In times of great uncertainty, you need a voice.  Someone to guide you through the darkness and into the light.  Someone to give you direction and remind you of your purpose. Someone to be your moral compass, reinforcing your beliefs that love conquers hate, community trumps individualism, and selflessness will ultimately bring victory.  Someone who can soothe the fear and panic that has spread throughout the land. Someone who can cut through the gross politicization and bring a level head and logic and reason to a crisis that seems to defy all logic and reason.

That someone is NOT The Sport Dork.  Sorry, but I’m just a retired guy with a blog who sporadically posts entries and rants about athletes doing stupid shit in between posting pictures of food during international travels and underwear selfies.  If you’re looking to make sense of this thing, I’m not your guy. If you’re looking to be mildly entertained for a few minutes – or maybe I should say distracted, since ‘mildly entertained’ may be promising too much – THAT, I can do.  

As I mentioned in my last post, I was waiting for the right moment to write about something I found truly compelling, and last November it happened to be the NFL Myles Garrett-Mason Rudolph helmet-ripping-off saga.  Four months later, I’m back, because it feels like once again the helmet has been ripped off of our collective heads. Sure, there have been plenty of compelling stories since last November, but none compelling enough for me to pick up the proverbial pen and paper and weigh in as only The Sport Dork can.  Plus, I’m fairly lazy, and this whole blog thing was starting to feel like a job, and the whole reason I retired was to eliminate the stress of a job, so I just said ‘screw it’ for a few months, binge watched all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and gained fifteen pounds.  

But I digress.  The point is, when people all over the country are freaking out, I have an obligation to weigh in and offer some perspective, or if that doesn’t work, at a minimum pour some fuel on the fire.  So I’m back, and I’m here to comment on the news of the day, which I think we can all agree is unprecendented. In fact, I think the term ‘unprecedented’ was invented specifically for this type of event.  I never thought I’d see something like this in my lifetime, and I have to believe you never thought you’d see it either.  

Tom Brady is leaving the Patriots?  What world are we living in? No quarterback has ever switched teams after twenty years with one team!  Let me go out on a limb and make a prediction. We’re only three months into 2020, and I can’t imagine a bigger news story coming out for the rest of the decade.  Remember, you heard it here first. NOTHING could possibly top the shock and surprise felt across the country when his announcement came out yesterday. In fact, I challenge you to name a news story that even comes close.  I’ll wait.

I know Pats fans all over the country are in pain right now, and to all those suffering through this unthinkable national nightmare, I say this: my thoughts and prayers are with you, as I know are those of every American who has been impacted by the unparalleled accomplishments of the Patriots with TB12 under center.  The Patriots mantra of ‘Do Your Job’ has inspired hundreds of millions of people across the globe to do their jobs, and for that we are grateful.  

There will be plenty of time to look back on all of Tom’s accomplishments and celebrate his legacy, but for now I think the most important thing all of us can do is receive and embrace this moment with the gravity it deserves.  In times of crisis, it’s critical to prioritize – not to ‘sweat the small stuff’, as they say. So let’s all put our petty problems and daily issues to the side for the moment and put our collective energy toward the issue of the day.  A community is hurting, people, and this is the time for all of us, as Americans, to rally behind them. We can each do our part! Of course, recognizing my position of power and influence in the community, I have decided to get the ball rolling by taping a brief video message below that I can only hope will help the healing begin.  Go Pats!!