Sports
Tom Brady Kicked Out Of Tampa Park While Working Out
National reports that Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was cited for violating a city order that closed all parks were incorrect.
TAMPA, FL — Be sure to get out and get some fresh air during the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. Just don't do it at a Tampa park.
That was the message the mayor delivered Tuesday when a city employee spotted new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady working out at a park in the city. Brady wasn't cited for violating the city order that closed all parks and nature preserves. Instead, the recent Tampa transplant got a primer on the new norm in the city.
When Mayor Jane Castor spoke about a Brady sighting in Tampa during a Monday press briefing she meant he was sighted as in seen, not cited as in ticketed. But national media outlets mistakenly thought it meant the six-time Super Bowl champion received a ticket.
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"Our parks are closed down and so a lot of our park staff patrol around just to make sure people aren't doing contact sports and things and saw an individual working out in one of our downtown parks," Castor said. "She went over to tell him it was closed, and it was Tom Brady. He has been sighted."
SIGHTED! To clear up any confusion, @Buccaneers QB @TomBrady was SIGHTED in one of our 194 beautiful parks. He was not cited as some media outlets have reported. We are excited to welcome Tom & everyone back to all of our parks once we have punted COVID-19 downfield! pic.twitter.com/EH13MmlAgx
— City of Tampa (@CityofTampa) April 21, 2020
Brady will continue his Hall of Fame career in Tampa Bay, after a 20-year reign with the New England Patriots, a franchise he led to six Super Bowl championships.
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The deal that brought Brady to the Bucs, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, is worth roughly $30 million per year.
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The Buccaneers were one of the last teams anyone expected to sign Brady when this saga started. Tampa Bay lacks pedigree and history — despite a Super Bowl title in 2002 — but Brady will bring instant credibility to a talented team that missed the playoffs for a 13th straight season last year.
The next Super Bowl will be in Tampa Bay.
Brady, who turns 43 in August, was set to become a free agent this year for the first time in his career.
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