It’s Still Too Soon for Tom Brady to Make 9/11 Jokes

On Netflix’ live-stream of The Roast of Tom Brady yesterday, the NFL legend instructed the cast of comics and sports stars to never forget that jokes about his old boss’ business trip rub-and-tugs are more off-limits than water bottles at a TSA checkpoint.

Last night’s three-hour-long, star-studded event appeared to be Netflix’ attempt to class up the roast special genre that, for too long, had been the monopoly of Comedy Central, with all their tacky sets and wacky costumes for Jeff Ross. At The Roast of Tom Brady, the 7-time Super Bowl champion and his band of athletes and celebrity guests took over the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California dressed in their best tuxedos and gowns and traded burns and barbs that challenged the evening’s good taste as established by its aesthetic. But according to Brady, only one joke truly crossed the line into classlessness. 

In the offending bit, Ross imitated Brady speaking to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who, in 2019, was (allegedly) caught (supposedly) soliciting sex work at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in South Florida on two separate occasions, joking of Brady’s remarks following the 2000 NFL Draft, “I’m the best decision your organization has ever made. Would you like a massage?” After Ross’ joke, Brady approached the podium and could be heard not-whispering to the comic, “Don’t say that shit again.”

Considering his sensitivity around Kraft’s purported prostitution proclivities, Brady surprised and shocked us when it was his turn to tell the jokes, as he dropped, arguably, the darkest burn of the night that went, “Like the rest of America, I’ll always remember where I was that fateful day in September of 2001, when, tragically, those two Jets…slammed into Drew Bledsoe.” 

NFL fans know that Brady's joke is in reference to a catastrophic injury Bledsoe suffered on September 23, 2001 when he was laid out by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis while another Jets player was attempting to trip him up from behind. Following the hit, Brady, Bledsoe's young backup, took over the starting job and helped to launch the Patriots dynasty that led to last night's flaming at the Forum. Considering that Brady has been a villain to both New York-based NFL teams ever since Bledsoe's injury in 2001, many New Yorkers on the internet were not happy with Brady invoking the memory of September 11th to acknowledge his old teammate.

But beyond the risk that Brady took by making a 9/11 joke on such a big stage, Brady's selective sensitivity when it comes to comedy topics rubbed even more people the wrong way as Twitter wondered why Brady finds the tragic death of thousands of New Yorkers more humorous than the expulsion of millions of Kraft's kids into a terrycloth.

But, ultimately, New York can find their happy ending after Brady's roast last night with a tweet from former Giants quarterback, two-time Super Bowl champion and perennial Brady beater Eli Manning, which reads, “I thought about attending the Roast of Tom Brady last night, but I did not want to Roast him for a 3rd time!!”