"He takes my breath away": More than 200 women over 70 go see '80 for Brady' together
METHUEN (CBS) - What's better than going to see "80 for Brady" with your family? How about going to see it with 200 other women your age?
Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Rita Moreno, and Lily Tomlin weren't the only "80"-year-olds celebrating their love for Tom Brady on Wednesday. Instead, they were joined by 200 of Merrimack Valley's finest at AMC Methuen.
"Just something fun for a change," said Linda Cooney, who came to the showing with her sister-in-law. Both women are in their mid-70s. "You know she reads a lot and I have three cats so it's like... you've got to get out!"
The women were all part of a contest run by the local paper. Eagle Tribune sportswriter Bill Burt organized the showing and had no clue he'd receive such an overwhelming reply.
The original sell: a free ticket to the movie "80 for Brady" and a t-shirt. But the hundreds of women got more than they bargained for, including a surprise video appearance from Mrs. Galynn Brady, Tom's mother. "I have my copy of the Eagle Tribune here," she said on screen as she held up the Merrimack Valley newspaper. She thanked the women for their decades of support for her son, noting the "passion and energy" of New England fans.
"Seeing his mother, come on the screen... I cried," said Sandy Carter. "I cried... I'm very emotional."
The women in attendance - some as old as 96 - told WBZ they feel like Tom Brady is part of their family. "I've just been so proud of him. I felt like his mother," said 94-year-old Mary Jackson.
Others thought of TB12 a bit differently. "He takes my breath away," said 84-year-old Elaine Fay of Methuen. Tom Brady is the background of her phone. As he appeared on the screen, she exclaimed, "Oh, God! Isn't he beautiful!"
Fay told WBZ she knows she wasn't alone. "All the girls do, all the women [think he's handsome]," she explained. "We were all there the same, sitting there just like drooling."
One thing all the women have in common, other than age and location, they're hoping and praying TB12 comes back to New England to retire. "I'm kind of hoping he signs for a Patriot for one day so he can retire a Patriot," Arlene Pierog said, adding, "He owes us."
