NESN Diary: Did Tom Brady Wish Bill Belichick 'Happy Birthday' Today? (And Other Random Thoughts)

Each day during the sports pause stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, NESN.com will publish a diary full of random thoughts, opinions, takeaways and other cool tidbits we’ve stumbled across in the absence of actual games. Because why not? We’re all in this together.

Don’t let the lack of live sports or the impending sense or doom and despair imposed on us by the coronavirus distract you from the fact that today is one of the most important days in the New England calendar year.

Though it’s not a state-wide holiday, it should be.

On this day, 68 years ago, the greatest coach in NFL history was born. And 48 years later, that legend went on to draft the greatest quarterback of all time. I wonder if Tom Brady’s call to Bill Belichick wishing him a happy birthday was a little awkward today?

April 16 this year is not as joyous as it usually would be. Obviously, Brady now is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. And there’s the whole thing about how we’re all miserable and bored and locked in our houses. But let today be a reminder that amid uncertainty, and we’re experiencing a lot of it, great things can emerge.

Patriots fans had no clue their team’s 199th compensatory draft pick would go on to win them six Super Bowls, 20 years of bragging rights and become worthy of their worship. But that’s what happened, with all the kids and dogs running around New England named Brady as proof.

Here’s hoping that when this is all said and done and we can return to some sense of normalcy, cool things start to happen.

Now, on to our day in sports:

— We might as well stick with the Patriots, since everyone is freaking out about the quarterback situation leading up to next week’s NFL Draft. I mean, Sportsbooks are predicting New England to have the worst season since 2000.

Thursday, a league insider said he didn’t see Jarrett Stidham starting under center for the Pats this year, and thinks they’ll spend a top pick this year on a rookie quarterback. A former Pats tight end, however, thinks Stidham deserves fans’ confidence.

— So something pretty big happened today, even if you aren’t fascinated by the world of elite high school basketball like me.

Jalen Green, a five-star college recruit, has decided to skip college all together. Instead, the potential lottery pick signed a deal with the G League reportedly worth around $500,000, to partake in a new initiative giving elite prospects mentorship and coaching to get them to the next level. And while he’s add it, he’ll be able to make endorsements and profit off his own likeness in whatever way he wants.

This led to another prospect, five-star forward Isaiah Todd, de-committing from Michigan basketball to join them.

If this goes well with Green as the face of this new path to the NBA, college basketball as we know it may never be the same.

— The Boston Bruins were in first place when the league paused its season March 12. Who knows what will happen with the season. But if it’s scrapped all together, it begs the question: are the Bruins this year’s Stanley Cup champions?

Brad Marchand apparently thinks it wouldn’t be right. As someone who has been there before, deservingly, that makes sense. I’ll gladly take an asterisks next to this year’s title, though. Boston has gone too long without another championship.

Marchand also mentioned he can’t imagine playing without fans in the stands, but he’d do whatever it takes to get back on the ice if that’s the best way.

— There’s a good bit of optimism around the NBA’s season being salvaged, and one writer in particular came up with what is in my opinion, a brilliant idea for a centralized location to finish out the year.

We’re going to Disney World! Maybe…

— Rob Gronkowski acknowledged the rumor that he might come out of retirement to get traded from the Patriots to the Bucs to play with Brady. He definitely didn’t deny it, either. OK, sorry, we don’t have to talk about that anymore. I just wanted you to know.

— Who is the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky or Alexander Ovechkin?

We don’t know, because they played in different eras and Gretzky benefitted from pieces of Swiss cheese between the pipes in his era of the NHL. Though we can’t compare their play on the ice, really, we can see who is better at “NHL20.”

The hockey legends are set to face off in the video game to raise money for coronavirus relief.

— Von Miller tested positive for COVID-19 today. Not great news, but Miller is the picture of health and a Super Bowl MVP. Thoughts and well wishes to the Denver Bronco, but the coronavirus probably doesn’t stand a chance.

— Remember that rumored trade about the Browns moving Odell Beckham Jr. to the Vikings from Wednesday? Yeah, someone in the Browns front office denied that pretty hard today.

— One more thing. Yesterday, I wrote about a former coworker, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, using his Twitter platform to hold an auction and raise money for coronavirus relief.

Thanks to an old binder of autographs, Alex Cora’s old sneakers, one of Ken Rosenthal’s bowties and generosity from the guys over at Barstool Sports’ “Section 10” Red Sox podcast, Cotillo raised $19,000 as of Thursday morning.

After the Red Sox themselves pitched in a signed Xander Bogaerts jersey, the fundraiser is expected to reach $24,000. Really impressive work.

Head to Chris Cotillo’s twitter to follow along with the auction. That Bogaerts jersey is on the market until midnight.

Video of the Day:
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving reconnected with his childhood crossing guard. Whatever your feelings toward Kyrie are, this was a really sweet moment.

Kyrie reminiscing with his childhood crossing guard was an all-time moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1ptdOlwQoq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2020

Stat of the Day
Throwback Thursday. As mentioned, this is the anniversary of Brady getting selected in the sixth-round of the 2000 NBA draft. ESPN Stats & Info. put together a fun little graphic comparing Brady’s stats to the 11 other quarterbacks drafted that year.

On this date in 2000, Tom Brady was selected 199th overall in the 6th round by the Patriots on Bill Belichick's 48th birthday.

Take a look at how Brady's production compares to the 11 other QBs drafted in 2000. pic.twitter.com/OpLHzMiAWr

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 16, 2020