by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady says losing more this season has allowed him to have more empathy for anyone struggling with ‘things not going their way’, including French football star Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe horribly missed defending his World Cup title with France, despite his hat-trick forcing the final in Qatar to a penalty shootout on Sunday, while Brady and the Bucs took a 17-0 lead against the Bengals.
The result saw Tampa Bay fall to 6-8 and saw Brady lose eight games in one season for the first time in his career as a starter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady claimed he had empathy for Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe horribly missed defending his World Cup title, despite scoring a hat-trick
The 45-year-old took responsibility for Tampa Bay’s 34-23 loss to Joe Burrow and Co. as he says the Bucs’ misfortunes on the court have taught him a lot this season.
‘Rough day. Man, losing sucks,’ Brady said Monday on his Let’s Go! podcast. ‘It’s just the reality. There aren’t many explanations.
“Unfortunately, I had to do too much this year, so I’m learning and trying to improve.” … You can’t win when the quarterback turns it over four times, and that’s on me. This is how I feel.’
The number of losses, including the last two in a row for the NFL superstar, have earned him empathy for all those who struggle in their jobs despite their best efforts, whether international athletes , such as Mbappe, or the UPS delivery man.
The quarterback turned the ball over four times as the Bucs gave the Bengals a 17-0 lead
“I have a lot more empathy for guys who put in a lot more time and energy and things don’t go their way,” Brady said. “It might not just be a football player. It’s anyone in his job. Could be the guy who works at UPS. Could be the guy who works in the military. It could be the guy who works in the sales office.
“It could be Kylian Mbappe, who scored three goals in the World Cup (final). And you know what? The (France) team didn’t win. That’s life. You don’t have the right to win No one’s guaranteed to win No one’s guaranteed tomorrow The sun rose today, and you’re going to try to make this day the best it can be.
Brady added that the Bucs’ tough times “are not the time for self-pity”, saying he needs to get down to business and make it better.
The soccer star equalized from the spot with his second penalty to send the final into a shootout
But it wasn’t for the star, whose side lost on penalties as they failed to defend the trophy
“What do I learn by putting in a similar amount of energy as I have in the past two years and not winning?” he said. “What does this teach me? Why should we just feel like we have the right to win all the time? Were not. That’s not life.
“And I think anyone who has gone through life and struggles in their job, or struggles in other aspects of life when you put effort and energy into it, what do you learn from that? As opposed to why is this happening to you and for you?
“Get up, go to work and improve it and improve it and work harder and work more determined,” he said. “It’s so easy to throw in the towel. It’s so easy. That’s what most people want. That’s why you listen on TV, “Ah, that’s what you should have done.” Yes, if you are a loser, this is what you should do. Simply fold up the tent when things don’t go your way. That’s not how life goes.
Brady also faced some misfortunes in his personal life amid Tampa Bay’s tumultuous season.
The quarterback divorced his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen in October, after weeks of speculation.
Brady divorced ex-wife Gisele Bundchen in October, after weeks of speculation
Although he didn’t go into specifics, Brady admitted he’s been mentally and emotionally challenged this season and said dealing with the loss was also difficult.
He added: “Listen, we all have physical, mental and emotional aspects, and all of those things are challenged. Some years, you are a little more physically demanding. You have to overcome some adversities physically. You know, I took a big hit in my shoulder this year. Did it derail me? No, not at all, and I have dealt with this before.
“The emotional challenges of losing, those challenges, those are tough. It’s hard to show up to the media every day and say, “Why don’t you do it?” What’s wrong? Why don’t you act like you are? I’ve never had to deal with that. And you know what? It’s not very fun.
