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Florio on D&H: Brady a ‘different guy’ than he used to be 07.21.10 at 3:58 pm ET
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NFL writer and Profootballtalk.com creator Mike Florio joined the Dale & Holley show Wednesday to discuss the competitive AFC East and the contractual situation of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, as well as offer his guess as to how the Brett Favre saga will play out this summer.

Regarding Brady, Florio said: “I keep hearing it from more and more people in the know, that he’s a different guy than he used to be. Some people think there’s a little bit of the Yoko Ono factor going on with his wife who makes $30 million a year, either telling him to try and get more money, or not play football at all and stay out in Los Angeles with her.”

Following are highlights of the interview. To hear the full interview visit the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.

Can you explain the collective bargaining agreement in a way people can understand?

I cannot do it in a way that will keep people’s eyes from glazing over, and I want no responsibility for any of your listeners who fall asleep while driving their cars, but I will try, I make no promises. Look, here’s the thing: there’s a bigger issue going on here between the league and the players union and it has many levels and layers and complexities. At the end of the day, the NFL has set up a labor situation that is designed, not necessarily to crush the union, but to get the best possible deal. And one of the ways that the NFL is applying pressure to the players, especially current players, is to refuse to sign current players to new deals with big money that they would then be able to rely upon if there’s a work stoppage in 2011. And that puts the players in a position where they’re anxious about a lockout, they don’t want a lockout, because they haven’t gotten these contract extensions. Key players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who otherwise could be leaders for the union effort, they don’t have that huge pile of money to sit on. Not that Tom Brady needs any more [money] when his wife is making $30 million in a year. But, I think these guys are getting caught up in a broader effort by the NFL to cut off the players as best they can, and they’ve been able to hold most of the teams together. I think there may be some collusion going on here, and that’s for the NFL [Players Association] to take up at some point in the future. But, when you see key guys on rosters, like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, not getting deals and teams saying we want to see what the new rules are before we sign these guys. I mean common, what are you going to do, you’re not going to sign Peyton Manning and Tom Brady to a big money deal because there’s a salary cap? I just don’t buy it.

Regarding Tom Brady, what are you hearing about his relationship with the Patriots?

I was intrigued by this one, because [ESPN NFL writer] John Clayton is a guy who doesn’t care too much for me, and [CSNNE.com NFL writer] Tom Curran, a good friend of mine, reported that what Clayton reported was ridiculous. I’ll tell you what, I don’t think that Clayton is all that far off the mark with this one. I don’t rule anything out in this craziest of years that we’ve ever seen. Something has changed with Tom Brady over the past few years. I keep hearing it from more and more people in the know, that he’s a different guy than he used to be. Some people think there’s a little bit of the Yoko Ono factor going on with his wife who makes $30 million a year, either telling him to try and get more money, or not play football at all and stay out in Los Angeles with her. That could be a factor in all of this. Brady has taken a more active role in the union, and what better way than to be a good soldier in the union, than to take a stand against what seems to be collusion on the part of the owners to try and squeeze the players as best they can.

What have you heard about the Logan Mankins situation?

Look, the bottom line is, if the Patriots aren’t going to extend Tom Brady or Randy Moss, then why in the world are they going to do anything with Logan Mankins? You could make the argument that you could find a guy that could do almost as good a job in the draft, or as a guy you could get in free agency, and is he worth the kind of money he’s looking for. Yeah, I think that relationship may be broken and it’s just a matter of time before he goes somewhere else. But so be it, if they’re not going to pay Tom Brady, I don’t see them giving big money to anyone else.

With all the hype surrounding the Jets, you’re not handing the AFC East to them this year?

No, I handed the AFC East to the Dolphins, which I’m sure people in Boston love to hear.

Why the Dolphins?

I think Brandon Marshall has a huge impact on that team. People just write off Brandon Marshall as kind of a flake, he’s been in trouble multiple times, he’s had injuries. One of the debates I often get into is what makes a great quarterback. Is it a great receiver, does a great quarterback make a great receiver? Look last year about what happened in Denver after Jay Cutler left. Who still had a great year and who didn’t? Brandon Marshall had a great year with Kyle Orton throwing him passes. Jay Cutler couldn’t do anything with that collection of stiffs they have in Chicago. I think you bring Brandon Marshall to South Florida with that very good running game, an underrated offensive line, a good defense that’s going to get a good kick in the butt from [Defensive Coordinator] Mike Nolan, who really helped turn around Denver’s defense last year. You’re going to have guys running free in single coverage, because they are going to be double covering Brandon Marshall. He’s going to open up the running game. I think the Miami Dolphins are a very dangerous team in 2010.

When will Brett Favre show up in Minnesota?

It’s going to be some point in the middle of August. He feels compelled to have an excuse to miss training camp. And he said recently that his ankle isn’t where it needs to be. I also think he wants to make people believe he’s not coming back. He wants that buzz, he wants that sense of relief when Lord Favre rides into town on a stallion to save the Minnesota Vikings, again. He wants that. And this year it’s harder because he’s already under contract with the Vikings. Last year, he had no obligation. So, I think he’s trying to create a sense that he’s not going to play, and then in the middle of August, like last year, he’ll show up out of the blue, and all will be right in the world for the Vikings, until they get into the playoffs and lose again.

Read More: Mike Florio, New England Patriots, Tom Brady, Print  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • anonymous

    I don’t know who this guy talks to but what he said about Tom and Gisele is ridiculous. Brady is the same guy he always was, but like everyone else there are changes in his life that naturally come with having a family. Gisele may earn a lot herself, but she doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who’s telling Brady to go out and earn more, nor do I think Brady is the type of guy who would approach his career differently after a decade just cause his wife tells him to. I know this might be laughable to some people, especially those in the sports world who know nothing about Gisele, but the woman does care about more than money. She grew up on a farm and she usually walks around in jeans and a t-shirt. Unless you know for a fact that she’s telling her husband that he should be earning more, don’t pretend to know what these people are like and what they’re telling each other. Or did I miss the part where Tom and Gisele do marriage counseling with the writer from Pro Football Talk?
    Also, the reason he spends the offseason in LA is because his son with his ex lives there. It has nothing to do with his wife who mainly worked in NY, but now does her photo shoots in Boston during the football season and in LA during the off-season so she can be with her husband. Clearly, not only does with woman not have a brain in the sports media’s eyes, but she’s insanely selfish as well- some pretty extreme accusations to make about someone you don’t know.
    Also, what is New England’s big problem with Brady these days? Last I checked, he won three superbowls, almost a fourth, and led the Pats to the division title last year. Apparently in the Sports world today its a crime to have a family and even worse to spend time with them.

  • joefla

    When a writer/analyst compares the Brady situation to Yoko Ono, we immediately know his credibility. What we do know is that Giselle is obviously a very smart business women and probably knows Tom has plenty of experienced and knowledgeable business advisors. As for Tom being different, he only had his second best career season last year.

  • Slugo

    Second best season in his career last year? Statistical maybe but by far from his best. Second worst to 2002. He rufused to throw to the TE’s, forced the ball to Moss, threw some of the worst picks of his career. There are some major red flags to signing him to a long term deal with $40-$50 mil signing bonus.

  • Dave Hunter

    Why even give this dirtbag the time of day? If you’ve ever looked at Florio’s site he’s a complete and total Pats hater. Never has anything but negative things to say and often resorts to childish and bizarre insults to express himself.
    There’s no one I read who covers the NFL that I think less of and whose opinion on anything to do with the Pats should be ignored.

  • anonymous

    Have these football “experts” and “critics” ever considered that maybe- just maybe- Brady’s below-average (for him) performance last season had to do with the fact that he was coming off a major injury, playing with 3 cracked ribs and a broken finger, and barely had any receivers to throw to and NOT a result of him having a family?

    Sometimes I feel like I know more about football than these people (“experts”) who get paid to write/talk about it all day.

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