🐐 A Note To NFL Fans: Don’t Doubt The GOAT

Proving people wrong has long been part of the Tom Brady narrative. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS]( [STORY IMAGE AD]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Tom Brady released a video on social media, highlighting a collection of slights, comments and criticisms sent in his direction ... we take a look at why the Fernando Tatis Jr. extension is a win for the Padres, and for baseball ... and Mark Titus drops a new, must-read college hoops newsletter. When the GOAT wants to gloat, watch out. For a while it looked like Tom Brady was in fully-fledged party mode, sipping on avocado tequila and hurling the Lombardi Trophy across open water as part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ post-Super Bowl revelry. This week, apparently, the celebrations reached a new phase. As they did, it was time for anyone in sports media who had cast previous doubt on Brady’s ability to collect a seventh ring to duck for cover. In a [one-minute video released on his Twitter]( and [Instagram]( accounts, Brady took aim, highlighting a collection of slights, comments and criticisms sent in his direction from throughout the season and even before it. [STORY IMAGE 1] Anything that indicated a lack of belief that he could take the Bucs to the promised land at age 43 was fair game. The level of petty was at an all-time time. And Brady didn’t care one bit. There was a clip of New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, joking with his teammates how Brady was a “week away from a little arthritis, baby.” There were headlines and pulled quotes from Sports Illustrated, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, ESPN, the Orlando Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, and, yep, FOX News, from some of the points during the campaign when things weren’t going so smoothly. There was background sound from various sports personalities such as FS1’s Shannon Sharpe and ESPN’s Max Kellerman and the visuals featured triumphant images of Brady prevailing in the biggest game of all, when his team bested the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. And interspersed with it all, serving as ultimate proof Brady can use anything, from anyone, as motivation, were an assortment of remarks from regular Twitter users. [STORY IMAGE 2]( That is how, late on Wednesday, James Curtin III, an insurance sales manager from Rochester, N.Y. and diehard Buffalo Bills fan, got a message from an old Syracuse college buddy. You might want to watch this, he was told, with an accompanying link to the Brady video. “Oh no,” Curtin thought as he saw the images start to pop up. “Please tell me he didn’t find my Tweet.” Sure enough, Brady – or whoever helped him put together the video – had indeed found it. [The Tweet in question was a post from July 24]( back when there were reservations that an NFL season would even be possible. Given everything that happened since, it’s a mini work of comedic art in itself. “Too old Tom,” Curtin wrote, before adding, ironically: “Boy am I going to have to eat these words in about 6.5 months.” [STORY IMAGE 3] Curtin has no recollection where he was when he tweeted it and barely remembers doing so, but as soon as the Bucs beat the Chiefs it resurfaced, prompting a spate of online reminders and messages. Most of them were good natured – after all, he essentially called himself out on his own hot take before he’d even finished writing it. He should be ready for a few more responses now, after finding his way onto Brady’s radar. “It’s kind of crazy,” Curtin told me via telephone on Thursday morning. “I respect Brady, he’s the GOAT, but as a Bills fan it is part of my job to also love to hate him. I can tell you this, though. It is a lot better to have lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship than losing to Brady in the Super Bowl. That would have hurt a lot more.” It is kind of remarkable that with all he has accomplished, Brady is still out there taking names. The intent behind the video was clear. Say what you like, but Brady is listening. As he puts it, he’s collecting receipts and preparing them for future use, when the time is right. That time was this week. It is so completely unnecessary yet unapologetically bold that you can’t help but shake your head and smile at it. When someone like Brady comes out with this, there is nothing you can say. You can’t say it was luck, not when he’s done it seven times. You can’t say anything. A lot of people said Brady couldn’t get it done again at age 43. Yet he did. [STORY IMAGE 4]( “It is natural for an athlete to use negative things said about them to fuel them,” [Sharpe, who criticized Brady’s play after a two-interception outing in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in November, told Undisputed](. “I have no problem with Tom using me for fuel. (And) I have no problem with what I said because at the time, it was correct.” Proving people wrong has long been part of the Brady narrative. Let’s face it, his story wouldn’t be anywhere near as good without having to overcome adversity and doubt. Truth be told, he understands the role the media has to play in sports and he’s working it. He’s playing the game and he’s doing it from a position of strength. The warning is out there now, and it’s this. Careful what you say – and be prepared to back it up. Because Tom Brady isn’t just content with being the most successful quarterback football has ever seen. Even now, he sees everything - and remembers it all. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Dakota Randall, nesn.com: “Don’t for one second think Tom Brady doesn’t listen to the noise. Yeah, it’s Tom Brady’s world and we’re all just living in it. The bad news for those sick of the 43-year-old rubbing their faces in the proverbial it: He might be around for more than a few more years. Buckle up, NFL.” Henry McKenna, USA Today: “Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was well-aware of the skepticism on whether he’d have success after leaving the New England Patriots. But with a seventh Super Bowl win on his resume, Brady can obviously feel vindicated. This video is essentially a victory lap of his 2020 success. Classic Brady.” Justin Leger, Yahoo Sports: “At this point, what else can Brady's doubters do but tip their caps? The 43-year-old has more Super Bowl titles than any NFL franchise and more rings than any other player has Super Bowl appearances. There's no reason to believe he can't lead a talented Bucs squad on another deep postseason run.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - The 2020 NFL season for both Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles ended in dysfunction and bruised egos. [ESPN staff writer Tim McManus]( explains what went wrong for Wentz in Philly, and what’s next for him in Indianapolis. - Alex Caruso is an undrafted former G Leaguer who might be the NBA’s most memeable player. But come crunch time, Caruso is one of the most dangerous Lakers. [Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated]( details how Caruso became the Lakers’ unlikely closer. - The most exciting player in Major League Baseball is on the most exiting team in baseball – and now, he’ll stay there for the next 14 years. [The Ringer’s Zach Kram]( explains why the Fernando Tatis Jr. extension is a win for the Padres, and for baseball. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( FOX Sports college basketball analyst Mark Titus treated us to another outstanding edition of his weekly newsletter. This week’s newsletter highlights the upcoming Big Ten showdown between No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State. Titus also touches on Jalen Johnson opting out of the remainder of the season, Boston College’s head coaching vacancy and North Carolina scheduling a game … via Twitter! Go ahead and give it a read and as always, [you can subscribe to the newsletter here]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Rutgers at Michigan (FS1, 9 p.m. ET) Hunter Dickinson and the No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines host Ron Harper Jr. and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET) Drew Timme and the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs host Tommy Kuhse and the Saint Mary’s Gaels. Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Lakers (TNT, 10 p.m. ET) James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a potential NBA Finals preview. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Ohio State at Penn State: Ohio State -4.5 The No. 4-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes hit the road to take on Penn State in a Big Ten matchup. The Buckeyes have been outstanding as of late, riding a six-game winning streak where they have outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points per contest. On the other side, Penn State has lost two in a row and now sit at 4-9 in conference play. Look for Ohio State to dominate this game from start to finish, which makes Ohio State -4.5 a pretty good play here. 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