Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had their share of battles on the football field and some controversy off of it. But something magical always happens when they compete against each other.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks will be out of their comfort zone when they play in a golf match with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The Champions for Charity event May 24 at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound will raise $10 million for COVID-19 relief.
But the good-natured trash talking? That remains the same.
During a zoom media conference call Thursday with TBS host Ernie Johnson, Manning and Brady were at their sarcastic best.
Manning, who will pair with Woods in the event, teased Brady about his recent accidental trespass. Brady mistakenly walked into a Tampa home looking for Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.
“Of course, the tournament had to be in Florida after Tom’s (breaking and entering) arrest," Manning said. “With the ankle monitor, he couldn’t leave the state. It had to be in Florida. Tiger and I talked to the sheriff in Tampa. He’s going to be allowed to go to Palm Beach to play.
“I’ll be honest, I’ve never played Tom very well on his home turf. And so maybe this is considered a neutral site. I would’ve loved to have had this tournament in a place they don’t like Tom very much: Indianapolis, Denver, Boston, after he just betrayed them and broke their hearts. So Palm Beach is the best we could probably do. Look, I think the teams are fair, I think Phil chose the right partner in Tom. Together they have 11 championships. Tiger and I have 17 the way I count it, right, Tiger? Your 15 plus my two."
Brady admitted that his golf game isn’t where he would like it to be because he is training for his 21st season in the NFL.
He also had some zingers aimed at Manning, while poking fun at Spygate and Deflategate, two scandals involving his Patriots teams. Brady was suspended four games in 2015 by the NFL for his role in Deflategate.
“I’ve been studying a lot of film and filming a lot of Peyton’s rounds the last couple weeks,” Brady said. “I feel like I have a head start in that. So part of it is the preparation and that gives you a lot of confidence. So I feel like in two weeks when we actually start, I’m going to be prepared. I know what I’m going against. Hopefully after Phil and I win they don’t go and try to change the rules on us or send the tapes in to the NFL. I don’t know if Peyton can still do that now that he’s retired and change the rules to make it easier on him the next time."
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Explore all your optionsThe Champions for Charity event will be simulcast at 3 p.m. May 24 on TBS, TNT, truTV and HLN.