Patriots QB Tom Brady yesterday expressed a "tinge of regret about his comedic turn" in a new Foot Locker ad, according to Adam Kurkjian of the BOSTON HERALD. The ad, which debuted yesterday, shows Brady having a "sense of humor regarding Deflategate." Brady during his weekly press conference yesterday said, "I don’t know exactly what was going through my mind when I made the decision. I’ve had a lot of different opportunities over the years and some I’ve chosen to do, and some I haven’t." He added, "I had a lot of free time on my hands at the beginning of the year, so I had to find ways to fill it" (BOSTON HERALD, 11/17). FS1's Jason Whitlock said what Brady likely "figured out is, ‘It wasn't as bad as I thought. We went 3-1. We got a chance at the Super Bowl. I survived this. My reputation has survived this.’" FS1's Colin Cowherd: “It was spot on. The messaging he was trying to accomplish, he hit it” (“Speak for Yourself,” FS1, 11/16). ESPN's Michael Wilbon said, “This was funny, funny, funny, smart, clever, touched all the right notes, Brady was great executing it." ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: "This is surprising because of how good it is, and he really, truly sells it” ("PTI," ESPN, 11/16). CNBC’s Wilfred Frost: “Good to see him taking a light-hearted approach to it all” (“Worldwide Exchange,” CNBC, 11/17).
GOOD HUMOR MAN: ESPN's Jackie MacMullan said the ad is Brady "poking fun at a situation that you know he doesn't even think is a tiny bit funny, so good for him." MacMullan: "It’s a way of tweaking the league office without actually tweaking it. It’s Tom Brady not admitting anything, not suggesting anything and basically his last chance at saying, ‘You know what, nothing happened!’” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Brady "looked like a troll here." Shelburne: "I don’t think he wants this to go away ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 11/16). ESPN's Dan Le Batard said, "Foot Locker is kind of an odd campaign for him, but they’re the ones who came to him with an ad that can stick a couple double middle fingers out at Roger Goodell" ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 11/16). ESPN’s Trey Wingo: "It seems like there was something Tom needed to get off his chest” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 11/16).
NO LAUGHING MATTER: ESPN's Bomani Jones said, "I don't think that's Tom Brady laughing at himself. In fact, I don’t think that's not Tom Brady acting. He can't let this go. It’s not a joke when you say the stuff that you would actually say” ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 11/16). ESPN's Kate Fagan: "This commercial is in no way self-deprecating or revelatory of Tom Brady. In fact, if it was self-deprecating, that would possibly be revelatory because that’s a side of Tom Brady we haven’t seen before” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 11/16).
