On Monday, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a night to remember. On Wednesday, he arguably had a press conference to forget.
Commenting on the team’s home opener, a late-afternoon kickoff against the Chargers, Brady said, “Yeah, start drinking early. It’s a 4:15 game. They have a lot of time to get lubed up, come out here and cheer for the home team.”
Brady was grinning, and the remark drew laughter from reporters. But those who profit from the sale of alcohol are compelled to point out that alcohol should be consumed in moderation. Otherwise, those who sell the alcohol may be liable for any mayhem created by anyone who has gotten himself “lubed up.”
And so Brady, through Patriots spokesman Stacey James, tried to clean up the mess. James said that Brady “wants everyone to drink a lot of water, stay hydrated. Drink responsibly.”
So fans should drink water responsibly?
Look, Brady said what he said. He was referring to the consumption of alcohol. So why not just say he was joking, and that he doesn’t condone drinking beyond the point of getting “lubed up”?
Tom Brady will get a pass on this from the media, because he’s Tom Brady. If other guys would have said, even in jest, that folks should take advantage of the late kickoff to get snockered so they’ll be loud and obnoxious in the stands, the complaints would be flowing like, well, water.