Tom Brady got $170,000 to speak after deflate-gate report released
Just hours after the release of the Wells Report criticizing the Patriots and indirectly incriminating Tom Brady in the deflate-gate “scandal,” Brady spoke at Salem State University. While he deflected all questions about the controversy, the question persisted: why would Brady, normally a reclusive fellow whose press conferences can last less than 90 seconds, spend an hour speaking publicly about such a touchy issue?
Turns out Brady had plenty of reasons — 170,000 of them, in fact.
The Boston Globe has revealed that Brady was paid $170,000 to speak as part of Salem State’s annual speaker series. While the university denied requests for information about the fee, the Globe indicated that the fee was at least partially covered by ticket fees and sponsorships, and according to the university, no public funds were used to pay Brady. The Salem State speakers’ series has included everyone from Brady’s coach Bill Belichick to numerous former presidents.
“I remain confident that over the past 33 years the series has been, and will continue to be, an important community enrichment program designed to inform, engage and encourage discussion within the community,’’ said university president Patricia Maguire Meservey.
Brady’s fee is extravagant, no doubt, but not unprecedented. Peyton Manning was paid $105,000 last year to speak at Oklahoma State. (You can make your own judgments about the rings-to-speaking-fee exchange rate.)
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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