Tom Brady, the NFL quarterback behind seven Super Bowl wins, became a recurring meme target through the Deflategate scandal of 2015 and 2016. Parody accounts, autotuned press conferences, and Crying Michael Jordan photoshops turned every court ruling into fresh image macro fuel.
Origin
Brady entered meme territory well before Deflategate. The @TomBradysEgo parody Twitter feed launched in June 2011, writing tweets from the perspective of Brady's ego and pulling in over 236,000 followers within four years[1]. A May 27th, 2012 Funny or Die sketch leaned into the Boston accent joke, and on November 24th, 2013 the Fox NFL Kickoff show featured cornerback Richard Sherman reacting to a 'U mad bro?' image macro aimed at Brady[4].
The meme format broke through in 2015 during Deflategate, the dispute over whether the Patriots used under-inflated footballs in the January 2015 AFC Championship game against the Colts[1]. Catalyst event: NFL suspension handed down in May 2015.
- Platform: YouTube (autotune video) / Twitter (viral spread)
- Creator: Unknown
- Date: 2015
Overview
Tom Brady memes mostly orbit two things: the Deflategate scandal and Brady's own on-field dominance that fans outside New England love to roast. The format isn't one single image, it's a cluster of recurring bits, Crying Michael Jordan faces pasted onto Brady during courtroom sketches, autotuned press conference remixes, and parody Twitter accounts narrating his inner monologue[1].
The deflated football controversy gave the meme its biggest wave. Every time a court ruling flipped Brady's four-game suspension on or off, Twitter responded with image macros, photoshops and compilation posts[2][3]. Rival fan communities built out running jokes about Brady's reputation, his Boston accent and his almost superhero streak of winning seasons[1].
How to Use
The typical Brady meme pairs a sports news beat with a reaction overlay. A common convention is to photoshop the Crying Michael Jordan face onto Brady's head in courtroom sketches, press conference stills, or celebration photos[2]. Others take an existing Brady pose, like the 'Bradying' planking variant, and swap faces or captions in response to the week's football news[3].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tom Brady?
In meme terms, Tom Brady is a long-running image macro and parody subject built around the NFL quarterback, especially his Deflategate controversy and his dominance in New England[1].
Where did Tom Brady come from?
Brady meme content predates Deflategate, going back to the 2011 @TomBradysEgo parody account, but the format caught fire during the 2015 deflated footballs scandal and the autotuned press conference remix[1][5].
What does Tom Brady mean?
As a meme, Brady is shorthand for both GOAT-tier NFL success and an easy villain to photoshop into mockery, which is why Crying Michael Jordan edits of him went viral after court rulings[6][7].
How do you use Tom Brady?
People typically pair a Brady photo with a reaction face overlay or caption tied to a current football story, like courtroom sketches edited with Crying Jordan or Bradying planking shots[6][3].
