It’s pretty rare to reach a public consensus on anything in 2024, but everyone seems to agree that Tom Brady’s debut performance was somewhat disappointing, which is to be expected for a work in progress. Personally, that’s the least surprising thing in the world, even though it was very trendy last year for people to boldly claim the seven-time Super Bowl winner would be great at it, don’t worry. And he very well could be great shortly.
But live television is incredibly difficult, and Brady hasn’t exactly been a megawatt bundle of charisma and energy for decades, which probably should have given him a little more credibility.
It doesn’t even seem particularly useful to go through the first week’s performance with a fine-tooth comb and a ton of detail. Calling is still more of an art than a science, and there’s no magic regimen that the famously disciplined Brady can follow to break through alongside the industry’s greats.
Instead, let’s do the dangerous thing and examine the backlash to the backlash. If you look at social media, you’ll find plenty of Brady defenders in the comments section arguing that it’s not fair to judge him based on one Sunday afternoon and that he needs to be given time to develop. That’s absolutely true – but not quite the point.
Sure, it is not fair that the eyes of the world are on Brady, analyzing every editorial decision he makes. But this is a I think you should go Hot dog costume situation, because he and FOX don’t have to look far to find the people responsible for it. What’s more, that’s exactly what they wanted.
I don’t want to be overly critical of someone who is trying something extremely new and incredibly difficult. But just like when he played quarterback, all anyone can do is watch the footage he creates. He’s not doing this for charity. He’s doing it in part for the $375 million salary that comes with the job. FOX made the bold move of ousting Greg Olsen, who is fantastic, from the front office booth even after he shined on a Super Bowl broadcast.
That was the gamble – if there is a gamble at all, because it may not matter how good Brady is as long as he’s Brady in the locker room. Maybe the expectations were too high and the evaluation too harsh, but that’s the perfectly reasonable state of affairs.
Brady is ready for next week and it would be surprising if there aren’t improvements and adjustments. He will be better. Maybe not immediately. It would be fair to point out the shortcomings and successes when he gets there. That’s the game.
