March Madness is Tom Brady announcing on Selection Sunday that his retirement is over.
Brady knows now how Brett Favre used to feel every time he tried to retire.
He knows now how Michael Jordan felt when he twice tried to retire.
It is hardly shocking news: The GOAT’s love of the game — and apparently an understanding Gisele — expedited his change of heart. Not that his heart was ever in leaving.
He always knew that he had more to give, but appeared to feel a certain sense of guilt that he had been sacrificing too much family time, and convinced himself that his outside ventures could sustain him.
He may be a Superman wearing No. 12, but he is very much like every other human in the sports arena who realizes that the void is often impossible to replace. Many icons have thought that the grass was greener in retirement and then thought again.
You’re only young once. Or in his case, you’re only 44 once.
The lion heart inside the GOAT roars on. As it must. As it should.
Jordan was a 30-year-old pup when he retired because his competitive fire had waned, but of course it flamed up again following a dalliance with baseball.
Jordan was 32 on March 18, 1995 when, pre-Twitter, he declared: “I’m back.”
In January 1999, he told us he was 99.9 percent certain it was over.
On Sept. 25, 2001, he was back again, at age 38. Until, finally, April 16, 2003, when it was obvious to everyone that Air Jordan had been grounded.
During his Hall of Fame induction speech, he mused: “One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50. (laughs) Oh, don’t laugh. Never say never. Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.”
Favre’s first retirement lasted four months. His second retirement lasted six months. His third retirement lasted two weeks. Mercifully, his fourth retirement stuck.
Hopefully Brady won’t allow himself to travel down Laughingstock Road.
Brady isn’t the beaten-down war horse that John Elway was when he decided against a three-peat at age 38 with the Broncos. He is still toying with NFL defenses.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady tweeted. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.”
His retirement statement: “I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game.”
Retired on February 1.
Unretired on March 13.
40 days and 40 nights.
Forgive Roger Goodell, in the wake of the stench from the one-year Calvin Ridley gambling suspension, for doing cartwheels as he welcomes back the face of the NFL.
Brady undoubtedly sees a clear path to the playoffs in a division where Sean Payton is no longer coaching the Saints, where Matt Rhule is desperate for a quarterback and on the hot seat, where the Falcons won’t have Ridley back. If the Panthers were to sign Deshaun Watson, he could still face a league suspension or find himself on the commissioner’s exempt list. Only the Rams, Packers and Cardinals, if they can navigate through the stormy Kyler Murray seas, appear to be NFC roadblocks to the Super Bowl.
Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles were shut out in the most recent hiring cycle, and Rob Gronkowski should be announcing the end of his retirement any day now.
Not that he has to worry about inflation, but Brady is under contract for $10.4 million this year, plus $4.5 million in incentives. But money doesn’t buy happiness, and Brady is happiest when he has a team to lead and a game and a championship to win.
In the ongoing Tom vs. Time death struggle, Tom still maintains the upper hand.
For the GOAT, seven Lombardi trophies are not enough. Maybe eight is enough. Maybe he wants to ride off into the sunset following one more Super Bowl championship. Maybe this will turn out to be his Farewell Tour.
Only three years ago, he told ESPN’s Randy Moss: “I sit here and think, ‘Well, if I wasn’t playing football, what would I be doing?’ I can’t find an answer to that. So, it’s like, ‘Why not keep doing what I love doing?’ ”
Three years later, nothing has changed. Why not? Indeed.
We’ll thank you for the memories again when you retire for good. Welcome back, Tom Brady.