Imagine there’s no football. Maybe California needs Tom Brady

by Bernie Quigley

for The Hill on 12/08/10

If there is a lock out next year America will be left without its basic matrix; that which holds us together and apart in harmony in tension. Hard to think what we in the frozen north will do without Tom Brady and our Dear Leader, Bill Belichick. But since they are just going to be waiting around and not doing anything anyway, I’ve got a few suggestions: Much as we would hate to see him go, Brady should spend the year without football in his home state where he is building a really big house, and plan his next career, starting with governor of California. A few years ago on a national TV interview when he first flabbergasted the football world with those quiet eyes and that steadfast arm, he said he hoped to do more with his life that just “throw a football around.” He said he was thinking of going into politics. I’m sure Mitt Romney, who borrowed his logo for his 2008 run from the Patriots, would help. He lives out there now. And Brady’s broheim, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who lives next door.

Belichick can help out here with his old bud Doug “drop kick” Flutie, who campaigned for Scott Brown, in putting New England back together. Much to be done to tailor health insurance to the region as Governor Romney intended it.

A thought came to mind in those so many times when so many of our national and local polls including Obama and Biden and Bill Clinton and George W. Bush seemed to need help. They seemed to need a life coach and a professional mentor. The thought would occur, What would Tony Dungy do? I mean look what he did for Michael Vick. Imagine what he could do for Joe Biden.

Then listening to David Eisenhower talk about his new book, “Going Home to Glory” and recalling the clarity, good faith, integrity and order which virtually won the war, saved the world and reunited it on a new center, began wondered what it was exactly Dwight D. Eisenhower did to make him get like that? What did he do before the war?

The answer: Football coach. And he was a star halfback at West Point until he injured his knee.

Belichick is old school New England Taoist – listen to this, repeated by Brady after the game on Monday night: “We really take after our coach and he says, ‘When you win, say little. When you lose, say less.’” Sounds like the Tao te Ching, number 82. And these guys are playing football?

Belichick is one of us old school men-don’t-hug New Englanders. But Brady, much as I wish he would be ours always, is California’s and he is California’s finest. CA is new, we are old. Brady is new. And the political arena today is filled with brand new ideas, some great, some terrible. And as in every possible case of new ideas, they need new people. And those who champion great ideas bring them to life and are ever remembered as avatars of the new thinking. ‘Twas ever thus.