'Man in the Arena: Tom Brady' Review: NFL 'GOAT' gets candid in riveting docuseries
Tom Brady: Seven rings, gunning for eight. And if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to play the way they do, eight of his digits will have a shiny piece of jewelry. 'Man in the Arena: Tom Brady' relives some of the iconic moments that made him the GOAT that he is. In the three episodes issued for review, there's enough to say that Brady's got a photographic memory. He remembers where he stood when he threw the ball, he remembers the seconds, the minutes, and most importantly, the team that played a key role in his success.
'Man in the Arena' is engrossing. It does exactly what 'Tom vs Time did', but manages to captivate better as it is a recollection of some of his greatest times with the New England Patriots. He's candid and that makes the docuseries a riveting watch. The 43-year-old doesn't mince words and that makes the project, in collaboration with ESPN, 199 Productions, NFL Films, and his Religion of Sports production partner Gotham Chopra, all the more earnest.
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After the first couple of episodes, it makes sense why Brady was generous with his praise for his teammates when they won two Super Bowls in three years when he was a Pat. His teammates, serving as narrators make it pretty clear: Brady's unselfish, and that was a key ingredient in their success. It's no surprise that he was a grinder. The fact that he popped open some champagne after he was drafted to the Patriots at 199th, a compensatory pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, proves that he wasn't a gifted athlete. But he made sure he made waves. Not the way he intended to, but he did and how.
Episode 1 titled 'In the Arena' features former linebacker Willie McGinest and Brady's mentor figure, friend, and fellow quarterback, Drew Bledsoe. And sidestepping for a moment here, you got to feel for Drew. He was supposed to be New England's star, but that honor went to Brady, someone Drew didn't consider to be a threat. "Just a skinny little twerp out of Michigan," he said, but it was not meant to be as the decorated QB relinquished his place to a man who was greatness in the making.
Brady's firsthand account of his time with New England is unabashed and brutally honest, and so are the accounts of his teammates. Rodney Harrison breaks down when he says he played for his mom, explaining his no-holds-barred approach to the game. The former Patriots Safety makes it distinctly clear — Brady was a team man who realized he would have to play a key role if the team was looking at long-term success. 'Man in the Arena' is basically Brady opening his chest of memories and sharing them by the episodes.
There's a bit of philosophy, and some wisdom from the wise, or old, if you can call him that. The small steps matter, even if they don't produce anything magical, but at the opportune moment, they do, and that's what happened to Brady. And the rest, as they say, was history.
'Man in the Arena: Tom Brady' releases November 16 on ESPN+
