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People can't stop joking about what ended Tom Brady's short-lived retirement

People can't stop joking about what ended Tom Brady's short-lived retirement

People keep joking about Tom Brady unretiring after being home for six weeks.

Tom Brady is, without question, the greatest quarterback to ever play American football. I've never rooted for the teams he's played for (Go Seahawks!) so it pains me to say it, but the guy truly is the G.O.A.T.

The man is 44 years old, has played in the NFL for 22 years and is the winningest player the game has ever known. So when he announced his retirement from professional football on February 1, it was truly momentous. The end of an era. A new beginning, not just for him but for football fans everywhere who either reveled in or grumbled about his consistent dominance in the sport.

The only thing Brady didn't do was go out on top—at least not in the immediate sense. The most fitting retirement for Tom Brady would be to win the Super Bowl one last time, then hang up his cleats. Instead, he staged one of his epic comebacks in the divisional round playoffs, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from a 27-3 deficit to a 27-27 tie before ultimately losing in the last second of the game to a Los Angeles Rams field goal.


That's a tough loss in general, but especially as the last game of your career. Perhaps that's what compelled Brady to change his mind and unretire just 40 days after announcing his retirement.

But according to the jokesters on social media, his comeback has more to do with the realities of full-time parenting than with tying up his loose competitive ends.

Brady and his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, have two school-aged kids and Brady also shares custody of his teen son from his earlier relationship with model and actress Bridget Moynahan. Brady has mentioned in interviews that it's difficult to balance his professional life and his home life, though he tries hard to be a present, involved parent.

The guy clearly loves his family, but the fact that he changed his mind about retiring barely a month after being home full-time was too much for the internet to resist.

As soon as Brady announced his unretirement, the jokes about parenting being harder than football started flying.

In fact, the Holderness Family made a spot-on parody video showing what that first day of retirement might have looked like at Tom and Gisele's house. While the world's best quarterback might be used to coordinating plays on the field, it's entirely possible he wasn't prepared for the level of multitasking and organization the homefront requires on a daily basis.

While it pokes lighthearted fun at Tom Brady, all parents will appreciate the all-too-real examples of the five-hour dance recital and the having to be two places at once depicted in this video. Parenting is a lot of work, emotionally and logistically.

How Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's post-retirement conversation went, probably.

Surely, the ultimate competitor Tom Brady just wants another chance to win in the sport he's spent half of his life playing. But it is pretty funny to imagine the greatest quarterback of all time preferring to be pummeled by a 300 lb lineman over having to manage kids' schedules.

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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