TAMPA, Florida: Tom Brady walked away from the NFL on his own terms, still at the top of his game.
Brady, the most successful quarterback in league history and one of the greatest champions in professional sports, has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year career.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
The 44-year-old Brady has long stated his desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and three children despite his unique ability to perform exceptionally well at an age when most athletes are way past their prime.
Brady goes out after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season.
News of Brady’s pending retirement leaked Saturday but he said Monday night on his SiriusXM podcast he wasn’t ready to finalize his plans. That came Tuesday morning.
“Right now, it’s best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes,” Brady said.
Brady thanked the Buccaneers organization, his teammates, ownership, general manager Jason Licht, coach Bruce Arians, his trainer Alex Guerrero, agents Don Yee and Steve Dubin and his family in his nine-page post. He didn’t mention the New England Patriots, where he spent his first 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls playing for Bill Belichick. But Brady thanked the Patriots and their fans on Twitter, saying: “I’m beyond grateful. Love you all.”
Brady said he’s still figuring out how he’ll spend his time, but he plans to be involved in his TB12 health and wellness company, Brady clothing line and NFT company.
“I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives, just as so many have done for me,” he said.
Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Brady leaves as the career leader in yards passing (84,520) and TDs (624). He’s the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was MVP of the game five times.
Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He was 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs.
“To finish a 22-year career while still performing at his peak was nothing short of extraordinary,” Licht said. “I wish we had more time with Tom, but I understand and respect his decision to leave the game in order to spend more time with his family.”
Brady went from 199th pick in the 2000 draft to replacing an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 and leading New England to a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Rams that season.
He led the Patriots to consecutive Super Bowl titles following the 2003-04 seasons. No team has since repeated as champions.
But New England wouldn’t win another one for a decade, twice losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, including a 17-14 defeat on Feb. 3, 2008, that prevented the Patriots from completing a perfect season.
Brady earned his fourth ring after the 2014 season. Two years later, in the biggest Super Bowl comeback, he led the Patriots out of a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter against Atlanta to win in overtime for No. 5. Brady got his sixth championship when New England beat the Rams following the 2018 season.
He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 amid a pandemic, instantly transforming a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff game in 18 years. His buddy Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to join him and they helped the Buccaneers become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its stadium.
“He set a standard and helped create a culture that took our team to the mountaintop,” Arians said.
Brady reached the playoffs 19 times, won 18 division titles, went 10-4 in conference championships and 7-3 in Super Bowls.
After starting his first game on Sept. 30, 2001, Brady was under center for every game except when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 in 2008 and the first four games in 2016 when he sat out a suspension because of the deflated footballs scandal.
“An incredible competitor and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity but also for the sustained excellence he displayed year after year,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
Known for his work ethic, intense exercise regimen and strict diet, Brady was better with age.
After turning 37, Brady won four Super Bowls and was 17-4 in the playoffs. He was 95-30, completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 35,371 yards, 265 TDs and 69 interceptions in the regular season in those eight seasons.
“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition — if a 100 percent competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady said. “There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge every single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.”
Tom Brady retires after 22 seasons, 7 Super Bowl titles
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Tom Brady retires after 22 seasons, 7 Super Bowl titles
- The 44-year-old Brady has long stated his desire to spend more time with his wife and three children
Leverkusen beat Roma to make Europa League final and extend unbeaten run
- Bundesliga champions will meet Atalanta in the final
LEVERKUSEN: Bayer Leverkusen are through to the Europa League final 4-2 on aggregate after a stoppage-time goal from Josip Stanisic snatched a 2-2 draw at home on Thursday, extending their unbeaten run to a record 49 games.
In a rematch of last season’s Europa League semifinal, Roma came to Leverkusen 2-0 down after the first leg but levelled the tie up despite having little possession thanks to penalties in each half from Leandro Paredes.
With the tie heading for extra time, Alex Grimaldo curled in a corner which goalie Mile Svilar failed to catch, the ball going into the net after bouncing off Roma defender Gianluca Mancini.
Stanisic then kept Leverkusen’s stunning record of late goals alive by scoring on the counter in the seventh minute of added time, breaking Benfica’s European unbeaten record dating back to 1965.
“We had chances to score goals early and didn’t — but hey we will in Dublin,” Leverkusen boss Alonso told RTL.
“It was a special evening. There were tense moments but it showed the personality and the mentality of the team.”
“We didn’t know ourselves how we were 2-0 behind,” Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka said.
“To come back against a team like this is unbelievable — our desire is incredible. We’re in the final, we’re on our way to making our dream a reality and will do everything to bring the trophy back to Leverkusen.”
Bundesliga champions Leverkusen will meet Atalanta, who beat Marseille 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate), in the final in Dublin on May 22 with hopes of a remarkable treble still alive.
Alonso again mixed things up tactically and made six changes including surprisingly leaving star attackers Florian Wirtz, Victor Boniface and former Roma striker Patrik Schick on the bench, instead leading the line with Adam Hlozek.
The changes did not impact Leverkusen’s rhythm as the hosts exploded onto the pitch, carving Roma up with creative, fluid movement.
Roma by contrast brought the fight and tried to unsettle the Bundesliga champions, picking up four yellow cards inside the opening 30 minutes.
Exequiel Palacios was the target for much of Roma’s roughhousery but the Argentinian World Cup winner almost had revenge after 29 minutes when his low shot hit the inside of the post and came close to bouncing in off goalkeeper Svilar’s back.
Svilar produced a spectacular double save to keep out shots from Amine Adli and Hlozek on the 38-minute mark.
Roma sent a long ball up the other end and within moments the referee pointed to the spot, after Roma’s Bayer Leverkusen-loanee Sardar Azmoun went down in a tussle with Jonathan Tah.
Palacios’ Argentinian teammate Paredes sent the ball down the middle and Roma were 1-0 up and back into the tie just before half-time.
The second half began like the first, with Leverkusen unable to make their dominance count on the scoreboard — before Roma won another spot-kick, this time via VAR for a handball against Hlozek.
Paredes scored again, sending the ball left to take a two-goal lead in the match and level the tie.
Roma held on for dear life and went to ground frequently to hold onto the lead, reminiscent of their performance at the same venue in last year’s semifinal which netted a 0-0 draw and a spot in the final.
Roma coach Daniele De Rossi was proud of his side and said: “We played a heroic game — they’re strong. We tried but had few shots. The lads played an incredible game.”
But with nine minutes remaining, Leverkusen won another corner which Grimaldo swung through the hands of goalie Svilar, who clattered into Chris Smalling, the ball then bouncing in off the face of Mancini.
Roma pushed forward hoping to send things to extra time but Bayern loanee Stanisic hit the Italians on the counter, sending his team-mates sprinting from the bench and keeping his side’s season-long unbeaten run alive.
Saudi trio fastest on Prologue stage at Tabuk Toyota Rally
TABUK: The Saudi trio of Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera and Abdulaziz Al-Shayban set the quickest times in the car, motorcycle and quad categories on the seven-kilometre Prologue stage at the start of the Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024 on Thursday.
Championship leader Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Timo Gottshalk guided their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux to the fastest time of 5:50 mins in the overall car category and the Ultimate P section. That was comfortably quicker than the time set by their second-placed team-mates Dania Akeel and Stéphane Duplé in a dominant Toyota 1-2.
Abdulaziz Al-Shayban showed a useful turn of speed in Spain recently and the Yamaha rider topped the quad standings in the Prologue with a time of 7:51 mins to beat Hani Al-Noumesi and Abdulaziz Al-Atawi. Abdulrahman Al-Abdullatif failed to finish the stage.
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi finished behind leading Saudi rider Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera in the unofficial bike results on his Husqvarna Rally. Saudi’s Ahmed Al-Jaber tied with Kuwaiti Abdullah Al-Shatti for third place. Emirati Kove rider Ibrahim Bugla, who suffered delays in the stage, lost over six minutes and slipped to the rear of the motorcycle standings.
Moaaz Hariri teamed up with Kirill Shubin to deliver a potent stage performance in his Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR. A time of 6:06 mins catapulted the Saudi into third on the stage and atop the SSV standings. Abdullah Al-Shegawi was his closest SSV rival.
Saudi Can-Am Maverick driver Hamad Al-Harbi came home in fourth and headed the Challenger category from Dark Horse OT3 driver and series leader Saleh Al-Saif. Maha Al-Hameli was third quickest in the category.
Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh was the fastest of the Nissan drivers in the Ultimate class in 10th place but rivals Ahmed Al-Shammeri and Faris Al-Moshna lost a lot of time with technical issues and plummeted to the rear of the rankings.
Mohammed Al-Asiri set the fastest time in the Stock category for series-production cross-country vehicles.
The rider were flagged away from the ceremonial start at King Khalid City in Tabuk by Prince Khaled bin Saud bin Abdullah Al-Faisal, deputy governor of Tabuk province, and SAMF President Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.
The second round of the Saudi Toyota Championship, organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, attracted a final starting list of 29 cars, 12 motorcycles and six quads.
Wang and Sun win mixed doubles table tennis title for China at Saudi Smash
- The duo and pre-tournament favorites from produced a clinical performance from start to finish, defeating No. 6 seeds Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem
JEDDAH: China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha won the Mixed Doubles title at the Saudi Smash table tennis event at King Abdullah Sports City on Thursday.
The duo and pre-tournament favorites from produced a clinical performance from start to finish, defeating No. 6 seeds Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong, without dropping a game in the best-of-5 final.
After winning the final 3-0 (11-6,11-6,11-6) and sealing a maiden Saudi Smash Mixed Doubles championship, the men’s world number 1 Wang Chuqin said: “We’re delighted to win and we’re thankful to our fans who have travelled all the way to Saudi Arabia to support us – they’re one of the biggest reasons we have performed better and better as the competition progressed.”
He continued: “The support and atmosphere here in Jeddah have been brilliant. Although the score was 3-0 today, our opponents are one of the strongest pairs in the world. I believe we came out better in the rallies today and this was decisive.”
Saudi Smash Day 6 also featured the Men’s and Women’s Doubles semi-finals with four matches across both competitions.
Wang Chuqin remains on track for a hat-trick of Saudi Smash titles as he and fellow Chinese sensation Ma Long beat Sweden’s Anton Kallberg and Kristian Karlsson 3-0 to make Friday’s final.
They face Japanese duo Hiroto Shinozuka and Shunsuke Togami after their 3-0 victory against the Lebrun brothers from France, Alexis and Felix.
“It’s not often I play doubles throughout the season and my goal is to win the championship with Wang,” Ma said. “I’ve already lost in the singles, so I’m putting all my efforts into our doubles campaign. I think Shinozuka and Togami are potential opponents for us in the Olympics and they’re playing well, we need to put all our efforts into the match.”
Togami also gave his thoughts on what it will take to overcome the pre-tournament favorites: “I believe we’ll have a great match if we take the initiative and attack. Against the French pair, we took a more aggressive approach and it paid off. We need to do the same in the final and play with the same mentality.”
An all-Asian showdown also awaits in Friday’s Women’s Doubles final. Chinese top seeds Chen Meng and Wang Manyu came from behind to beat the European pairing of Tatiana Kukulkova and Natalia Bajor 3-1 in the first semi-final.
The other side of the draw saw South Korean second seeds Jeon Jihee and Shin Yubin seal a 3-0 win against Yangzi Liu and NG Wing Lam.
Chen was full of praise for the travelling Chinese fans and hopes they enjoy tomorrow’s final.
“I didn’t expect so many of our supporters to make the journey here,” she said. “They created a great atmosphere in the arena today and we hope they enjoy the final and cheer us on again. We need to prepare well ahead of tomorrow and Wang and I will be discussing the tactics needed to win this event.”
Shin Yubin added: “We kept up the pace today and this was key to us putting in the best performance possible. They came out and attacked, so we had to find our own rhythm and we did that. Now it’s full speed ahead to the final. We’ve met Chen and Wang before.
“They are really skilled players but our preparation will not change because of this. We will prepare as usual and hopefully play well. Win or lose, playing against the top Chinese players always helps us learn and improve.”
Kohli knock keeps Bengaluru in the hunt
- Virat Kohli (92) rode his luck and shared two crucial partnerships with Rajat Patidar (55) and Cameron Green (46) as Bengaluru scored a big 241-7
- After Rossouw’s dismissal in the ninth over, none of the Punjab batsmen could stand up to the challenge, with the team being bowled out for 181 in 17 overs
DHARAMSALA: Virat Kohli slammed 92 to set up a 60-run win for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over Punjab Kings and keep their slim playoff hopes alive in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Kohli, 35, rode his luck and shared two crucial partnerships with Rajat Patidar (55) and Cameron Green (46) as Bengaluru scored a big 241-7 at the Dharamsala stadium.
Punjab paid the price for some sloppy fielding, dropping Kohli twice on zero and 10 off debutant seamer Vidwath Kaverappa.
Punjab suffered their eighth loss in 12 games and bowed out of the competition.
Kohli said he is always aiming to improve his game.
“I brought out the slog-sweep to the spinners. I know I can hit it as I’ve done it in the past,” he said.
“I know I need to take risks. Takes more conviction and to remove the thought ‘what if I get out?’ Means I can improve my strike rate in the middle overs.”
Punjab skipper Sam Curran said it had been a “frustrating and disappointing” end to their campaign.
“A lot of positive signs but not enough to get over the line and get the wins we needed. Gutted but lots to learn.”
Bengaluru bowler Swapnil Singh, who took two wickets, said the victory meant a lot to the side.
“Enjoyed it a lot. The ball was swinging initially, so I looked to swing it. Pressure is less when everybody is (scoring) runs. Mentally it relaxes you,” he said.
Rilee Rossouw gave Punjab a promising start, putting on 65 runs for the second wicket with Jonny Bairstow (27).
Rossouw, who belted his first half-century of the season, looked set for a bigger score but took a hit on his chin and was out the next ball off Karn Sharma for 61.
He hit three sixes and nine fours in his 27-ball innings.
After Rossouw’s dismissal in the ninth over, none of the Punjab batsmen could stand up to the challenge, with the team being bowled out for 181 in 17 overs.
Earlier, Kohli stitched a 76-run partnership with Patidar for the third wicket after Bengaluru were put in to bat.
Patidar looked in fine touch, hitting six sixes and three fours before being caught behind off Curran.
The leading run-getter of the season, Kohli went on to play some delectable shots including an imperious one-handed six over long off.
Kohli also put on 92 runs with Green but fell short of a century after he was caught at deep extra cover off Arshdeep Singh.
He smashed six sixes and seven fours during his 47-ball 92 at a strike rate of 196.
Bengaluru, who registered their fourth win in a row, saw their innings being interrupted briefly by a spell of rain and hailstorm.
Saudia partners with Newcastle United and Formula E to craft unique film
- Film is directed by the former series director of Top Gear and the Grand Tour Phil Churchward
- Film’s protagonist navigates the GEN3 car around lakes, through a shopping arcade and along the streets of Newcastle before arriving at St. James Park just in time for kick-off
JEDDAH: Saudia has partnered with Newcastle United and Formula E to craft a promotional film.
Commenting on the endeavor, Khaled Tash, group chief marketing officer of Saudia, expressed his excitement, stating: “This film exemplifies Saudia’s commitment to innovation and collaboration. Sport has such a unique power to bring people together and through exciting projects like this we’re committed to bringing fans of both Newcastle United and Formula E closer to the sports they love.”
Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, echoed Khaled’s sentiments, emphasizing the significance of this partnership.
“Formula E stands at the forefront of sustainable innovation and so we’re thrilled to work with Saudia and Newcastle United in highlighting our unique and exciting sport. As the wheels of Formula E race alongside the iconic wings of Saudia and the passionate spirit of Newcastle United, our collaboration showcases the possibilities for when organizations come together with a shared vision,” he said.
Peter Silverstone, chief commercial officer of Newcastle United, hailed the collaboration.
“Newcastle United provides the perfect platform for Saudia to engage with sports fans around the world. This Formula E collaboration shows how we can elevate the airline’s presence across different sectors,” he said.
“Newcastle United has a global following in all of the markets that Formula E is taking its race meetings to, whether it’s the Middle East, North America, or Asia. Our supporters will love seeing this video.
“It not only highlights the football club and our ambition to engage with supporters around the world, it also showcases the north-east of England and how special this part of the world really is,” he added.
The film is directed by the former series director of Top Gear and the Grand Tour Phil Churchward.
Director of photography Ben Joiner, known for his work on the race sequences for Rush, and professional driver Nikki Faulkner, who has featured in Hollywood movies such as Mission Impossible and Gran Turismo, also worked on the film.
The film follows a mysterious racing driver, dressed in Saudia-branded Formula E race attire, on a unique journey starting on board a Saudia aircraft and finishing at St. James Park.
The adventure, featuring 100 Newcastle United fans and three Premier League footballers, takes viewers through eight distinct locations as the film’s protagonist expertly navigates the GEN3 car around serene lakes, through a shopping arcade in Newcastle city center and around scenic urban roads to arrive at St. James Park just in time for kick-off.
