Witnessing the downfall of Tom Brady
 

It has always amazed me that most great athletes don't know when to quit. Tom Brady like
the Kronk should have called it quits. They can't stand leaving at the top, unlike Michel Jordan who was forced into retirement when they traded all the other team players. The did him a very very big favor. But, he fell into the ego trap and thought he could play baseball, wrong.

Now that they have defensive lineman who are 6 ft 5 inches 325 pounds and run the 40 as fast as backs, it is only a matter of time before they introduce themselves to Tom in not so nice a way. It will be sad to see him get injured before the season is out. BUT, it will be his own fault.

Boxers are notorious for this also. While they may be great athletes their brains are in short supply. It will be truly sad to see such a great player get his head handed to him. If he were smart he would get out now. It is better to be a live goat than a crippled one. Please save yourself Tom, we really don't want to see it happen.

Probably should have stayed retired especially since he is not 100% committed this year. At his age and missing practices etc it could be real tough. Hopefully it won’t end in injury.

Great advice, but once football and other pro sports gets in your blood it's hard to give it up.

Being a Packer fan, we all seen that happen to Brett Farve.
How many times did he retire and unretire causing a lot of bad relationships with the Packers.

I also wish Tom Brady the best and safe season going into his senior years.

Not sure where those "statistics" come from re MJ, but Michael Jordan had some of his best basketball years with the Bulls AFTER his baseball stint:

"Jordan won his first NBA title with the Bulls in 1991, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a three-peat. Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball but returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three more championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season."

Also not sure of "all the other team players" forcing Jordan into retirement. It was his ego that led him to baseball. Fortunately he saw the writing on the wall and returned to the Bulls 2 years later for some of his best basketball years. It should also be noted that Jordan and Pippen formed the backbone of the bulls pre-baseball stint. Pippen was still there when Jordan returned BUT the team also added people like Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Tony Kukoc, and Luc Longley, giving the Bulls even more horses around Jordan than during his pre-baseball stint (as witnessed by the fact that the Bulls own two of the top three all-time won-lost records, 72-10 in 1996 and 69-13 in 1997.

In my opinion the Bulls, as good as they were before Jordan's baseball stint, were probably the best of all time during the years AFTER he returned to basketball.

downfall, no, that's pretty harsh. . .

When i played fantasy football once, I realized that there is a large piece of information missing when just selecting players and teams. Coaching strategy and coaching talent as well as team talent. any player can get hurt and miss the season. most coaches have a limited number of plays which they use per season, and the quarterback is just trying to execute the play call.

Get a coach who calls plays poorly, quarterback can't make up the difference all the time. how much is the coaching, the player selection and the play calling versus each opponent. . .

in reality, as an outsider, unknowable, but does it exist? yes, and don't know about the future, but its never only one person on a team.

G.O.A.T - Get Out Ahead Tommie.

On this subject ...... Roger Federer announced his retirement this past week. A truly great sportsman and ambassasor for the tennis world a model for professional athletes.

TB12 STILL has the unbridled talent, health, and competitive spirit. More than any other athlete his age - esp in a hard hitting sport as NFL.

Personally I give him much hope and credit for this season. Sundays game was difficult with all the Bucs injuries. But they pulled it out. Now Mike Evans is suspended for next game, grrr.

Never count TB out. He had proven that time and again and again. He is the GOAT. Just hope that his last year, this one, ends well. And that his family issues mend well too.

Agree. One of the top three of all time--Roger Federer, Raphael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. You pick the order.

I loved to watch Roger play. He moved almost effortlessly, as opposed to someone like Raphael Nadal whose efforts are a lot more evident.

I wouldn't say he has fallen yet. The Bucs are 2-0.

It is a mistake to assume that Tom Brady is on the same glide path to old age as your typical American. He has followed a strict diet and exercise regimen that has extended his physical capabilities far longer than most of the other players in the NFL.

Agreed. Dan Marino too.

It sure is fun watching the St. Louis Cardinals this year with Pujols at age 42, and Molina at age 40 catching Adam Wainwright at age 41. They are all still doing great and hopefully will contribute to a World Series win (doubtful I admit)

Anyone who cites Michael Jordan's baseball years as anything other than a veiled suspension from the NBA for his excessive gambling and the bad press it brought can't be relied upon for an opinion on TB12

G.o.a.t
 

All good op's. Tb12 is not playing only for another championship. He's playing to erase the sting of being a sixth round, # 199, draft choice and only getting his chance through injury. Remember bledsoe won the afl championship game. By setting personal nfl records he hopes to eliminate any chance of losing his throne, a la babe ruth, to any future contender

Playing to erase the sting? I believe 7 championships is enough to say he has done well for himself. He has nothing to prove to anyone so there is no sting there. I also believe he will know when to retire without the drama; he loves the game and the competition. The draft is a crap shoot. Examples: Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, Akili Smith, Brian Bosworth, Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel, Vince Young, et.al. Good college players, but the NFL is a different stratosphere.