What Tom Brady Leaving the Patriots Means for CBS, FOX: TRAINA THOUGHTS

Tom Brady leaving the Patriots is a big blow for CBS.

1. I know most of you reading this are thrilled to see Tom Brady leave the Patriots because it officially ends the Patriots' dynasty. Personally, I hate it. I'm an old softie who hates seeing a legend like Brady end his career in a place he should not end his career. There's just something—for lack of a better word—crappy about it. 

But Brady has announced that he's a goner and the NFL world instantly changes. The NFL television landscape also changes with this move.

No matter where Brady lands, this is a blow for CBS (unless Bill Belichick gets wild and brings in Cam Newton). Yes, the Pats' dynasty was coming to an end, but if Brady stayed with New England for another year or two, CBS would've popped the champagne. The NFL needs villain teams. There was no better villain team than the Patriots, even as they declined this past season. And make no mistake, while Belichick remains, New England's status as a villain team takes a hit with Brady's departure. And that's a blow for CBS.

The days of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo calling practically every Patriots game are over.

Yes, the network will get a little boost if Brady signs with another AFC team, such as the Chargers, and his first couple of games with them will generate solid ratings, but Los Angeles/San Diego/Whatever They Are games won't produce the juice over the long haul that Patriots games would've had Brady remained the Patriots quarterback and stayed connected to Belichick and Robert Kraft.

The Patriots were a ratings machine in 2019, mainly for CBS.

Most-watched program of year: Patriots-Rams, Super Bowl

Second most-watched program of the year: Patriots-Chiefs, AFC Championship game

Most-watched regular season non-Thanksgiving game: Cowboys at Patriots, Week 12

Second most-watched regular season non-Thanksgiving game: Chiefs at Patriots, Week 14

Fourth most-watched regular season non-Thanksgiving game: Patriots at Eagles, Week 11.

The flip side of this is FOX. You can be sure FOX executives are saying an extra prayer today that Brady ends up with Tampa Bay, as has been rumored. If that happens, we will all be getting a lot of 4:25 pm ET Buccaneers games in 2020. 

FOX has some great markets for ratings—New York, Dallas, Chicago, Philly. Tampa is not one of them. Tampa instantly becomes one of them if Brady signs with the Bucs.

Tom Brady changed the NFL landscape Tuesday morning. He also changed the ratings game.

2. Excellent job here by CBS Sports and Turner Sports.

3. In Monday's Traina Thoughts, I asked you guys to help me out with providing you with content you want to see over the next several weeks and you came through nicely. Please keep all suggestions and requests coming by emailing me at jimmy.traina@si.com.

Reader Andy sent this along (sic):

Hey Jimmy!

Let’s maybe see something that combines the unprecedented current events with the awkwardness that we live from Curb. I’m. I'm not really sure what that might entail exactly, but something about sharing food, proximity of airplane travel, gross hotel rooms, crowds, germophobia—you get the point. I’m a fan of Curb, but not a die hard, so I don’t know all of the episodes or if there’s even enough content for this idea.

Taking the social distancing seriously here in Columbus, Ohio.

Best regards,
Andy

Thank you, Andy, and here you go.

4. This happened live on the air Tuesday to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.

5. This is exactly the take you'd expect Gronk to drop at this time.

6. SPORTS HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: This should be a day we celebrate Tom Brady, but his career has been so damn good, let's remember this play instead.

7. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: This 2012 Funny or Die video Brady starred in was some of his best non-football work.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram