Tom Brady and David Ortiz have been at the forefront of more than a decade's worth of championships in New England, so it's no surprise Big Papi has the Patriots star's back.
Asked in a recent interview with SI.com for his take on Deflategate, which continues to work its way through the courts, Ortiz made his loyalties clear.
"I think it’s stupid, to be honest with you," Ortiz said. "Put it this way: You’re talking about the one player that everybody wants to watch play. We’re not just talking about any player. We’re talking about Tom Brady. If I turn on the TV on Sunday to watch a Patriots game and I know that Tom Brady is not playing, I would turn off the TV. I don’t want to watch that game."
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While Ortiz's point is well-taken, he and the NFL know that Patriots fans aren't likely to ignore the first four games of the 2016 season should Brady's suspension hold up. In fact, the curiosity factor could see even more people tune in for a glimpse at what life after the soon-to-be 39-year-old quarterback might look like.
Ortiz also was asked about Patriots coach Bill Belichick and called him a "great guy," despite his gruff public persona.
"The thing is that people watch what we do on the field, they want us to be a nice guy but that's not how it is," Ortiz said. "When you’re between those lines, you’re trying to beat whatever is in your way. But after, it doesn’t mean you’re that kind of human being. …
"Coach Belichick is a super nice guy. An incredible human being. He’s a guy who in the Boston area is known as a charitable man and a guy who’s doing good things for the community. I don’t really see the point where people want to look at him where’s he’s a bad person."
