Morning sports update: Joe Montana thinks the Patriots ‘made a mistake’ letting Tom Brady leave
"I don’t know what’s going on inside there, but somebody made a mistake."
On what would have been baseball’s Opening Day of the 2020 season, the stadiums are empty. The coronavirus pandemic has forced sports to shut down for the foreseeable future.
While live sports are on hold, networks are making an effort to show classic games. NBC Sports Boston, for example, started showing throwback Celtics games last night.
Joe Montana thinks the Patriots made a mistake: Speaking to USA Today columnist Jarrett Bell, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana — Tom Brady’s childhood hero — expressed his disagreement with the Patriots’ decision to let Brady leave in free agency.
“I don’t know what’s going on inside there, but somebody made a mistake,” Montana told Bell.
The 42-year-old Brady left New England willingly, unlike Montana’s departure from San Francisco in 1993 (when he was traded to the Chiefs).
“I think when you look at the whole situation, you try to figure out how you want to get away from things that are there,” Montana explained. “I had a different story, where they had made a decision. He, obviously, they never would have gotten rid of. I still don’t understand how New England let him get away. I don’t understand that.”
For Brady, Montana thinks his time in Tampa will be enjoyable.
“I think it’s going to be fun for him,” said Montana. “Probably for the first time in a long time he’ll be having fun, if I understand what he’s been saying, or what I’ve been reading.”
Trivia: Speaking of Joe Montana, a third-round pick in 1979, what fellow Super Bowl MVP quarterback was selected in the first round of that year’s draft?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: After helping his team win its first Super Bowl, he was the first MVP is to declare the famous line, “I’m going to Disney World.”
More from Boston.com:
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- Tom Brady Buccaneers jerseys are officially for sale
A New England hockey company is converting to making face shields
: While Bauer is normally known for their hockey equipment, the New Hampshire-based company is eager to jump into the fight against coronavirus. With two production facilities based in New York and Canada, the company is ready to start turning out up to 4,000 face shields a day to help supply hospitals who are in desperate need.
“We sent people into both facilities to set up a production line,” Bauer CEO Ed Kinnaly told Boston Globe reporter Matt Porter. “Now we’re turning it on.”
The full interview with Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred:
On this day: In 1979, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson began a rivalry that would be one for the ages. The two young stars met in the NCAA Tournament championship game. Johnson’s Michigan State prevailed over Bird’s Indiana State, 75-64, but it was only the beginning.
Classic rewind: If you’re trying to watch something today for a while, try Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series.
Trivia answer: Phil Simms
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