Weird. Unwell. Bizarre. Shameless. Those are just some of the descriptions pundits around the country used to describe the weekend actions of FOX Sports NFL analyst Tom Brady.
This weekend, Brady was once again a focal point of Fanatics Fest in New York City. He was front and center, creating buzz and attention for his business partners, from teasing a WWE storyline to slapping influencer and WWE superstar Logan Paul on stage.
It’s understandable that many in sports media would feel confused by the actions of someone who dominated attention through success while remaining quiet and out of the spotlight throughout his playing career. Is it strange to see a Hall of Fame football player tease a WWE storyline in public? Sure. But was it strange when Bad Bunny, Mr. T, Lawrence Taylor, or even Paul did it at first? Of course.
However, in every instance, many who were quick to label it odd or appalling missed the point entirely.
Make no mistake about it, Brady is not portraying the same personality today that he did during his playing days. When Brady played, everything revolved around football. He didn’t play for money and was the NFL’s highest-paid player only once during his career. Brady was driven by winning, sustained success, and championships.
Throughout his career, he accepted discounted, team-friendly contracts that allowed his organizations to build stronger rosters around him. He consistently did what was best for the team.
All About Business
Off the field, Brady built his own brand. The TB12 Method became a global success. He endorsed international brands including Under Armour, Movado, and Aston Martin. He also launched the sports-based NFT platform Autograph, which later reached a deal with DraftKings. Brady is also a New York Times best-selling author.
Like any athlete, Brady has had some missteps. He was one of many athletes and celebrities who served as paid spokespersons for FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange that collapsed after wiping out billions in customer funds. Last year, he also announced plans to play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, which ultimately relocated to the United States and drew low viewership.
Yet this weekend marked a new low for many in sports media. Brady hinting at a WWE storyline had many rolling their eyes. A staged slap across the face of Logan Paul left others chuckling. Then, video of Brady showing Paul he was No. 1 at the FIFA Club World Cup final went viral, further fueling criticism from sports media.
Is Brady participating in a weekend event and inserting himself into a WWE storyline beneath him? I ask again: Was it beneath Bad Bunny, Jelly Roll, Pat McAfee, Dennis Rodman, Snoop Dogg, or even Brady’s former teammate Rob Gronkowski?
There’s plenty you can say about Brady as a football player. He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. But throughout his career, Brady has also been a businessman. A marketer, and a promoter. He understands not only how to build brands but also how to expand their reach. That’s something everyone in sports, media, and entertainment strives to do.
Don’t Hate The Game
Did Ronda Rousey need WWE? No. But it introduced her to an entirely different audience, expanded her brand’s footprint, and created additional opportunities. Sure, you can critique the effort, but the outcome remains the same.
Did Bad Bunny need the WWE audience for his music career? Some would say no. But by fully embracing the opportunity, he introduced his brand to an audience he likely would not have reached otherwise.
Would WWE have brought its Backlash premium live event to Puerto Rico in 2023 if Bad Bunny hadn’t been involved? At the time, Bunny reached a new audience, WWE continued its global expansion, and the city of San Juan, along with Puerto Rico, benefited.
The most successful people in business are the ones willing to try what others may avoid.
Every brand has an audience, and every audience wants something new. Fanatics Fest was designed to blend sports, media, entertainment, and culture. Was Brady trying to introduce himself to a new audience? Absolutely. Did it work? We’ll find out. The results have yet to be determined.
However, criticizing the effort as something beneath him misses the point.
WWE is one of the biggest global brands in sports and entertainment. They partner with Netflix, ESPN, and have had a long standing business relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They dominate attention, own social media, and create pop culture moments that break barriers into traditional forms of entertainment.
Any current or former athlete would welcome the opportunity to be part of something that generates the level of interest, engagement, and attention WWE consistently delivers. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Tyrese Haliburton all participated in WWE’s event Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Was that weird? Were they unwell or shameless for taking part? Was that bizarre?
Expand The Brand Anyway You Can
In the end, Tom Brady didn’t expose himself this weekend. Sports media did.
Far too many were eager to mock a staged wrestling angle, a promotional appearance, or a calculated branding move that they overlooked what was actually happening. Brady wasn’t chasing attention simply for the sake of attention. He was expanding his reach, strengthening business relationships, and positioning himself where sports, entertainment, and culture increasingly intersect.
Whether you liked the execution is fair game. Missing the strategy behind it isn’t.
The irony is that the same industry that constantly preaches the importance of building audiences, creating engagement, and growing brands spent the weekend criticizing one of the greatest brand builders in sports for doing exactly that.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.