Fans can be heard yelling "Eli rules!" and "Eli owns your husband" as she made her way through Lucas Oil Stadium following the Patriots' 21-17 defeat, the second time Giants quarterback Eli Manning has bettered three-time winner Brady on the Super Bowl stage.
The comments riled Bundchen, judging by video obtained by online gossip site "The Insider," with the model making it quite clear to those around her who she thought was to blame for Brady's failure to land the win.
"You [need] to catch the ball when you're supposed to catch the ball," she is heard saying. "My husband cannot [expletive] throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."
Although Bundchen mentioned no names, she almost certainly was referring to wide receiver Wes Welker, who was judged to have made the costliest fourth-quarter drop, along with a missed catch by tight end Aaron Hernandez.
Of course, Mrs. Brady is entitled to her opinion. But there's also a certain unwritten code of conduct among NFL Player's wives. Near the top of the list is "Don't criticize the men who play with your husband."
Obviously, Welker and Hernandez had a pair of costly drops. But they don't need Bundchen to pile on, particularly after her recent e-mail plea for everyone to pray "positive energy" for her husband in the Super Bowl. Not only was her comment silly, it implied that Tom would need all the help he could muster to beat the Giants.
Speaking as a life-long Giants fan, I have nothing but respect for the Patriots and their players. Welker has been to the Pro Bowl four times, and Hernandez is one of the great young tight ends in the game. If the Pats ever decide to trade them, I'm sure Tom Coughlin wouldn't mind having them on his roster. And that's no slam against Mario Manningham, Victor Cruz, Jake Ballard, and the rest of the Giants receiver corps. But Welker and Hernandez are terrific players, who've been instrumental in the Patriots' success in recent years.
As for Mr. Brady, he remains both a great player and a class act. In his post-game comments, he refused to criticize his teammates, because he knows how the game is played. On the greatest stage in sports, even the great ones make mistakes. The Pats lost to a determined and talented Giants squad that got healthy and hot in time for the post-season. They simply refused to lose against the league's best, repeating a run that was remarkably similar to 2008, when they last won the Super Bowl, beating the Patriots in an equally-memorable game.
Still, Ms. Bundchen may have stumbled upon a new career opportunity, once her modeling days are done. Someone ought to send a copy of her comments to the folks at Fox, who've spent weeks telling us the G-men wouldn't make the post-season, let alone the Super Bowl. With her attitude, she'd be a perfect fit in the booth, next to the snarky Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, or sitting alongside Terry Bradshaw on the pre-game show. All she needs to do is perfect her spiel on why Eli Manning isn't a great QB.
There is no worse color commentator on television than Troy Aikman. When there's a game on Fox, I mute the sound everytime he starts mouthing off, insulting everyone's intelligence.
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