The Roast of Tom Brady, a live-streamed event on Netflix on May 5, 2024, was an unfiltered and no-holds-barred affair. Hosted by Kevin Hart, the three-hour show put the legendary Quarterback Tom Brady in the hot seat where no topic was off-limits. Despite a moment when Brady cautioned Jeff Ross about a sensitive subject involving New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the panel of former teammates and top-notch comedians delivered a side-splitting event filled with sharp punchlines and merciless jabs.
TOM BRADY ROASTS BUFFALO BILLS
--"I'm trying to buy a piece of the Raiders. I'm tired of just owning the Colts and the Bills."
--"Buffalo fans call themselves the Bills Mafia. How are you the fucking mafia? At least the mafia has a ring you can kiss."
The roasting panel boasted the likes of Jeff Ross, a seasoned roastmaster, Nikki Glaser, a veteran of roast battles, and celebrated comedic podcasters Andrew Shultz and Tony Hinchcliffe. Joining them were stand-up comics Bert Kreisher, Tom Segura, and Sam Jay. Adding to the star-studded lineup were Brady's legendary former Patriots teammates including Drew Bledsoe, Julian Edelman, and Randy Moss who delivered unforgettable sets. Rob Gronkowski, Brady's teammate and friend, also took his fair share of comedic blows, resulting in a hilarious performance. The surprise appearances of Ben Affleck and Will Ferrell, who portrayed Ron Burgundy from Anchorman, further elevated the roast of the NFL's greatest of all time on Netflix.
From the outset, Kevin Hart set the tone making it clear that no one would be spared from the comedic onslaught. Several roasters seized the opportunity to poke fun at Brady's highly publicized divorce from his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen. The couple's split in October 2022 came after Brady's decision to come out of retirement following his Super Bowl LV victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, which secured his seventh Super Bowl ring. Hart playfully suggested that Brady's choice to return to the NFL had backfired, tarnishing what could have been a storybook retirement and leading to a divorce, adding an extra layer of humor to the event.
Second to Tom, one took more hits than Brady's star tight end Rob Gronkowski. The evening was filled with playful jabs at Gronkowski's intelligence, but none were as cleverly executed as Jeff Ross's hilarious dig at Gronkowski's counting abilities. Ross delivered a standout performance with his highlight of the night being the quip, "Tom, your teammates are all here at the beautiful, sold-out Los Angeles Forum. By the way, 'Forum' is also how Rob Gronkowski counts to five." Ross playfully added, "Four, um. Five, um," to drive the joke home.
For those unfamiliar with Patriots history, Drew Bledsoe was the starting quarterback of the team when Brady was drafted as a backup in the sixth round. Bledsoe, the number one overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, held the starting position from 1993 until 2001. However, after Bledsoe suffered a gruesome injury during an NFL game in 2001, Brady initially stepped in as a temporary replacement. But Brady's exceptional performance led him to take over the starting role and miraculously lead the Patriots to their first-ever Super Bowl victory. While this marked the birth of Brady's legendary career, Bledsoe faced a challenging situation.
Nikki Glaser undoubtedly delivered one of the best sets of the night. Known for her appearances in various roasts, including those of Martha Stewart, Pete Davidson, Blake Griffin, and Caitlyn Jenner, Glaser came out with fiery energy at The Roast of Tom Brady. In a single breath, she took a vicious jab at both Gronkowski and Brady. Glaser roasted Brady for his cryptocurrency losses, while also joining in on the "Gronkowski's dumb" theme of the night.
One of the most anticipated moments of The Roast of Tom Brady was the interaction between Brady and Bill Belichick, the legendary coach of the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2023. Both Brady and Belichick displayed great sportsmanship throughout the event, embracing the spirit of the occasion and taking substantial jabs at each other. Belichick's best joke cleverly tied in Brady's alternative health advisor, counselor, and nutritionist, Alex Guerrero, who greatly influenced Brady's TB12 health regimen. Other roasters also noted the financial hardships Guerrero has faced, adding an extra layer of humor to the joke.
During the roast, Julian Edelman, one of Brady's esteemed wide receivers and Super Bowl MVP, took advantage of the lively atmosphere to playfully retaliate against Belichick for his years of tough coaching. Edelman wasn't alone in poking fun at Belichick's recent unemployment after being fired as head coach of the Patriots by Robert Kraft a few months ago in January 2024, but his unique perspective as a former Patriots player added an extra layer of humor. Edelman cleverly turned Belichick's famous "Do Your Job" motto against him, much to the delight of the audience.
Gronk, known for his comedic flair, delivered his own hilarious ten-minute set targeting Brady, Belichick, and even Brady's sisters at one point. Gronk humorously mentioned that he had never shared a drink with Brady or Belichick, which seemed unbelievable considering their numerous accomplishments. It appeared that Brady didn't drink much and had some peculiar habits like not showering with the team. As for Belichick, it was clear that he didn't want to give off the impression of drinking with his players. However, to everyone's surprise, Gronk, Brady, and Belichick finally took a long-overdue celebratory shot, culminating in Gronk's signature spike end zone celebration with the shot glass, much to the shock of Kevin Hart.
Even Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a memorable appearance at the event, taking a few playful jabs at Belichick. While he kept the Brady jokes light for the most part, Kraft concluded the night with a sincere toast honoring Brady, despite the abundance of lighthearted teasing throughout the evening. Before concluding his speech, Kraft looked directly into the camera and humorously called out Valdamir Putin, requesting the return of one of his Super Bowl rings. It was revealed that Kraft had given Putin one of his rings in 2005 as a symbol of respect, but he had yet to receive it back.
The final roaster of the night was none other than Peyton Manning who is no stranger to roasts having participated in the Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe in 2016. Despite their past rivalry in the NFL, Manning and Brady are close friends and golf buddies in real life, adding an extra layer of delight to Manning's jabs at Brady. Manning couldn't resist reminding Brady of not just one, but two Super Bowl losses to his brother Eli Manning's New York Giants in 2007 and 2011. The only thing that could have made the moment even more memorable would have been if Eli himself had joined in to further tease Brady.
Brady, however, refused to be outdone at his own roast. He surprised everyone with one of the most outrageous jokes of the night targeting Drew Bledsoe and even received a standing ovation from roastmaster Jeff Ross. This was just the beginning of Brady's retaliation as he cleverly responded to all those who had taken shots at him earlier in the Netflix special. Throughout the event, Brady showcased his great sportsmanship and continued to deliver some wild remarks.
In the final moments of his roast, Brady turned his attention to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the infamous Deflategate scandal. He humorously criticized Goodell and the NFL for spending exorbitant amounts of money on investigating the scandal, which resulted in Brady's four-game suspension, a $1 million fine for the Patriots organization, and the forfeiture of two draft picks in 2016. Brady jokingly confessed that he would have admitted to everything if he had been offered $20 million, playfully poking fun at the controversy.
The highlight of The Roast of Tom Brady came towards the end, where Brady took a hilarious jab at Belichick. He brought up an alleged incident from the summer of 2023, where Belichick was supposedly caught on a Ring home security camera leaving someone's house without a shirt on. While Belichick never confirmed whether it was him in the video, he couldn't help but laugh at Brady's joke. In true Brady style, the quarterback sealed the victory with this well-timed and humorous remark, leaving the audience in stitches.