Tom Brady Earns Respect

The NFL has...not been America's favorite subject over the last 4 months, given all the division certain actions have created (we're not going to talk about that anymore, the horse is dead, we've beat it mercilessly as a nation, just let it die already). Tom Brady, is certainly not the favorite of many outsides of New England either, but in some candid footage, we see Tom's leadership style on display.Tom Brady set the example Sunday night though. While the honoring of the service members was something that the public relations team may have come up with, Tom Brady's actions were his own, and his teammates followed in his footsteps. As the troops walked onto the field to be honored, Tom Brady, took time out of his own pregame prep, to slap hands with those being honored. Soon after, Chris Hogan came over following his quarterback's lead. A lot of people hate Tom Brady. At the risk of sounding like a Tom Brady defender, it was a kind action that he didn't have to do. Maybe he did it because of the cameras. Maybe he did it because he was told to before the game. If you're cynical, you can surely find any number of things to nitpick about his gesture. However, maybe one of those sailors, airmen, soldiers or Marines, really appreciated getting a high five from a future hall of fame quarterback. Despite how it may have been planned, it may have made someone's day better.

For that, can we be thankful? Absolutely. Life is complicated, motives are very rarely clearly known. All we can do is look at actions and hope for the best motive behind them. Tom Brady, your actions were admirable and you've gained some respect from those of us who serve and have served. Thank you for being a class act when you didn't have to be.