Look, I'm the last guy who should be wanting to praise Tom Brady for anything. After all, it's because of him (well, maybe it was more Kyle Shanahan) that I will go to my sporting grave with the numbers "28-3" tattooed on my forehead like a scarlet letter. My best friend (who of course is from Massachusetts) is quick to remind me of that number to the point where it haunts me Sunday in and Sunday out. Anyway, Brady has ended many a dynasty for two decades, but it was something he did earlier this evening that might have a greater impact. Hold on, Oakland Raider fans, before you start crying about that "Tuck Rule" again, hear me out.
As the Tennessee Titans-Jacksonville Jaguars game was taking place during Thursday Night Football, Brady sent out a set of tweets blasting the referees for calling a series of heinous penalties. Now, at "It's Sports, It's Life," we tend to look at the more serious issues in the world of sports. However, when the arguably G.O.A.T begins to opine on the state of officiating, that merits a discussion.
This isn't about whether or not the referees are not simply doing their job, it's about a league that refuses to acknowledge a problem that they created. It was in their desire to kowtow to pressure from one blown call in last year's NFC Championship that has led to the yellow flags being thrown more than the footballs through two weeks. The men in stripes, through no fault of their own, are calling any 50-50 play in favor of the offense. It led to an atrocious call in Sunday's Denver-Chicago game which led to the Bears kicking a game-winning FG (if only that had occurred last January). ISIL is predicting that by year's end some team is going to be on the wrong side of a roughing the passer penalty that will make that call a reviewed one by a disgruntled team.
But back to Brady. He's already had the most accomplished career of any football player ever, and even with a simple tweet can get others to listen. After all, his legend began on a controversial call, isn't it time for Tom Terrific to give back by pushing for change? He can even create the next Twitter craze and call it #PutTheFlagsAway.
By doing so, he can get back to doing what so many Americans did, and watch the exciting battle between Marcus Mariotta and Gardner Minshew. Who'd want to miss that?
Check out our latest episode of the Final Five on the Washington Redskins: http://tobtr.com/s/11512855
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