Yesterday was yet another day in these surreal and insane times in which we live, and any time we see a top trending term on Twitter that’s not related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a blessing. That is perhaps the most re-assuring thing about seeing Tom Brady as the top trend on the micro-blogging platform on Tuesday, because hey, it wasn’t coronavirus.
We have no sports, anywhere, for the foreseeable future, and thus, NFL free agency is bigger and more interesting than ever. Tom Brady, 42, officially left the New England Patriots and multiple reports indicate he’ll sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for about $30 million.
The Buccaneers, as well as Manchester United, are owned by the Glazer family, and thus plenty of MUFC supporters all over the world opined on this topic.
United in Focus said it best, and actually somewhat humorously: “Just like we have seen at Manchester United, this is a short term fix to more serious problems. This could be Tampa Bay’s Alexis Sanchez moment.”
That’s fairly accurate as the Bucs haven’t been to the playoffs since 2007, sporting one of the NFL’s worst droughts. They have to do something, and this is definitely something, as it will grab attention and sell tickets. Alexis was never anything close to G.O.A.T. status like Brady was in his prime, but the general analogy holds- it’s way overpaying for a superstar long past his prime in order to achieve commercial success.
And United in Focus is totally right- the money Tampa makes with their investment in Brady will not be going anywhere near improving United.
That’s why the slogan #GreenAndGoldUntilTheTeamIsSold has been pervasive for quite some time. It’s the mantra of the MUFC supporters in backlash against the Glazer family, and the sentiment is strong. The Daily Express did a great job pointing out why that is in an article about United supporters in the wake of the Brady news.
Of course, it’s way too simplistic for United fans to think ‘oh that money goes into the Bucs while it could be given to Ed Woodward in the transfer market.
The NFL has the strongest and most equitable salary cap and revenue sharing model in all of pro sports, so that money that’s going to a soon to be 43-year-old signal caller was earmarked to go somewhere into builidng the roster, regardless.
That said, United fans certainly haeve every reason not to be thrilled with the Glazers right now, and they certainly do need more topics of discussion, with Premier League and European football shut down for the time being.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.