Yep, that Tom Brady.
I wished it had been empathy, but for that sentiment, I would have to understand what it is like to be Brady for a day or a nanosecond. I have no real clue, but would guess it would be pretty dang good.
Many of you, not just NFL fans, know Brady quarterbacked New England to six Super Bowl victories, and along with that comes a tremendous amount of fame and coin. Some argue persuasively that he is the best quarterback of all time, and perhaps even the greatest football player at any position of all time.
Brady’s net worth is estimated at $180 million.
Since I am a man, I don’t want to dwell too much publicly on Brady’s leading-man looks, but he is a good-looking man. Even Charles Barkley made note of that fact during “The Match,” a contrived golf event that featured three other people also unworthy of my sympathy — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Peyton Manning — playing in order to raise money for this nation’s fractured fight against the coronavirus.
Need more? Brady recently abandoned New England and its winters to live in sunny Florida.
And the clincher: Google Gisele Caroline Bündchen. Then click on images. Then enjoy. The Brazilian model is Brady’s wife.
So why was Brady sympathetic on Sunday?
Because golf, the most difficult game to play well, exposed him as it does so many others, embarrassing Brady with about 6 million people watching, fastened to their recliners, trying to quench a thirst for a live sports competition. Brady, who reportedly fancies an 8 handicap, which is believable given his golf swing, was on major hack as he and partner Mickelson competed against Woods and Manning at The Medalist golf course, which is unforgiving, and unimpressed with Manning and Brady’s football resume.
Brady took it — and this probably angered his legion of loathers — like a man, smiling most of the way, perhaps because he knew when it was over, he would go home to Gisele.
Then something unexpected happened: The golfing gods, as they sometimes do, allowed Brady a highlight or three: He holed out a wedge shot, and went from silent to chatty, with his barbs targeting Barkley, notoriously a horrific golfer, but who had just said he wanted a piece of Brady on the golf course after seeing his struggles.
Interestingly, after Brady’s hole-out, he went on to add a couple of more quality shots, a putt for an eagle 2 on a par 4, and an iron shot from 183 yards that was stiff. So Brady, as he had done so often on the football field, provided some clips for the highlight reel despite his early struggles.
If you don’t know, Woods and Manning won the match by a single hole, with Manning showing that he has got some game while also providing, with Mickelson, a running commentary that entertained those who don’t watch golf but simply didn’t have anything better to do.
But the biggest winner on this day were the charities that will share in the $20 million that was raised by Woods and Mickelson and two outstanding athletes willing to exit their comfort zone in order to make that happen. They were helped by a series of celebrities and athletes who matched pledges with performance, including Russell Wilson, who smiled as his pledge to provide 100,000 meals became 300,000 meals when Brady, Mickelson and Manning stiffed it on a par 3.
Oh, and golf won as well, reminding those who don’t play it just how difficult it is while it widened its lead on other sports for charitable giving.
Donnie Douglas is the former editor of The Robesonian in Lumberton.
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