Dear Tom,
We know it’s been a rough week for you and the Patriots. As it stands, you’re looking at a pretty lengthy time-out when the season starts. And since you won’t even be allowed into the stadium to watch, you’re going to have a mountain of free time. What’s a multi-millionaire quarterback to do?
Well, here at HB we know a thing or two about being under pressure, so we pulled together ideas for you to pass the time and keep yourself pumped up during your suspension. And don’t get too deflated at the prospect of not playing for a few games – have a read of our thoughts and get a gauge on your interest.
Let’s start with the obvious: the PR lessons from Deflategate. Our Spring 2015 Intern (and native New Yorker) Ryan Yuffe had some thoughts about how the team could recover from the scandal. It might be time to revisit these – perhaps before the bosses decide to write another 20,000 word rebuttal.
Maybe you’re so disillusioned by the entire affair that you’re considering a career change. Chuck Tanowitz’s thoughts on your old resume might help when you’re refreshing that CV. Your brand has changed a little bit, Tom – you might want to focus a little more on the four Super Bowl rings rather than on the golf club experience.
If you’re thinking of kicking back and remembering the good times with a replay of this year’s Super Bowl, might we suggest including the commercial breaks? They’re usually just as enjoyable as the football (more so if you were a Seahawks fan at Super Bowl XLIX), and this year Julia Bucchianeri reckons we saw some pretty amazing shifts in Super Bowl marketing.
Spring is in the air, Tom and some fresh air could do you some good. Especially if you’re not playing for a while. Why not do some gardening, or volunteer work, or both? We tried our hand with the crew from City Sprouts, and it was a great chance to dig in and do some good. Plus, you might run into your buddies from the Patriots locker room – I heard they’re on gardening leave!
I jest, Tom. I imagine you’re sick of all the attention, and feel like getting out of the country for a while. We can help there, too. If you ask Catherine Ahearn, she’ll probably suggest London, where she spent a whirlwind few days earlier this year with our IPREX colleagues. But if Blighty doesn’t suit you, we can get recommendations from almost anywhere else, thanks to our huge network of IPREX partners in more than 30 countries.
If you just can’t keep your head out of the game, and want to mentor your replacement, we have something to help there, too. Why don’t you share my 6 tips for joining a new team with Jimmy Garoppolo to make sure he’s as ready as can be? (Pro tip: I think Gronk would make a GREAT Patriots Buddy.)
So there are a few ideas to consider during your time off. But Tom, if you’re really not into any of these ideas you can always intern with us this summer. We love it here, and that’s not a load of hot air – here’s a Buzzfeed post outlining just how cool it can be to work at HB.
Yours, with tongue firmly in cheek,
Alex Jafarzadeh
Newly converted fan of the New York Jets,
and stubbornly persistent football* fanatic.
*alright, soccer.
