Tom Brady sparked criticism once again during his Fox NFL broadcast duties Sunday when he was caught using a ‘sickening’ slur.
The NFL legend returned to the airwaves Sunday for the eighth week of his broadcasting career as he called the Buffalo Bills‘ dominant 31-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
The 47-year-old, who is in the first season of his 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports, has endured a shaky start to his TV career, facing criticism for his debut performance.
However, it took a turn for the worse over the weekend when the seven-time Super Bowl winner was heard using a slur to describe Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
‘Sometimes he played like a spaz, like a grade-schooler on a sugar high, but now he’s controlled the chaos. He’s like a storm coming into town and you don’t want that storm coming into this town,’ Brady said as he discussed the signal caller’s NFL journey towards the end of the first quarter.
Tom Brady (R) sparked criticism when he used a shocking slur to describe Josh Allen (L)
The seven-time Super Bowl winner was describing Allen’s NFL journey live on Fox Sunday
‘Spaz’ is a slang term which is an abbreviation of the word ‘sp*stic,’ that is an offensive term often used to someone who is awkward or clumsy. It is considered to be an ableist slur.
Brady’s use of the derogatory term sparked backlash from NFL fans on social media with many stunned into disbelief at the former quarterback’s use of the slur.
Many fans seemingly couldn’t believe Brady said the term on live TV as they took to social media to question if their ears had deceived them.
‘Did you hear Tom Brady call Josh Allen a “spaz” in the first half of today’s Bill’s game? Highly offensive to people who have physical disabilities as well as their loved ones,’ one shocked social media user posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘I think he said Josh Allen has to “just not play like a spaz” which somehow seems even worse to me. Sickening that that word is even in his vocabulary,’ another responded.
‘Thankful for the mute button,’ a third said in response to a video of the controversial moment.
Another chimed in, expressing their disgust by writing: ‘Brady really just said a player played “like a spaz” Ew.’
‘The ONLY thing worse about watching your team suck all game long is having to listen to the cold-dull-as-three-day-old-dishwater @tombrady announce the game. #ShutUpDude,’ another began, also ripping into Brady announcing skills. ‘ps: The “spaz” comment was uncalled for.’
Brady’s use of the derogatory term sparked backlash from stunned NFL fans on social media
In 2022, artist Lizzo removed the ableist slur from the lyrics of her single ‘GRRRLS’ in response to fan backlash.
The singer insisted that she never intended to cause any harm with the use of the ‘hurtful’ word in her music.
‘It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song “GRRRLS,”‘ the 36-year-old said in a statement at the time.
‘Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language.’
In the same year, Beyonce also removed an offensive term for disabled people from the lyrics of the song Heated.
The multi-Grammy winner announced the move earlier this week, after it was called ‘ableist’ and ‘offensive’ by disability charities and activists.
In the tune – which was co-written with rapper Drake – Beyonce used a derogatory term for spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, in the lines: ‘Spazzing on that a**, spaz on that a**.’
A representative for the musician revealed the lyric would be changed, saying: ‘The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.’
Both Beyonce (L) and Lizzo (R) faced fan backlash for using the derogatory term in their lyrics
Brady has found himself on a steep learning curve amid his transition from the playing field to the booth with his blockbuster debut falling flat.
The Cleveland Browns ‘ home season opener against the Dallas Cowboys marked the beginning of the his 10-year, $375 million deal as Fox Sports’ lead NFL analyst.
However, it appeared his skills on the football field did not translate to the booth as many fans were quick to rip into Brady’s debut on the mic.
Within 20 minutes of the NFL legend’s announcing curtain raiser, social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, had already branded him ‘atrocious.’
And earlier this month, many claimed that Brady’s task was about to get a lot more challenging.
Brady became a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders when his bid was finally approved by NFL owners earlier this month, meaning he now holds a 10 percent stake in the team along with business partner Tom Wagner.
That minority investment means his playing career is now officially over, putting to bed any talk of a potential comeback given active players are prevented from owning or investing in NFL teams by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
More importantly, the seven-time Super Bowl winner’s move into ownership means he faces a number of restrictions in his role as a broadcaster for Fox.
Brady has been on a steep learning curve amid his transition from the playing field to the booth
Brady’s bid to become part-owner of Mark Davis’ Las Vegas Raiders was approved this month
Brady is forbidden from accessing another team’s facility, witnessing practice, and attending broadcast production meetings virtually and in person.
He is also not permitted to criticize game officials and other clubs, while he is subject to the NFL’s gambling and anti-tampering policies.
After news of his partial Raiders takeover broke, NFL fans called for Brady to be fired by Fox because the restrictions he must follow will influence his analysis.
Many on social media claimed that the restrictions placed on Brady by the league – due to his newfound ownership – render his media duties redundant.
While these restrictions were already in place since the beginning of his broadcasting career in summer due to his pending bid, fans are now claiming that Fox should have the right to terminate Brady’s contract.
