Tom Brady's Hand Isn't Ready For A Thumb War & Other Things We Learned On Super Bowl Opening Night
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady is going for the sixth Super Bowl title of his career on Sunday.
Fittingly, the Patriots quarterback took his spot at podium No. 6 for Monday night's Super Bowl Opening Night fun.
Brady did so sporting a pair of black gloves, still protecting his injured right hand. The quarterback's injury has been well documented over the last two weeks, and even though he had his stitches removed, he said his hand isn't at 100 percent just yet.
That was evident when Brady declined to have a thumb war with former teammate and NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest. After McGinest extended his challenge, Brady gave the former New England linebacker his left hand.
"It's not ready yet!" Brady joked about his right hand.
Smart call, Tom. Even if his hand was at 100 percent, a thumb war with Willie McGinest isn't a safe play for anyone.
That exchange pretty much summed up the quarterback's evening, the eighth Super Bowl Opening Night/Media Night of Brady's career. After all these year's we're still learning little things about the quarterback at the NFL's annual charade, and Monday night was no different. Here's a quick rundown of all the important stuff Brady revealed during his 60 minutes inside Xcel Energy Center on Monday.
No Such Thing As An Underdog
The underdog mantra was one that echoed through the New England locker room early in Brady's career. The Patriots are the favorites heading into their Super Bowl LII clash with the Eagles, giving Philadelphia a chance to play the underdog card.
But Brady isn't buying it.
"They're well-coached and I think they're good in all three phrases. They play complimentary games. I mean, there are no underdogs in the Super Bowl," said Brady. "They're the first seed in the NFC, they're 13-3. They had an incredible season, so I don't buy into any of that."
Brady Doesn't Want Boston Host To Be Fired
A Boston radio host said a pretty mean thing about Brady's 5-year-old daughter, Vivian, based on her quick appearance in "Tom Vs. Time" last week, but Brady doesn't want to see him lose his job.
Brady didn't want to say much about WEEI's Alex Reimer, who has been suspended indefinitely after calling Brady's daughter "an annoying little pissant" last week. But Brady said a number of times on Monday night that he doesn't want the station to fire Reimer.
How To Get A Chuckle Out Of Bill Belichick
Asked how to make his head coach laugh, Brady said to mention four things: Navy, lacrosse, Lawrence Taylor, and Bon Jovi. The coach even gave a smile when told of Brady's list.
Brady said Belichick smiles and laughs quite a bit in more personal environments. He also said tickling isn't involved when he tries to get a chuckle out of Bill.
Brady Loves Tequila
Someone commented on Brady's pearly whites, and suggested something to get his teeth even whiter: Baking soda with tequila.
"I love tequila," Brady replied with a smile.
Not sure how that fits into the TB12 method, but it's good to know Tom can still have some occasional fun.
Man Crush City
Brady was asked if he has any man crushes, and had to ponder about that one for a while. He listed Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski, calling them "pretty good-looking guys." Edelman must be dancing (very gingerly, of course) somewhere right now.
He also added Super Bowl LII halftime performer Justin Timberlake to the list.
"Justin is very talented and a great performer," he said. "I'm very happy he's doing the Super Bowl."
Would You Rather Fight...
Perhaps the most important thing we learned about Brady on Monday night is he would rather fight one horse-sized duck than 100 duck-sized horses. That's a big duck.
