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Tom Brady Throws a Tantrum (and His Microsoft Surface) on the Field

"Sorry for breaking that tablet, I think that's gonna be another Twitter meme."

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read
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Tom Brady. The meme king.

 Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Things haven't been great lately for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, 45, who un-retired in March. Even CNN has reported that Brady and wife Gisele Bündchen supposedly are having issues. The Bucs beat division rival New Orleans on Sunday 20-10, but early in the game, they were struggling, and Brady lost his temper. Brady and the Saints' Marshon Lattimore had words, and other teammates rushed in for an on-field brawl.

Kinda looked like a hockey fight for a minute there. Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans charged in from the sideline to defend his QB.

Brady threw his helmet at one point Sunday, and also tossed his Microsoft Surface. In 2021, the NFL made Brady agree not to throw another Surface, but a player as rich as Brady can certainly afford whatever wimp fine they dole out.


Brady himself knew what was coming. After the game he tweeted a short video about the game, saying, "Sorry for breaking that tablet, I think that's gonna be another Twitter meme or something like that."

Brady is easily the most-memed quarterback on social media (never forget the puffy coat), and naturally fans responded to his on-field issues. 

Some questioned why Brady un-retired in the first place. "Tom Brady could be sitting in an air conditioned studio getting paid 300 mil to say shit like, 'This is where your playmakers need to make plays,' and still have his marriage intact but instead he's doing this for some reason," said one person.

"I thought that was more interesting than the game," said another.

Should a player's personal life be off-limits for memes and jokes? Although Brady and Bündchen haven't confirmed any marriage issues (and why should they?) fans had no problem going there with their zingers.

"The refs give Tom Brady more damn chances than Gisele does," wrote one Twitter user.

Some felt Brady was getting a pass where other QBs would not. Namely, a certain Green Bay Packer.

And of course, the second broken Microsoft Surface of Brady's career earned some attention.

"Since Peyton Manning retired, Tom Brady's greatest rival is Microsoft Surface tablets," one person wrote.

"Probably an Apple guy," said another.

Say whatever you want about Brady, but his Bucs are 2-0.