Tom Brady's Perfection May Give Him `Beckham-esque' Popularity
Tom Brady has won football glory, a
models heart and fame to rival a Hollywood celebritys.
By reaching his fourth Super Bowl while leading the New
England Patriots to an 18-0 record, Brady has moved beyond the
limited star status of other top National Football League
players, said David Carter of the University of Southern
Californias Marshall School of Business.
Carter compares the 30-year-old quarterback, who goes
against the New York Giants Feb. 3 for the NFL title, with David
Beckham, the former England soccer captain who married a pop
star and signed a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy worth as
much as $250 million in salary and sponsorships.
“Perfect quarterback, perfect team, perfect time, Carter
said in a telephone interview. “Hes starting to become
Beckham-esque. People want to follow his every move. Hes
showing up on the tabloid shows as much as he is on
`SportsCenter.
The Patriots, trying to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the
only teams to cap perfect seasons with NFL championships, are
12-point favorites over the Giants in the game at Glendale,
Arizona. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. New York time.
Most NFL players never achieve fame outside the games fan
base because they take the field 22 at a time, concealed beneath
helmets and pads, and no player can singlehandedly determine the
outcome of a game, said Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall
University Sports Poll that tracks attitudes toward the business
of sports.
Talent, Success, Charisma
Bradys combination of talent, success and charisma make
him uniquely popular, said Gentile. Esquire magazine named him
the worlds best-dressed man in 2007. He dates model Gisele
Bundchen, whom Rolling Stone magazine called the most beautiful
woman in the world. He ranks ahead of New York Yankees captain
Derek Jeter on Marketing Evaluation Inc.s Q Scores, which
measure U.S. consumer awareness of celebrities and their
marketability.
“Hes just this unbelievably glamorous guy, Gentile
said. “The skys the limit. Heck, hes already got the sky.
Whatevers after that is the limit.
Bradys accomplished almost everything possible in the NFL.
He was named the leagues most valuable player this season,
after throwing a record 50 touchdown passes. Hes led his team
to three Super Bowl titles and earned the championship games
most valuable player award twice.
`On Ice Skates
Giants seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan
said that on the field, Brady glides “like hes on ice
skates. Off the field, his life seems even better.
“Im actually jealous that Im not Tom Brady, Strahan
told reporters in the week of buildup to todays game.
The attention has been lucrative for Brady, who has the
fourth-highest Q Score rating as an endorser of any professional
athlete and deals with companies including Visa Inc., Nike Inc.,
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., Coca-Cola Co.s Glaceau Unit and
watchmaker Movado Group Inc. He trails only golfer Tiger Woods,
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Green Bay
Packers quarterback Brett Favre. In 2006, Brady made $15
million, No. 47 among U.S. athletes, according to Sports
Illustrated magazine.
Brady told reporters this week that he tries to stay
humble. He said he cant control what people say about him and
said hes thrilled to be mentioned with Joe Montana, or Terry
Bradshaw, the only quarterbacks so far to win four Super Bowls.
“They were the guys I looked to growing up, he said.
“Ive got a long way to go before that.
Maybe Better
Or not so long. Carter said one more Super Bowl ring may
elevate Brady above those boyhood heroes, who played before 24-
hour television news and entertainment Web sites such as TMZ.com
tracked celebrities constantly.
The day after the Patriots beat San Diego for the American
Football Conference title on Jan. 20, TMZ cameras caught Brady
wearing a protective boot and limping as he carried a bouquet of
white flowers into Bundchens New York home, sparking
speculation about an injury. It turned out to be a mild ankle
sprain.
“It completes the mystique, Carter said.
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