The inaugural edition of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic is set to take place in Saudi Arabia, aligning well with the National Football League’s goal to expand its reach into the international market. And of course, there’s something in it for the players as well.
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If there wasn’t anything lucrative on offer, fans likely wouldn’t be getting an opportunity to see the seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, lace up the cleats for one last run on the gridiron. We are talking about some serious money here since Saudi Arabia has been willing to shell out cash in order to attract some of the biggest names in American sports in the past several years.
It will be the same for Fanatics Football. From the former face of the NFL to the social media product, Logan Paul, many big and popular names are set to compete in the round-robin style event. According to Brady, however, the newfound WWE star may want to exercise a bit of caution come game time.
“I’m actually a little worried for you,” Brady said while appearing on Paul’s most recent podcast. “You’re a good athlete, but these guys are on another level… When I’m thinking of Saquon Barkley and Justin Jefferson…”
The part-time professional wrestler was quick to interrupt, asking, “Bro, can Saquon Barkley do a flip off the top rope?”
Brady’s rebuttal was equally quick. “It’s cute,” he said. “I love WWE, it’s very cute, but honestly, this is like real football. This is real competition.”
While Paul cited his success as a high school footballer to bolster his case, it was pretty apparent that it didn’t mean much to the three-time MVP. Brady simply noted that he’ll be happy to see Paul perform in a “competition that actually matters.”
While that will most certainly ruffle the feathers of the so-called ‘WWE Universe,’ it’s hard to have much confidence in a 30-year-old influencer when surrounded by some of the most relevant names in modern sports history.
Brady did his best to reassure Paul by suggesting that “if you’re on my team, then we’ll be best friends,” adding that he’ll gladly feed anyone targets. As long as they’ve worked on their routes, that is.
Otherwise, “I’ll motherf**k you like I did [Julian] Edelman and Gronk [Rob Gronkowski].” He was responding to Logan’s question of what if he drops some of Brady’s passes.
In the end, however, it’s important to note that their confrontation wasn’t nearly as hostile as it may seem when transcribed to text. There’s something to be said about the art of selling an event and getting a crowd invested in the perceived animosity between two competitors. And that’s exactly what Paul and Brady managed to do here.
Whenever you cross one of the most competitive players in NFL history with one of the more polarizing figures in professional wrestling, it’s safe to say that sparks are going to fly. Let’s just hope that it translates into something meaningful on the field, and not just a few extra revenue streams.
