Soon after Super Bowl LV, I texted a good friend of mine that Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is every leftist's worst nightmare: he is successful, a winner, and a Trump-supporter, and worst of all, he is a white man.  For a little context, I pretty much boycotted the NFL this year because of politics, do not watch corporate media, and had not read any websites or blogs after the game, but one thing I do know is how the left thinks.

Let me go on the record by saying that until about four years ago, I couldn't stand Tom Brady.  I used to root for every one of Patriot's opponents.  My reasons for not liking him: He was successful, a winner, and a good-looking guy with a supermodel wife.  I suppose, like most guys who wanted Brady to lose, I was jealous.

Yeah, it really just came down to stupid petty jealousy, and it's pretty embarrassing to admit.

So what changed?

Two things changed my mind about Tom Brady.  First, he and Coach Bill Belichick were vocal in their support of then-candidate Donald Trump in 2015, and second, I realized that it was pretty stupid to loathe someone because he wins.  After all, isn't it great to win and to constantly seek that goal?

I then came to the realization that anyone who works hard and succeeds in any endeavor should be emulated, not ridiculed.  We used to love winners in America, but I guess these days, winners have to be a member of a minority group for it to count and not a white man who keeps his political opinions mostly to himself.

I am a Christian, and an American who happens to be black and I proudly say that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL.  He is deserving of admiration as a great American athlete.

This is a man who worked hard for everything he achieved: first in his effort to earn the starting QB role for Michigan (1996–1999) and then in his quest to be the starter at New England.  What Brady's detractors either do not know or forget is that this guy was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft.  As the 199th pick in the sixth round, no one was predicting that this guy would win seven Super Bowls, much less one.  Brady is a living, breathing example of success: a strong work ethic, focus, and tenacity.

Brady,43, wears seven Super Bowl rings, not solely because of his talented throwing arm or his ability to read defenses, but because he is one of those rare leaders who inspires his teammates to elevate their game.  Brady signed a two-year, $50-million contract with the Buccaneers after leaving the Patriots in 2020.  Tampa Bay finished 7-9 in 2019 and had not made a playoff appearance since 2007.  Now they are Super Bowl champs for the second time in their franchise history.

What I have always found fascinating about team sports is chemistry.  Sure, a team may have the talent, but there is something magical about the right mix and the difference an inspirational leader can make.  Winners bring out the best in those around them — not only in sports, but in any endeavor.

Those detractors who say it is somehow racist that Brady won during Black History Month should be ridiculed and vilified.  Demonizing Brady for winning during Black History Month is offensive because it sells black athletes short.  It sounds as though these whiners wanted Brady to throw the game so the black starter on Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes, could win during Black History Month.  Talk about some sort of weird gridiron affirmative action fetish.

Mahomes is a fierce competitor and would be the first one to want to beat Brady on his own talents, guts, and determination.  The Buccaneers certainly respected Mahomes's talents enough to devise a defense to neutralize his targets while maintaining constant pressure on the young quarterback.  I suppose that to leftists, it was racist to come up with a game plan to stop the talented and formidable signal-caller who happens to be black.  Ridiculous!

The criticism of Brady is illustrative of where we are as a country right now.  White people, especially white men, are being demonized as the scourge of America.  Heroes can only be those leftists from "persecuted" minority groups who hate America as it was founded or those who acknowledge the struggle and admit their white guilt.  And lurking in the background are evil entities invested keeping the country divided, whether by politics, race, or class.

We need winners right now, those who got where they are based on their talents and not by the choice of government or other ideological bullies.  And boy, we patriots could use any inspiration we can get in the times we are living.

Dex Bahr is a freelance writer and author of the book No Christian Man is an Island: Leading the Spiritual Quest in America's Culture Wars.

Image: Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0.