Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady was an uncomfortable, hilarious watch. Everything was on the table — except Robert Kraft’s infamous day spa scandal — as a group of comedians and former New England Patriots players took turns bashing Brady and each other. You can click here to view our full roundup of the roast, which was R-rated — with a capital “R.”
A lot happened during the three-plus hour event in Los Angeles, some of which we’re still struggling to process. Our bingo card certainly didn’t include Brady ribbing Bill Belichick for being caught on a Ring camera after an apparent one-night stand. But, for this story, let’s focus on what was arguably the most awkward moment of the evening.
Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft Forced To Toast During Tom Brady Roast
Since the legendary head coach left the Patriots earlier this offseason, Belichick and Kraft have been embroiled in a not-so-subtle feud that has been a bad look for all involved. It’s probably fair to assume that, before Sunday night, they’d neither seen nor spoken to each other since Belichick’s farewell event in January.
But that changed during Brady’s roast — in a big way.
Midway through the event, Belichick took the stage and nervously read through a series of decent jokes. Belichick even took a shot at “The Dynasty” docuseries, which has drawn significant criticism for painting him in a negative light.
MORE: After the Roast of Tom Brady, Which NFL Stars Should Be Next?
Shortly after Belichick finished, host Kevin Hart called upon Kraft, who was seated in the audience throughout the event. Kraft spoke for roughly a minute, with one of his jokes seemingly alluding to the tension between the two. He finished with a message for Vladimir Putin, who still has one of his Super Bowl rings.
Hart then returned to the podium and urged Belichick and Kraft to share a toast. Neither man seemed interested, but Kraft eventually stood up and walked to the stage. After receiving a shot from Rob Gronkowski, Belichick stood and went to the podium to meet Kraft. The two shared a toast, with Kraft using the moment to praise his former head coach.
“I want to say this is the greatest coach in the history of the game, that did what no one else had done,” Kraft said. “And having Tom Brady and him was the greatest honor the good Lord gave me.”
You can watch the moment in the NSFW videos below:
Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft just took a shot together.
This is amazing.https://t.co/lH9uaR85YI
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 6, 2024
Netflix'in The Roast of Tom Brady'sini yeni bitirdim. Favorilerim Drew Bledsoe, Randy Moss, Belichick, Gronk, Edelman..
Darginlarinlarin da baristigi gece, Oppenheimer uzunlugunda olmasaymis daha guzel olurmus. Buna ragmen bircok kisiye soz gelmedi..pic.twitter.com/yoSxEVco1w
— Kaan Ozaydin (@kaanozaydin) May 6, 2024
Some will say that moment provided the closure that Kraft, Belichick, and Patriots fans needed. That it was organic and indicative of the two NFL legends letting bygones be bygones.
We’re not buying it.
Belichick was all smiles for much of the evening, even as roasters ridiculed him for not having a job, not being married, and not succeeding without Brady. He actually seemed to have a great time.
But Belichick hardly managed a grin during the toast with Kraft. And if you looked closely while Hart proposed the toast, Belichick sat expressionless, seemingly waiting for Kraft to make the first move. Given Belichick’s indifference toward awkward tension during press conferences, he probably would’ve been fine silently punting on the whole thing.
Maybe we’re being too cynical. Maybe Belichick genuinely enjoyed the moment but just did a poor job of hiding his nervousness.
Regardless, the toast, necessary as it might have been, felt forced and was an uncomfortable watch.
Where Do Things Stand in Belichick-Kraft Feud?
Remember: We’re only a few weeks removed from a lengthy ESPN report that detailed the depths of the bitterness between Belichick and Kraft.
The report accused Kraft of condemning Belichick during an early January conversation with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, a report the Patriots strongly denied. Belichick reportedly believes Kraft is partly responsible for his not landing a job during this offseason’s hiring cycle.
ESPN also reported that Belichick thought he would’ve been “sticking it” to the Kraft family by joining the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Belichick and his inner circle also believe he was smeared in “The Dynasty,” which Kraft greenlit but recently distanced himself from.
Roast mode… deactivated #TheRoastOfTomBrady pic.twitter.com/YjGGa34SAe
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) May 6, 2024
As for Kraft, ESPN’s report claimed he “lost trust” in Belichick, found him “very arrogant,” and “felt betrayed” by how he ran the Patriots since Brady left New England in 2020.
And that’s just the ESPN report. Numerous reports in recent years paint a detailed picture of the dysfunction that eroded the Belichick-Kraft relationship before January’s split.
Is a sip of alcohol really all it takes for those kinds of egos to bury the hatchet? No shot.
With all that said, the Brady roast was a resounding, unforeseen success. Initially dismissed as a lame and probably unfunny publicity stunt, the roast was an offensive, raunchy, and belligerent delight — if you’re into that sort of stuff. It also served as the Patriots reunion that nobody knew they needed.
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