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Little Things
I sent that screenshot to a bunch of people yesterday, and they all told me that they have no idea what I was talking about. Perhaps this article could be about proper communication and making sure that you give people all the information before asking them to understand what you’re saying … but we can save that for another time.
The background to that statement by Tom Brady is that the NFL owners decided in 2021 that they would give the players flexibility on what numbers they are allowed to wear. For example, Linebackers instead of only being allowed to wear numbers 40–59 and 90–99, they are now allowed to wear anywhere from 1–59 and 90–9. Seems like no big deal right? Sounds like a great idea. Give players autonomy. Let them do what they want. Freedom. Self expression.
Wrong. Football is a job. The playing field is a workplace. If you want to express yourself, get a hobby. I am not saying this as a football fan, since the last time I have been interested in football was when Brad Daluiso kicked a 63 yard field goal to propel my beloved NY Giants to beat the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe it has not been that long ago, but definitely not in the last 5 years.
The perspective I share with Tom Brady is that details like jersey numbers may be irrelevant to the casual observer, but to the trained eye are significantly meaningful. A football quarterback is making split second…
