Mike Florio ,
Facebook
It would be nice for the rich and famous to have attention without scrutiny, but that’s not how it works.
And Tom Brady should know that by now.
Instead of ignoring a claim from Dave Portnoy of FS1’s Wake Up Barstool that Brady will receive $75 million for the one-day Saudi Arabia flag football tournament in March 2026, Brady felt compelled to respond. Via Drew Lerner of AwfulAnnouncing.com, Brady posted this on Twitter : “Are we just picking numbers out of a hat and reporting them ? While we’re breaking news… Elvis is doing the halftime show, and [B]abe Ruth is gonna sign some autographs for fans. Also I heard Dave prefers floppy pizza. Who cares about facts right?”
Fine, Tom. Then disclose what you’re getting. It’s surely far closer to $75 million than $75,000. (Our guess in the office pool would be $50 million.) Especially since Portnoy’s colleague, Dan “Big Cat” Katz said last week that the duo turned down $10 million to simply attend a boxing match in Saudi Arabia. (They wanted $15 million.)
The bigger question is this — why would Brady even care? Whatever the number is, he’s not doing it for free. And he’s entitled to a windfall, given the FTX bath he took a few years ago.
The problem is that folks like Brady believe they’re entitled to not be questioned. By anyone. The fact that Brady felt compelled to complain about Portnoy’s claim shows that recent criticism has stung the GOAT.
And it has, we’re told. He’s sensitive to the talk about his Fox/Raiders conflict of interest. And he’s not happy that he’s being called out by many in the media.
But what does he expect? Unconditional praise? Seven Super Bowl wins only gets you seven Super Bowl rings. It doesn’t buy seven decades of folks looking the other way while you do whatever you want.
Big Shield combines gambling, pro football, and the mob into a cautionary tale regarding inside information, and the dangers that come from selling it.
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