Put Another Way

Now it’s official—Tom Brady has retired after a twenty-two year career in the NFL. How best to measure him? Game-generated stats are the obvious way to go, and those are the ones that will get him elected to Canton in five years. But forget about the 624 touchdown passes thrown and 84,520 passing yards accumulated, just for a few seconds. Consider Brady’s value in dollars and cents. Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994 for $175 million, give or take. According to businessinsider.com, the team was valued at $464 million in 2000, the year Brady was drafted. Last summer, Forbes pegged the team’s value at $5 billion. How much of that is due to Kraft and/or head coach Bill Belichick? And how much is the product of a quarterback who took his team to the Super Bowl nine times, winning six? CNBC reports that Brady has earned $292.9 million for his efforts, so hold up on the candy fundraisers. But ask yourself if he’s been paid what he’s worth. If and when Kraft sells, not a dime will go to the player who pumped so much value into the franchise. That’s a reality sure to cause resentment, if not in Brady then other athletes in various sports. It also happens to be a reality that explains why spring training will likely be delayed this year.