Tom Brady 'bans' dad from media after comments ripping Goodell
Father said NFL commissioner went on 'witch hunt' in Deflategate
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Monday grounded his father — humorously forbidding him from talking to the media after he ripped NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a television interview for suspending his son.
"I've banned my dad from talking. He's no longer available to the media," Brady said in his weekly interview on Boston's WEEI radio program "Kirk and Callahan" before flying to Houston ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl showdown with the Atlanta Falcons.
Brady was speaking a couple of days after his father, Tom Sr., unloaded on Goodell for suspending the quarterback for four games this season stemming from the controversy over underinflated footballs at the AFC title game two years ago.
"He went on a witch hunt and went in way over his head," the elder Brady said. "The reality is that Tommy never got suspended for deflating footballs.
"He got suspended because the court said that he could, Roger Goodell could do anything he wanted to do to any player for any reason whatsoever. That's what happened. The NFL admitted they had no evidence on him."
The younger Brady made clear he was not peeved at his father, just hopeful he would hew to the Patriot Way of dodging controversial comment.
"I love my dad," the Patriots player said. "As any parent knows, how you love your kids, and my dad has been my best friend my entire life.
"He's always been my No. 1 supporter. Hopefully he's there at the game cheering me on. He's a great man and I love him to death.
"He's taught me everything about life, and certainly how to be a father, because he's been the best one a son could ever ask for."