Tom Brady (Sort Of) Defends Odell Beckham, Giants' Trip To Miami
Hot takes of all shapes and sizes have been pouring in ever since a group of Giants players decided to use their day off last Monday to fly down to Miami and party the week of their Wild Card game Green Bay Packers.
Some, have lambasted the Giants players for using creating a distraction, and claim their lack of focus and lackadaisical attitude translated directly into what transpired on the field on Sunday afternoon.
Others, like quarterback Eli Manning, have defended the players and said that it was their day off, which meant they could do what they wanted with their time.
Arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, New England Patriots signal caller Tom Brady, took a stance somewhere in the middle; not one that completely exonerated the Giants players in question, but one that was apathetic and understanding.
"It's a tricky situation," Brady said, via CSNNE.com. "Players are off. Everyone decides what they want to do in their off time. When I was young, I did a lot of things when I look back I probably wish I wouldn't have done -- flying across country and things like that. It just wasn't publicized."
"I was from California so when I had off time that's where I went. Looking back, there was one time I was actually injured pretty good, and I decided to do it, and I landed, and then I stayed overnight, and then I realized I better fly back. I flew back the next morning because it wasn't a very smart decision.
"You're younger, you don't have all the experience that you have. I'm at a point where doing this as long as I have, I cherish the opportunity that I have, and I'm putting everything into it. I'll have time at the end of the year to do things I need to do. But right now I have to focus on what my job is, and that's to put everything I can into this week."
So while Brady admits that youth and inexperience played a large part in the Giants players' decision, he also points out that they weren't exactly discreet and didn't do themselves any favors by publicizing what they were doing with photos and social media posts.
Hopefully, the Giants will learn from their mistakes the same way Brady did earlier in his career and be better for it moving forward.