Tom Brady is one of those athletes that has a resume so big their entire personality seems larger than life. Similar to guys like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, you don’t want to give them any sort of psychological ammunition or they’ll, for lack of a better phrase, unload the clip.
That’s what made this move from New Orleans Saints defender C. J. Gardner-Johnson so bold. Playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, CGJ stepped up to Brady’s grill and gave an exaggerated smirk.
With the 4th quarter still remaining, it’s almost surprising a Saints teammate didn’t grab Gardner-Johnson’s shoulder pads and take him away from Brady. One of the reasons why he’s the GOAT is through his ability to turn adversity into motivation.
Of course, we now know he was unable to in this particular case. Losing a handful of offensive weapons, Brady and the Bucs were shut out by the Saints in a low-scoring 9-0 affair.
Still, opinions were flying all over the place. Some Twitter users called for taunting, a penalty that has proven to have referees pretty trigger happy this year. Others believed Gardner-Johnson may have just given Brady the kick in the butt he needed to take over the game. Others simply loved the braggadocios gesture.
