“None of it feels genuine”: Bill Simmons accuses Tom Brady of putting on ‘fake’ persona for $375,000,000 day job
After Skip Bayless, the Ringer CEO Bill Simmons voiced his disappointment with Tom Brady's performance in the broadcast booth. What's particularly surprising is Simmons' take on Brady's on-air presence, which he described as inauthentic.
In a clip from Monday's episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” podcast posted by The Ringer's account on X on Monday, Simmons argued that Brady seems to be failing to live up to expectations.
"He comes in at the beginning, he's got this, like, fake energy, and none of it feels genuine to me," he said.
Simmon criticized Brady's analysis style, calling it uninformative.
“I thought Brady was just bad today. He just doesn't tell me enough," he said referring to Brady's calling the Detroit Lions versus Green Bay Packers game on Sunday.
Next, comparing Tom Brady with Tony Romo, Simmons noted the missed opportunities on the former Patriots QB's end.
“Romo would have dove into that and been like, ‘I can tell Love's hurt, and here's why.’ Just teach me something! Brady's not teaching anything,” he added.
As per Simmons, Brady's production team could be a part of the problem, along with his minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
“It feels like he can't be as critical as he might want to be in certain spots,” Simmons said.
He feels Fox Sports is failing to encash Brady's knowledge, saying:
“This guy is one of the greatest resources in football that we have, and they don't tap into any of it.”
However, Brady did end up criticizing a referee call during the Detroit Lions versus Green Bay Packers game, which could have led to a fine. However, he seemingly avoided any penalty.
NFL spokesperson justifies no punishment decision for Tom Brady
When the Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected on a defenseless receiver, Tom Brady decided to raise his voice. Forgetting all the protocols of the league and how team owners are not allowed to criticize NFL officials or teams, Brady said:
“I don't love that call at all. Obviously, it's a penalty, but to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
However, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said:
"The concern would be if Tom was egregiously critical of officiating or called into question the integrity of an official or the crew."
Simply put, Brady's call was not enough to warrant any action from the NFL. However, moving forward, he must make his moves carefully to avoid landing in hot water.