"It’s tough to be friends" - Tom Brady states it is hard to maintain camaraderie in the NFL

When the dust finally settles on Tom Brady's fairytale NFL career, he would rather be reminiscing about the rings he won, than the friends he made. This week, TB12 joined a conference call to discuss his participation in 'The Match', an annual televised golf challenge involving celebrities.

This year, he will team up with long-time rival Aaron Rodgers to take on the young QB duo of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

Tom Brady was quizzed on the idea of teaming up with former foe Peyton Manning and was quick to shoot down that possibility, before giving his critique of how technology has affected the development of relationships between rival players.

"I think you develop a lot of friendships over FaceTime or social media as opposed to, we didn’t have that when I started. In 2000, there was no way to get a hold of someone except to see them once in the offseason and make a phone call. Now, I feel like everyone is pretty friendly with one another, and I suppose that’s a good thing. I think it’s a challenging thing, too. I think it’s tough to be friends with people you’re trying to go at."

Is Tom Brady the ultimate winner?

Tom Brady's "I suppose that's a good thing" reply is not convincing in the slightest. But it does offer a small glimpse into the psyche of a man who has dominated the league for over 2 decades, standing head and shoulders above all contemporaries.

He is the ultimate winner, that is the objective, the only goal that matters, and anything that could interfere with his pursuit of glory will not be tolerated, even friendships.

Tom Brady believes that off-field relationships can cause a drop in on-field intensity, but he did offer this humorous caveat in relation to the friendship subject.

"I always try to buddy up with the defensive players who are trying to kill me. It’s a little better if they hit you and they know you like them. Like, Michael Strahan, now a friend and business partner. Guys take care of you. Dwight Freeney, who was always in the background of Aaron’s screen right there, that was a guy I always tried to be friends with."

TB12 is a man who plays the game with a laser-focused intensity, even at the ripe old age of 44, and snapshots of that mindset have manifested occasionally after the game. Brady has often been labelled a bad loser, and there have been numerous occasions where he has left the field following a defeat, without the customary opposing QB handshake.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is far from the only opposition QB to be ghosted by the legend. Perhaps the most famous incident that occurred was after the Eagles defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LVII, when Nick Foles was left waiting at the altar

This has naturally led to criticism from many quarters that Brady lacks class in defeat.

So it is clear that TB12 values winning over everything else, including friendships. And when he doesn't win, which isn't very often, he clearly finds it difficult to accept. But those throwing shade at Brady for his actions in defeat would do well to remember a quote from the late great, Vince Lombardi.

"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."