Brady in Midseason Form…..Behind the Mic

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Members of the media who showed up to Gillette Stadium Friday expecting Tom Brady to gripe about his contract situation left disappointed. As expected, the Patriots quarterback took the high road when pressed about not having a new contract in place prior to the upcoming season.

So how does Brady feel about entering the final year of his current deal with no new multi-year deal even close to being in place? “Coach doesn’t like us talking about it a whole lot, so I kind of stick to that,” Brady said. “As I’ve said before, nobody here can solve it other than myself and the team. I’m in the position that a lot of guys are around the league, on this team, and I’m under contract and it’s my responsibility to come out and play as hard as I can. That’s what I love to do anyway. I love to come out here and compete and I have a job. And I think that’s important to realize, too. It’s an interesting time in the world, and I’m glad to come out here and do something I love.”

Brady added, “I think you know everyone (thinks) it’s spoiled athletes and guys that are bitching about making millions of dollars. Everyone works hard to make a living for themselves, and I certainly don’t think we have much to gripe about. We come out, we love what we do, most of us. So I just enjoy coming out and playing. That’s where I get a lot of enjoyment in my life and I want to do it for a long time.”

Brady was also asked about his relationship with the organization in light of the contract negotiations. “I’ve always been privileged to play for coach Belichick who I’ve always said is the best coach in the league,” he said. “And Mr. Kraft, I have a great relationship with him. I’m not into playing games. I just want to come out here and do the best that I can do. Whether you make a dollar or you make millions of dollars like we do make, I really enjoy playing quarterback for this team.”

Some athletes lack that filter between their brains and their mouths which can make for some interesting quotes for the media and fans alike. Brady is not one of those guys. Even if he feels any bitterness towards the organization due to the lack of a new contract, he’d never let you know it.

Brady was also asked if not having a new long-term deal in place might be a distraction for his this season and, again, he did nothing to allow anyone to paint him or his opinion in a negative light. “I’d like to think that I have a little more mental toughness than anything becoming a distraction and affecting the way that I play,” he said. “Nothing outside when I walk off this field ends up being a distraction for me. All of us deal with different stuff in our life, some more challenging than others. As a leader on this team, someone who has been a captain on this team for a long time, you just put things that are off the field behind you and come out here with a good attitude and good leadership.”

It may only have been day 2 of Patriots training camp, but Tom Brady was in midseason form at his first press conference of the summer. Now if we could only get Logan Mankins behind a microphone. That could be interesting!