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NBA Insider Has Bulls Drafting Texas Center Jarrett Allen In 2017

By
Matt Peck
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nba insider bulls drafting texas center jarrett allen 2017

Is it too soon to start talking about the 2017 NBA Draft? Of course not. With the February 23 trade deadline fast approaching, draft picks are a hot topic right now. For example, will the Boston Celtics be willing to part with Brooklyn’s lottery pick in a package to land Bulls star Jimmy Butler? That’s the big question on everyone’s minds in Chicago right now. There’s also the potential to land a first round pick by trading veteran forward Taj Gibson.

It will be much easier to make educated guesses about the Bulls’ draft targets when we know exactly where they’ll be picking and how many picks they have. For now, ESPN’s NBA insider Chad Ford just released the third installment of his 2017 Mock Draft. All you Bulls fans out there hoping for a point guard with shooting skills might want to look away.

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nba insider bulls drafting texas center jarrett allen 2017

Ford has the Bulls drafting Texas freshman center Jarrett Allen with the 17th overall pick. Here are Ford’s notes:

The Bulls are a mess and the rumblings that there could be major changes to the front office and team this summer appear well-founded. Trying to discern what’s next for them, given the team chaos, is difficult.

Allen is a project, but an intriguing one. His defense is ahead of his offense right now, but over the course of the past few weeks he has been making major offensive strides as well.

He seems to be coming on at the right time and could be a nice backup to Robin Lopez for the next year or two while he adds strength and experience. – Chad Ford

Scouting Report

Allen is a five-star recruit from Austin St. Stephen’s, and he’s looking like a kid worth that hype as his first year of college ball rolls along. He’s averaging 12.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on the season, but his offense is quickly developing. Jarrett has tallied 17 or more points in 6 of the Longhorns’ last 7 games. His best performance came against #2 Kansas on January 21, when the 18 year old piled up 22 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Offensively, Jarrett is a work in progress. He has some decent post moves, but finishing with more consistency is still lacking. For a big man, his stroke from midrange is very mechanically sound. But here’s undoubtedly the best thing about Allen on the offensive end: he runs the floor like a wing player. He’s got a great stride and could fit very well into a fast-paced Fred Hoiberg offense.

Allen has a high ceiling as a frontcourt defender in the NBA. At 6’11 and with a wingspan of 7’6, he’s long enough to guard over-sized centers and contest a variety of shots. His footwork is already better than plenty of bigs in the NBA, and he’s got great defensive instincts. Adding muscle and toughness will be key for him to make the jump to the pros.

Intangibles

If anyone can tell you not to be worried about Allen making that transition to the pros, it’s his head coach at Texas Shaka Smart.

“The thing that I think has been tremendous about [Jarrett’s] transition is that unlike most other freshman, he had next to no time to wrap his mind around the transition he was about to make.” – Shaka Smart

Smart was referencing Allen’s quick turnaround after his decision; singing with Texas on a Friday and moving onto campus to join the team that Saturday. If he can do that seamlessly, it stands to reason that Jarrett can handle the transition to the NBA. Smart also highlighted what might be his young center’s greatest intangible: making max effort plays.

“Jarrett is one of those guys because he’s such a natural with the game, as he learns more and more to give max effort on different plays, that’s going to make him more and more effective on the floor.” – Shaka Smart

Max effort plays. You know who that sounds like, right? Joakim Noah. The ex-Bull is struggling with the Knicks in the back half of his career, but the max effort plays of a young Noah were largely what brought a dormant Bulls franchise back to life. Hoiberg could certainly use another one of those guys.

The Other Guys

The other factor you have to look at when determining the odds of the Bulls drafting Allen (or any center) is the guys they have right now. Despite the youth and/or draft picks he might bring in a trade, it sounds like Gar Forman and John Paxson have no plans to sell veteran center Robin Lopez. The Bulls have Lopez under a team-friendly contract through the 2018-19 season, so GarPax might decide he’s worth keeping around as a reliable piece of the core. He’s no offensive superstar, but he’s efficient in the post and his work on the offensive glass has been a huge plus for Chicago this season.

The wild card here is Cristiano Felicio. Despite what some scouts said, it appears that 2015 first round pick Bobby Portis is incapable of playing center at the NBA level. Felicio, meanwhile, has served dutifully as Lopez’s backup all season. His defense still needs work, but it’s already getting better. On the offensive end, he runs the pick and roll to perfection and crashes the boards with ferocity and consistency. GarPax (or their staff) deserve credit for finding this undrafted gem. But will they keep him? Felicio will be a restricted free agent this summer, and you can bet many teams around the league notice his high potential. If he signs a big money offer sheet, will GarPax match it?

If they don’t, finding a young center would quickly become a priority for management in the 2017 draft. Hello, Jarrett Allen. There aren’t many true centers in this draft class. Justin Patton of Creighton is another, but he’s the highest-rated center and could be gone by the time the Bulls are on the clock. Remember, Ford’s latest mock (which has Patton going 13th to Milwaukee) is based on the current NBA standings. As of right now, the Bulls are looking at the #17 pick. That could change.

That’s one of many things that could change for the Bulls in the near future. It should be an interesting couple of weeks as we get closer to that trade deadline.

Blackhawks Top Prospect Is Absolutely Tearing Up The OHL

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Chicago Blackhawks fans tend to be worriers when it comes to the future of the team. Scoring has been inconsistent this season and fans want a quick fix via trade. Well, maybe this isn’t the year for the Blackhawks and we all need a little patience, because there is a superb talent in the system. Alex Debrincat.

Debrincat (de-BRINK-it) is one of the hottest young prospects in hockey with quick hands and prolific goal scoring ability. The 19 year old American winger from Farmington Hills, Mi was a second round pick by the Blackhawks in 2016 (#39 overall) and has been tearing up the OHL for three seasons.

Debrincat’s OHL Success

Some people are probably saying, “Big deal. He’s tearing up some rinky dink league.” Wrong. This isn’t minor league hockey, it’s junior hockey and the competition is fierce. These are 16-21 year old players looking to make names for themselves. They’re competing to be drafted or get brought up to the NHL teams they were drafted by.

Debrincat started his career with the Erie Otters at only 16 years old but it took him no time to make his mark. He scored 104 points in 68 games which was good enough for 7th in the league. Of those points, 51 were goals which missed the league lead by only 1.

His 104 points were the most by an OHL rookie since Patrick Kane put up 145 with the London Knights in 2006-2007. An impressive season to say the least, he won the OHL and CHL Rookie Of The Year awards and was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team.

A lot of people were skeptical of his rookie season since he had been playing along with Connor McDavid. To the surprise of some, there was no sophomore slump for Debrincat.  He continued to succeed with 101 points in only 60 games.

Identical to the season before, he was seventh in points and second in goals. He also earned himself a spot on the OHL Third All-Star Team.

Drafted By Blackhawks

Following his sophomore season, Debrincat was drafted by the Blackhawks and was in no hurry to slow down.

Some players might get complacent after getting drafted and signed by an NHL team. Not Debrincat. He is putting up MVP type numbers during the 2016-2017 season.

“BUT [THE BLACKHAWKS] TAKE A CHANCE ON GUYS WITH SKILL, AND THAT’S KIND OF MY GAME. OBVIOUSLY I’M NOT A BIG GUY. I LIKE TO PLAY A LITTLE BIGGER THAN I AM, BUT I’M HAPPY THEY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY AND I’M JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT.”

Through 45 games he has put up 92 points already and has 44 goals which along the way made him the Otters all-time goals leader. He also recently passed former teammate and linemate Connor McDavid for third on their all-time scoring list.

In his last three games he had 11 points in the process of earning his third OHL player of the week honor this season. If Debrincat plays one more season in the OHL at this pace he could break John Tavares’ all-time goal record of 215.

Has Something To Prove

Alex Debrincat is vertically challenged by NHL standards. Standing at only 5’7″ tall and roughly 170lbs, he isn’t an imposing figure on the ice.

He also isn’t the fastest skater to make him elusive to defenders. What he lacks in size and ability with his feet, Debrincat makes up for in smarts, hands and tenacity. Prior to last year’s draft, The Draft Analyst had this to say about him,

“DeBrincat may be small by hockey standards, but he’s a tenacious battler who will get into those tough areas around the cage, as well as throw a hit without deviating from his primary objective of scoring goals. He thinks the game at a very high level, and is the last guy you would catch taking a shift off. You could even classify him as a glutton for punishment because he seemingly thrives when futile attempts are made to bruise and batter him into submission. DeBrincat is the ultimate competitor…”

The lack of size doesn’t deter Debrincat. “It’s something you’ve just got to block out,” he said. “A lot of teams just look for the big guys, and something I’ve always heard is you can’t teach height. That’s something I’ve grown up with.”

Needs To Stay In Control

He has to play with a chip on his shoulder to make up for his size but needs to keep it under control. During his first game in the 2016 WJC he was given a game misconduct game for spearing Canada player Travis Konecny. From there, things didn’t go well for him during the tournament. He quickly went from being paired with Auston Matthews on the first line to the 13th forward.

This misstep in the 2016 WJC may have been a deciding factor when he was cut from the team in 2017. There is little reasoning for cutting one of the most prolific American goal scores from the team besides this. Silly penalties are always easy ways to put yourself on the bench or the couch at home.

Precedence Has Been Set For Small Guys

The NHL is filled with larger than life players but that doesn’t mean a player of Debrincat’s stature can’t excel in the league. The two players that come to mind when thinking about him are Theo Fleury and Martin St. Louis.

Fleury and St. Louis were very skilled players without the prototypical size or fastest feet. They both used great hands, smarts and tenacity to beat their defenders on the way to playing 1,000 games and accumulating 1,000 points.

Patience

This goes for the fans and player alike. He’s only 19 years old and needs seasoning. It will most likely be at least one more season until Debrincat will be playing with the Blackhawks.

If you pay attention to the Chicago Cubs you know a slow approach is best for developing a player. Fans were screaming for Kris Bryant and Javier Baez to come up to the big club a full season earlier, but the organization did what it felt best. We should all know how that worked out.

While fans aren’t screaming for Alex Debrincat yet, they probably will if the Blackhawks don’t win the Stanley Cup this season.

 

Twitter Roasts Cardinals After They Accidentally Use Cubs Logo

By
Gus
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It’s hard to argue that the Chicago Cubs aren’t the biggest sell for opposing teams to try to market. They have a huge fan base that travels well and a team that is fresh off winning their first World Series championship in over a century.

Plus, they’re pretty damn good at baseball.

Teams throughout the National League have already started using the Cubs to put fans in seats by creating ticket packages that feature games against the Cubs. Even the Cubs biggest rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, have taken the opportunity to use the Cubs name as a marketing ploy to benefit themselves.

In late November, the Cardinals ticket office released a 5-game “ticket pack” that only featured games against the Chicago Cubs. While ticket packs are not that unusual, the language that was used to lure fans to buy that pack was pretty strange.

Cubs, Cubs, and more Cubs… catch five great games with the reigning world champs.

I’ll be honest with you, I’d probably do the same thing because at the end of the day, it’s about putting people in seats. However, I know the Cardinals front office had to be a little bit butt-hurt using their rivals to try and promote their own team.

It appears the Red Birds have used the Cubs again for promotional reasons…..this time accidentally.

Phillies And Brewers Emerge As Potential Jose Quintana Trade Destinations

By
Dan Fappiano
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As baseball season inches closer it appears as if we will finally have a resolution on the Jose Quintana saga; for now. Earlier this offseason ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the White Sox wanted to have Quintana dealt by Spring Training.

While it doesn’t mean that once Spring Training starts Quintana is off the market, it appears likely that if he enters with the White Sox, he will begin the 2017 season on the South Side.

If he isn’t moved prior to the beginning of the season there is a good chance that Quintana is moved at the Trade Deadline. However with Pitchers and Catchers meeting on February 14th, teams better be making their best offers if they want the White Sox ace prior to Opening Day.

The Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates have been the two most aggressive teams on Quintana. At one point the Yankees, Braves, Dodgers and Rangers were also all in the mix. It’s likely that all five teams have offered their best deal to the the White Sox. Rick Hahn knows exactly what he is going to get. If none of their offers are up to his liking, there is a chance Hahn holds onto Quintana into the season hoping teams get desperate at the Deadline.

It seemed likely that whenever Quintana was traded, one of those teams would be the landing spot. That was until a recent report from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

In his latest, Cafardo touched on multiple hot topics around the MLB universe. When it came to Jose Quintana, he wrote:

White Sox GM Rick Hahn has held his ground on what he needs in return for Quintana in a deal. Hahn is under no pressure to trade the All-Star now and could hold on to him until the trade deadline, when teams feel more urgency to make a deal. But Hahn will move Quintana sooner if he gets a package similar to what he got for Chris Sale. Prospect-rich organizations such as the Astros, Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, Phillies, Yankees, and Brewers are possible destinations. The Astros, who now have two extra high draft picks to add to their farm system (as a result of the Cardinals’ hacking punishment), are seen as the front-runners.

From Dwellers To Contenders?

The Phillies and Brewers both finished fourth in their respective divisions last season. With Philadelphia battling contenders like the Mets and Nationals and Milwaukee having to face the World Champion Cubs, it seems unlikely that either team is ready to compete in 2017.

To be fair, the Phillies and Brewers did make massive improvements to their rosters this offseason.

Philadelphia added Michael Saunders and Joaquin Benoit on one year deals. Obviously both could end up just being trade bait, but Saunders is coming off of an All Star campaign and Benoit should be an above average closer. If both remain throughout the season, it would give the Phillies a big bat towards the top of the lineup and a talented ninth inning pitcher.

Milwaukee signed Neftali Feliz and Eric Thames will trading for Travis Shaw. Feliz should shore up the ninth inning for the club after the Brewers moved Tyler Thornburg. Thames is returning to the MLB after playing three seasons in the Korean League. During that time he hit .348 with 124 home runs, 379 RBIs and 64 stolen bases. Shaw should add even more power to the lineup hitting for double digit home runs both years he has been in the MLB. Overall the Brewers lineup could be surprisingly dangerous while Feliz could prove to be a talented closer.

Both teams are still not on the same level as a Cubs or Nationals. However they did make big improvements and could perhaps be surprise playoff teams in 2017.

The Power Of Prospects

Cafardo notes that if a team is going to pull off a deal for Quintana, they need to be “prospect-rich” The Phillies and Brewers fit that bill with Milwaukee having the deeper farm system and Philadelphia having one of the best prospects in the MLB.

Milwaukee currently has five prospects inside the top 100 according to MLB Pipeline. Their top two prospects (Lewis Brinson and Corey Ray) are both outfielders. With players like Ryan Braun, Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana already in the MLB, perhaps the Brewers would be willing to move one of Brinson or Ray for Quintana. Outside of their top five prospects, players such as Phil Bickford, Trent Clark and Brett Phillips would likely interest the White Sox.

Philadelphia currently has just three prospects within the top 100. The club does have two top 20 prospects in J.P Craford (7th) and Mickey Moniak (19th). Their third best prospect Jorge Alfardo, would allow for the team to move Zack Collins to first base. Outside of those three, players like Nick Williams, Cornelius Randolph or Roman Quinn could interest the South Siders.

The Brewers have more ammunition to pull off a deal making Milwaukee a more likely destination. However if Philadelphia offers Crawford or Moniak in any deal, it’d be hard to turn down.

Milwaukee and Philadelphia don’t get enough credit for how talented their farm systems really are. If either team wanted to pull off a deal for Quintana, both have more than enough ammunition to do so.

Author’s Reaction

It’s hard to tell if Cafardo is reporting legitimate interest or just stating that the Brewers and Phillies COULD pull of a deal. However it’s interesting that Cafardo doesn’t name a team like the Rockies in his initial list. Colorado has five prospects in the top 100 and seems to be making a push towards the playoffs. It’s more puzzling that he doesn’t include the Pirates, who have not only shown massive interest in Quintana, but have five prospects in the top 100.

It would be quite the shock if the Brewers or Phillies pulled off such a big deal this close to the season. Neither have seen what they’re 2017 team is going to look like on the field yet.

If either team were to truly get involved on a Quintana deal it would likely occur at the Trade Deadline. Both will know where they rank in their divisional standings. If either is still in the hunt, then maybe they make a move for Quintana. But if their out of the race, there’s no point in trading their valuable assets in a losing season.

Even if Cafardo is right and the Brewers and Phillies are showing interest in the White Sox ace, neither could be considered more than dark horses. The Pirates and Astros will remain the heavy favorites until a resolution is resolved.

It’s fun to imagine a team like the Brewers or Phillies getting involved due to how talented their prospects are. But with both still very much in a rebuilding mode going into 2017 it’s hard to imagine them actually pulling off a deal.

A lot could change and both could end up being surprise playoff contenders. But for now, Jose Quintana being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies or Milwaukee Brewers remains a pipe dream.

 

Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14

Anthony Rizzo’s Support For A Young Suburban Boy Who Was Assaulted Will Be The Best Thing You Read Today

By
Gus
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PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 15: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs waits to bat during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 15, 2013 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

There are certain topics that I could write about daily if the opportunity presented itself. I love writing about my beloved Cubs probably more than I should but there’s one other topic that could rival the joy that writing about the Cubs gives me.

I don’t know what it is but writing about professional athletes pledging their support to children in need just does something for me. I’m lucky enough that I can take both topics (Cubs and athletes helping kids) and combine them into one story because members of the Chicago Cubs have always been willing to help out children in need. Whether it’s a hospital visit, a school visit, or just helping a youngster out, the Cubs have always been visible to their young fans.

Leading that charge would be Cubs first baseman, Anthony Rizzo. Most of Rizzo’s work with the youth have come in the form of visiting cancer patients at their hospital since Rizzo was a cancer survivor himself.

Recently, Rizzo let a young suburban boy know that he had his back after a horrific experience at the boy’s school.

WATCH: Kyle Schwarber Goes Through Outfield Drills In Mesa

By
Gus
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Earlier this week, I wrote about Kyle Schwarber demolishing baseballs at the Cubs Spring Training home of Mesa, Arizona. Swing after swing, he was hitting the shit out of the ball which produced the prettiest sound any real baseball fan would want to hear. I was excited to see the video of Schwarber swinging but to be quite honest, it’s not his swing that I was worried about.

We saw him rake in the World Series after not seeing live pitching for over six months so the fact that he was killing batting practice pitches really shouldn’t have surprised anyone.

My concern with Schwarber this year will be his mobility in the field. The Cubs arguably had the best defense in all of baseball this year and for as much as we don’t want to think about it, the guy is still rehabbing a very serious knee injury.

Evan Altman put out another video tonight that showed Schwarber going through some full speed outfield drills and I have to say…I’m a little less nervous then I was earlier.

Jay Cutler Trade Possibilities Get A Huge Jolt With This News

By
Erik Lambert
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jay cutler

The Jay Cutler trade buzz really started to rev up once it became clear he probably wasn’t coming back for another season in 2017. While many Chicago Bears fans remain faithful to the belief he can still be that guy the team wins with, the fact is he’s burned through one too many opportunities. It’s been eight years. He had some good cracks at it, but for one reason or another couldn’t finish the job.

Thus the conversation must shift to how the Bears move on from him. Of course the discussions to that topic center on who is replacement will be. Is Jimmy Garoppolo that guy? Tony Romo? A draft pick? Those answers will come in due time. A more imminent issue is what happens with Cutler. Namely whether he’s tradeable.

Veteran quarterbacks can be difficult to move, especially if they’ve got expensive contracts. Then again Cutler might be a special case given he still has a lot of juice in that right arm. His current deal no longer has any guaranteed money attached to it either. Some teams may be willing to take that risk, provided the cost isn’t outrageous.

It turns out that not one but two teams might be in position for such a move.

Wrigley Field To Host Historic Concert This August

By
Gus
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Lady Gaga performs during the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show held at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, TX. (Photo by Anthony Behar) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field ***(Sipa via AP Images)

Wrigley Field will be host to a historic concert this August when they host their first female headliner at the friendly confines. The venue has hosted numerous acts throughout the years such as Billy Joel, the Grateful Dead, and Zac Brown band but they are yet to have a female headline a show.

Until now.

Per Ariel Cheung of DNAinfo Chicago, the home of the Chicago Cubs will host one of the biggest pop stars on the planet — Lady Gaga.

Gaga will play August 25th and will be sandwiched in between Green Day (Aug. 24th) and Zac Brown Band (Aug. 26th) so the Wrigleyville area will be quite the circus. If you’re interested in seeing what promises to be quite the spectacle, tickets go on sale February 13th.

She’s no stranger to the Chicago music scene as she’s already played both the United Center and headlined Lollapalooza back in 2010. If her Wrigley performance is anything like what she put on at last night’s Super Bowl, you can expect Wrigley to be very bright and festive that night.

I’m a big fan of people watching and something tells me that this may be the event that I’ll go sit outside of Murphy’s and soak it all in.

 

WATCH: The Moment Tom Brady Realizes His Super Bowl Jersey Was Stolen

By
Gus
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In the midst of winning his record-setting fifth Super Bowl and his fourth Super Bowl MVP, there wasn’t much Tom Brady could do wrong. He orchestrated arguably the best comeback not only in Super Bowl history, but in the history of professional sports and led the Patriots to a miraculous 34-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. To cap it off, Brady and coach Bill Belichick literally got a chance to laugh in the face of their number one hater, Roger Goodell.

In the midst of all the laughing, celebrating, hugs, and tears, Brady looked around for something that he’d undoubtedly treasure for the rest of his life.

His jersey.

Problem?

He couldn’t find it.

If you listen closely in the first ten seconds of this video from DanHanzus, you can hear Brady tell Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, “somebody stole my game jersey.”

USA Today reported that Brady was frantically searching the locker room for his jersey after all the celebrations settled down and even called on back-up Jimmy Garappolo to help him during his search but the two had no luck in tracking down the jersey.

“This is not good,” he said. “It was right here and now I don’t have it. Not good.”

 It’s hard to say who would have swiped the jersey but because access to the locker room during a post-game celebration of the Super Bowl would be so restricted, it would lead me to believe it had to be an inside job.
Hopefully, one of his teammates is simply playing a prank on him and the jersey will make its way back to Brady in the near future but Brady doesn’t think so.
“It is going to be on eBay soon, I guess.”
It’s hard to say how much the jersey would pull on eBay but to put it into perspective, a game worn, autographed Brady jersey from Super Bowl 49 is being sold online for around $1,900.
If losing his jersey was the worst thing Brady did last night, I’m sure Patriots fans everywhere will be just fine with that.

 

Tom Brady Throws Some SERIOUS Shade At Roger Goodell In Brand New Commercial

By
Gus
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After completing arguably the best comeback in NFL history last night, Tom Brady stayed hot by throwing a hellacious amount of shade at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell via a commercial that was put out by a New England based medical company called Shields Health Care Group.

As if throwing shade at the commission of the NFL wasn’t enough, the commercial was filmed five months ago while Brady was serving a four-game suspension for the infamous “deflategate” fiasco.

Just another reason why Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T.

Check it out.

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