Dear Tom

How does one cope with a mindful of thoughts and 20 plus years of memories? Well one way is to get out of their writers block and just start typing, so here it goes...

Dear Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr,

 I have just one question, how dare you? Mr. "I'll retire when I suck," I know that would be just an endless waiting game because it might be impossible for the Greatest of All-Time to suck. But to hang up the cleats after yet another MVP caliber season at the age of FORTY-FOUR is something I did not see coming.

As difficult as it might have been for you to write that Instagram post, this hurts too. Growing up a die hard Boston sports fan my whole life there had been one consistent factor: YOU. You came into the league when I was just four years old and now have a very sad 25 year old writing this letter. 

So how does this scrawny kid from California change not only a whole franchise, but change a whole city into Title Town? The simple answer is always wanting "the next one." I was far too young to fully be able to comprehend the greatness I was witnessing. I just knew losing wasn't a part of the New England way or even in our vocabulary at the time. YOU did that, you made that possible.

It's Not 2007 No More

I don't think it was until the 2007 season, where I understood just what I was witnessing, which definitely catapulted your name into the GOAT conversation. Your mentality of coming out and trying to "kill teams" really showed when 10 of our 16 wins were by 21 or more points. Having Randy Moss as a weapon in your arsenal was a work of art and felt surreal to watch week after week. Throwing 50 touchdown passes, which was a record at the time, seemed unheard of. We'll end this little segment with us finishing the regular season undefeated and 16-0 because I try to forget that Super Bowl.

The Second Dynasty

Now that I was older, the second dynasty just felt so much better because I already understood that my team had the greatest quarterback to ever pick up a football. I still get chills watching that Malcolm Butler interception that happened seven years ago like it just happened. Your shrieks of excitement was what all of New England felt at the moment watching you clinch your fourth Super Bowl win. That was my senior year of high school and my first Championship parade. After my first parade experience I knew one thing... I wanted many, many more.

I had no idea I only had to wait two more years for the next one. Also I don't think any of the Super Bowl wins will ever top this one. The rollercoaster of emotions experienced as a little drunk sophomore in college watching this game in a crammed dorm room will be solidified as one of my favorites and quite possibly one of the best Super Bowl games ever(at least for non-Atlanta fans). I have a video saved on my phone with the time stamp of 6:04 left in the 3rd quarter and the score being 28-3 and I slur the words "Yo snap we're down but I still believe in the GOAT." Drunk thoughts or words coming from a man who knows nothing seems too impossible for YOU. From the BOOMtower strip-sack to Edelman screaming "I CAUGHT IT," there are so many key factors to his amazing come back win that I'm sure I'll be blabbering about to my grandkids someday.

The final Super Bowl win against the Rams wasn't the most eventful game but a win is a win. I remember watching this one also with a bunch of my college buddies crammed into a friends living room and the celebrations after the game ended were just like it was winning our first one all over again. Even with a winning culture here in New England, each championship felt better than the last. Which goes to show your quote is true, "my favorite ring is the next one."

The First Farewell, Which Led to the Final One

On March 17, 2020 the news broke that you were not going to re-sign with New England and just three days later you signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This one hurt more than my actual father leaving me, okay maybe not I just say this all the time but my former therapists would probably beg to differ. For as long as I watched football, you weren't just my guy you were THE GUY. I had no idea how to react at first. I was bitter, like fine man leave we don't want you anyways. MAN was that a lie, I wanted you then and I want ya now Tommy boy. It took a few months but once the season kicked off and you weren't here in NE I was back in your corner. I realized, how can I hate someone for going to do what is best for them. It was at that moment I learned that I would root for you in whatever you do in life, football or not, because I was thankful for the amazing 20-year tenure you had here with the Patriots. I was rooting for the TOMpa Bay Buccaneers when you went on to win ring number seven. I learned to cheer you on every week even though you were no longer a Patriot, except for when you returned home to Foxborough. That was weird, it was the first time in my life I had to root against Tom Brady, is this how all of America has felt the past 22 years? That's tough.

Now here we are, at the final farewell which feels surreal to be saying. Since I was a child I looked forward to seeing Tom Brady suit up every Sunday and give it his all. When Adam Schefter broke the news I didn't want to believe it until I heard the words come from your mouth. Well yesterday, they did and it hurt just as bad as when I saw Schefter's tweet. I cannot be mad, like you said football is an "all-in proposition" and that if "100% competitive commitment isn't there you won't succeed." But seeing you say you are no longer going to make that competitive commitment, that was tough. Yet how can I be upset that a FOURTY FOUR year old man doesn't want to go out on a field and get hit by absolute wrecking balls, cause even at 25 I cannot imagine stepping on that field with all the beasts that play in the NFL.
Life is short and nothing is guaranteed so I am just grateful that you are able to walk away from this sport on your own terms. It almost seems fitting that in your final game of your unreal career was 27-3 comeback, and you scored 24 unanswered points. Although you didn't win the game, what is more Tom Brady than a comeback from behind like that? Of course we'd like to see you come out with another Super Bowl win and then ride of into the sunset but we know sometimes life doesn't always work that way.

So this is for you Tom, thanks for 22 years of countless memories. It was a joy getting to grow up and watch you not only take over the league, but to have one of the most impressive reigns anyone has ever seen. From "QB number 12" to being known as the Greatest of All Time. No one has done it quite like this scrawny little kid from California, and no one probably ever will.

Enjoy retirment Tommy Terrific, your life is just beginning!​

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