Getty Image
There are a few routes sports fans typically take when it comes to deciding what team to root for, whether it’s based on the geographic area where you lived during your younger years, the tiny jersey your parents bought for you when you were a baby, or a logo you came across in elementary school that looked so cool that you couldn’t help but pledge your allegiance.
There is another fairly common path that people follow that involves throwing your support behind a team because their roster is home to a player you absolutely adore. On the flip side, you can also be a diehard fan of a particular organization that’s home to an athlete who’s earned a special place in your heart and your undying loyalty even if they eventually end up somewhere else.
For example, I was fairly young when I first began to cheer for the Bruins but I became absolutely obsessed with Ray Bourque when I started watching their games. As a result, I was heartbroken when he was sent to Colorado in what turned out to be an absolutely atrocious trade by Boston’s front office but was incredibly amped to see him raise the Stanley Cup to end his career on the highest note possible.
Bourque spent 21 seasons patrolling the ice on his way to becoming one of the most beloved figures in the history of Boston sports—a total that would’ve been matched by this year by the man who arguably sits at the top of that list if he hadn’t taken his talents to Tampa Bay.
I think a lot of Patriots fans are still processing the reality that Tom Brady won’t be starting under center this season for the first time in what feels like an eternity, and despite how crushing the blow was when he revealed he was done in New England, it’s virtually impossible to be too mad at him based on what he did over the past couple of decades.
Brady’s new “Tompa Bay” shirt may be the biggest brick the fashion world has ever seen, but based on the data, people are clamoring to get their hands on the jersey he’ll be wearing as a member of the Buccaneers. However, there are some other numbers that suggest fans in Florida may not be contributing to those sales as much as you’d think.
The Big Lead recently took a look at search trends over the past month to examine which parts of the country are most interested in some Brady-related queries, and while I’m not sure what the hell is going on with North Dakota, this map tracking the popularity of the phrase “Tom Brady’s jersey” shows people in the Northeast seem to care more about it than their counterparts in Florida.
Sure, there’s a chance a ton of people have been suddenly inspired to get their hands on the jersey he wore as a member of the Patriots before it disappears from the NFL Shop as opposed to the one he’ll don this season but I also don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to suggest there are fans out there who will ride or die with the legend regardless and rep him accordingly.
New England is also in the lead when it comes to searching “Tom Brady,” which I assume can be attributed to fans keeping up with his new life like they’re stalking an ex on Facebook.
Tom might be gone but it doesn’t look like New England is going to forget him any time soon.