Skip Navigation
Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

A Patriot-hater mourns Tom Brady

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sep 8 2008, 11:42 AM ET Comment

Well not really a hater. I more so hate a particular breed of Patriot fake-ass fan that's materialized in the last decade. I saw a gaggle of them at the sports bar yesterday--the sort of mofos in Moss jerseys who don't know the half about John Hannah, Steve Grogan or Ronnie Lippett.

Anyway, I think anyone who truly hates the Patriots should be really upset about Tom Brady's injury. As my good friend (and die-hard Bills fan) Eyal Press said to me yesterday--if you're a true fan, you to see your team beat the Patriots at their best. You want to take on the Franks under Charlemagne, not under Lothar. Manning's Super Bowl is special because he beat Brady on the way. Ditto for the other Manning and the Giants. The first Dallas Super Bowl of the 90s would not have sucked if it hadn't been Jim Kelly or even Thurman Thomas out there.

Basic decency aside, I can't see how any real fan of a team, or any fan of the NFL, could want to see Tom Brady out for the season.


Presented by

More at The Atlantic

Cannes' Best Film Yet? A Controversial, Cross-Dressing Epic Cannes' Controversial, Cross-Dressing Epic Film
If 10 Berkeley Cops Can't Get the Chief's Son's Phone Back, Your Vigilante Recovery Won't Work Either The Perils of Tracking Down a Stolen Phone
Why Israeli Settlers Shot an Unarmed Palestinian Why Israeli Settlers Shot an Unarmed Palestinian
Who Won the War Over Cory Booker? Which Party Won the War Over Cory Booker?
Radical Life Extension Is Already Here, But We're Doing it Wrong Does Extending Life Go Against Evolution?

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register.
blog comments powered by Disqus
View All Correspondents

The Biggest Story in Photos

Earthquake in Northern Italy

May 22, 2012

Subscribe Now

SAVE 59%! 10 issues JUST $2.45 PER COPY

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

Ta-Nehisi Coates
from the Magazine

Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War?

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an Atlantic senior editor.

Fade to White

A filmmaker maps Austin’s shifting ethnic landscape.

The Legacy of Malcolm X

Why his vision lives on in Barack Obama