Fans watching the build-up to tonight's Super Bowl have been raging at Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady for entering the stadium in Florida this evening without wearing a mask.
In fact, Brady was the only person in the whole entourage who wasn't wearing a face covering.
It's not a great example to set, is it?
To be fair, Brady is something of a divisive character. Without going too far into the debacle that became known as Deflategate - if you know, you know - he also has to deal with being by far and away the most successful person in his chosen sport.
That means that if you're a Bucs fan, or a supporter of his former team the New England Patriots, you probably love him.
However, if you're a fan of literally any other team at all, you probably hate him.
Even devout Brady devotees can't argue against this, though. There's a bloody pandemic going on - wear a mask, dude.
The 43-year-old - yes, he's 43 and still at the top of the game - arrived at the Raymond James Stadium ahead of the National Football League's showpiece event three hours before kick-off, but whilst everyone else managed to follow the protocol, he didn't.
As an aside, Brady and the Buccaneers - great band name, right? - are the first team ever to contest the end-of-season finale at their home stadium.
Anyway, back to the mask furore.
One angered fan wrote: "What is up with Tom Brady walking into the stadium maskless!
"Only person in the video without a mask! Come on Tom. Really?"
Another, pointing out Brady's position as a role model, said: "Literally everyone else around him is wearing a mask.
"But the most influential person at the #SuperBowl can't even be bothered to set an important example, much less protect others around him."
Sports Illustrated shared the picture of Brady arriving at the stadium without his mask on, but one thing he was wearing was a pair of headphones.
They captioned their shot: "What's Tom listening to?"
Another peeved punter responded: "I don't know, but I can tell you what he's NOT listening to: medical experts and the NFL on wearing a mask."
Yet another said: "Kind of tired of watching Tom Brady parade around everywhere without a mask on while literally everyone around him has one on. What gives?"
Either way, if Brady comes out on top tonight, his fans will defend his every action, and those who hate him will slam him regardless of his success.
He still should be wearing a mask though.
Featured Image Credit: NFLTopics: SPORT, Celebrity, US News, US Entertainment, super bowl
