Sports
Tom Brady Retires At 45, Insisting This Time It’s ‘For Good’
TAMPA, Florida — Tom Brady says he’s done for good this time.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion with New England and Tampa Bay announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, exactly one year after he first said he was done playing. He did this with a short video on social media that was just under one minute long.
Unlike last winter, the most successful quarterback in league history and one of the best athletes in team sports said that his decision was final.
“Good morning, gentlemen. “I’ll get right to the point,” Brady says as the message begins. “I’m calling it quits. For the long haul.”
He briefly retired after the 2021 season but returned to the Buccaneers for one more season. He is 45 years old, and in his 23-year NFL career, he has set nearly every important passing record.
Brady Has Announced His Retirement A Couple of Times
He announced his retirement in a lengthy Instagram post a year ago. Six weeks later, he came back for one more run, saying that he had “unfinished business” after leaving the playoffs early.
The Buccaneers, with whom he won a Super Bowl two seasons ago, made the playoffs again but were eliminated in the first round. And it begged whether Brady would play again at the time.
He answered only a few weeks later.
“I know it was a big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady says in the video. “I won’t go on and on. You get one super emotional retirement essay per year, and I used mine last year.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for your support. My family, friends, teammates, and rivals. I could go on and on. There are far too many. Thank you for letting me live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a single thing. “I adore you all.”
Brady’s Legacy Is Unparalleled
Brady has the most yards passing (89,214) and touchdowns in NFL history (649). He is the only player to have won more than five Super Bowls and been named MVP of the game five times. He also has records for regular-season wins (251), Super Bowl appearances (10), playoff games and wins (48, 35), and playoff yards and touchdowns (13,400). (88).
“In the history of this game, Tom’s legacy is unparalleled. “All of the Super Bowls and statistical records speak for themselves, but it’s the impact he had on so many people over the years that I value the most,” Buccaneer’s general manager Jason Licht said.
“His imprint on this organization helped us reach the summit. We’ll miss him as our quarterback, but I’ll miss him more as a leader and friend,” Licht added. “Our entire organization is grateful to him for what he has done for us over the last three years. We will never forget his victories or accolades, and his influence will be felt for many years.”
Brady announced his retirement one day after attending the Los Angeles premiere of “80 for Brady,” which will be released on Friday. The film follows four lifelong friends, played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field, who attend a Super Bowl to watch Brady play.
He was asked Tuesday night if he felt a connection working with women who don’t want to retire — the four stars’ ages range from 76 to 91.
More Super Bowl Victory
“They’re working hard and enjoying themselves. “It’s fantastic for them,” Brady said. “You know, that’s just what life is about. You have to, you know, get out of bed every day with a purpose. And when you find something you enjoy doing, it isn’t easy to stop. You’re really into it. And there are many aspects that you enjoy. So they bring it even at this age. Watching them on set and seeing how much energy they have is incredible. And I was certainly inspired by them, and I learned a lot from this entire experience.”
Brady was notoriously underrated entering the NFL, having been selected 199th overall by the Patriots in the 2000 draft, ahead of six other quarterbacks, three kickers, and a punter. As a rookie, he appeared in one game and completed one of three passes for six yards.
Everything changed the following year.
Brady took over as the Patriots’ starter, the team won the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams, and he and New England coach Bill Belichick were on their way to becoming the most successful coach-QB duo in football history.
He Was As Good As Any Coach Could Hope For
More Super Bowl victories followed the 2003 and 2004 seasons. A decade later, the Patriots won the Super Bowl for the fourth time in Brady’s career to cap the 2014 season, kicking off three more titles in five years.
In his first season with his new team, he added a seventh Super Bowl ring to his collection after signing as a free agent with Tampa Bay in 2020. With Brady at quarterback, the Bucs won 37 games (including playoffs), ranking third in the league over the last three seasons behind Kansas City (46) and Buffalo (41). (41).
“I think I’ve been on the record dozens of times saying there’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady, and I still feel that way,” Belichick said in 2021, shortly before Tampa Bay, led by Brady, visited New England and defeated the Patriots in “The Return.” “I was very fortunate to have Tom as the quarterback and to coach him, and he was as good as any coach could hope for.”
In his final season, Brady set league single-season records for completions (490) and pass attempts (733) while throwing for 4,643 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. On the other hand, the Buccaneers finished dead last in rushing offense and struggled to get the ball into the end zone after being forced to rely almost entirely on Brady’s arm.
Brady’s Divorce Changed Things For The Player
After scoring 61 touchdowns in 2021, Tampa Bay fell to 31 last season and averaged just 18.4 points per game, down from more than 30 in Brady’s first two seasons with the Bucs.
With an 8-9 record in Brady’s only losing season as an NFL starter in over two decades, the Buccaneers became just the fourth team in league history to earn a postseason berth despite a losing record in a non-strike year. The offensive struggles continued in a lopsided NFC wild-card round loss to Dallas.
Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a three-time first-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times.
Brady and model Gisele Bündchen divorced last fall during the Buccaneers’ season. It marked the end of a 13-year marriage between two football and fashion superstars who had reached the pinnacle of their respective careers.
Last year, it was announced that Brady would join Fox Sports as a television analyst in a 10-year, $375 million contract when he retires from football.
SOURCE – (AP)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
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