Tom Brady’s journey to the NFL began in the Bay Area.
He was born in San Mateo, California – 20 miles south of San Francisco.
The childhood 49ers fan is in the Fox Sports booth for their clash against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Will rooting for his boyhood team get in the way of Brady’s duties?
Not if an interview from last year is anything to go by.
Brady infamously had to wait until the sixth round to hear his name called in the 2000 NFL Draft.
The chip that was left on his shoulder probably went some way to driving him to seven Super Bowl triumphs.
And he is apparently still holding a grudge against San Francisco.
“Nah they passed me up six times, so f*** them and that whole staff that kept me out,” Brady said on the Let’s Go! podcast last year.
“I had a chip on my shoulder for a long time.”
Perhaps that snub 24 years ago can explain a habit Brady has picked up in the broadcast booth that is driving Bay Area locals up the wall.
The NFL great has been referring to the Niners as “San Fran” – a term akin to hearing nails drag across a chalkboard for many residents.
“Tom Brady calling San Francisco “San Fran” is gross every time he does it,” wrote one on X.
“It’s weird he of all people calls it that because he’s from the Bay Area and I know that’s a major pet peeve,” replied another.
Local broadcaster Brodie Brazil added: “At this point, San Mateo’s Tom Brady is just trolling ‘San Fran.’”
Brady has spoken highly of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who has drawn inevitable comparisons to the GOAT.
Branded Mr Irrelevant after falling to the last pick of the 2022 Draft, the passer has established himself as one of the league’s most efficient operators under center.
“I think it’s poise and composure. It’s calm under chaos. That’s what the quarterback needs to do,“ Brady said on The Herd this month.
“He walks into that huddle, meets 10 other guys looking at him and they all have that confidence in Brock as a player.
“This offense, to me, even studying the last few days, is a lot different than the one they had last year and the year before. They had so many weapons the last couple years.
“Brock essentially was a point guard out there just delivering balls to halfbacks and flipping it out there to (Deebo) Samuel to gain yards, and then he’s got (Brandon) Aiyuk catching in cuts and running for lunch.”
The Niners are bottom of the AFC West going into the Packers clash.
With a 5-5 record, everything is to play for.
But defeat in Week 12, with the Buffalo Bills up next, would pile the pressure on Kyle Shanahan, who is chasing an elusive first Super Bowl triumph.
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