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Sports

Tom Brady says family left him home alone so he can prepare for Super Bowl

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It’s six days before Tom Brady will play in his tenth Super Bowl and first as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s the first time in 10 appearances in the title game that Brady is still at home as he prepares for a Super Bowl. Usually, teams would be in the host city of the game in hotels and dealing with a whirlwind week of media availability leading up to kickoff.But nothing is “usual” when it comes to this year’s game.

Even with the Buccaneers making it to a Super Bowl being held in their home stadium in Tampa, the circumstances of the year mean no hotels, a wholly different media experience, and a brand new way for the 43-year old Brady to prepare for the Super Bowl. To help him in that process, Brady said on Monday that his family has taken off from their home to give him the space and quiet environment to prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“My family won’t get back in town until Saturday,” he said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I really had an empty house for what will be 12 days leading up to the game. That’s the most time I’ve had to really focus on what I need to do from a football standpoint.”

The Buccaneers are the first team to ever play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The San Francisco 49ers faced the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX at nearby Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif. But the realities of the 2020-21 year mean the players are actually staying at home altogether as opposed to being in local hotels for the week. It’s just one of many things making this a new experience for the most experienced Super Bowl participant ever.

“I have time to get my body right,” Brady said. “There’s been no travel for our team. It’s a home game. That’s very different. We’re staying at our own home. That’s very different. You don’t have to eat hotel food for a week, that’s very different. The stadium will be, I don’t know, 25,000 people. That will be different.”

“I don’t have any perspective on this one,” he continued. “Because it’s the first time we’ve had a chance to do the things that we’re doing.”

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Sports

Tom Thibodeau could be eyeing Knicks reunion with Zach LaVine

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As president/coach of Minnesota, Tom Thibodeau once dispatched Zach LaVine to Chicago in a 2017 trade for Jimmy Butler.

But the Knicks coach sounded like he wouldn’t mind reuniting with the current Bulls shooting guard, noting his improvement. There’s speculation the Bulls would put LaVine on the trading block before he becomes a 2022 free agent. That could be before March’s trade deadline, this summer or at the next trading deadline.

The Knicks need more scoring and LaVine is a sniper — one of the best dunkers in the NBA. He’s averaging 26.8 points and 5.3 assists. SNY reported over the summer LaVine would be on the Knicks’ radar.

The biggest edge the Knicks would have over many teams interested is they have $18 million in cap space to absorb a big contract without giving away much salary. He’s one of many players on the Knicks’ radar, sources contend. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf could be hesitant to deal LaVine to Thibodeau considering his Bulls’ breakup was ugly.

Before Monday night’s 110-102 loss to the Bulls, in which LaVine scored 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting with five rebounsd, Thibodeau was asked about LaVine’s progression since he dealt him out of Minnesota. Ironically, Butler’s addition to Minnesota created friction with the young players and led to Thibodeau’s dismissal two years ago.

Zach Lavine
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“He’s continued to grow I think each year,’’ Thibodeau said. “I think sometimes we tend to forget the steps that players take to get to the point to where they are today. and for Zach, he started off, I think he scored around 13 or 14 points a game his first year. Then there was another four-point jump. Now he’s up to 26, 27. He’s shooting 50, 40, 90. He’s an elite shooter. He’s a great athlete. … But he’s a great guy, a hard worker. So you knew he would continue to improve. He’s playing at a very high level.’’

The Knicks also have a trove of draft picks to deal, including two first-round picks this year.

Bulls first-year coach Billy Donovan recruited Julius Randle when Donovan was at Florida. Randle chose Kentucky. Now, Randle is having a career year and shooting well from the 3-point line (37.5 percent) and may be on the verge of making his first All-Star team.

“Thibs is putting him in situations playing to Julius’ strengths,’’ Donovan said. “He’s a handful in the low post. He’s got great feet and ball-handling ability. He’s worked hard on his shooting. He’s shooting the ball much better. Earlier in his career he’s a guy you left alone and try to jam the paint. Now he’s making midrange, 3s, puts it on the floor. He’s a heckuva driver…. He continues to evolve and grow as a player.’’

Donovan coached Knicks backup center Nerlens Noel the last two seasons at OKC. Like Randle, he also recruited Noel but lost him to Kentucky. Noel, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Knicks in November, missed his second straight game with knee soreness.

“I loved him,’’ Donovan said. “I recruited him coming out of high school. A lot of these NBA guys I never got. He’s a terrific teammate and love the way he plays the game with great shot-blocking ability. He sees the floor well for a big guy. He was great for us at OKC. He gave us an incredible two years there — all about the team.’’

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Sports

Patrick Mahomes needs Super Bowl LV win to catch Tom Brady, Tony Romo says

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A Super Bowl LV win for Patrick Mahomes would mean a lot for his careers, former NFL quarterback Tony Romo said Friday.

Mahomes is on track to becoming an all-time great quarterback but if he wanted to catch Tom Brady, a Super Bowl LV victory is a must-win for him, the CBS broadcaster told reporters.

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“The fact that Patrick Mahomes is somehow in this discussion shows you how amazing this guy is,” Romo said, via Boston.com. “There’s a chance for Patrick Mahomes playing this game, to climb the ladder. If Mahomes wins, he keeps that door open. If Brady wins, I don’t know how anyone can top him.

“This is the biggest game Patrick Mahomes will ever play in for the rest of his career. It’s the only way to catch Tom Brady. If he loses this game, he cannot catch Tom Brady, in my opinion.”

SUPER BOWL LV: 5 X-FACTORS ON THE CHIEFS

The Super Bowl matchup features the most accomplished quarterback ever to play the game who is still thriving at age 43 in Brady against the young gun who is rewriting record books at age 25. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken, File)

Mahomes could in theory play as long as Brady has and win just as many Super Bowls. He’s only in his fourth year in the league and playing for his second Super Bowl title. Brady had three Super Bowl rings by his fifth season in the NFL. He didn’t win his fourth until the 2014 season.

Mahomes could be the third quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowl MVP awards and the Kansas City Chiefs could be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the 2003-04 seasons when the New England Patriots did it.

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Super Bowl LV takes place on Feb. 7.

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World

Captain Tom hospitalized for virus he raised money to fight

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LONDON (AP) — Tom Moore, the 100-year-old World War II veteran who captivated the British public in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic with his fundraising efforts, has been hospitalized with COVID-19, his daughter said Sunday.

Hannah Ingram-Moore revealed in a statement posted on Twitter that her father, widely known as Captain Tom, has been admitted to Bedford Hospital because he needed “additional help” with his breathing.

She said that over the past few weeks her father had been treated for pneumonia and that he had tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

She said he is being treated in a ward, not in an intensive care unit.

“The medical care he has received in the last few weeks has been remarkable and we know that the wonderful staff at Bedford Hospital will do all they can to make him comfortable and hopefully return home as soon as possible,” she said.

Moore became an emblem of hope in the early weeks of the pandemic in April when he walked 100 laps around his garden in England for the National Health Service to coincide with his 100th birthday. Instead of the 1,000 pounds ($1,370) aspiration, he raised around 33 million pounds ($45 million).

Moore, who rose to the rank of captain while serving in India and Burma during the war, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in July for his fundraising efforts.

Best wishes came in from far and wide, including from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said in a tweet that Moore had “inspired the whole nation, and I know we are all wishing you a full recovery.”

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Sports

Statements from the 49ers on Tom Rathman’s Retirement

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“The 49ers family would like to congratulate Tom Rathman on concluding a tremendous, 31-year career as both a player and a coach in the National Football League. During more than two decades as a 49er, he left an indelible mark on our organization, the players he coached and the defenders he battled. Tom coached his players the same way he played the game, with a selfless, hard-nosed dedication to getting the best out of himself and those around him. A member of the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame, he is the quintessential 49er in every way. We are so happy for Tom, his wife, Holly, and their family, as he steps away from the game to which he gave so much.”

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Sports

Tim Benz: As Tom Brady prepares for Super Bowl, time for Steelers fans to do some reassessing

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About an hour ago

I know what Steelers fans will think as they read this post.

“Tim, this is nothing but one giant ‘I TOLD YOU SO!’”

Let me tell you in advance, yes. Yes, it’s exactly that.

No more. No less. It is one giant “I told you so.”

Because I did. Now I’m asking you to reassess.

I’ve written a lot of columns that have made a lot of people really mad. Ripping the Pirates, Penguins and Steelers. Or any time I even mention Pitt.

Advancing an unpopular opinion about a trade or a draft pick. Some dicey commentary about how our local politicians were handling the coronavirus situation. Dancing into some touchy social or political opinions.

But in those circumstances, for every one or two negative responses, I’d usually get one or two positive ones.

Not for today’s example, though. I’m referring to a piece I wrote about quarterback Tom Brady on Jan. 7, 2020. It was three days after his New England Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC playoffs, and Brady looked bad in the process.

It was clear at the time that the long marriage between the franchise and its six-time Super Bowl champion QB was rocky, and he may hit free agency. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh was wading through the offseason to see if Ben Roethlisberger’s surgically repaired elbow was going to heal enough to allow him back in a Steelers uniform in 2020. If ever again.

So I advanced the idea that — despite nearly 20 years of animus built up toward Brady in our fair city — Steelers fans would (and should) welcome him to town if Ben Roethlisberger’s arm forced him into retirement.

Between negative tweets, Facebook responses and emails, I’m pretty sure I never got more universal rejection of a story idea from our readership. I expected blowback for provincial, emotional reasons. Not tactical football ones. But I got both.

Readers expressed hatred of Brady for his repeated beat downs of the Steelers, the Patriots’ reign of terror over the AFC and the allegations surrounding Spygate and Deflategate. But, also, many didn’t think he could hack it anymore, and he wouldn’t help the Steelers if he came to Heinz Field.

Mason Rudolph would be better. A draft pick would be better. I’m pretty sure, if I looked hard enough, I could find a “they’d be better off sticking with ‘Duck’ next year” response.

I was accused of everything from Pittsburgh-treason to propagating “clickbait.”

Yeah. How’d all that turn out?

Roethlisberger did come back. He piloted the Steelers to an 11-0 start. And Brady still wound up having a better year. Now, he’s in the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Do you think the folks in Tampa would be happier with Rudolph or Duck? Or even Big Ben?

Nah, me either.

The parochial “we hate Brady cuz he was a cheatin’ Patriot n’at,” I expected. Had my hypothetical come to pass and Roethlisberger had retired during the offseason, I think most Pittsburghers would’ve forgotten about all that and salivated at the prospect of Brady being a bridge for a few years, keeping the offense competitive while that stout defense continued to thrive.

But the dismissiveness of Brady’s abilities was just stupid. Especially compared to whatever quarterback the Steelers would’ve ended up trotting out on opening day if Brady didn’t come to Pittsburgh.

Consider these numbers posted by Brady in 2020-21. At age 43, in his 21st season.

• Brady’s 4,633 passing yards are the fourth-highest total of his career.

• Brady’s 40 touchdowns were only eclipsed by the 50 he threw with the 18-1 Pats of 2007.

• His 401 completions were exceeded only once (402 in 2015).

• Brady has already won three playoff games this year. The Steelers have three over the past decade.

• And for all the “Yeah, what about Spygate and Deflategate?” theorists, this will be Brady’s sixth Super Bowl since Spygate. His fourth since Deflategate. His fifth if you count the win over the Seattle Seahawks the game after the scandal broke.

In the meantime, the Patriots went 7-9 and missed the Super Bowl.

So, yeah, clearly signing Brady to replace Roethlisberger would’ve been a tragic mistake for the Steelers franchise. Good call to everyone who emailed, tweeted and posted on Facebook.

Now that we look at it, the Steelers should’ve signed Brady to replace Roethlisberger even if he remained healthy.

Yes, my email inbox is open if you want to reply to that comment, too.

Or if you want to tell me how I’m still a moron because the Steelers are going to acquire (insert name of Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz or Matt Stafford here) anyway this offseason. So I’m still wrong.

Funny how things change. “We’d never want Tom Brady to replace Big Ben. But give us Sam Darnold!”

I’m just kidding, Steelers fans. Enjoy the Super Bowl. I’m sure Dwayne Haskins will get them there soon enough.

By the way, my email inbox accepts apologies, as well.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

Categories:
Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz



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Sports

Did Rex Ryan Make Valid Point About Tom Brady, Bill Belichick?

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It’s been debated all season.

Even more so now that Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing in Super Bowl LV, while Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are sitting at home after an underwhelming 2020 campaign.

Who’s more responsible for the Patriots’ dynasty: Brady or Belichick?

One could argue Brady has settled the argument with his stellar performance as Tampa Bay’s quarterback. But let’s look at the Brady-Belichick connection through a different lens, namely as it relates to the allure of playing for New England, still coached by Belichick.

For years, players across the NFL wanted to play for the Patriots, the league’s most successful franchise. Now, that trend might come to a screeching halt with Brady no longer in New England.

Rex Ryan, former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, argued Sunday before the Bucs’ NFC Championship Game win over the Green Bay Packers that Brady, not Belichick, always was the big draw in Foxboro.

“I just gotta say this: You guys are missing it. Nobody wanted to go to New England to be coached by Bill Belichick. They wanted to play with Tom Brady,” Ryan said on ESPN’s “NFL Countdown.” “I mean, part of it is Belichick, but to play with Tom Brady. Why? That’s why you’re gonna win! And no quarterback was wanting to go to New England, I can assure you that.”

Does Rex have a point?

Brady’s arrival in Tampa Bay sure signaled a positive culture shift for the Bucs organization. Suddenly, the once-lousy franchise became a desirable destination. Call it the TB12 effect.

The question is whether the opposite ultimately will be said for New England, where Brady’s exit leaves Belichick as the team’s primary attraction.

The Patriots’ roster desperately needs a facelift, especially at the quarterback position, and playing for Belichick might not seem as appealing to free agents and potential trade targets as it once did.

Thumbnail photo via
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images



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Sports

Tom Brady’s former Patriots teammates praise him following NFC Championship win: ‘This man is all the GOATS’

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Tom Brady is back in the Super Bowl — but this time he’s leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prior to joining Tampa Bay, Brady was the ringleader for the New England Patriots over a 20-year stretch. He led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, which included six Super Bowl titles, and he has a host of individual accolades cementing him as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.

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On Sunday, Brady completed 20 of 36 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Bucs to a 31-26 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, which clinched Tampa Bay its first Super Bowl appearance since 2002.

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Even though Brady is no longer a part of the Patriots organization, many of his former teammates shared their reactions to Brady reaching a 10th Super Bowl in his career. It goes to show how well-respected the future Hall of Fame quarterback was during his time with New England.

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Sports

Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl is ‘like LeBron and Jordan playing in the Finals’

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Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will meet in Super Bowl LV on February 7 after leading their sides to victory on Championship Sunday.

Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers stunned the red-hot Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC championship, while Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC championship.

And given the 18-year age difference between the two star quarterbacks, fans are thrilled at the idea of 43-year-old Brady facing off against 25-year-old Mahomes in Tampa Bay in two weeks.

Some compared them to the two editions of Yoda from the Star Wars films and the Mandelorian TV series.

Others tweeted photos announcing the clash of the two titans with pictures of two goats — suggesting both Brady and Mahomes are two of the greatest players of all time — while others compared it to a young Kobe Bryant facing an older Michael Jordan.
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Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and now CBS commentator Tony Romo described it as an “all-time matchup” as well as comparing it to “LeBron and Jordan playing in the (NBA) Finals.”
It will also be the first ever Super Bowl match-up between the winning quarterbacks from the previous two Super Bowls.

In winning on Sunday, Brady advanced to his 10th Super Bowl — nine with the New England Patriots and now one with the Buccaneers after signing with them before this season.

And like he did the last time he made it to the big game in 2019, he celebrated in style with his long-time Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski, who also made the move to Tampa Bay before this season.

How Brady has helped to transform the Buccaneers has been remarkable, leading the team to the Super Bowl when last year they failed to even reach the playoffs.

For Mahomes, on the other hand, his stock is only on the rise.

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He will be playing in his second successive Super Bowl having won it last year and joined Kurt Warner, Brady, and Russell Wilson as the only quarterbacks to reach the Super Bowl twice in their first four NFL seasons, according to NFL Research.
Five-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard even compared Mahomes’ ability to that of Steph Curry on Instagram.



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Sports

Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes’ age disparity shown in 2 incredible tweets

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Patrick Mahomes represents the future of the NFL as the Kansas City Chiefs star won his second AFC Championship in his third attempt Sunday with victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Mahomes will be going up against the old guard in Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. The six-time Super Bowl champion was just getting started when Mahomes was getting his feet wet in school.

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Brady won his first Super Bowl during the 2001 season. The New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history at the time. Adam Vinatieri hit the game-winning field goal and it was the franchise’s first Super Bowl as well.

FOX Sports and The Athletic reporter Bruce Feldman noted during the AFC Championship that Mahomes, and his counterpart Josh Allen, were in kindergarten when Brady won his first title. Nineteen years later Brady and Mahomes will be facing each other in Super Bowl LV.

Another tweet also showed the disparity in age between Brady and Mahomes as well.

SUPER BOWL LV TIME, DATE AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME

Baseball buff Christopher Kamka tweeted that Brady was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB Draft in 1995 by the Montreal Expos. It was the same year Mahomes was born. Brady instead went to Michigan for four years before getting drafted by the Patriots.

Brady is 43 years old and Mahomes is only 25.

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Super Bowl LV could very well be a passing-of-the-torch moment for Brady and Mahomes. Both players are competing at a high level and to be able to watch both superstars go head-to-head is going to be a sight.



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