FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (AP) – It’s been 633 days since Tom Brady played an NFL game in New England.
He trudged off the field on January 4, 2020 after a playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, a rare loser at the place where he helped hoist six Super Bowl championship banners.
However, remnants of his 20-year career with the Patriots remain throughout Foxborough.
Brady’s # 12 Patriots jerseys can still be seen in the stands on match days at Gillette Stadium. Boston Market viewership surpassed Tampa for the Bucs’ Super Bowl win last season, and New England fans continue to flock to bars to watch Brady’s games for the first three weeks of this season.
With Brady’s new home in Tampa just as ruthless towards the player who earned him a championship in his first year, it has sparked a tug-of-war between fan bases as he seeks to return to the place where his career began.
“As a fan, I think this is one of the greatest moments in Boston sports history,” said Jermaine Wiggins, a close finish for the Patriots’ first championship team in 2001 and a radio personality for Boston’s WEEI. “I still haven’t been able to get over it since he left here. I never thought I’d see it coming where he was wearing a different uniform. I don’t think anyone would have thought that five years ago.
“No matter how bad people may have said that Brady and Belichick’s relationship was, I think we all felt that everything would have worked out.”
This is why so many New England fans remember Brady so closely.
Last week before the Patriots hosted the Saints, East Greenwich, Rhode Island resident Jeremy Batista, 24, was putting on a # 10 Michigan Brady jersey when he showed up with friends in the parking lot outside Gillette.
“I can’t wait for him to come back,” said Batista. “I’ve been here long enough and watched him over the years and I can’t wait. He’s still my type. “
Not far away, Brian O’Reilly wore a faded blue No. 12 Patriots jersey, but he was still bubbling with memories of seeing the player who brought so much success.
The 59-year-old resident of Dorchester, Massachusetts has been a Patriots fan since childhood in the 1970s and this year is receiving a season ticket for the first time after spending 20 years on the waiting list.
“We’ve had terrible teams for so many years and the last 20 years he’s given us has been amazing. We couldn’t have asked more of him, ”said O’Reilly. “If we could have him now, I would love to have him back.”
O’Reilly’s tickets will come in handy this week for a game that secondary ticket marketplace TickPick says is the Patriots’ most expensive ticket on record and the NFL’s most expensive ticket of the year.
At an average purchase price of $ 1,236, it’s 79% more expensive than the next most expensive home game ever – $ 689 for the 2017 Patriots matchup against the Chiefs.
Brady will have former teammates on the field and on the sidelines. Jerod Mayo, who played on the title team with Brady in 2014, is still impressed with his longevity.
“His career alone is old enough to drink,” he said. “It’s crazy.”
For his part, Brady said this week, as much as he values his time in New England, his heart is now with the new Tampa fan base who have wholeheartedly welcomed him.
In a city that celebrated the Bucs’ Super Bowl victory, the Stanley Cups by the Lightning in a row, and a Rays World Series appearance last season, he made Champa Bay a reality.
“I’ve had some of the greatest experiences of my life in the last 20 years,” said Brady. “Coming back to a place I know so well with so many friends will be really exciting for everyone.”
However, when he returns to New England, his heart will be with the team featured on his new shirt.
“I had a great time, but my focus was really on doing the best I can be for this team and trying to be a victorious quarterback, a championship-level quarterback, for this team and for this organization. ” because they definitely deserve it. “
Back in Boston, Wiggins expects people to talk about Brady’s return for generations, regardless of the outcome.
“We’ve never seen that before because you’re talking about the greatest coach and the greatest quarterback,” he said. “They’ve had success for 20 years and now they’re competing against each other. … It will be amazing to see how the fans accept this game. “
Two cities hold their breath together.
The post Tampa, New England is excited as Brady prepares to return first appeared on Daily Florida Press.from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/tampa-new-england-is-excited-as-brady-prepares-to-return/
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