Tag Archives: Tom Brady

Sports

Robert Kraft tells CNN he wants Tom Brady to sign a one-day contract and retire as a New England Patriot

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CNN
 — 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told CNN on Thursday that he wants Tom Brady to sign a one-day contract and officially retire as a Patriot.

“Not only do I want it, our fans are clamoring for it,” Kraft said. “To us, he is always has been and always will be a Patriot.

“We will do everything in our power to bring him back, have him sign off as a Patriot and find ways to honor him for many years to come.”

Brady announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. Of his record seven Super Bowl wins, six came with New England. Another followed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kraft shared a story of Brady – selected at No. 199 overall in the 2000 NFL draft – when the young quarterback introduced himself near the end of training camp.

The Patriots owner – who now tells CNN Brady should have been the top pick that year instead of going in the sixth round – said the future seven-time Super Bowl winner told him, “I’m the best decision your franchise has ever made.”

“He was No. 4 in our depth chart,” Kraft said. “He came down, and he really believed what he said – and he was right.”

The legendary quarterback announced his retirement after 23 seasons with a video message, where the 45-year-old confirmed he was “retiring for good.”

He first retired in February 2022, but the decision proved temporary as he returned for one more season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady told his father, Tom Brady Sr., about a week ago that he was retiring, according to the elder Brady in a phone interview with the Boston Globe on Wednesday.

“We’re not shocked by any means,” Brady’s dad told the Globe. “He has played football for 32 years out of his 45, living his dream for three-fourths of his life. It’s been a wonderful ride. He’s very secure in his decision. It’s about time.”

“This has been a hard year,” added Brady Sr. in the Globe interview. “I’m really happy for Tommy from the standpoint that he’s going to be able to spend more time with his kids.

“He’s going out on his own terms, and he’s in good health. He’s taken a lot of hits over the years — a lot of sacks, a lot of knockdowns. I am thrilled that he won’t get knocked down again.”

During his long career, three-time league MVP Brady has broken almost every passing record, including regular season passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). He has also amassed the most wins of any player in NFL history (251).

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Sports

Tom Brady’s broadcasting future presents new challenge for the ultimate champion

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CNN
 — 

Tom Brady was the ultimate winner on the field but that success does not guarantee the seven-time Super Bowl champion will make a seamless transition when he steps into the TV booth to begin his new role as a lead NFL analyst.

The 45-year-old Brady, who retired from the National Football League earlier on Wednesday after an illustrious 23-year career, agreed last May to join Fox Sports when his age-defying career as a quarterback came to an end.

Brady, whose intense preparation for games has been well-chronicled, has an unmatched knowledge of the sport. If he can translate what he sees on the field as quickly as he processed plays as a quarterback, he could prove to be one of the best analysts around.

But making the switch from the field to the TV booth is not always easy, and being relaxed, laughing at himself and not clamoring for attention could take time.

“It’s going to be a challenge. Tom is a pretty serious guy, at least in terms of his public persona,” Neal Pilson, the former president of CBS Sports who now runs his own sports television consulting company, told Reuters.

“He’s going to be getting a tremendous amount of money from Fox and I think he’s going to feel the pressure of entertaining people, and up to now Tom’s method of entertaining people was to play quarterback, show how good he is.”

The terms of Brady’s deal with Fox Sports were never disclosed but media reports said the former quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots agreed to a 10-year contract worth $375 million.

Fox will be broadcasting the February 12 Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs but the network did not immediately reply when asked by Reuters whether Brady would be part of the lineup.

In pictures: NFL legend Tom Brady


Pilson suggests it would be better for Brady if his analyst debut did not come at the Super Bowl as that would expose him right away during the most-watched NFL game of the year.

There have been no shortage of players who went on to become football analysts after their NFL careers, including Hall of Fame members Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Shannon Sharpe.

Rob Ninkovich, who won two Super Bowl titles with Brady in New England and now works as an NFL analyst for ESPN, told Reuters a job talking football on television can help ease some of the hardest parts of retirement.

“Michael Jordan could go play a pickup game of three-on-three somewhere and still, you know, still shoot a basket and get his feel of playing basketball,” said Ninkovich. “Football players, unfortunately, you hang it up and you’ll never ever put on a helmet, shoulder pads.

“It’s trying to fill that void with other activities, maybe a business or, you know, entrepreneurship or even television, still talking about football and being involved in football – but you’re not taking the beating.”

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Entertainment

Tom Brady walks his first red carpet since split from ex-wife Gisele Bundchen

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Brady’s bunch of Hollywood golden girls! Tom joins Jane Fonda and Rita Moreno at the premiere of 80 For Brady in Los Angeles as he walks his first red carpet since split from ex-wife Gisele Bundchen

By Brian Gallagher For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Tom Brady put both the current NFL season and his split with supermodel Gisele Bundchen behind him by attending the premiere of 80 For Brady.

The 45-year-old NFL quarterback legend executive produced and appears as himself in the new film, based on a true story of 80-year-old fans of Brady.

The outing comes just hours after it was reported his ex Bundchen will break her silence over their split in a new Vanity Fair interview. 

Red carpet ready: Tom Brady put both the current NFL season and his split with supermodel Gisele Bundchen behind him by attending the premiere of 80 For Brady

Legends: The Brady fan club is played by Hollywood royalty – Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda – as they head out on the road to see Brady play in the Super Bowl

Producer: The 45-year-old NFL quarterback legend executive produced and appears as himself in the new film, based on a true story of 80-year-old fans of Brady

Brady stepped out with a white t-shirt under a black leather jacket, while posing with some of the film’s stars including Jane Fonda.

The clean-shaven quarterback also stepped out with black pants, with a black watch seen peeking out from his coat.

He completed his look with black sneakers with white soles for his red carpet look at the premiere, held at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles.

Tom’s look: Brady stepped out with a white t-shirt under a black leather jacket, while posing with some of the film’s stars including Jane Fonda

The film is based on the true story about a group of friends and widows over 80 who all bonded over their love for Tom Brady.

One of the members of the Over 80 For Brady club has a grandson who works in Hollywood, who pitched the film around town and found that Brady himself wanted to produce the film himself.

Brady announced he was on board as a producer and appearing in the film as himself last February, just after his short-lived retirement. 

Producer: Brady announced he was on board as a producer and appearing in the film as himself last February, just after his short-lived retirement

Producer: Brady announced he was on board as a producer and appearing in the film as himself last February, just after his short-lived retirement

The Brady fan club is played by Hollywood royalty – Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda – as they head out on the road to see Brady play in the Super Bowl.

The cast also includes Billy Porter, Harry Hamlin, Sally Kirkland, Sara Gilbert, Bob Balaban, Glynn Turman, Jimmy O. Yang and Ron Funches.

Brady also appears as himself, along with his then-teammates from the New England Patriots such as Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola. 

Cast: The cast also includes Billy Porter, Harry Hamlin, Sally Kirkland, Sara Gilbert, Bob Balaban, Glynn Turman, Jimmy O. Yang and Ron Funches

While Brady was on the red carpet, his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen was hitting the beach for a swimsuit photoshoot.

The 42-year-old supermodel stunned in a hot pink Chanel swimsuit while seen on the beach in Hollywood, Florida. 

She tied the knot with Brady in 2009 after starting dating in 2006, with the exes sharing 13-year-old Benjamin and 10-year-old Vivian. 

Gisele: While Brady was on the red carpet, his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen was hitting the beach for a swimsuit photoshoot

Tom and cast: Tom Brady poses with Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda at the 80 for Brady premiere

Tom and Jane: Tom Brady poses with Jane Fonda at the L.A. premiere of 80 For Brady

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Sports

Bills’ Jordan Poyer wants Tom Brady to retire, be with his kids

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Jordan Poyer has some advice for Tom Brady: retire and spend time with your kids.

During the latest installment of “The Jordan Poyer Podcast” with Volume Sports, the Bills safety said it was hard to watch the Buccaneers quarterback struggle in Monday’s season-ending wild-card loss to the Cowboys — and urged Brady to call it a career.

“Tom, you know I love you, and I feel like I’ve been riding for you all year,” Poyer said. “Early on, you can go back to my podcast, I said ‘you can’t count Tom out.’ … And sure as s–t he made the playoffs. You did everything you could’ve did in this league. I understand you love this game. Go be with your kids, man. 

“I didn’t like watching that game. It was hard to watch. You’re down 27-0 at halftime (it was 18-0). He was defeated. You could see he was defeated. I still think he obviously knows everything about everything, the insides and out of football. But it does take 11 to play the game. Go be with your kids, Tom. I appreciate everything you’ve done in this league. I got two picks off of you, one to the crib. Lost both games. I’m 0-11 against you. Yes, please go. Go be with your kids, Tom.”

Brady and his ex-wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen have two children together, daughter Vivian, 10, and 13-year-old son Benjamin. The quarterback also has a 15-year-old son Jack with ex, actress Bridget Moynahan.

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws a pass during the NFC Wild Card Playoff against the Cowboys on Jan. 16, 2023 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In October, Brady and Bundchen announced they had finalized their divorce after 13 years of marriage — which came after Page Six was first to report in September that they were navigating martial issues.

All eyes are on Brady now. The 45-year-old is a free agent for the second time in his career. The quarterback — who’s been linked to Dolphins, Raiders, Titans and 49ers — could return to Tampa for a 24th NFL season, take his talents to another team, or retire for good.

Following Monday’s game, Brady held a somber press conference, in which he thanked the media for their support amid a challenging year and praised the Buccaneers organization — but did not hint at his future plans.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen with their kids after the Buccaneers beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2021.
Instagram
Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen attend the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019 in New York City.
Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

“I just want to say thank you guys for everything this year,” Brady told reporters. “I really appreciate all your effort. And I know it’s hard for you guys, too. It’s hard for us players to make it through, and you guys got a tough job. And I appreciate all that you guys do to cover us and everyone who watches and is a big fan of the sport.

“We’re very grateful for everyone’s support. You know, I love this organization. It’s a great place to be. Thank you everybody for welcoming me, all you regulars. And just very grateful for the respect, and I hope I gave the same thing back to you guys. So thank you very much.”

After leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win over the Chiefs in 2021, Brady retired briefly last February — only to announce his return to the NFL 40 days later.

Bills safety Jordan Poyer on his Volume Sports podcast on Jan. 18, 2023.
Twitter/Volume Sports
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady walks off the field after losing to the Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 16, 2023 in Tampa, Fla.
Getty Images

It was one of Brady’s most challenging seasons on and off the field as he dealt with his divorce and an injury-riddled Buccaneers team, whose offense fell flat. Despite winning the NFC South for the second consecutive season, their 8-9 record marked Brady’s first losing campaign in his career. 

As Tampa Bay awaits Brady’s next move — on Wednesday, his former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman said if he does return for another season, “it’s not gonna be in Tampa Bay” — it is already making moves to overhaul its offense. The team fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on Thursday.

When Brady decides to retire, he’ll have a job waiting for him with Fox Sports as its lead analyst. The Post’s Andrew Marchand reported last May that Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports.

The Bills will face the Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round playoff game on Sunday. 



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Sports

Tom Brady: What’s next for superstar after mysterious comments at end of season press conference?

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CNN
 — 

One of the leading storylines that will dominate the NFL offseason will be where will Tom Brady be plying his trade next season – if at all?

The 45-year-old has just finished one of his most turbulent seasons, both on and off the field, which ended with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers being blown out by the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.

Brady, who is a free agent and is therefore able to sign anywhere, remained coy about what was next for him after the loss.

“I’m going to go home and get a good night’s sleep as good as I can tonight,” Brady told reporters. “It’s just been a lot of focus on this game so, it’s just going to be one day at a time, truly.”

He was philosophical when it came to addressing his emotions after the playoff defeat.

“Just feels like the end of the season,” he said. “I love this organization. It’s a great place to be. Thank you, everybody, for welcoming me. I’m very thankful for the respect and I hope I gave the same back.”

So lets have a look back at Brady’s difficult season and where he might be playing next season, if he’ll be playing at all.

Brady is synonymous with winning. The legendary quarterback has won seven Super Bowl rings and is the player with the most career wins to their name.

But this season, Brady and his Bucs have found winning a bit tougher. The team finished with an 8-9 record, with many of their stars not performing at the level which helped them win a title two seasons ago.

Brady himself didn’t look like his unflappable self either, with unusual errors and uncharacteristic mistimings creeping into the Tampa Bay offense.

Whether it be Father Time catching up to him or his off-field life affecting his game – Brady went through a divorce from his wife of 13 years, Gisele Bundchen, midway through the year – he hasn’t looked like the imperturbable same.

In November, when asked on his weekly appearance on the “Let’s Go!” podcast if he’s had issues compartmentalizing his NFL play with his personal life, Brady said “that’s what being a professional is.”

“I’ve dealt with a lot of challenging situations on and off the field over 23 years, and a lot of it does play out in front of a lot of people,” he explained. “So I think the interesting thing for a football player and an athlete in general is you’re out there, I always say we’re not actors even though we’re on TV. That is our real self out there.

“We’re trying to do our best. That’s how people really have gotten to know me over the years by being on TV, and that is my authentic self that’s out there to compete with my teammates every day and you’re giving all you can to the team.

“Everyone is going through different things. We all have our unique challenges in life. We’re all humans. We do the best we can do.”

And after 18 weeks of ups and downs, Brady put in one of his worst playoff performances of his career against the Cowboys, looking uncertain and out of sorts: not adjectives usually used to describe him.

You would be right in thinking you remember Brady retiring from the NFL.

In February 2022, the former New England Patriot announced he was retiring before changing his mind several weeks later and announcing he was returning for a 23rd season.

As he’s gotten older, Brady has become more philosophical about life and his relationship with the sport.

“I don’t think life is the ultimate joy. I don’t think life is always the ultimate pain. I don’t think life’s the ultimate struggle,” he said in September.

“Your life ebbs and flows; through the clouds and through the sun and through the rain and through the beautiful days. And you appreciate the moments and you find joy in the little things.”

And with his 24th season on the horizon and as a free agent, retirement from the NFL could be a very real prospect.

If he is to retire, his next steps in the sport already seem planned out after he signed a 10-year contract worth a reported $375 million to become Fox Sports’ lead NFL analyst last year.

It is a path well-trodden by many former players – including the Manning brothers and Tony Romo – and could help Brady find the next chapter of his life in the sport he’s spent over half his life in.

Although it’s not been a vintage Brady season, he has still shown he can perform at the highest level.

And write off Tom Brady at your peril.

The legendary quarterback is now free to sign with whichever team he likes following the end of the 2022 season after his contract with the Bucs came to an end.

If Brady is to return to the field, he is likely to select a team with surroundings that are built to win straight away with – presumably – not many years left in his career. How many times have we said that though?

There have been a few teams linked to Brady’s signing, including a return to Bill Belichick and the Patriots or the Miami Dolphins, but two teams in particular stand out because of connections that already exist.

First, the Tennessee Titans – whose own quarterback Ryan Tannehill is a free agent this offseason – are coming off their own disappointing year but have a veteran-laden team and a head coach, Mike Vrabel, who played with Brady in New England for seven years.

The main candidate though is the Las Vegas Raiders. They signaled they are moving on from their starting quarterback Derek Carr this offseason when they benched him for the final two weeks of the year, with Carr releasing a heartfelt goodbye after Week 18.

With former longtime Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach – the pair had an almost symbiotic connection during their trophy-filled run in New England – the fit into the team’s offense would be seamless.

The Raiders have plenty of offensive firepower – Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow all waiting to catch passes – and the defense has playmakers too. Not to mention the allure of playing in Las Vegas.

And how great would it be to see Brady in the famous Silver and Black of the Raiders? It’s just one sight which could happen in the GOAT’s future.

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Business

Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Robert Kraft ‘will lose ENTIRE investments in FTX’s $32BILLION collapse’

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Clobbered by crypto! Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft ‘are among investors who will lose their ENTIRE investments in FTX’s $32BILLION collapse’

By Alex Raskin Sports News Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Tom Brady, his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, and former employer Robert Kraft are being counted among stakeholders who lost their entire investment in FTX’s $32 billion collapse.

Bankruptcy documents filed Monday show that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback owns more than 1.1 million common shares of FTX trading, while Bundchen has another 680,000 shares. Kraft, the billionaire New England Patriots owner, has 479,000 common shares and 43,545 preferred shares through one of his companies, KPC Venture Capital LLC.

The previous value of their respective investments remains unclear, but the company itself was once valued at $32 billion after founder Sam Bankman-Fried raised $400 million in investments.

Tom Brady (pictured), his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen , and former boss Robert Kraft are being counted among stakeholders who lost their entire investment in FTX’s $32 billion collapse 

Bundchen went so far as to appear with Bankman-Fried at the Salt Crypto Bahamas Conference, where they discussed the sustainability of the cryptocurrency industry

Bankrupt companies rarely refund investors’ money because federal laws dictate creditors be repaid first and shareholders last.

‘At the end of the day, we’re not going to be able to recover all of the losses here,’ John J. Ray III, an executive specializing in recovering lost assets from failed companies, announced last month.

Brady’s agent, Don Yee, and a spokesman for Robert Kraft did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.

FTX was a high-profile cryptocurrency exchange that made major inroads with investors, thanks to celebrity endorsements, including advertisements featuring Brady and Bundchen. The pair also received equity stakes in exchange for endorsing FTX.

Bankruptcy documents from the defunct crypto exchange show that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback owns more than 1.1 million common shares of FTX trading, while Bundchen has another 680,000 shares

Bundchen went so far as to appear with Bankman-Fried at the Salt Crypto Bahamas Conference, where they discussed the sustainability of the cryptocurrency industry.

Since then, FTX has collapsed, and last month, the US government filed criminal and civil charges against Bankman-Fried, the exchange’s 30-year-old founder of FTX, accusing him of widespread financial fraud.

Brady and Bundchen are also defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed by FTX investors who feel the former power couple duped them into substantial losses. The 45-year-old Brady even deleted old tweets in which he promoted FTX.

Other investors to lose money in FTX include Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, which previously owned the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, NBA’s Toronto Raptors, MLS’ Toronto FC and CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

Bankman-Friend faces eight federal charges, including accusations of overseeing massive fraud. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Kraft, the billionaire New England Patriots owner, has 479,000 common shares and 43,545 preferred shares through one of his companies, KPC Venture Capital LLC

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Sports

Tom Brady: ‘I’m going to take my time’ before deciding on retirement

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CNN
 — 

It’s a question that keeps getting asked of the 45-year-old Tom Brady.

In February, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brady announced he was retiring from the NFL.

His decision proved short lived, and just weeks later the seven-time Super Bowl champion changed his mind and returned for his 23rd NFL season.

Speaking to sportscaster Jim Gray in his weekly podcast appearance, Brady was asked jokingly if he would retire and then unretire if tight end Rob Gronkowski – who has retired twice from the NFL – unretires again.

“Well, I think next time I decide to retire, that’s it for me,” a chuckling Brady said on their “Let’s Go!” podcast, which was released Monday. “So whenever that day comes, we’ll figure it out.”

Gray put the joking aside and followed up by asking if Brady can really contemplate retirement at this point.

“I really don’t,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback replied. “I think what I really realized … was you’ve got to be really sure to do that.

And for me, you know, a lot of people have kind of gone through this situation … I’m going to take my time whenever that time does come.”

On Christmas Day, Brady helped keep the Bucs in a playoff position with a 19-16 overtime victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Brady threw a pair of interceptions and just one touchdown as the Bucs defense was able to hold the Cardinals at bay, with Ryan Succup’s fourth field goal of the game sealing the win.

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Sports

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers spoil Tom Brady’s homecoming in blowout win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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CNN
 — 

Going from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft to spoiling Tom Brady’s homecoming, San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has almost seen it all following Sunday’s 35-7 blowout win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 22-year-old Purdy outdueled Brady, throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Purdy also added a rushing touchdown. With his family inside Levi Stadium to witness his first start, the FOX broadcast showed Purdy’s father becoming emotional following his first touchdown pass.

Selected with the last pick of this year’s draft out of Iowa State, Purdy earned himself the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant,” but was thrust into the fray last week against the Miami Dolphins after starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot.

After the game, Purdy called it “surreal” to be playing on the same field as Brady.

“Just standing there, like ‘man that’s Tom Brady,’ talking to guys and dapping guys up and stuff,” Purdy told reporters with a huge smile on his face.

“For him to just have respect for what I did today was pretty cool, I’m not going to lie. Being a little kid, watching that guy kill it throughout all these years, win Super Bowls, and then to be able to just even give him a high five or whatever at the end, I thought that was pretty cool.”

Purdy also mentioned the importance of having his family there and their never-ending support.

“Throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they’re the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you. They believed in me when I was the last draft pick and all that stuff.”

Brady struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with 253 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

The 45-year-old Brady complimented Purdy’s performance after the game, saying he played “really well.”

“Threw a lot of good balls,” Brady told reporters. “Hung in there in the blitz and they did a good job, they did a really good job.”

Brady, who is from San Mateo, California, also had his family on hand Sunday but added he wished the team could have done a better job.

“Love having everyone here,” Brady said. “Nice for my family to come close. I think they had a lot of people from the neighborhood come. It’s not going to change the outcome of the game, unfortunately.”

Brady requested 100 tickets for Sunday’s game for friends and family, FOX sideline reporter Erin Andrews said prior to kickoff.

The 49ers improved to 9-4 with the win while the Buccaneers fell to 6-7 on the season.

San Francisco has a quick turnaround as they are scheduled to travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks on Thursday night. Tampa will host the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.

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Sports

Tom Brady makes record 44th fourth-quarter comeback as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints

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CNN
 — 

When his team trails in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady is almost inevitable.

Down 13 points against the New Orleans Saints in the closing minutes, Brady steered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an improbable 17-16 win on Monday Night Football.

In the process, he passed Peyton Manning for the most career fourth-quarter comebacks (44) in the history of the NFL.

The win was extraordinary even by Brady’s standards, marking the largest regular-season fourth-quarter comeback in his career, according to ESPN.

“Just like we drew it up,” was the 45-year-old’s response when he arrived at the post-game press conference, prompting a ripple of laughter from those in attendance.

The comeback started with 5:21 remaining when Brady led the Bucs on a 10-play drive which ended when he found Cade Otton with a touchdown pass from one yard out.

That brought Tampa Bay within six points before Brady orchestrated an 11-play, game-winning drive and found Rachaad White for the touchdown with three seconds remaining.

Ryan Succop’s extra point made the difference between the two teams, moving the Bucs to 6-6 on the season at the top of the NFC South while the Saints drop to 4-9.

Brady ended the night 36-of-54 passing for 281 yards and later dedicated the win to his daughter Vivian, who celebrated her 10th birthday on Monday.

Having announced his retirement earlier this year only to reverse the decision, the win was evidence the seven-time Super Bowl champion is not yet done on the football field.

“We’ve got a lot games coming down to the end, some we’ve won, some we’ve lost, which is why we’re 6-6,” Brady told reporters. “It’s not where we want to be, but we’ll keep fighting.”

For the Saints, it was a frustrating night against their division rivals at Raymond James Stadium.

Quarterback Andy Dalton was 20 of 28 for 229 yards and one touchdown, which came when he connected with Taysom Hill in the second quarter. They were otherwise restricted to three field goals from Wil Lutz.

“I feel like a broken record saying the same thing over and over again,” said Dalton. “We just missed opportunities.”

Coach Dennis Allen shared Dalton’s frustration: “We gave ourselves every chance and didn’t get it done … I felt like we had an opportunity to win this game and didn’t finish,” he said.

New Orleans have a bye this weekend and next face the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, while Tampa Bay play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.



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Business

Crypto ‘smart’ money? Big traders fell for Sam Bankman-Fried

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I was shocked when I first learned how a hot mess like Sam Bankman-Fried got away with convincing so many seemingly smart people — big money managers, venture capitalists and all those celebrity ambassadors — that he was such a boy genius of investing, they should turn over lots of money for him to play with. 

That is, until I witnessed what went down Wednesday after the fallen crypto star tried to explain his side of the FTX disaster to reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin. The missing billions in customer funds, ruined lives, etc., wasn’t illegal, just one big, innocent mistake, or in his words, he “screwed up,” the result of one “bad month.” 

Sounds absurd, right? Believe it or not, many sophisticated financial types say they still believe SBF’s latest sales pitch, further proof that suckers are born every minute, and many of them occupy the C-suites of Wall Street. 

Of course, not everyone in high finance bought SBF’s shtick even when he was riding high. Veteran trader Marc Cohodes and Chicago Mercantile Exchange CEO Terry Duffy were early skeptics of his business prowess and how Bankman-Fried claimed he dedicated his entire life outside of crypto to some wokeish fad known as ­“effective altruism” — where he made money in order to give it all away. 

Sam Bankman-Fried’s minions gambled away customer funds in the global crypto casino.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Sipa USA

But they were among the lonely few who saw signs that something was amiss. Most of the media, and far too many Big Finance types, didn’t seem to give a second thought to his shambolic appearance and odd demeanor. They thought it was endearing. They didn’t think twice that relatively overnight he had become a billionaire and Democratic mega­donor, giving big bucks to pols with oversight into crypto. 

Buying influence is OK, I guess — as long as it involves Democrats.

Conflict-ridden biz

They certainly paid no heed to his conflict-ridden business model: the risk-taking prop-trading fund Alameda Research — known for taking too much risk — attached to his FTX crypto exchange that was supposed to keep customer deposits safe. That’s something that was almost designed for failure, which is exactly what happened as SBF’s minions gambled away customer funds in the global crypto casino. 

Sam Bankman-Fried claimed he “misaccounted” $8 billion in FTX funds.
via Reuters

Even worse, some members of the so-called “smart money” set are still eating up his line-of-crap explanation of one of the biggest scandals in recent market history without a hint of indigestion or indignation. 

Bill Ackman is one of the pre­eminent hedge-fund managers. He’s known to “short,” or bet against, stocks he thinks are frauds, and once went on a years-long campaign to prove (albeit unsuccessfully) that the nutritional-supplement company Herbalife was one big pyramid scheme. 

But Ackman was so sold on SBF’s excuse — that the crypto bro “never tried to commit fraud” in assembling a house of cards that failed to meet minimum risk-compliance standards — that Ackman tweeted, “Call me crazy, but I think @sbf is telling the truth.” 

I don’t know if Ackman is really crazy, but if he believes SBF’s explanations for how he created a financial firm without even basic risk-management plumbing, he may be a real sucker. 

Kevin O’Leary is said to have lost millions as a result of the FTX collapse.
Reuters
Tom Brady was a “brand ambassador” for FTX.
AP

Also consider Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame. This is a dude who bills himself as someone who’s been around the block so many times, he can distinguish good business ideas from the dogs. A real shark. 

O’Leary is said to have lost millions of dollars in the FTX collapse. He, along with NFL legend Tom Brady and other celebs, were so-called “brand ambassadors,” part of the crew who appeared in those sleek commercials SBF put out in order to sell the investing public that FTX was a safe place to trade your crypto. 

Not a good look, but even worse is that O’Leary still isn’t suspicious of SBF’s motives. 

After watching SBF’s Wednesday performance with Sorkin, O’Leary, known as “Mr. Wonderful,” tweeted: “I lost millions as an investor in @FTX and got sandblasted as a paid spokesperson for the firm but after listening to that interview I’m in the @BillAckman camp about the kid!” 

Who was in charge? 

For starters, the “kid” is 30 years old. This a grown man who conceded to Sorkin “there was no person who was chiefly in charge of positional risk of customers on FTX,” which is the functional equivalent of a doctor performing surgeries without going to med school. 

SBF also told Sorkin he’s speaking publicly about what went down against his lawyer’s advice, because he wants to do the right thing and help make everyone who lost money whole. Maybe that’s what sold Ackman and O’Leary. 

My bet is that the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office, which is investigating this sordid mess, won’t be such an easy mark for SBF’s excuses.

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