The family that was directly or indirectly involved in Thursday’s car crash that also concerned Tom Brady is upset with the attention that the superstar quarterback is getting while one of their loved ones remains hospitalized.
From the Boston Globe:
“Why? Because we’re poor, we don’t have money, because Tom Brady is famous,” said the sister of Rogerio Rodrigues, the 49-year-old man who was injured in the accident. The sister asked that she not be identified to avoid publicizing the case any further.
Rodrigues suffered critical injuries, including a broken back, she said, and is undergoing surgery today after a series of surgeries Thursday.
Rodrigues’s 21-year-old son, Ludgero, was cited in the accident with running a red light and causing the crash. Ludgero Rodrigues has a lengthy driving record, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
“His son was driving because he had a very bad back problem,” the sister said.
She said Ludgero swears he did not run the red light. He told police he had a green light. The sister argued that the media and authorities sympathized with Brady.
“Nobody talks about Tom Brady because he’s a rich guy, and we’re poor,” she said. “My brother is in very bad condition. We are upset. Leave the family alone because we are in pain.”
I love how the sister mentions not once, but twice how their family is poor. In the grand scheme of things, what does that have to do with the situation? I would argue that it’s Brady’s fame that is garnering him more attention than the other victim in this situation – not his fortune. (Although one can make the argument that fame and fortunate run parallel to each other.)
Either way, if the brother who was driving the vehicle a) was cited for running a red light and causing the accident and b) has a “lengthy driving record,” then I’m not quite sure what the sister is looking for here. Had Brady caused the accident and was getting sympathy from the media, then she would have a leg to stand on.
But to play the we’re-getting-the-short-end-of-the-stick-because-we’re-poor card in this situation is weak. I feel bad that anyone suffered injuries, but get real. Don’t be mad at Brady because he’s a celebrity and receiving attention when it was your family member that was cited and that has the record.
Besides, this was all about timing anyway after Brady signed his new $72 million deal (which included $48.5 million guaranteed). Of course he’s going to get attention – he’s Tom Brady and he’s now the highest-paid player in the NFL.
