With his marriage in the end zone, analysts wonder if marital problems will affect Brady’s performance.
Arnie Stapleton, a sports analyst for AP News, points to the big picture, which looks messy by any standards. “What is worrisome to his fans is Brady’s dramatic drop-off following a newsy offseason in which he retired in February, unretired a month later and after missing much of training camp found his marriage to Gisele Bundchen the subject of rampant tabloid speculation centering on his unretirement.”
Here are a few head-scratching statistics:
- Brady’s 3.2% touchdown rate is a career low.
- The Buccaneers are averaging 20.2 points per game, which is down 10.1 points from last season.
Kimberly A. Martin, an ESPN commentator on First Take, believes Brady has the drive and focus to play at a high level, regardless of personal drama. “…When he steps on the field, you get completely committed Tom Brady. You get that competitor. You get that guy who wants to win all the time…When it comes to football, he’s laser-focused…”
Football is a game played with arms, legs, and shoulders but mostly from the neck up.
Kunte Rockne, player and coach at Univeristy of Notre Dame
But some experts make the case that in order to have a winning season, a quarterback must also show leadership skills, and Brady’s frustration on the sidelines is likely to make things worse. He was seen berating his worn-down offensive line over their missed tackles, and according to sports psychologist Jared Wood, this tough-love approach will foster negative emotions, which can actually do more harm than good. Instead of doubling down on shame and guilt, he emphasizes that fear and anxiety need to be dealt with, whether through imagery, self-talk, or other confidence-building techniques.
Big Fat Football Divorce
Personal challenges can affect athletic performance in a number of ways. Wood, also a Coach to Coach contributor, says the complexity of the mental side of football can’t be ignored. “…Players bring personalities and personal issues into the game. To coach a player to his potential, a coach must understand the person, not just the player.”
This is significant since Brady has been dealing with some personal issues off the field, like a big fat football divorce. With hard work and a focused mindset, he might be able to turn things around for the Bucs, but anybody can see that this football god is losing control of his game and his marriage.
The Twitteratti Speaks Out
A glamazon supermodel is divorcing the man who seemingly has it all. The sports hero story is getting sacked, and everybody seems to have an opinion. Brady’s gaunt, worn-down face at press conferences is turning the Twitteratti into a mob of neurotic Jewish mothers, and many are worried about his well-being. Even anti-Patriot fans are like, dude, you need a bro hug? Or a puppy?
Feminists and non-sports fans see Brady as an ungrateful brat getting paid millions to play a kid’s game and having tantrums on the sidelines when his offensive line doesn’t make their tackles. Fortunately, the only victim of his rage was a smashed-up iPad.
Brady fans are furiously tapping on their phones, no doubt phubbing their loved ones, to express their fake outrage on social media. Not wanting the fantasy narrative to fall apart, the one where the football star is the breadwinner and his supermodel wife stays home with the kids, their writing over the urinals of the Internet is just what you would expect: Trade in that washed-up model for hotter, younger arm candy!
Beauty is in the Eye of Gisele’s Bank Account
While some hardcore Brady fans call her a ‘washed up’ supermodel, Gisele is worth $400 million, which is almost double Brady’s fortune of $250 million. In her case, beauty is in the eye of her massive bank account. And all she had to do was slap on some pancake makeup, look bored, and strike a pose, proving that there are easier ways to make multi-millions other than wrestling into spandex and getting tackled and concussed by guys the size of refrigerators.
Tom Brady Will Always Be the GOAT
On the other side of the stands, Brady will forever be a hero to the millions of fans that toiled away at miserable jobs and looked forward to the few joys in their lives to get them through it – a Patriots game and some cheese dip.
Is it a Case of Walk Away Wife Syndrome?
Every compelling story has a big question mark hanging over it and many are wondering why the crown prince of football and a high-powered supermodel can’t make it work. Psychologists call it the walk away wife syndrome. Studies, counseling sessions, and articles have analyzed this phenomenon to all corners of hell, but here is the Cliff Notes version:
- Boy meets girl.
- Boy is totally into girl, honeymoon period ensues.
- Girl gives up career for family while boy suits up as a knight in shining Armani, shoulder pads, etc.
- Girl wants more quality time, romance, etc.
- Girl tries various ways to get attention, boosting sales of lingerie, self-help books, and candles.
- Boy inexplicably not interested as he focuses on career, video games, a side piece, etc.
- Girl starts complaining.
- Boy and girl grow apart.
- Girl walks away.
In a nightmare ending to a storybook romance, he’s just not that into her anymore. And before you know it, even someone as glamorous and successful as Gisele is one population-control nightgown away from turning into Mrs. Roper from Three’s Company.
This crushing scenario would badly wound the ego of an average person, a gold mine for by-the-hour marriage counselors. But Gisele is anything but average. Those high cheekbones and impossibly perfect body have graced magazine covers and luxury brands, and consequently, her pain and humiliation from being rejected are off the charts. No amount of sage burning, meditation, or other pseudo-spiritual hippie practices can lessen the sting of rejection for a larger-than-life celebrity with an equally large ego.
The philosopher Alan Watts once said, “The secret to life is knowing when to stop.” Perhaps this wisdom can be applied to football stars, marriages, and the seemingly endless chatter of the Twitteratti.
Get a kick out of more sports articles on the Vidgo blog The Stream, such as Iranian Soccer Stars Use Fame to Fight Regime. Vidgo subscribers can also enjoy the most comprehensive coverage of pro and college football, along with the best entertainment, news, and Latino programming with 150+ channels and thousands of shows and movies on demand!
