The Tom Brady Love Train

Yes, Giants fans, it's true. I've been throwing some love towards Tom Brady lately. It's off-season, it's slow, I'm sick and he's compelling. Not just pretty.

ESPN is running The Brady 6 this month, an excellent documentary that looks back on the year 2000 when Tom Brady was passed up for 6 other quarterbacks in the NFL draft, dropping to the 199th pick before the Patriots finally selected him. I'll dedicate a blog post to anyone who remembers the 49ers Giovanni Carmazzi, the 65th pick, a QB out of Hofstra who never played a regular season NFL game. I'd never heard of him before this.

The Brady 6 highlights Tom's performances in high school and at Michigan, his scouting reports at the combine and coaches interviews reflecting back on what they saw then. But just as interesting are the stories of the 6 QBs selected before Tom and what happened to them. Longtime 49er fans will cringe listening to Steve Mariucci talk in hindsight about their decision to draft Giovanni, as well as the residual disappoint you hear from Tom's father, who raised the family in San Mateo, when he says they were season ticket holders for 20 years.

I grabbed this clip that captures the most poignant moment in the film when Tom is finally selected by the Patriots on draft day. Who hasn't had this feeling? The feeling of not wanting to disappoint the people who love you? The fear that your hopes are too high? Wanting something so bad, working so hard for it and still wondering. When is it my turn?

Of course, he's being ridiculed for boo-hooing about his late pick in the blogosphere world, but dude has a laser like focus on his goals and a 150% work ethic. He's as dialed into football and succeeding and love of the game as Brett Favre ever was but with less dramatics, less Wrangler jeans and better hair. And I love Brett Favre so that's saying a lot.

A moment of silence to honor all insurance salesmen whose careers were unceremoniously called out as Tom's unthinkable backup option. He could just as easily have said marketing manager or any other position on the corporate ladder. At least he didn't insult fast food workers.

It's interesting to see how, 12 years later, that draft day still resonates with both father and son. You might think the events that happened on draft day are what drive him but you can see it back in Michigan when he fought his way to the starting position, taking the team to an 11 win season, leading them as captain, only to have to fight to start again his senior year when Drew Henson came aboard. I wish you were a G-man, Tom.

If you see it on your TV guide, check it out. The Brady 6 on ESPN. LATO supports television viewing but not at the expense of outdoor activities.