Tom Brady Did Not Have Dinner in Tampa Bay With Derek Jeter, Bill Gates, and Jeff Vinik
By Liam McKeone
Tom Brady told the world Tuesday morning that he would not be returning to the New England Patriots. By the time dinner rolled around, word had gotten out that the 43-year-old would be moving south for the next stage of his career and planned to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That same evening, NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson said that a source had told him Brady had dinner in Tampa over the weekend with Derek Jeter, Bill Gates, and Jeff Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay Lightening, in a since-deleted tweet. After reporting it, Hanson had two other sources deny that it happened, but his original source stood by the story.
Two sources have now *denied* that Brady was @bernssteakhouse Sunday night.
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) March 18, 2020
My original source stands by his story.
Have reached out to someone else who was there and waiting confirmation. https://t.co/9M1GOGm6V2
Greg Auman, The Athletic's Bucs beat writer, refuted that story this morning.
More updates on this supposed dinner that @ScottHanson reported, with new Bucs QB Tom Brady eating in Tampa on Sunday with Bill Gates, Jeff Vinik and Derek Jeter. It never happened. Representatives for Vinik, Gates and Jeter all say they did not have dinner with Brady on Sunday.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 18, 2020
In what is a fairly unusual gesture in this industry, Hanson apologized profusely for the false report in a series of tweets, including an apology directly to Auman for the time it took to contradict the story.
The Tampa dinner I tweeted about yesterday apparently did not happen.
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) March 18, 2020
My source - a person who was a friend of mine for years & claims he was an eyewitness / swore to me it was true - apparently can’t be trusted.
I am so sorry to those who *trusted in me* for this story... https://t.co/BWZXf9SdPZ
...I’m actually sick about it. Asked my source multiple times.
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) March 18, 2020
I’m my gut i knew I should’ve had 2nd source — (& a dinner so fantastical would’ve leaked prior) — but I went with it anyway. Learn from my mistakes, young broadcasters.
I plan to.
I’m thankful it...
...wasn’t a more serious story.
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) March 18, 2020
And the good news for my Tampa friends is that Brady to the Bucs seems like it is still full steam ahead.
Thanks for hearing me out.
Know it will do little good - but deleting original now.
Again, I apologize.
@gregauman I personally apologize to you, Greg, for whatever amount of grief it caused you to have to spend your time tracking down comment/denial.
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) March 18, 2020
I was 100% led to believe it was true.
But that doesn’t make it true.
Apologies to all fans/media in TB.
Sincerely.
Auman accepted the apology gracefully and understandingly.
It happens. We all have people we trust, and you don’t want that to ever work against you. Appreciate you owning this as fully as you have.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 18, 2020
You probably won't see a cleaner conclusion to two conflicting reports this year. It all wrapped up nicely, even if it is immensely disappointing that a dinner between Brady, Gates, Jeter, and Vinik didn't happen. Imagine what that table talk is like.