Tom Brady Gives Bitcoin to Fan for Return of TD Ball, Fan Asks for Round of Golf

By Jeff John Roberts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady threw his 600th touchdown pass on Sunday, but his tight end unwittingly tossed the historical game ball to a fan in the stands—meaning team officials had to go retrieve it.

The ball recipient, a Bucs fan named Byron Kennedy, promptly gave the ball back. Brady nonetheless offered him a gift in the form of signed jerseys and a helmet, as well as season tickets for next year and the rest of this one.

Then on Monday, the NFL legend revealed he will throw in an even more valuable prize: one Bitcoin, which is currently worth more than $60,000. Brady tweeted and tagged FTX, the exchange where he is an investor and ambassador, to help him "make a trade." Later, on Monday night, Brady cross-posted the tweet to his Instagram story and said: "This went well for all of us."

Speaking to Peyton and Eli Manning on ESPN during Monday Night Football, Brady joked that Kennedy made a mistake in giving the ball back right away: "Byron realized he lost all of his leverage once he gave the ball away." Indeed, sports memorabilia seller Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions estimated that the 600th TD ball is worth $500,000.

Peyton Manning jokingly asked Brady if the ball is already in Canton, Ohio—where the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located—or if Brady had already made it into an NFT.

Brady responded by plugging Autograph, the NFT platform he co-launched this summer that has attracted numerous high profile athletes and celebrities. "It's shortly an NFT," joked Brady. "Autograph.io, you go there to bid on it."

As for Kennedy, during a TV interview of his own on Monday, a sports reporter asked if he would like to renegotiate the package he received for returning the game ball.

"Renegotiate, no. But maybe play a round of golf with Tom as a repayment? I think that would be pretty cool," said Kennedy.

It was not clear if Kennedy made the remark before or after learning that his gift package will include one Bitcoin. Neither Brady nor the Buccaneers immediately commented on the golf request.

As of Monday night, an NFT of the game ball had yet to appear on Autograph.io, which offers other collectibles from famous athletes like Simone Biles and Derek Jeter, and which has recently added musician The Weeknd and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to its board.

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