Tom Brady Trying To Satisfy Competitive Juices And What That Says About An NFL Return
The latest sign Tom Brady is totally done playing in the NFL? He's finding other ways to satisfy his competitive drive.
Brady has invested as a team owner in the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) E1 World Championship, a race boat championship.
The former quarterback, who boat raced the entire NFL en route to seven Super Bowl championships over his career, is now setting his sights on all-electric race boats.
The UIM E1 World Championship is scheduled to being in 2024. (Photo courtesy UIM E1World Championship)
Tom Brady Still Competitor At Heart
"Well, I think what naturally gets me excited is, I can't play football anymore," Brady says in an UIM E1 World Championship promotional package. "I need to compete and I've got to win. And I've got to be involved in competitive sports and I love that.
"I think sport has been a part of my life for the last 35 years. I've loved every bit of competition that I've ever had. And I think for me in this second part of my life, to still be involved in it in a meaningful way is very important."
Brady is among notable names to venture with the UIM E1 World Championship. Tennis star Rafael Nadal, former soccer star Dider Drogba, and Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez are also involved. And that has sparked Brady.
Tennis ace Rafael Nadal among sports stars joining UIM E1 World Championship. (Photo courtesy UIM E1 World Championship)
Notable Sports Stars Joining UIM E1 Championship
"I love people challenging and disrupting industries, I love people who are thinking about ways to innovate and I love the ability of great competitors from all around the world," Brady said. "Rafa's (Nadal) a part of this. Didier Drogba. Sergio Perez. So, you have other great competitors as well and I think all of us have a great need for continuing to find ways to compete at the highest level."
The first season of the UIM E1 World Championship is scheduled for early 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In the coming months, championship organizers say they will continue to accelerate preparations for the inaugural season, with races set to take place in Venice, Monaco, and Rotterdam.
The Championship will announce other races and venues later.
The UIM E1 World Championship is the world’s first and only all-electric race boat
championship sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique. UIM is the international governing body for all powerboating activities, and is creating a new on-water racing platform based on electric technology.
Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yells as he runs on the field prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Tom Brady Sets Miami As Home Field
Brady lives in South Florida now. Yes, he really was serious about joining the Miami Dolphins once upon a time, but that's another story. Anyway, the region is the epicenter of boating on the east coast and possibly the entire United States.
So Brady wants to take advantage of that to establish a home field advantage of sorts.
"You're damn right we've got to bring a race here," Brady said. "This is the ultimate boating experience here. I was in the North East for 20 years and it was very cold and I was on, you know, there wasn't a big boating culture up there.
"But moving to Florida, the first thing I did was buy a boat and being on the water is something I really enjoyed with my family. My children love it and then when you look outside of here in Miami, so many people are on the beach, so many people are here on the river, in their boats.
"So, this is a perfect place to have it, this is like the best place in America to do it, so we've got to figure out a way to make that happen."