Thursday, 4 a.m.
He has accomplished more than anyone else in the history of ever. He has won titles and trophies and made money and conquered celebrity.
He has beaten everyone. He has won everything.
So why blame Tom Brady for asking for a little more?
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From the looks of it, he has nine games left. He hasn't said he'll retire, but he isn't playing as if he's ready for a new long-term contract.
Why go on? His personal life in is shambles. His professional life is picking up critics. He is in it for the Rings, but this team doesn't look capable of winning one.
Still, for some athletes, playing is better than walking away. It's football, so there is always another down to play. There is always a first down marker ahead.
Nine games. It isn't enough, is it? For all of Brady's misfires this season, he is still the greatest quarterback of them all. If you doubt it, count the Super Bowls. That's what they play for, right? In a bottom line business, he is the bottom line quarterback.
None of that means he is playing well, or that his team is playing well around him.
But if you think the Bucs are disappointing with Brady, wait until you get a look at next year. It would make Dracula shriek.
Ahead, there is darkness. Deep down, we all know that. It took almost 30 years for the Bucs to win their first Super Bowl, about 17 years for them to win their second.
Think of next year's team. Unless reinforcements are coming, it's a dismal prospect.
Tell me: How is next year's team -- if indeed it is without Brady -- supposed to beat you? By running the ball? By great defense? By a dominating offensive line? By a fierce pass rush? By a solid secondary? With a quarterback (Kyle Trask) who hasn't thrown an NFL pass?
If you said yes to any of those, you aren't paying attention.
This was the flaw in the logic of Bruce Arians, who said he was stepping aside so Todd Bowles wouldn't get stuck in a bad situation. Guess what? He's there.
So who does it fall on to fix things? Obviously, it falls on general manager Jason Licht. You can cheer or cringe at the prospect.
Good organizations keep winning. The 49ers won another Super Bowl after Joe Montana. but most teams struggle.
The Jets never sniffed the game again after Joe Namath. It took the Steelers a quarter of a century to find another Super Bowl-winning quarterback after Terry Bradshaw. IT took the Broncos 14 years to replace John Elway
The Patriots are still a good team, but they still miss Brady. The Giants are still trying to fill Eli Manning's shoes. The Saints are still trying to replace Drew Brees.
So the advice here is to not turn out the light quite yet. Enjoy whatever Brady has left.
And if the other guys want to show up, that's fine, too.