There’s a lot of ways for Patriots fans to show how split their loyalties are heading into the weekend of Tom Brady’s return to New England.
Few are more on the nose than a jersey that’s half Tampa Bay, half New England, all Brady.
HD Rothman was born and raised in Brookline and is a lifelong Patriots fan.
He rocked the chimeric #12 Brady jersey he ordered online for $25 on Thursday as he waited on the Green Line in Coolidge Corner. He compared the long relationship between the Pats and Brady to a divorce.
“You know, in the end, as a Pats fan, I wish Tom Brady nothing but the best, and I think the Buccaneers system is a great fit for him — and if he’s in the Super Bowl, I’m obviously gonna root for him,” he said. “But I think coming to Sunday’s game, I think it’s a lot of mixed emotions.”
Sunday’s game between the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be the most anticipated single regular season game in the history of the NFL. For Pats fans, it’s a chance to see Brady at Gillette for the first time since his rocky departure from the team and to give him a proper goodbye. And maybe see him take a few good licks, too.
That is, at least, for those who could even afford to get a seat for the main event.
Jim Holzman, CEO of Ace Ticket, said the game is all anyone can talk about right now. He said tickets are going from anywhere from $400 to $4000.
“Is it expensive? Yes, it is. Should it be? You know, based on what it is, yes, right?” he said. “You’re talking about something that you can drive an hour from your house and see the greatest ever, how do you not take that opportunity? I think that’s the driver.”
Holzman pointed out that, unlike big playoff matchups, this has been on people’s calendars for months.
“Once the schedule came out and we knew that Brady was coming and we realized Tampa was playing, people just got super excited,” he said. “We never got to say good-bye or thank Tom Brady, and now here’s our chance to do so.”
Sunday night will have all of the melodramatic ramifications of a superstar’s return to the place where it all started. But it will also be a chance for Brady to cement himself even further in NFL lore: Brady only needs 68 passing yards on Sunday to become the NFL’s all-time passing leader. You couldn’t write this better if it were a movie.
But not all Pats fans are getting too mushy about Tampa Tom’s return. Matt Lefevre, the operational manager at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse in Brookline, is anticipating what could be busy day at the bar for the game, but one that could fizzle out if the Patriots can’t keep up with the Buccaneers.
Lefevre wishes Brady nothing but the best, but his loyalties aren’t going anywhere outside of New England.
“As a fan, you know, I root for the Patriots,” he said. “So you know, I’m happy for [Brady] to have success, but I hope he gets put on his behind the whole game. I want to see him running backwards and frustrated. I hope these kids that didn’t play with him don't care about his reputation and his legacy and show pride. So I’d love to see New England show pride.”
