Super Bowl LI came to a close on Feb. 5. It was one of the most entertaining Super Bowls to date, with the most amazing finish to bring it to a close. The Atlanta Falcons dominated the New England Patriots in the first half, leading 21-3 at the half. However, the inevitable soon came as the Patriots began to crawl out of the miserable, entertaining hole they had dug for themselves. Many who watch NFL football have seen this process before: the Patriots somehow come back from behind to win the game. The Patriots made another of these amazing comebacks in the Super Bowl this year, overcoming a 25 point gap to beat the MVP and Atlanta Falcons in overtime. Coaches, determination, and players all contributed to this valiant effort, but the workload can all be tied back to the miserable, conceited quarterback known as Tom Brady.
Brady grew up with a family of four in San Mateo, California. He frequently attended San Francisco 49ers games to watch Joe Montana, who inspired him to play football. Brady chose to play football over baseball, and he signed with the University of Michigan from 1995-1999. He played backup for two years and became starter for his last two years. In the 2000 NFL draft Brady was picked in the round 6 for the New England Patriots, where he still remains today. He has five Super Bowl rings, four Super Bowl MVPs, and two league MVP recognitions. Brady has a beautiful wife, Gisele Bundchen, and three children. He is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play football and should be a source of inspiration all over the world. Despite this, people across the country hate him for a variety of reasons.
Brady is a winner. He is successful, rich, confident, and a special football player that has changed the game. Hate is an emotion, and emotion is what makes human beings who they are. Mike Cernovich, author of Gorilla Mindset, a self-help book that helps people control their emotions, explained, “We see a man in his 50s drive by in a Ferrari, and our first thought is, ‘Look at that douche going through his midlife crisis. Well, maybe he was a poor kid who worked hard his whole life and can finally afford his dream vehicle. But we don’t want to see that. We want to think of every reason to bring someone down to our level.” People always desire to be happy and successful, and when someone like Brady is always winning and succeeding, it is the natural human reaction to hate them.
Some Pleasant Valley students fit right in with this assumption. Seahawks fan Ian Kaffenberger, freshman, still feels the salt of the 2014 Super Bowl. “I don’t like him; I think he’s overrated. Plus, I can’t stand seeing the patriots win.” Some at Pleasant Valley, however, show pure appreciation for great football players. Arthur Braden, junior, said, “I like Tom Brady because he is the best at what he does: winning.” Emotions are especially high after Tom Brady’s incredible comeback in the Super Bowl last week.
The other piece that generates hatred is the controversy that has surrounded the New England Patriots in the last decade. The organization went through two different scandals that brought bad feelings to the program. The Patriots have been docked draft picks and issued fines, but it has not fixed the bad reputation within the league. NFL fans of other teams still hate Brady’s smug ways of winning, which many say involves cheating. Nick Acri, senior, said, “I hate Tom Brady because he is a cheater. The way he looks makes you want to punch him in the face.”
Brady spoke after the Super Bowl win saying he plans to continue playing for another few years. This means more painful years for fans of other teams in the NFL. For citizens of Boston, more championships are bound to be delivered. For the rest of the haters, Brady and his winning ways will continue to exist in this world.
