Tom Brady made headlines last week when he avoided answering a reporter asking about Donald Trump's " locker room talk " comment. For some, it seemed obvious why Brady didn't feel the need to dive into his political beliefs, but for others, they were upset he didn't take some sort of stance.
During his weekly Monday interview on WEEI radio , the Patriots quarterback explained why he didn't want to answer the question.
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"The thing I’ve always thought is I don’t want to be a distraction for the team,” Brady said. “That’s what my goal is. Not that there are things I’ve said and done that haven’t been, but you try not to be. It’s just hard enough to win and prepare without the distractions so when you start having the distractions it’s even harder to prepare. You try to do the best that you [can] do."
As for Trump, Brady didn't shy away from his relationship with the presidential candidate. The Pats QB has been spotted with a "Make America Great Again" hat, and last year when asked if Trump could win Brady responded , "I hope so. That would be great."
"I met him probably 15, 16 years ago," Brady said Monday about Trump. "We’ve played golf together many, many times and I’ve always had a good time with him. He’s been a friend of mine. He’s supported our team. He’s supported the Patriots. He’s been on the Patriots sideline a lot. He’s always called me after games to encourage me over the course of 15 years. That’s kind of the way it is."
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While Brady's and Trump's friendship is fine, some called on the four-time Super Bowl champion to use his platform to advocate against the Republican nominee's comments. People such as former Patriots teammate, and friend, Troy Brown.
"Just something, a quick answer on the question to get it out of the way, just answer the question to say, ‘I don’t condone it' and then walk off the stage," Brown said Sunday on CSN New England. "The optics of it weren’t great. I understood what he was trying to do. But the next time he’s asked that question, then give a quick answer and let it be. I’m not responsible for what comes out of my friend’s mouth. But I am responsible for correcting my friend.”
