Patriots fan Mark Wahlberg weighs in on Tom Brady not mentioning franchise in retirement post
When Tom Brady retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there was one thing he didn't do, at least, not right away, and that was thank the New England Patriots.
Thank You Patriots Nation ❤️
I’m beyond grateful. Love you all. twitter.com/Patriots/statu…
Tom Brady spent 20 of his 22 years with the Patriots, winning 6 Super Bowls.
So, it was strange that, during his retirement announcement, Tom Brady didn't even mention the Patriots.
But Tom Brady's lack of acknowledgment of the Patriots didn't seem to bother super fan Mark Wahlberg.
Wahlberg is not only of a fan of Brady's, but he is also his friend, too, and when asked about his friend's retirement, he said this to People Magazine.
"He'll always be a Patriot," Wahlberg said. "I don't think one season, one championship, or two seasons in Tampa is going to take away from the legacy and his mark that he put on New England and in the NFL as a whole. So he'll always be a Patriot."
Walburg also praised Brady's time in the NFL.
"I think he's done so much for football, certainly for New England, even for Tampa," he says. "It's nice for him to go out on his own terms and go and enjoy the rest of his life. And many, many great things to come from him. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't go conquer the world and become the GOAT at something else."
Walberg added he hasn't even talked to Brady yet.
"I haven't reached out to him yet. I don't want to bother him. He's a busy dude," he explains. "He's got a lot going on, probably lots to do with the family, but you know, at the right time, I'll reach out to him."
Tom Brady didn't thank the Patriots
Two things that fans noticed when Brady retired were that 1) he didn't thank the Patriots at first in his announcement, and 2) his picture on Instagram featured him in a Bucs uniform waving good-bye from Gillette Stadium, which is the home of the Patriots.
A lot of fans on social media thought it had some kind of deeper meaning, but it didn't seem to bother Wahlberg, who did say that, in his eyes, Brady will always be a Patriot.
@TomBrady If you think this makes up for not including us in your official statement you are wrong sir! I speak for all of pats nation when I say we no longer view u as a member, let alone one of our franchise’s greats. It was always because of Bill not you!
He is right; however, it was strange that Brady did not even mention the team that helped make him the greatest NFL player, according to some, of all time.
Maybe it was an honest mistake by the quarterback, who just forgot to put that in his speech, but if you read what he said, he went out of his way to praise the Bucs organization, coaching staff and teammates.
Maybe it means something; maybe it doesn't, but one thing is certain: we will never know.