Over the past week, it"s become public knowledge that Julian Edelman just might be the biggest Tom Brady fan alive.
During a radio interview on Tuesday, former Patriots receiver Wes Welker was asked about the relationship between Edelman and Brady. Specifically, Welker was asked if Edelman looks up to Brady.
"Uh, yeah," Welker told CBS Sports Radio WBZ in Boston. "I mean, it"s a little too obvious. ... I think it"s been noticed."
Welker, Edelman and Brady were all teammates for four years in New England, so Welker probably knows what he"s talking about.
If you follow Edelman on Instagram, you"ve probably noticed that he loves to associate with Brady, even if Brady"s not necessarily associating with him. After Brady tried to lure Kevin Durant to the Celtics, Edelman went on Instagram a day later and posted a picture of himself in a Celtics jersey.
Also, we probably shouldn"t forget about Edelman"s branding. The wide receiver used a "JE11" logo, which he just happened to release shortly after Brady came out with his TB12 logo.
"It"s like going and getting Advil, and then there"s like the Walgreen"s prescription next to it," Welker said of the Brady"s brand vs. Edelman"s brand.
That brings us to Rob Gronkowski.
After Brady was photographed with Justin Timberlake at UFC 200, Edelman went on Instagram the next day and Photoshopped himself into the picture.
Yes, that"s a nice photoshop job, but it also proves Welker"s point that "Brand Edelman" is tied to "Brand Brady," even if Brady isn"t quite aware of that.
Gronk has clearly noticed what"s going on between Edelman and Brady though, so he decided to leave a colorful comment on Edelman"s photo.
Gronk left a colorful comment on Julian Edelman"s Instagram page. Instagram/edelman11
Roasted!
If you can"t read it, Gronk"s comment says, "How many TDs would I have if I **** Brady like you?"
Those asterisks were put there by Gronk, so we"ll let you figure what they mean.
Anyway, if Edelman wants more passes than Gronk this year, he might want to start sucking up to Jimmy Garoppolo, because Brady"s going to be spending the first four weeks of the season on the sideline.
Edelman should start by Photoshopping himself into the picture below. He might want to make try and look like Lex Luthor though, because Garoppolo is dressed as Clark Kent.
Tom Brady"s "Deflategate" appeal rejected by federal court
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Whats it like outside? Happy Bastille Day! The humidity climbs today as temps sit in the 80s. Expect thunderstorms this afternoon into tonight, with a lot of rain and strong winds.
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While you were sleeping: Eight people, including children, have died in a fire at an orphanage near the coastal city of Durban in South Africa. Another four people were injured ... Human Rights Watch released a report this morning that says about 25 percent of children in Afghanistan aged 5 to 14 work for a living, and the government is failing to protect them from injury or death ... Road rage among young men is out of control in the US, according to survey released this morning by the AAA Foundation, and its leading to more deaths on the road. Close to 80 percent of drivers admitted to episodes of anger or aggression during the past year, while about 8 million drivers had road rage -- deliberately bumping or ramming another vehicle or getting out of their car to confront another driver. They need an estrogen diet.
In the sporting world: Golfs British Open starts today at Royal Troon in Scotland, and Australian Jason Day, ranked No. 1 in the world, is co-favorite to win along with U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson. Day said he popped something in his rib area on a swing during practice yesterday, but likened it to cracking your knuckles and said he was fine. Oddsmakers are taking oxygen. (1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight EDT, the Golf Channel.)
Do any of the Supremes like football? We may find out today if Patriots QB Tom Brady and his pricey legal team will continue to fight his four-game suspension in the courts. His only choices are to ask the US Supreme Court for a hearing, or to give up. If he goes forward, h**l likely ask the courts to delay his suspension, which is tricky; if he doesnt get a hearing, he could end up missing the last four games of the season instead of the first four. BTW, the only football fan on the high court is Justice Clarence Thomas, a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan.
Tom Terrific could do something else: Sue the NFL for defamation.
Your tax dollars not at work: The UMass trustees meet in Worcester today and it looks like theyre going to raise tuition and fees again, this time by about 5 percent, because the state Legislature didnt budget enough money to cover the systems costs.
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Rules are meant to be broken. At least thats what the anti-Trump forces believe. The candidate might want to disguise Chris Christie as a potted plant to spy on the 112 GOP delegates who make up the conventions Rules Committee, which is meeting today. Some of them are pushing for changes that would make it more difficult for Trump to win enough delegates to claim the nomination. They call themselves the Free the Delegates movement, and claim they have tremendous momentum.
This is not a Mickey Mouse effort: First he addressed mourners at the funeral for five Dallas police officers, then held a conversation with law enforcement, activists, and academics at the White House. Today President Obama will continue his laser focus on race and criminal justice by holding a town hall event on primetime TV at 8 p.m. All of the Disney-owned broadcast and digital properties, as well as other outlets, will carry it: ABC, ESPN, ABC News Digital, Freeform Digital, the WATCH ABC app, the WatchESPN app, Yahoo, and ABC Radio.
Closing arguments in fourth Freddy Gray trial: This time its the highest-ranking Baltimore officer on the scene when Gray died from a spinal injury sustained while in police custody. Lt. Brian Rice is charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and misconduct. Prosecutors are 0-for-3 so far in their attempt to convict the cops involved.
Misc.: Georgia is scheduled to conduct its sixth execution of the year this evening, killing a man who killed his friend after a night of drinking and smoking marijuana. His lawyers say he shouldnt be executed because hes intellectually disabled ... Gay activists in Israel wont hold their pride march in Beersheba today after the countrys Supreme Court rerouted the walk away from the main thoroughfare because of threats of violence. Last year, an ultra-Orthodox Jew fatally stabbed a teenage girl at a gay pride match in Jerusalem.
Finally, the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be revealed at 11:30 ET this morning. Anthony Anderson of Black-ish and Lauren Graham, best known for Gilmore Girls, will make the announcements. Will Television Academy voters go for sentiment (The Good Wife and Downton Abbey, both of which ended this year), perennial favorites (Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Homeland), or something new (Mr. Robot, Master of None, Transparent)?
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Michelle Dockery played Mary Crawley for the six seasons of Downton Abbey.
Thanks for reading. If youre so inclined, please follow me on Twitter: Im @BostonTeresa. Stay dry; see you tomorrow.
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Before there was Julian Edelman and Tom Brady, there was Wes Welker and Tom Brady. On Tuesday, Welker appeared in studio with Toucher and Rich of CBS Sports radio"s WBZ. Among the topics covered: Edelman inserting himself into any and all situations involving the Patriots quarterback.
Remember when Brady met with Kevin Durant to try to convince him to join the Celtics? A day later, Edelman"s on Instagram wearing a Durant Celtics jersey -- even though no one asked him his thoughts on the matter. Then there"s Brady"s brand -- TB12. A short time later, Edelman released JE11.
"So is there a Single White Female situation?" co-host Rich Shertenlieb asked Welker.
Before the former Pats wideout answered, co-host Fred "Toucher" Toettcher added, "Is there something going on where Edelman is looking up to Brady a great deal?"
"Uh, yeah," Welker said. "I mean, it"s a little too obvious. ... I think it"s been noticed."
Welker went on to explain the relationship in terms of name brand and off-brand medication.
"It"s like going and getting Advil, and then there"s like the Walgreen"s prescription next to it," he said.
Or, as Shertenlieb said between laughs, "So you"re saying [Edelman] is the general version; less potent, less powerful."
Welker was asked if he"s ever had to tell Edelman to dial back the Brady love because he was laying it on too thick.
"Yeah, but to his credit, he admits it a lot of time."
"If Tom Brady asked Julian Edelman to commit a crime, do you think he would do it for him?" Shertenlieb asked.
Welker"s response: "Probably so."
Make fun of Edelman all you want, but the man knows where to hitch his wagon; he was an integral part of the Patriots" Super Bowl XLIX win, and when he"s healthy he"s one of the league"s best slot receivers.
But yeah, Edelman really does find new and inventive ways to insert himself into situations that also includes Brady. The latest: Brady and Justin Timberlake were spotted having a grand time at UFC 200. Not to be outdone, Edelman later tweeted a photo of Brady and Timberlake -- and Photoshopped himself into the fun because, well, that"s apparently his thing.
Top 10 Tom Brady Highlights of 2015 | NFL Photo After losing an appeal to a three-judge panel in April, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady asked for the full United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to hear the case. Credit Steven Senne/Associated Press
Tom Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback, is all but guaranteed to start the season on the sideline after a federal appeals court on Wednesday denied his request to review his four-game suspension for his role in a scheme to deflate footballs.
The decision, announced in a one-page notice by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, may also put an end to one of the most widely watched and embarrassing scandals in the history of the N.F.L. The case, which began in January 2015, raised awkward and unseemly questions about the powers of the commissioner and the motivations of one of the most decorated players in league history.
Brady can still ask the Supreme Court to hear his appeal to have his suspension overturned, but given the timetable of the court, and the fact that the season begins in less than two months, the chances of any relief coming before opening day are remote.
As a result, it is all but certain that the Patriots will be led by the little-tested backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo when the Patriots open their season on Sept. 11 against the Cardinals in Arizona. Brady, who can attend training camp and play during the preseason, would not be eligible to return until the fifth week of the season, when the Patriots play the Browns in Cleveland.
The case began at the A.F.C. championship game on Jan. 18, 2015, when officials determined that some game b***s used by the Patriots were underinflated, presumably to make it easier for Brady to grip them in the wet weather. An investigation by the league determined that Brady was generally aware of a plot that involved Patriots staff members to deliberately deflate the b***s.
N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Brady for four games, and he upheld his own decision when Brady appealed the suspension. Brady sued in federal court to have the decision overturned, arguing that the commissioner was a biased arbitrator, that the penalty was never explicit in the N.F.L. rules and that the commissioner used a different standard when deciding to uphold his first ruling.
In a surprise ruling, Brady won that case. The N.F.L., however, was able to persuade a three-judge panel in the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to overturn the ruling. Bradys request to have the case reheard in front of a full panel of judges was denied, despite the support of a number of leading legal minds who wrote briefs on his behalf.
While the N.F.L. will no doubt view Wednesdays decision as a victory and an affirmation of the commissioners broad powers to mete out punishment to players he deems to have hurt the image of the N.F.L., the case continues to divide fans. It was widely viewed as a farce because the league spent millions of dollars fighting a successful franchise and a celebrated star who helped lead his team to four Super Bowl titles.
The N.F.L. Players Association said it was reviewing its options, but did not specify whether it would appeal to the Supreme Court. In a statement, the players union said that the Goodell made clear violations of our collective bargaining agreement.
Despite todays result, the track record of this league office when it comes to matters of player discipline is bad for our business and bad for our game, the union said. We have a broken system that must be fixed.
