Tom Brady was on WEEI for an interview recently and was pretty candid speaking about a number of topics. He addressed Spygate, whether or not the erroneous Boston Herald report bothered the Patriots (the Herald actually did apologize), his thoughts on his cryptic coach, and much more. It’s a good interview well worth a listen. MDS at FanHouse pulled a few quotes I’d like to pass along (via Pro Football Talk):
Brady suggested that the reason Patriotgate has stayed in the news is that the media in general and ESPN specifically are looking to fabricate a controversy.
“I think it’s a way to really sell newspapers, and all the ESPN stations, they’ve got to fill the air, too,” Brady said.
When it was pointed out to Brady that many of the ex-NFL players who work at ESPN were harshly critical of the Patriots and suggested that they gained a huge advantage from stealing signals, Brady said, “It’s just kind of the environment right now, though. I think that’s the way that guys make it. They just say the craziest things. That’s what ESPN has become. ESPN, to me, is like MTV without the videos, ESPN is without the highlights.”
It’s hard for me to recall what each individual analyst on ESPN had to say about Spygate at its various stages, but there’s no doubt that they covered the story to death. And you know what? I don’t think there was anything wrong with that — initially. When the legacy of a “dynasty” team in the country’s most popular sport is accused of achieving its success because of illegitimate means, it warrants plenty of coverage. There’s no way around that. But after the season ended, maybe they did go overboard with the coverage because they really did need filler. Lots of stories on Arlen Specter and Matt Walsh, and I really think that went overboard. But while they were in season, the coverage was probably fair. Aside from that, Brady is right on. And I like the fact that he doesn’t hide his thoughts, either.
