May 2, 2011: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala in New York. ((AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File))
Gisele Bundchen has made worldwide headlines by sparring with a fan who commented negatively about her husband Tom Brady during the Patriots’ loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl. “My husband cannot (expletive deleted) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time,” she sputtered, referring to Brady’s teammates who dropped critical passes that could have led the team to victory over the New York Giants.
Critics rightly say that, by impugning Patriots receivers, Bundchen violated the team spirit that took the Patriots to the Super Bowl, in the first place. But—even if they won’t admit it—she entered the hearts of millions of American men at the same time and showed she isn’t just a “trophy” wife; she’s a real life partner.
Tom Brady took home something more lasting than a Super Bowl ring that Sunday in Indy. He took home a woman who showed the depth of her love for him. He lost the game and won big.
Should Bundchen apologize to Tom Brady’s teammates? Of course she should. And they should promptly tell her that no apology was ever needed. People in love sometimes do irrational and stunningly beautiful things.
The truth is that almost every man (or woman) wants a wife or husband who is willing to go to the mat for him—even if it sometimes looks over-the-top. In that immeasurable alchemy that makes loving and passionate relationships a source of strength for those blessed to be in them, when someone has your back and you know it, you can sometimes stand up straighter, speak more courageously and achiever greater things.
And even if you do none of these things publicly, you can privately glow in the certain knowledge that you are unconditionally loved and not alone on this often brutal planet.
We will never know how this alchemy takes place, any more than we will know how one man running full tilt 50 yards away from another, with other men trying to block him, can still catch a ball thrown to him. These miraculous moments of connection between human beings are what fill the stands in stadiums and fill churches, temples and even parks and beaches to watch couples trying to achieve what is so daunting to achieve: a lifelong synergy of soul.
The best play of Super Bowl Sunday, the 50-yard pass, with the receiver running right into the end zone, wasn’t even on the field. It was in the stands—where Tom Brady’s spirit connected magnificently with that of his wife, and the world got to watch.
Gisele Bundchen may be impolitic. She may be a loose cannon. She may be many things. But in an unscripted, unrestrained moment at Super Bowl Sunday, in front of all of us, she was her husband’s lover—spirited, unafraid and all-in. She wasn’t part of any team bigger than two. She was throwing blocks for the father of her child, and she never looked better.
Are we so jaded and politically correct now that we can’t see, or must oppose, real-life moments that are stunning and simple testimony to unrestrained affection? Wouldn’t we all like to see one of the wives of a candidate for President suddenly stride up to the microphone and berate a reporter for attacking her husband? “My husband can’t come up with solutions for America and beat back your stupid questions!” she would exclaim.
I dream of it. Take away the TelePrompter. Let the lady take the stage.
Who knows? One day, if Tom Brady actually runs for the United States Senate (which he certainly could), we may yet see it happen.
Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team. Dr. Ablow can be reached at info@keithablow.com. His team of Life Coaches can be reached at lifecoach@keithablow.com.
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