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(NewsNation) — More than a few eyebrows were raised when Tom Brady agreed to be roasted and have it streamed on Netflix, where it will live in eternity.
And the raised eyebrows tune to groans when in the end, the show — intended to show how down-to-earth, chill and funny Brady is — was slammed as “garbage” by Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, called “cruel, misogynistic and not very funny” by the Washington Post and infuriated his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen.
Bundchen was said to be furious that once again Brady put his career before his family and that the two had a “no disparagement” agreement in the divorce. (Indeed, the only time Brady seemed to get angry during the roast was when Jeff Ross made a Robert Kraft joke, alluding to Brady giving Kraft a massage.) Brady has since apologized to his ex-wife.
So, why did Brady allow this roast, and not just allow it, but produce and sell it himself?
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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: Guests attend G.R.O.A.T The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady for the Netflix is a Joke Festival at The Kia Forum on May 05, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix) -
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: (L-R) Tom Brady and Kevin Hart speak onstage during G.R.O.A.T The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady for the Netflix is a Joke Festival at The Kia Forum on May 05, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix) -
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: Kim Kardashian speaks onstage during G.R.O.A.T The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady for the Netflix is a Joke Festival at The Kia Forum on May 05, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix) -
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: (L-R) Tom Brady and Robert Kraft speak onstage during G.R.O.A.T The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady for the Netflix is a Joke Festival at The Kia Forum on May 05, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix) -
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: Tom Brady attends Netflix Is A Joke Fest’s “The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady” at The Kia Forum on May 05, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/WireImage) -
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 05: (L-R) Tom Brady and Ben Affleck speak onstage during G.R.O.A.T The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady for the Netflix is a Joke Festival at The Kia Forum on May 05, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix)
“He doesn’t really have a sense of humor, especially about himself,” my insider said. “He’s a bit of a machine.”
Brady has been criticized for being aloof, arrogant and robotic, which is no good for his next role as a TV personality.
“There was some concern at Fox Sports that they need to make him seem … human. Relatable. So, this was one way to do it,” the source said.
In March, Brady confirmed he is joining Fox as its lead NFL game analyst, a role that will pay him a whopping $375 million over 10 years.
Whether the roast gamble paid off is debatable.
But, the biggest score of the NFL broadcasting wars is undoubtedly Jason Kelce, a naturally gregarious, likable and funny guy who, while playing for Philadelphia Eagles, gained a huge nonfootball audience with “New Heights,” the popular podcast he does with his brother Travis (aka Taylor Swift’s boyfriend).
Kelce will join ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” team this fall, in a rumored three-year, $1.8 million per year deal (with a $1 million signing bonus) that allows him to continue the podcast with his brother.