Bend, OR — Recently leaked photos from a Central Oregon Community College (COCC) staff member reveal a secret Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady tried to keep for years. The series of photos, released earlier this week, forced the 7-time (and probably eight) Super Bowl winner to admit that his first love was not football, or even baseball as previously reported, but Badminton.
“I know football is an unconditional love,” said Brady during an impromptu press conference reacting to the news. “But you have to believe in your process. You have to believe in the things that you are doing to help the team win. So I think you have to take the good with the bad. And that’s part of my story as an athlete, with Badminton being the first chapter.”
According to Brady, he began playing Badminton in his backyard secretly at an early age.
“Everyone was playing baseball as kids, you know? But Badminton was my sport, and I could cream Mo (sister Maureen) every time. So that’s when I knew it was the sport for me.”
Retired COCC badminton coach Ben Fleckers says he was sworn to secrecy as Tom rose to football fame.
“I was approached by a couple of lawyers a few years ago to keep my mouth shut about Tom. Of course, that made me a bit sad, but I wanted to respect his wishes. He [Tom] called me later that year and apologized. He said, ‘Fleck, look, I know this is weird, but I’d appreciate it if you kept this between the two of us.’ So I did that.”
Fleckers denies being the source of the leak, claiming not everyone was a fan of the young badminton player.
“I have my suspicions, but I’m not going to say anything about that. I’ll let other people shoot their big mouths off.”
When asked if he plays Badminton with his family now, Brady grinned.
“Badminton never leaves your blood. Let’s say they have their dad’s genes.”
