Inglewood, California. – Three months before Tom Brady was slammed by critics as the NFL’s top analyst at Fox Sports, he received his share of barbs from comedians, former teammates and his longtime coach on Sunday evening in a live comedy event made for streaming on Netflix.
And it’s safe to say that after the one-liners and jokes Brady got during three hours of “The Greatest Roast Ever” at the Forum, he’ll do just fine.
“It’s like a football game. You run with a game plan, then you see how the strategy goes, then you adjust on the fly,” Brady said before the event. “This is what a locker room has looked like to me all these years. So it’s not like I’m used to people not making fun of me.”
Comedian Nikki Glaser, whose monologue was among the funniest of the evening, described the roast as “the Super Bowl of comedians” because of the increased level of competition because everyone wanted to compete.
Brady endured more blitzes and pressure than in an average NFL game as an impressive group of comedians, former teammates and opponents took the stage. Host Kevin Hart said before the event that no topic was off-limits, and Hart went on the offensive early with jokes about Brady’s ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen.
“Gisele gave you an ultimatum. She said you retire or we’re done. When you’re lucky enough to go 8 to 9 years and all it’s going to cost you is your wife and your kids, you gotta do what you gotta do,” Hart said, referring to Brady coming out of brief retirement in 2022 for one more season.
Matt Winkelmeyer / Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for Netflix
Brady apparently objects to joking about Robert Kraft
The only time Brady objected to a joke was when Jeff Ross referenced Patriots owner Robert Kraft and massages. In 2019, Kraft was initially charged with a misdemeanor for paying for sex at a Florida massage parlor. Prosecutors later dropped the charges after courts blocked the use of videos from cameras installed by police inside massage parlors.
Brady approached Ross and whispered in his ear “don’t say that (stuff)” again, but it was clearly picked up on the microphone and heard by those watching the roast at home. The people present did not hear it.
John Breech of CBSSports.com writes that Ross responded by pointing to Kraft and saying, “OK, OK. He’s having fun, look at him.”
“It’s certainly possible that this was all part of the act, but it really felt like Brady was legitimately upset by the joke. On a night where there were a lot of uncomfortable jokes, this seemed to be the one only one that really got Brady under his skin,” Breech observed.
Brady and Belichick team up again
Later, Kraft and former Patriots coach Bill Belichick toured on stage together after being persuaded by Hart.
Belichick was fired in January after 24 seasons with the Patriots, and much has been written about the friction between the coach and the six-time Super Bowl-winning owner over the past two years.
After joking that it felt like a reunion and that “unlike many family reunions, there are certain people I desperately try to avoid,” Kraft praised Belichick for what the two accomplished.
“I mean he’s the greatest coach in the history of football who did what no one else has done. And having Tom Brady and him was the greatest honor that the good Lord has given me done,” Kraft said.
It wasn’t the first drink (of alcohol) Belichick had. Rob Gronkowski asked Belichick and Brady to take a photo together after his monologue. Gronkowski celebrated by spiking his shot glass.
Belichick appeared at the start of the roast during a pre-taped segment when he told Brady that he was “starting the roast” instead of Drew Bledsoe. Brady replaced Bledsoe in 2001 when Bledsoe was injured in a Week 2 game against the Jets and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title that season.
“For all of you wondering who is responsible for the success of the Patriots when Tom and I were together – was it Tom or me – in reality the truth was it was both of us because from me,” Belichick said.
Brady had some fun at Belichick’s expense, however, towards the end of the show.
“I’ve been out of the game for a minute, so I’m curious, how many Super Bowl rings have you won since I’ve been gone?,” Brady said. “Maybe it’s not just the guy on the side. When I go to the Indy 500, I don’t ask the winning driver, ‘Hey, have you gassed up your car?’
Brady was ready
Hart said before the show that he thought Brady was in a good frame of mind heading into the event. Brady arrived well prepared, rereading his monologue with a group of people, including those from Fox Sports.
“You have to be able to laugh at yourself and I love what he’s doing on this forum,” Hart said. “I love that he embraces the things that some people think he’s running away from. It’s a celebration of greatness and we do it in a fun way.”
Bledsoe also said Brady had a sense of humor, but this was a different step.
“I thought he was very brave. There’s plenty to make fun of him about,” Bledsoe said. “The truth is, when you’re a professional athlete, we roast each other, it’s kind of what we do every day in the locker room. And so you better have thick skin. Now people can laugh with that.”
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