While Tom Brady’s on-air slip-up invited plenty of harsh criticism, others saw it as a funny moment that made him more relatable.
Hailing from San Mateo, California, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is a former NFL quarterback who played in the NFL for 23 seasons.
Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl Champion, three-time NFL Most Valuable Player, and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Moreover, he became the 35th member inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on June 12, 2024.
Tom Brady Forgot About The Fourth Team That The Packers Lost To!
Even a minor error can have serious consequences for someone known as one of the best players in the NFL.
While being an extraordinary athlete and a broadcaster are two different things, people have held unrealistic expectations of Tom Brady.
On December 29, 2024, during the pregame broadcast of the Week 17 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, Brady’s minor on-air slip-up attracted substantial attention.
The Hall of Famer, alongside his broadcasting partner Kevin Burkhardt, broke down the stakes of the NFC North game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Then, Brady began by confidently reviewing the Packers’ season, emphasizing their four losses and the importance of the game ahead.
While assessing the Packers’ season, Brady began to recall each of their four defeats but struggled when he couldn’t remember the fourth team. Coincidentally, the Vikings were the very team the Packers were going to face.
Brady’s mind went completely blank, and he couldn’t recall the Packers’ fourth loss of the year.
Tom Brady with a bit of a slip up during the open of Packers-Vikings… pic.twitter.com/kEjp5Yi0Fi
— The Comeback NFL (@TheComebackNFL) December 29, 2024
Hence, the slip resulted in a painfully awkward situation on live television, eliciting critiques from fans and media sources.
“Nothing controversial about that at all. Y’all made it seem like he froze up”
@drizzle55551
“He’s overrated and not good at sportscasting.”
@TrayceBrooks
While some harshly chastised the former NFL star for his lack of professionalism, others found this to be a comical moment that made Brady more relatable.
“Brady needs to stop talking!!! He never shuts up.”
@jrhoesly
“And the hate continues, the myth of Brady still bother peoples even so he retired from the field. 7 times Super Bowl Champ!”
@hotchkins_3880
The Green Bay Packers lost five games during the 2024 season. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and Seattle Seahawks.
Therefore, these close games endangered their prospects of a solid playoff landing.
In the 2024 season, the Green Bay Packers played two tough matchups against their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite their best efforts, the Packers failed to win either game. The first defeat was in a tight encounter in September, when they lost 31-29.
Then, on December 29, the Packers endured their second loss, 27-25, in an exciting, hard-fought game.
Although these losses were difficult since the Vikings are direct challengers for postseason spots, the Packers persevered and finished the season 11-5.
The Former NFL Star Is Trying His Best to Fit In With His New Profession!
However, this was not the first time Tom Brady experienced such an on-air slip-up.
Tom Brady encountered a similar accident while broadcasting a Pittsburgh vs. Steelers game.
While commentating on the Eagles vs the Steelers game, Brady inaccurately referred to Eagles kicker Jake Elliott as David Akers, a former Eagles kicker who retired in 2013.
"… with the way that Akers is struggling with it this year… Excuse me, Jake Elliott." – Tom Brady
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 15, 2024
(David Akers was last the Eagles' kicker in 2010) pic.twitter.com/OqLeXjNCle
Nevertheless, he promptly rectified himself, attributing the error to his previous encounters with several Philadelphia kickers.
The primary expectation from sports broadcasters and experts is to provide a full preview of the game before it begins live.
Hence, this involves discussing the teams, their strengths and weaknesses, significant players, and relevant storylines to create the context for viewers.
It is standard practice in sports broadcasting to prepare the viewers for what to expect throughout the game.
Moreover, each team’s performance is well-documented. Therefore, Tom Brady’s on-air gaffe appeared unprofessional and inept to the public.
Although Brady is a renowned NFL player, his move to a new job as a sports broadcaster demonstrates that no one is perfect at everything.
Despite the severe criticism and on-air embarrassment, he has continued to adjust to his new profession.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Tom Brady is the only son and fourth child of Thomas Brady Sr. and Galynn Patricia.
- While his mother is of Swedish, Norwegian, German, and Polish descent, his father is Irish.
- Brady’s ex-wife is Gisele Bündchen, a Brazillian supermodel and one of the highest-paid models in the world.
