New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady doesn't want to talk about retirement. He's 8-10 years away, as far as he's concerned, and there's no way he's going to talk about his career until it's dead and buried.
Brady is ultimately going to rank among the All Time Greats in Boston sports lore, with Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Ted Williams, and David Ortiz. But don't tell him that.
"There has been some discussion lately that in Boston sports figures," an intrepid reporter asked Brady. "Some have suggested that you are the figure of this generation when kids think of the Boston sports. So, when you're compared to Larry Bird or Bobby Orr, do you have a sense of that as a guy who's been in Boston long enough?"
"I think I'm still in the middle of things and I still feel like I have a lot more football left. So, I don't think about those things too often," Brady responded. "I think those guys are in a different category. I certainly looked up to a lot of heroes of mine being in California. And obviously, Larry Bird was so spectacular, so being here for a long time, absolutely, I feel like I'm a Bostonian."
"You don't feel like you're in that kind of figure though?"
"No."
To be fair to Brady, he would have ranked with those greats back in 2004, and probably stamped his face on the New England Rushmore in 2007. Last year's Super Bowl victory might have launched him into contention for "Greatest Figure in Boston Sports, Ever."
But don't tell that to Tom. He's still working on his throwing motion.