Tom Brady Pens A 'Personal' Letter About Fatherhood For His Weekly Newsletter
The former Patriots superstar has been writing weekly posts for his newsletter, "199," which he's been working on after retiring from professional football in 2023. According to his website, where fans and football enthusiasts can subscribe to his writing, the newsletter addresses his thoughts on "business, media, leadership, health, football," and more.
"Want to know what I am learning as I tackle new challenges and opportunities in these fields?" he asks on his subscribe page.
This week, in a post he described as "personal," Tom decided to tackle the subject of parenting. Not just parenting, but being a father while also balancing a successful and intense career in the NFL, which he had previously dedicated all of his time to. In the introduction, he described an interview where professional golf player Scottie Scheffler gave quotes that insinuated he didn't feel fulfilled by solely playing golf. He compared the quotes to how he felt in the NFL at 27 years old, just before becoming a dad. Then, he began to transition into how his life changed once he had children, and what he thinks makes him a "great father."
"I think part of being a great father is being a great example of doing what it takes to take care of your family," he wrote. "I chose to do it by playing football."
He continued by writing that his "dedication to the sport" and "hours of practice" were the times he believed he was "doing the best possible thing" for his "family and kids."
"By prioritizing my profession and teaching, by example, what it takes to be really good at your job, what it takes to follow through on commitments, what it takes to be a great teammate; and showing them, also by example, that work is a big part of all of our lives," he added.
The Internet Slams Tom For His Views On Fatherhood And Parenting Following His Divorce From Gisele Bündchen
Although many can agree that finding time to pursue your passion and encouraging your children to do the same is a great parenting technique, others believe that keeping up a demanding NFL schedule isn't exactly the same thing. After his newsletter went up, internet users began slamming Tom's views on parenting, especially considering he divorced from the mother of his children, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, in 2022, reportedly due to his football career.
In 2022, after the 47-year-old shockingly came out of his first retirement from football and decided to rejoin the Buccaneers for another season, Gisele gave an interview to Elle where she said she had "concerns" over him getting back in the game.
"I have my children, and I would like him to be more present," she said. Two months later, the couple revealed they were getting divorced.
With some internet users taking this into consideration, they criticized Tom's latest newsletter on social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram.
"Sounds like someone has a guilty [conscience]," wrote an Instagram user, as one added that the athlete "still doesn't get it."
"Giselle is somewhere saying, 'I made the right choice,'" joked a user.
On Reddit, one user wrote that it was "best" for Tom to keep his mouth "closed," as another noted he "could've retired in 2006 and he and his kids would've been set for life, but he didn't want to."
"You can't just not show up for your kids and the family you chose to create," added a fired-up user.
"Writing out all the bare minimum parenting you've ever done is peak Bad Dad," commented another.
Although Tom has yet to acknowledge the backlash this week's newsletter has received, and some of his diehard fans felt his writing was positive and relatable, a large number of internet users are in agreement that they're not buying his "great father" narrative for now.