Tom Brady Keeps Ignoring the NFLPA’s Recommendation to Halt Group Workouts

In Friday’s Hot Clicks: Tom Brady is not a medical expert, the terrible name for Seattle’s new arena and more.

Is the TB12 Method the vaccine we’ve all been waiting for?

The coronavirus pandemic is spiraling out of control in the United States. Cases are rising in 29 of the 50 states, and not just because of increased testing. The rate of positive tests is increasing. Hospitalizations and deaths are also up. It’s getting bad, to the point where you have to wonder whether it will be possible to play high-level sports in this country this year. 

The NFL is largely proceeding as usual, though. Because this is the time of year when NFL teams would usually be holding OTAs, some players are trying to stay sharp by holding group workouts on their own. One 49ers player tested positive for the coronavirus last week after a group workout in Nashville.

The NFLPA’s medical director has recommended that players stop holding these group workouts “in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states.”

One of those certain states is Florida, which saw more than 5,000 positive tests on two consecutive days this week. Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, has seen an average of 373 new cases per day over the past seven days, and a positive test rate of nearly 19%. 

That sounds like the kind of evidence that would keep any sane person holed up in their house, but not Tom Brady. Brady has continued organizing workouts for his new Buccaneers teammates at a Tampa prep school. What’s more, he’s been posting about the workouts on Instagram with captions that sound frankly defiant. 

“No excuses,” he wrote on Tuesday. 

Rob Gronkowski has become a regular at these workouts organized by Tom Brady. @nflnetwork @AroundTheNFL pic.twitter.com/8xEGaiYb4k

— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) June 23, 2020

Thursday’s caption was even more brazen. 

“Only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he wrote on Thursday, quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Tom Brady has no fear... pic.twitter.com/A8xExx5M5d

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) June 25, 2020

And these are not little two- or three-man get-togethers. Brady is bringing together about a dozen teammates. 

#Brady Watch: You wanted him. We got him. #Bucs Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans has joined the Brady Bunch this morning at Berkeley Prep. Evans in gray tank with his red shoes. No one is stopping these workouts. @TomBrady @MikeEvans13_ @Buccaneers @rojo @DGO23_ @RobGronkowski @sinjen66 pic.twitter.com/gaoxjQ1jhe

— Kevin ODonnell Fox13🟦 (@ODonnellFox13) June 25, 2020

I don’t know what Tom Brady thinks about the coronavirus. But I do know that he has a terrible track record when it comes to medicine. This is a guy who wrote in his book that being properly hydrated can protect a person from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. His right-hand man, Alex Guerrero, once got in trouble for hawking a nutritional supplement he claimed could cure terminal cancer. It’s not out of the question that Brady would view the concern about the virus as overblown. I just think maybe the NFL’s oldest player should be taking more precautions. 

The best of SI

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Around the sports world

Mike Leach and Lane Kiffin were at the Mississippi state capitol to lobby for the removal of the Confederate flag from the state’s flag. ... Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson is going to isolate himself from his wife, a cancer survivor, once training camp begins and for the rest of the season. ... A semi-pro soccer team in Tulsa is replacing the national anthem with playing “This Land Is Your Land” before games. ... Colts linebacker Darius Leonard says he was racially profiled at a Chipotle. ... The owner of a North Carolina racetrack advertised a “Bubba Rope” for sale for $9.99.

Yeah, that’s a noose

NASCAR has released this photo of the discovery in Bubba Wallace’s garage. pic.twitter.com/4P7CMHbRib

— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) June 25, 2020

NASCAR president Steve Phelps says NASCAR conducted a "thorough sweep of all 29 tracks where they race, and 1684 garage stalls, they found only 11 total ropes that had a pulldown rope tied in a knot, and just one noose: The one in Bubba Wallace garage."

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) June 25, 2020

“Please Ignore All the Heinous Stuff I Do Arena” was too big to fit on a sign

Just in: @Amazon has bought the naming rights to the new Seattle arena (future home of @NHLSeattle_ & @seattlestorm) - will be called Climate Pledge Arena "as a regular reminder of the urgent need for climate action," per Amazon CEO/founder Jeff Bezos.

— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) June 25, 2020

Alabama football saying “Black lives matter” is significant

“In this moment in history, we can’t be silent.” pic.twitter.com/YF4ndJSpa0

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) June 25, 2020

Trailer for ESPN’s documentary on Japan’s massive Koshien high school baseball tournament

It’s hard for fans not to get excited about being engaged through the NFL’s media partners

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a conference call says the plan is start training camp on time and “get ready for games at our stadiums and to engage our fans both in stadiums and through our media partners.” Talks ongoing with NFLPA to decide the specifics.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 25, 2020

USA! USA!

Gorgeous goal on the counter by Christian Pulisic gives Chelsea a 1-0 lead on Man City in a game City needs to win to avoid Liverpool clinching the title.
(via @NBCSportsSoccer) pic.twitter.com/4KwsbPFJZB

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) June 25, 2020

Manchester City’s loss clinched the first-ever Premier League title for Liverpool, and fans went wild

Outside Anfield pic.twitter.com/a3CaCwWwrq

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) June 25, 2020

THE SCENES IN LIVERPOOL 😳 pic.twitter.com/iR53jamNm3

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 25, 2020

Liverpool players all gathered to watch the match

I absolutely love these payers 🔴🔴❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/RaJXyN1Xsl

— Carl (@carlr124) June 25, 2020

It’s not a real ball, but I don’t care

From behind the free throw line 😳

(via IG/jumpman_wesner) pic.twitter.com/nL7vuBa3Uo

— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) June 25, 2020

Here, let me help you with that

Egg Bowl 2020 pic.twitter.com/GO7EBot1H7

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 25, 2020

No need to slide when you’re running right by everybody

Lamar Jackson has attempted 352 rushes in his NFL career (including playoffs).

He has slid twice. Twice.

— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) June 25, 2020

What a beautiful place for me to slice one right in the creek

Ridiculously impressive

Programming note

I’m off next week. Jenna West, Chris Chavez and Michael Shapiro will handle Hot Clicks in my absence. 

Not sports

The Breaking Bad movie probably means Walt and Jesse won’t be appearing on Better Call Saul. ... Pakistan grounded 150 airline pilots who may have had fake licenses.

Chicken Fest is all around you

Nashville announcing today the annual hot chicken festival will be "deconstructed" this year. No event. The festival will be wherever people eat hot chicken, whenever people eat hot chicken, however people eat hot chicken.

— Brett Kelman (@BrettKelman) June 25, 2020

What sunsets look like on other planets

Absolutely not

Presenting: Beef Fizz pic.twitter.com/aeOnU0owvz

— James Parker (@panoparker) June 25, 2020

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.