Morning Sports Update

Jeff Ross discussed Tom Brady’s reaction to his roast, thoughts on Robert Kraft joke

"He abided by the rules of the roast, which was basically anything goes, and surprise me. I've got to give the guy credit. He really did it."

Jeff Ross Tom Brady Roast Robert Kraft Joke
Jeff Ross during Netflix the roast of Tom Brady. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix

By Hayden Bird

Jeff Ross discussed his reaction to the Tom Brady roast: The recent Netflix roast of Tom Brady produced an incredible series of soundbites, each as blazingly over-the-top as the next. Brady, the center of the three-hour special, appeared to enjoy essentially all of it, with one notable exception.

During the set of “Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross, who produced the event and was central to the festivities (as has become the custom for celebrity roasts), the longtime comedian stepped about as close to the line for Brady as appeared possible when he made a specific joke about Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Advertisement:

“Tom became a Patriot, moved up to New England, and on the first day of training camp, that scrawny rookie famously walked into the owner Robert Kraft’s office, and said, ‘I’m the best decision your organization has ever made,’” Ross told the audience. And with the timing of an experienced standup comic, he hesistated before delivering his punchline.

“Would you like a massage?”

The reference to the 2019 incident in which Kraft was charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution by Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida was one subject that appeared to be beyond what Brady would endure.

Brady rose from his seat and whispered to Ross, “Don’t say that s*** again.”

Ross continued his shoutout of Kraft, but moved on.

On Monday, Ross joined “The Rich Eisen Show” to share his reaction to the roast. Eisen quickly asked about the moment from Brady involving Kraft, inquiring if the quarterback had been actually upset by the line.

“Come on, no way,” Ross said. “He was having fun.”

“Robert Kraft is like a father figure to him,” said Ross of Brady. “He was just showing his love for Robert Kraft. And Robert Kraft loved it. We had a great talk afterward. He was so happy that I gave him a shoutout and a salute. It was beautiful.”

Advertisement:

In general, Ross said he was impressed by Brady’s commitment.

“He loves the roast. He’s a student of the roast,” Ross said of the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

It was an especially proud moment for Ross, as the roast of Brady had been in the works for multiple years.

“I asked him after he won the last Super Bowl, I hit him up,” he said of first broaching the roast subject with Brady. “I knew he was roast fan. He was into it right away, and we made a deal, and then he un-retired and I held it back until he retired again.

“Then we held it again until the Netflix joke festival, so all the comics would be in town,” Ross continued. “I think it was worth the wait because he was loose and fun. I feel like we won an election or something. I can’t believe we got through this three-year campaign to get Tom Brady in the hot seat.”

True to form, the roastee knew essentially nothing about the details prior to the event.

“I kept him in the dark on a lot of the surprises, and he didn’t hear anybody’s jokes,” said Ross.

“He abided by the rules of the roast, which is basically anything goes, and surprise me. I’ve got to give the guy credit. He really did it.”

Trivia: Along with his history of being a central figure in numerous roasts, Jeff Ross also has several acting credits both on television and in film. One of his film credits was coincidentally on a movie released in 2003 in which Tom Brady made a cameo.

Advertisement:

Can you name that movie?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: It starred Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. Brady made an uncredited cameo along with Lawyer Milloy.

Scores and schedules:

The Bruins put together a convincing 5-1 win over the Panthers in Game 1 of the second-round playoff series on Monday. Boston, now leading the series 1-0, will play Game 2 in Florida on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Tonight, the Celtics host the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at 7 p.m.

Also this evening, the Red Sox begin a two-game set in Atlanta against the Braves at 7:20 p.m.

Later this week, PWHL Boston begins its playoff semifinal against Montreal. The two teams will clash in a best-of-five series starting at Montreal on Thursday at 7 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

The harrowing tale of Patriots player Calvin Anderson’s near-fatal bout with malaria: Patriots defensive lineman Calvin Anderson was given 50-50 odds to survive an intense bout with malaria just before the start of the 2023. He’s been working his way back ever since, with some twists and turns along the way. Christopher Price of The Boston Globe offered a vivid account of Anderson’s unexpectedly intense year.

Brandon Carlo’s 24 hours: The Bruins defenseman experienced quite the day leading up to (and including) Boston’s Game 1 win. He scored in the Bruins’ 5-1 win:

And (before the game), celebrated the birth of his son:

On this day: In 2002, Allen Iverson (while wearing a Red Sox hat) unleashed his iconic “practice” rant.

Daily highlight: Enjoy Mason Lohrei’s top shelf goal that gave the Bruins the lead for good on Monday.

Trivia answer: Stuck on You

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com