Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady maybe should have listened to his daughter, Vivian Lake, before that infamous tossing of the Lombardi Trophy during the Bucs’ boat parade. “That’s my little 8-year-old daughter, ‘Daddy, no’,” Brady said. “Who could imagine that an 8-year-old girl would have the most sense of anybody in that whole area? I mean, she’s the voice of reason. Go figure.” Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
Slowly and increasingly vividly, the memories of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl boat parade are coming into focus, particularly the moment when the tequila-sodden quarterback reared back and heaved the Lombardi Trophy – the Lombardi Trophy – across the water.
The moment, captured on endless-loop social media, is one that Brady admitted on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” that he “doesn’t remember that quite as well” as the rest of the universe.
“First of all, I was not thinking at that moment,” Brady said with a laugh. “It was not a thought. It was, ‘This seems really fun to do.’ Not to mention, when you get your hands on one of those trophies, there’s a lot of really sharp edges on the bottom, where the stand is. I found out later, had that been an incomplete pass, that would have went down like 80 feet (into the Hillsborough River). I’m so happy that (tight end) Cam (Brate caught it).”
At least he had the sense to heave it toward a boat occupied by receivers. The best part of the video, though, may have been the reasoned shout by his daughter, Vivi, just before he uncorked the pass. “That’s my little 8-year-old daughter, ‘Daddy, no’,” Brady said. “Who could imagine that an 8-year-old girl would have the most sense of anybody in that whole area? I mean, she’s the voice of reason. Go figure.”
Brady also confirmed that he underwent knee surgery in the weeks after the Super Bowl. Coach Bruce Arians had described his quarterback as needing “a little cleanup” in his left knee, on which he had reconstructive surgery in 2008. Arians has since revealed that Brady should be ready by June.
“I actually had knee surgery, so I’m kind of rehabbing now,” Brady told Corden, “which is giving me something to do. I’d much rather be staying active like I normally do.”
WASHINGTON: Washington will not have cheerleaders for the first time since the NFL’s longest-running cheerleading team was founded in 1962, with a coed dance team taking its place.
The move is part of the organization’s rebranding effort and not related to a confidential settlement reached with members of the 2008 and 2010 cheerleading teams. Lawyers for the team and those cheerleaders told The Associated Press last month that “the matter has been resolved” but would not say when the settlement was reached.
Former Laker Girl manager Petra Pope was hired Wednesday as an adviser to use her three-plus decades of NBA experience to revamp the group.
“I’ve been asked to create a more modern entertainment team that is inclusive and diverse,” Pope said in a phone interview. “We just want to follow that mode of being more modern and a more modern franchise. Change is difficult, but I do feel that the fans will love what we bring to the table.”
SAINTS: The New Orleans Saints cut eight-year veteran tight end and special teams regular Josh Hill and also voided the contract of Jared Cook, who was due to become a free agent this offseason.
The decision to release the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Hill saves the Saints about $2.6 million in salary cap space for the coming season.
The termination of Cook’s contract was a formality but also signifies the Saints’ intention to let Cook test the free-agent market rather than proactively looking to extend him after a season in which he caught 37 passes for 504 yards and seven touchdowns.
Meanwhile, New Orleans also signed special teams regular and reserve safety J.T. Gray to a two-year extension.
GIANTS: The Giants began their cost-cutting by releasing two veterans: wide receiver Golden Tate and linebacker David Mayo, according to sources.
Tate, 32, is gone two years into a four-year, $37.5 million contract that included $23 million fully guaranteed at signing in 2019. GM Dave Gettleman traded Odell Beckham Jr. and signed Tate in his place.
The Giants also cut Mayo one year into a three-year, $8.4 million contract with $3.5 million guaranteed. That was also expected, as it clears $2.3 million off the 2021 cap and removes a player whose lack of speed and impact does not fit the team the Giants now are trying to build.
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