The Patriots may not be playing on Super Bowl Sunday, but at least we can all watch Tom Brady the night before the big game. ‘The Great Brady Heist’ premiers on Saturday, February 1st, 7 p.m. (ET) on Fox Sports. This film is the latest in Fox Sports’ “Magnify” series, and is produced by NFL Films in association with Gotham Chopra’s Religion of Sports. I watched it last Thursday and recommend it highly. Well done.
Three years ago, Tom Brady’s game-winning Super Bowl LI jersey was stolen from the NRG Stadium locker room in Houston. This 54-minute film follows the chain of events from James White’s dramatic touchdown in overtime, and Brady’s realization that his jersey was missing, through the investigation that ensued to find the perpetrator and recover the jersey.
We’ve all seen the NFL Films’ footage of the emotional quarterback on stage following the Patriots’ comeback win, in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. For reasons beyond the historic game itself - including his mother being well enough to attend after going through cancer treatments - Brady had wanted to hold on to this particular jersey as a keepsake. Instead, someone else decided to take it as memorabilia for themselves. In the chaos of a crowded and celebratory locker room, the thief got away with it... for a little while.
The story of how multiple federal and international agencies worked together to solve this whodunit caper is told through exclusive conversations with Tom Brady as well as interviews with police, security, investigators, sports journalists and even the man responsible for the theft. I found the entire movie both fascinating and fun, and look forward to seeing it again. (At the very least it beats watching more pre-game analysis of a Super Bowl matchup without the Patriots.) Enjoy!