If you ever again wonder why celebrities don’t speak up more about their political opinions, Tom Brady’s Facebook page right now is an object lesson in why.
Donald Trump claimed on Monday night that he had the support of Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. And while Belichick conceded that, yes, he had written a note of encouragement to Trump, Brady has so far remained silent about whether he voted for the Republican nominee. (Brady’s wife Gisele implied that neither she nor Tom had voted for Trump.)
But this is the 2016 presidential election, and outrage can blanket the planet before facts can even get out of bed. So angry anti-Trump fans took to Facebook and attacked a sweet little photo of Brady on Halloween with exactly the kind of thoughtful, respectful restraint for which Facebook is so well known:
• “Hey Tom, I hope you cough on a fart. You just endorsed a racist and misogynist, dumbass.”
• “Fan no more, Trump supporter. Your wife is great but you SUCK”
• “Tom Brady you disgust me!!! I hope you get tackled by the biggest black men on the line. You bigot!”
• “I grew up your biggest fan. I have a picture you signed for me still hanging in my college room. I am ashamed and embarrassed for you if the the Trump comments are true. I thought you were a better human being that that.”
• “Your choice makes it impossible for me to cheer for you, guess you don’t care but it hurts me a lot.”
• “You broke my heart voting for Trump. Yes, you still are a great quarterback that does not change but I also thought you were a thoughtful, kind man. Reality, it’s just football after all.”
• “Donald Trump openly mocked a reporter with disabilities at a rally. Remember, Tom? How can you morally reconcile this with your supposed support of the Best Buddies charity?”
• “What’s more racist than supporting Trump? Hope the white supremacists at the top of the Patriots don’t infect the dressing room”
As of publication, there were 1,800 comments that were a mixed bag of rage and support.
Brady, of course, is free to vote for whomever he wishes — this is America, after all — but clearly not even athletic heroes are exempt from the avalanche of criticism that greets any political stance whatsoever. (And let’s not even pretend for a second that he wouldn’t be getting the same criticism if he’d voted for Hillary Clinton.)
After this, the Seattle defense is going to feel like a gentle back rub.
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