Brady for President is No Hail Mary

By J. Max Robins, June 2, 2022

When word emerged that Tom Brady had signed a 10-year pact with Fox Sports estimated at $375 million, it was clear he was being brought aboard for much more than providing color commentary on NFL broadcasts. Brady is an All-American, front-running trophy horse who will lure investors and advertisers alike into the fold—in stark contrast to the Fox empire’s current ratings star, Tucker Carlson, who Madison Ave. has come to view as either noxious or obnoxious, depending on the week.

Brady, who has seven Super Bowl rings, more than any player in history, will certainly be viewed as the kinder, gentler face of Rupert Murdoch’s still formidable domain. But there’s another fun wrinkle—this may be a nine-figure first step in launching a political career on the national stage for the age-defying ultimate football megastar.

At Fox’s annual “upfront” presentation to advertisers in May, there was much talk of “One Fox,” encompassing Fox Entertainment, Fox Sports and Fox News. That gleaming new strategy to group Fox News—with its spewing talking heads—alongside more ad-friendly entertainment and sports franchises was as impossible to miss by those assembled as Brady’s pearly white smile during his livestreamed greeting.

Meanwhile, blink and you would have missed images of Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, the toxic trio of Fox News ratings leaders, in the presentation. When Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, gave her pitch, it included the network’s coverage of the war in the Ukraine, with nary a mention of the stars delivering much more nasty daily commentary.

‘His Craziest Dream’

Years spent watching Rupert Murdoch build a media empire, often by seeing hidden value in costly deals with sports franchises and major talent, leads me to believe he envisions a much bigger future for Brady beyond superstar brand ambassador. (Speaking of “hidden value,” let us remember that Brady was famously selected in Round 6, with the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL draft.) It’s fair game to speculate that Brady could rise to become the personification of the Fox empire and then use that as a springboard into politics. Laugh if you like, but remember your media history. In the 1950s, General Electric provided a platform for Ronald Reagan that became a launchpad to the California governor’s mansion and an eight-year White House residency. Murdoch’s Fox News also played a crucial role in Donald Trump’s once unimaginable ascent to the highest office in the land. Brady may provide the 91-year-old Aussie media baron one more chance to play kingmaker.

Is Brady interested in being Murdoch’s anointed one? As no less an authority on the wild path of progress than the Magic 8-Ball might say, “Signs Point to Yes.” In a 2004 interview with ESPN Magazine, Brady admitted his “craziest dream” was to one day run for the U.S. Senate. The following year, in a 60 Minutes interview, he also talked about a future in politics. Since then, he’s downplayed any serious talk about a run for office post-football.

But will he call an audible? When he finally hangs up his cleats, and only uses his deflated football for a game of touch with his kids, his “craziest dream” might lead to some sane canvassing. (To fund the effort, Brady might look to Patriots owner and Trump supporter Robert Kraft.}

Smooth Operator

Brady has much in common with many a successful politician. He loves to be the one everybody has to listen to (and he loves to say very little). He’s an otherworldly competitor, he has boundless ambitions and he delights in thwarting the expectations of others.

Plus, he’s dropped plenty of seeds. In a 2020 interview with Howard Stern, Brady made it clear he was unhappy with the current state of political discourse, carefully charting a non-partisan path, away from what observers have assumed are GOP leanings. When Stern probed about his 20-year friendship with the twice-impeached ex-President, Brady gave an answer designed to not alienate Trump supporters and still keep The Donald at arms’ length. “Political support is totally different from the support of a friend,” Brady told Stern. “[Trump] wanted me to speak at the [2016] convention. But I wasn’t going to do anything that was political.”

After winning the 2017 Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, Brady bowed out of an invite to the Trump White House, using the time-honored politico’s excuse of “family obligations,” as cover. However, when he won his last Super Bowl in 2021, this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady did accept Joe Biden’s post-game visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and kidded the current POTUS about Trump’s noisy Stop the Steal.

Generally speaking, Brady has kept his views to himself. But he’s savvy enough to at least listen to advisors—including his wife, supermodel Giselle Bundchen who, if you watch her Instagram, is no fan of The Donald—who counsel that being too close to the 2020 Loser-in-Chief is bad for his brand. There’s “zero win,” Brady told Stern, explaining why he didn’t campaign for Trump.

Born Leader

In that interview, after he worked to neutralize his 20-year friendship with Trump, Brady gave a glimpse of the political skin in the game that lay just beneath his Bucs jersey. He was pointed about his ability to bring teammates together “in locker rooms” of all political stripes. No doubt, that’s more useful than bragging of the “locker room talk” that nearly cost Trump the presidency. Brady also told Stern that he was someone who “embraces leadership,” as a way to unite people, not divide them. Sounds like the talking points of someone prepping to go for something beyond his “craziest dream.”

Brady’s public platform is ideally American, when you think about it. Football fans either love him for being a winner or hate him for the same reason, but they grudgingly admire him just the same. So, seven Super Bowls is one thing. And the White House? As Trump might say: that would really be “bigly.”

J. Max Robins (@jmaxrobins) is  executive director of the Center for Communication. The former editor-in-chief of Broadcasting & Cable, he has contributed to publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Columbia Journalism Review and Forbes. 

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