Feb. 01, 2017

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Tom Brady Needs A Shaman?

After 30 years in Boston, I still can’t leave my rag-tag Philadelphia Eagles for the New England Patriots. Can’t do it. And I get it: comparing Tom Brady to Sam Bradford, Nick Foles, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb is no comparison by stats or on paper. Tom’s great, definitely top 3 of all time, and masterful to watch drive his team in the 4th quarter. So why can’t I get on the New England band wagon?

It’s columns like today’s Jason Gay column in the Wall Street Journal titled “Meet Tom Brady’s Shaman” that make me yearn for the tough play and straight-talk of Bradshaw, Montana, Favre and Aikman (I said it). Like Tom, technically great players. But shaman-seekers? Doubtful. They thought through a situation and made the call for the team.

In Gay’s column, Brady discusses his admiration for contemporary shaman Don Miguel Ruiz’ book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. On the one hand, it’s cool that Brady isn’t so self-centered (and given how easy that would be he truly is not) that he’s not above looking to others for advice on how to live life better. On the other, here are Ruiz’s four Agreements that Tom follows:

-Be impeccable with your word

-Don’t take anything personally

-Don’t make assumptions

-Always do your best

We’ve learned in recent days that Tom’s hero is his Dad. I like that. And, am willing to bet Tom Brady Sr. has passed that same advice along to Tom for the past 39 years. So what benefit in calling out the mystic as his muse and not pops? I don’t know, but it’s another example of what makes me look at him differently, and yearn for the straight-talk-mystic-free interviews of football standouts from the past.

I’m not a hater – I have huge respect for Tom’s abilities, his history of leading the Patriots to victory, and think deflategate was a waste of time and money. Forget the whole Hollywood shaman BS and remember to thank your Dad after the game – he’s the one that instilled your work ethic, not Don Miguel Ruiz.