"Wasn't sure how I was going to play" - Tom Brady recalls his own version of FLU GAME in 2005
Tom Brady, often referred to as the G.O.A.T., has a lot in common with the man originally dubbed with the acronym that stands for the "greatest of all time." Michael Jordan won six NBA championships and has an unblemished NBA Finals record of 6-0 on his illustrious resume.
Brady, of course, has captured seven Super Bowl championships, although he has suffered a few losses in those games.
It appears that these two all-time greats also share something else in common, and that's the fact that they have each played a crucial game with the flu.
Tom Brady talks about his own FLU GAME in 2005
On a recent episode of ESPN's Man in the Arena, a documentary about Tom Brady's Super Bowl seasons, the quarterback spoke at length about having the flu the night prior to the 2005 AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brady revealed that he "wasn't sure how I was going to play."
He noted that he was not the only Patriots player with flu symptoms, as several other players were forced to quarantine in their hotel rooms before the game.
Despite feeling ill, the Patriots would go on to defeat the Steelers by a score of 41-27 to advance to the Super Bowl to ultimately capture their third Super Bowl championship.
Comparing Tom Brady's flu game to Michael Jordan's
The term "flu game" was initially coined in reference to His Airness. In 1997, Jordan's Chicago Bulls were in the NBA Finals against Karl Malone, John Stockton, and the Utah Jazz.
Before Game 5 of the series, Jordan fell ill with what many came to believe was the flu. During the game, Jordan was obviously depleted and often seen leaning on the shoulder of his running mate (at least at that time) Scottie Pippen.
Jordan himself said the following about that game:
"I almost played myself into passing out. I came in and I was almost dehydrated, and it was all just to win a basketball game. I couldn't breathe. My energy level was really low. My mouth was really dry. They started giving me Gatorade, and I thought about IV."
However, in The Last Dance, which was a Netflix documentary which covered the Chicago Bulls' last run at an NBA Championship, as well as a reflective look into Michael Jordan's career, MJ stated that it was food poisoning and not the flu which ailed him in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
MJ and the 90’s Bulls were in a league of their own #thelastdance #Netflix https://t.co/zlsmr3uczK
Regardless, Tom Brady finally made his flu game of 2005 known.
Man in the Arena airs on ESPN+ on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST.
This trailer for Man in the Arena: @TomBrady is epic 🔥
The new original series drops on @ESPNPlus in two weeks. https://t.co/oJ4QvJANxn