USA Today - 18.03.2020

2C ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 ❚ USA TODAY E3 SPORTS

The USA TODAY women’s basketball

coaches poll in Tuesday’s edition in-

correctly awarded points to Florida.

The change moved up Louisville one

place to No. 6.

Corrections & Clarifications

USA TODAY is committed to accuracy.

To reach us at any time, call 800-872-7073 or email

[email protected]. Please indicate whether you’re

responding to content online or in the newspaper.

Nothing lasts forever, and the signs

have been there for months.

Still, to see Tom Brady announce

Tuesday that he’s not coming back to

New England, that he won’t be wearing

a Patriots uniform next season, was

surreal. Jarring. Disconcerting, even.

Maybe it’s the times we’re in, shut-

tered in our homes and uncertain of

what the next few weeks will bring.

But Brady and the Patriots, Brady and

Bill Belichick, have been one of our

constants for two decades.

Now they’re not.

The double digit wins, the deep

playoff runs, the Super Bowl titles – we

came to expect it. Depend on it, really.

Whether you loved Brady or hated him,

revered the Patriots or thought they

were cheaters, there was one thing in

this world we were assured of come

January: Brady picking apart defenses

and then flashing that mega-watt

smile when he was done.

Maybe he’ll win with his new team.

Maybe he’ll transform the Buccaneers

into a Super Bowl team. Maybe he’ll

look so much like his old self that, after

a couple of weeks, we won’t focus on

his new uniform.

But it won’t be the same. And at a

time when our world has been upend-

ed and we’re craving a normality that

won’t be returning anytime soon, Bra-

dy’s departure feels weightier.

After all, it’s not as if Brady’s deci-

sion is a surprise. There was a reason

why, at 42, he structured his contract

so he could become an unrestricted

free agent. Departures and injuries had

whittled his playmakers considerably.

The moves by the Bills and the surpris-

ing resilience of the Dolphins means the

AFC East will no longer be a cakewalk.

When the Patriots lost to Tennessee

in the AFC wild-card round, it carried a

feeling of finality, the end of an era, and

Brady’s subdued and emotional com-

ments after did nothing to contradict

that.

No matter where he plays, Brady will

always be known as a Patriot. Will prob-

ably always consider himself one, too.

“I am grateful for all that you taught

me – I have learned from everyone,” Bra-

dy wrote in his first goodbye post, this

one directed to the Patriots. “Everything

we have accomplished brings me great

joy and the lessons I have learned will

carry on with me forever.”

Forever is a relative term, though.

Things change, people move on and the

world as you know it can be trans-

formed in an instant, and Brady leaving

the only team he’s played for for two

decades is one more reminder of that.

Brady and the Patriots were one of

the few things we could count on, and

now we can’t.

Brady’s split with Patriots

another big shake-up

Nancy Armour

Columnist

USA TODAY

It’s really happening. What once
seemed unfathomable becomes reality.
Tom Brady is leaving the Patriots.
At 8:45 a.m. ET Tuesday, the six-time
Super Bowl-winning quarterback
brought social media to a screeching
halt as he issued a lengthy letter to his
fans and announced, “I don’t know what
my football future holds but it is time for
me to open a new stage for my career.”
A second tweet began “FOREVER A
PATRIOT” and went on to document
warm thoughts of his time in New Eng-
land and the relationships he built there
over a 20-year span.
“Although my football journey will
take place elsewhere, I appreciate ev-
erything that we have achieved and am
grateful for our incredible TEAM accom-
plishments,” the greatest quarterback
of this generation – and arguably of all
time – continued.
Now, Brady steps out of New England
into Florida, where he will play with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The free agency
market officially opens at 4 p.m. ET
Wednesday, at which point Brady can
sign.
But as he said, he’ll always be a Patri-
ot. Just like Michael Jordan is always a
Chicago Bull despite two twilight sea-
sons with the Washington Wizards.
You can bet Brady’s decision was car-
ried out with precise calculations, just
as he has for the first 20 years of his ca-
reer. He didn’t spend all those years in
New England without learning some-
thing from Bill Belichick. Brady has al-
ways demonstrated an understanding

of the importance of sacrificing for the

greater good. That’s why he routinely

took less than his worth when signing

contract extensions to ensure that

New England had the resources to give

him a strong supporting cast.

Brady also has evidently learned

the importance of timing. Rather than

linger in Foxborough for one more sea-

son, he’s exiting now. Belichick and

the Patriots made a habit of cutting

ties with a player just before it’s too

late. Now, it’s Brady pulling the plug

before things get ugly in New England.

The Patriots’ cupboard of offensive

weapons is rather bare, and defensive

standouts Kyle Van Noy and Jamie

Collins exited Monday.

Brady is making his move before the

Bills, who already gave the Patriots a

run for their money last season, and

the Dolphins, who embarrassed New

England in Week 17 and cost the squad

the AFC’s No. 1 seed, challenge for the

division crown.

And as it turns out, he foresaw this

possibility some time ago. That’s why

he turned down multiple extension of-

fers and instead reworked his deal in

August to ensure he would have his

freedom and complete control of his

future.

Many believed he would flirt with

other teams before flashing that

“gotcha” smile and settling on a New

England return.

Nope.

So, this fall, Brady will run out of a

tunnel onto his new home field to his

signature walk-up song.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself,”

Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announce-

ment” will boom over the sound sys-

tem, and then we’ll all watch to see if

Brady can still be Brady.

Mike Jones

Columnist

USA TODAY

Bailing on Beantown

before it was too late

So, this is how it ends. With Insta-
gram posts.
Tom Brady dropped the hammer on
the Patriots – as in Good Mourning, New
England – on Tuesday to squash one el-
ement of suspense regarding his foot-
ball present and future.
TB12’s out, and he’s not coming back
into Bill Belichick’s fold.
Sure, we’ve seen this coming as the
iconic quarterback with six Super Bowl
championship rings rebuffed contract
extensions, put his mansion on the mar-
ket, brushed off repeated chatter of a
personal rift with Belichick and, well,
created the option of putting himself on
the free agent market that officially
opens on Wednesday.
Yet even with such indicators, you
knew owner Robert Kraft and the fran-
chise’s rabid fan base – if not Belichick
himself – held out hope that they’d
wake up from a nightmare to make an-
other Super Bowl run with Gisele’s
“Tommy” for old time’s sake.
Now they can wake up to reality. And
heartbreak.

“How do I possibly sum up the depth

of my gratitude to Tom Brady for what

he’s given us these past 20 years, or the

sadness I feel knowing it’s ending?”

Kraft said in what was hardly a “boiler-

plate” statement released by the team.

“I love Tom like a son and I always will.

“I had hoped this day would never

come, but rather that Tom would end

his remarkable career in a Patriots uni-

form after yet another Super Bowl

championship.”

It seemed apparent last season that

Brady, 42, has lost a bit of zip on his fast-

ball. That would be natural, given the

competition against Father Time. But

the drop-off might not have been as

glaring as it appeared. Even Tom Terrific

needs a few receivers, some decent

blocking and a running game to func-

tion at Super Bowl efficiency – and the

Patriots woefully failed to surround him

with the proper goods.

Maybe the Buccaneers will.

One thing for certain: The Patriots’

dynasty is officially kaput.

No, you can’t count Belichick out. He

built the thing with a quarterback he se-

lected with the 199th pick in the 2000

draft and he is the most resourceful

coach in the NFL, one of the best in his-

tory. He will compete. He will field a ver-

satile, disciplined team. And he will be

inspired to prove just how great of a

football genius he is, maybe with Jarrett

Stidham (cool name) emerging as the

next out-of-nowhere star.

But this won’t be the equivalent of

“We’re on to Cincinnati.” This is not Joe

Montana-to-Steve Young or Peyton

Manning-to-Andrew Luck.

As Brady matured, Belichick had the

NFL’s best cover quarterback – as in the

one to cover up for the mess around him.

That doesn’t just walk out the door

without a hangover effect.

“Tom was not just a player who

bought into our program,” Belichick said

in the team’s statement. “He was one of

its original creators. Tom lived and per-

petuated our culture. On a daily basis,

he was a tone setter and a bar raiser. He

won championships in three of his first

four years on the field and in three of his

final six seasons with us, while compet-

ing for championships in most every

season in between. This is a credit to

Tom’s consistency and what separates

him.”

Belichick called it “a privilege to

coach Tom Brady for 20 years.” Regard-

less of the buzz about friction, the coach

maintained the relationship is built on

“love, admiration, respect and apprecia-

tion.” As it should have been.

But perhaps Belichick knew, deep

down, it was time.

“Nothing about the end of Tom’s Pa-

triots career changes how unfathoma-

bly spectacular it was,” Belichick said.

The Patriots routinely changed their

cast of characters in advancing to nine

Super Bowls during Brady’s 20 seasons,

able to stay on top – or in serious con-

tention for the top – because they have

been better than anyone else in consis-

tently adapting to circumstances. Even

in discarding talented players who still

had productive years left, they pos-

sessed the ability to fill the voids and

keep it moving. That, too, is part of Bel-

ichick’s greatness.

For all of the changes over the years,

though, there were two constants: Bel-

ichick and Brady.

Now one of the constants is gone, a

source for jubilation in places like Buffa-

lo and Miami, where their teams can

now legitimately envision a path to the

AFC East crown that has been claimed

16 times by the Patriots since 2001. Bel-

ichick, meanwhile, is forced to adapt to

his biggest loss yet.

If anyone deserves to ride off into the

sunset after winning a Super Bowl, it’s

Brady.

Maybe it will still happen. Only not

with another Super Bowl parade in

Beantown.

Jarrett Bell

Columnist

USA TODAY

Without Brady, Pats’ dynasty will collapse

IN SEARCH OF

Attention Diabetics!

NO More Finger Pricking

GetYour New GCM Devices

Covered by Medicare

(must test/inject 4+ x a day)

855-629-

CALL 24/7 FOR FREE PICKUP

800 448 1964

DONATE ANY

CARORTRUCK

ANY CONDITION

GET AN IRS DEDUCTION

AND FIGHT BREAST CANCER

AUTO

AUTO SERVICES

SpecialAlert

toAutoOwners

Does your vehicle have less than 200,

miles, with an auto warranty about to

expire or no warranty coverage at all? You

can pay NOTHING for repairs, as well as

receive free towing, free car rental and

free roadside assistance

Callnowforafreequote!

800-339-

DROWNING IN

CREDIT CARD DEBT?

Struggling to make minimum payments

Owe $10,000 or more?

Call for our debt reset program!

CALL TODAY: 800-478-

800-509-

FORECLOSURE

DEFENSE HELPLINE

ARE YOU BEHIND ON YOUR

MORTGAGE PAYMENTS?

COULD YOUR HOUSE GO INTO

FORECLOSURE? DOES IT SEEM

LIKE THE BANK HAS NO INTEREST

IN HELPING YOU SAVE YOUR

HOME AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU

HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN?

THE FORECLOSURE DEFENSE

HELPLINE CAN HELP SAVE YOUR

HOME. IT’S CRITICAL THAT

FINANCIAL SERVICES YOU CALL US RIGHT NOW AT:

FINANCIAL SERVICES

SUCCESSFUL

ADVERTISEMENTS

start with

USA TODAY

Marketplace

1-800-397-0070 Advertise in USA TODAY Marketplace!

To Advertise, Call:1-800-397-

HEALTH / FITNESS

Call to see if you qualify NOW:

800-208-

(24hrs)

TALCUM POWDER

WARNING

Users of Johnson and

Johnson’s Baby Powder and

ShowertoShowermaybe

at a higher risk of developing

ovarian cancer.

If you or a loved one used

talcum powder and were

diagnosed with ovarian

cancer, you may be entitled

to financial compensation.

MARKETPLACE

To view more Classified listings,

visit: http://www.classifieds.usatoday.com

BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS

Attention Middle

& Upper Class!

Sell Nothing. Never Speak.

Do Not Recruit.

Allocate15minutesperdayfor

FULL TIME INCOME.

Training & Support Provided.

$300-$3000 Daily.

Never Before Seen.

Affiliate Opp.

Absolutely Serious Inquiries Only!

http://www.ImperialLead.biz

207-441-

SendS.A.S.E.to:Mr.A.Morton

23219StringtownRd#

Clarksburg,MD20871Direct Mktg Opp.

How to Get a

$10,

a Month

Part Time Job

NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

TheRegion 4 Education Service Center (ESC)

Houston, TXis requesting proposals from qualified

andexperiencedfirmstoprovide

Equipment Tool and Rental Services

(RFP No. 20-06).

Inordertobeconsidered,Offerormustcompleteand

submit a proposal to Region 4 ESC in accordance with

the solicitation documentation available at

https://www.esc4.net/services/purchasing/

region-4-omnia-solicitations

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE:

Thursday, April 2, 2020, 10:00 AM CENTRAL TIME,

Region 4 ESC, 7145 W. Tidwell Rd., Houston, TX 77019

PROPOSAL DUE DATE:

May5,2020,BEFORE2:00PMCENTRALTIME.

The Migrant Farm Labor Camps in Kern County

will re-open in May 2020

Arvin Sunset Migrant Farm Labor Camp

8701 Sunset Blvd. Lamont, CA 93241

North Shafter Migrant Farm Labor Camp

17213 Central Valley Hwy. Shafter, CA 93263

Visitwww.KernHA.orgor call

661-631-8500ex. 1302 or 2411 for more information

Los Campamentos Para Trabajador

Agrícola Migrante re-abrirán en Mayo 2020

Arvin Sunset Migrant Farm Labor Camp

8701 Sunset Blvd, Lamont CA 93241

North Shafter Migrant Farm Labor Camp

17213 Central Valley Hwy Shafter, CA 93263

Visitewww.KernHA.orgor llame al661-631-

extension 1302 o 2411 para más información.

IVCFILTERWARNING

THE FDA HAS ISSUED A WARNING

TO ALL IVC FILTER PATIENTS.

THESE IVC FILTERS MAY CAUSE

SERIOUS INJURIES. IF YOU OR YOUR

LOVED ONE HAD AN IVC FILTER

IMPLANTED YOU MAY BE ENTILTED

TO FINANCIAL COMPENSTATION

THERE ARE NO FEES UNLESS YOU

GET A SETTLEMENT CALL NOW FOR

A FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION

Callnow:800-340-1530(24/7)

HEALTH / FITNESS

Get Out of Your

Timeshare Contract

Permanently

800-955-

Stop the Payments and

Maintenance Fees

Guaranteed / No More

Timeshare Payments

TIMESHARE

REAL ESTATE