Tom Brady after a win against the Cowboys. Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Brady Sr. has been on a TV and radio tour this week, with intentions of blaming the media for pressuring his son into retirement last month.

That’s right, the 44-year-old Tom Brady, who dealt with decades of insurmountable pressure on the football field, was pressured into retiring by Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington. At least that’s what his father claims.

Tuesday afternoon, WEEI sports radio hosts Christian Fauria, Mike Mutnansky, and Andy Hart pushed back on Brady Sr’s theory, blasting the idea of reporters having influence over the quarterback’s decision.

“Are we to believe Tom Brady, who told Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick to go screw, who has basically flipped a bird at the commissioner of the NFL, who is a titan of industry in sport, was bullied into retiring because Adam Schefter reported it?” asked Andy Hart, who along with Mutnansky, was filling in for Fauria’s regular WEEI co-host Lou Merloni.

On Jan. 29, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter reported Brady was retiring from the NFL. Brady denied the report for two days before he announced his decision to leave the game on Feb. 1, only to flip-flop less than two months later.

This week, Brady Sr. joined WHDH in Boston and claimed his son made a decision “just to get the news people off his back.” Later, the elder Brady again blamed reporters for his son’s retirement, telling ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, “the media made the news, he was not ready to make any decision and didn’t make any decision, but Schefter and Darlington stated it as fact.”

But WEEI’s afternoon show wasn’t going to let Brady Sr. have his moment, with the group consensus being don’t seek comment from athletes’ parents.

“He shouldn’t be mad at Adam Schefter or anybody else,” Fauria said. “Whoever is close to him, whoever is in his camp, whoever his crew is, really needs to shut the hell up, because those guys are the problem. Schefter and Darlington and whoever, they were just doing their jobs.”

[WEEI]

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com