Tom Brady has been taking some heat over the past couple of weeks for his performance at his new broadcasting job, and while the hits may not be as brutal as the ones he took on Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady, which apparently caused lingering effects on him and his family, this probably isn’t the reception the GOAT had hoped for in this next stage of his career. Shaquille O’Neal can likely relate to the retired quarterback’s situation, as he was also celebrated in his sport before going the commentator route post-retirement, and he had a bold prediction and some advice for Brady.
After officially retiring from the NFL (for the second time), Tom Brady is reportedly making an exorbitant amount of money in broadcasting, but in his first few weeks, NFL fans have found his commentary a bit stiff, saying he was too quiet and seemed uncomfortable. Shaquille O’Neal is never afraid to throw his own 2 cents into any situation — like when he blasted two current NBA players as the “worst of all time” — and he gave Brady some grace as the QB warms up to his new role. On a segment of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Big Aristotle predicted:
This year may be tough for him, but by the second or third year, he’s gonna be as good as Troy Aikman. Troy Aikman is really good. But Troy Aikman, when he talks about football, we believe him, because we know how great he was. Especially, you know, when Dallas was hot.
Troy Aikman is one of several former NFL players to find success behind the microphone after retiring because their experience on the field allows them to give unique insight into the games. Another QB-turned-commentator Terry Bradshaw made a great point about Tom Brady, saying that there’s still some mystery to his personality, and people are curious to see if he’ll be funny or witty or able to break down the games properly.
Shaquille O’Neal had some advice on doing just that, as he said on the podcast:
My advice to Tom Brady is he has G19 classification. G19, yes. Talk about your experience. Tell stories. Be yourself. It’s not that he was quiet. He was professional. He was like… ‘cause when you first come in, you don’t know when it’s your turn. Everybody can’t be Charles Barkley and just take over segments and blurt out and take 9 minutes to answer one damn question. You gotta get used to it.
That’s a pretty huge compliment from Shaquille O’Neal, as he upgraded Tom Brady from his usual “G14 classification” to G19, and he seems to think that if the Super Bowl champ lets his guard down enough to just be himself, his stories and experience will be enough to carry him. (I can’t help but love the shot he took at Charles Barkley, too!)
Of course Tom Brady is leaning toward professionalism as he settles into the new job, but it may not get much easier to share his honest opinions, if he ends up becoming a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. The NFL has created a set of “severe” restrictions for Brady should that happen, which include not being able to publicly criticize other teams or officials. We’ll have to see if and how that affects his commentary, but for the time being, Shaq seems confident that the GOAT will find his footing with time.
