Uproxx: Watch Michael Jordan play pickup basketball with Tom Brady

I must have missed this when it happened, but I just came across Michael Jordan and Tom Brady playing pickup basketball together in the Bahamas (LINK). UPDATE: Link is fixed.

If that isn't cool enough, check out some beautiful women beyond the jump.

Video: Tom Brady at the NFL Combine

Lots of people look at Tom Brady as a college player or in pictures or video from the NFL Combine (see below), and they laugh at the scrawny guy who looks like an un-athletic tenth grader running through agility drills. The thing that people often forget is that when he played quarterback for Michigan and when he was going through QB-specific drills, he actually looked pretty darn good. It was only when asked to run around cones and run 40 yards in a straight line when he looked particularly awkward. It just goes to show that you don't have to be a great all-around athlete to be a professional athlete. I don't want to watch C.C. Sabathia run the 40-yard dash or see B.J. Raji throw a curveball, but they're both good at what they do.

Michigan-centric Super Bowl XLIX Preview: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

New England Patriots

vs. 

Seattle Seahawks

I'm not sure if you know this, but the Super Bowl is going to be played today at 6:30 p.m. EST on NBC. The media have been keeping it on the down-low since nothing exciting has happened. Also, the only person they're contractually allowed to interview is Marshawn Lynch, and since he won't talk, the media just gave up.

I'll be rooting for the Patriots because of Tom Brady. I'm really torn on whom to pick for the win, though. My head is telling me that the Seahawks have their mojo and keep finding ways to win. But oh well, I'll pick the Patriots with a 31-24 victory.

Below is the list of all the Big Ten (and Notre Dame) players you might have watched over the years. Michigan only has two representatives actually playing in the game (Tom Brady and Alan Branch), but there are a couple others who might get Super Bowl rings even though they're injured (Patriots linebacker Cam Gordon or Seahawks guard Steve Schilling).

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Tom Brady - QB - Michigan
Alan Branch - DT - Michigan
Michael Buchanan - DE - Illinois*
Jonathan Casillas - LB - Wisconsin
Alfonzo Dennard - CB - Nebraska*
Nate Ebner - S - Ohio State
Darius Fleming - LB - Notre Dame
Cameron Gordon - LB - Michigan*
Jonas Gray - RB - Notre Dame
Justin Green - CB - Illinois*
Duron Harmon - S - Rutgers
Michael Hoomanawanui - TE - Illinois
Eric Martin - LB - Nebraska*
Devin McCourty - S - Rutgers
James Morris - LB - Iowa*
Rob Ninkovich - DE - Purdue
Greg Orton - WR - Purdue*
Logan Ryan - CB - Rutgers
Joe Vellano - DT - Maryland
James White - RB - Wisconsin
Tavon Wilson - CB - Illinois
Tim Wright - TE - Rutgers

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Cliff Avril - DE - Purdue
Garry Gilliam - OT - Penn State
David Gilreath - WR - Wisconsin*
Jordan Hill - DT - Penn State*
Tony Moeaki - TE - Iowa
Stephen Schilling - OG - Michigan*
O'Brien Schofield - DE - Wisconsin
Mike Taylor - LB - Wisconsin*
Russell Wilson - QB - Wisconsin

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was 28/44 for 317 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 23-14 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

Honorable mention: New York Jet David Harris had 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in a 30-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Jacksonville Jaguars running back Denard Robinson had 10 carries for 30 yards before suffering a foot sprain that will cause him to miss the final three games of the season; the Jaguars lost to the Houston Texas, 27-13. Oakland Raider Charles Woodson made 8 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup in a 24-13 win over Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson sacked Alex Smith on Sunday evening

Charles Woodson made 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry in the Oakland Raiders' 24-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He also returned 1 punt for 5 yards.

Honorable mention: Tom Brady was 38/53 for 349 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the New England Patriots' 34-9 win over the Detroit Lions. Chicago Bears safety Ryan Mundy made 8 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup in a 21-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett didn't have a good week, but I thought it would be worth mentioning that after going 21/45 for 189 yards and 1 pick in a 22-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns, he was diagnosed with a torn pec and will miss the rest of the season. That was his second career start after being acquired from the Patriots, an unfortunate turn of events for the former Wolverine (and Arkansas Razorback).

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson had a game-high 14 tackles, but his Oakland Raiders lost to the San Diego Chargers by a score of 13-6.

Honorable mention: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was 19/30 for 257 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a 42-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan Mundy made 1 tackle and 1 interception in the Chicago Bears' 21-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady was 33/53 against the Denver Broncos for 333 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a 43-21 win. This season he is completing 64% of his passes for 22 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions.

Honorable mention: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Denard Robinson carried the ball 17 times for 94 yards and 1 touchdown, and added 2 catches for 10 yards in a 33-23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Robinson has the second-most rushing yards in the NFL over the past three weeks, behind only Dallas's DeMarco Murray. Robinson is averaging 5.0 yards/carry on the year and has scored 2 touchdowns.

It was a pretty weak week for former Wolverines.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson (image via blackandteal.com)

In Denard Robinson's third start for the Jacksonville Jaguars this year, he carried the ball 22 times for 127 yards and 1 touchdown. Jacksonville won the game against the Cleveland Browns by a score of 24-6.

Honorable mention: Oakland Raider Charles Woodson made 7 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 interception, which he returned for 30 yards; Oakland lost to the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 24-13; on the other side, linebacker Larry Foote made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack. Linebacker David Harris notched 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry in the New York Jets' 27-25 loss to the New England Patriots; Patriot quarterback Tom Brady completed 20/37 passes for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns.. Stephen Schilling made his first career start for the Seattle Seahawks at center, but it was a 28-26 loss to the St. Louis Rams. New York Giants running back Michael Cox returned 3 kickoffs for 87 yards (29 yards/return) in a 31-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady (image via Big House Report)

Tom Brady had his best game of the year so far when he went 27/37 for 361 yards and 4 touchdowns in New England's 37-22 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Honorable mention: Carolina Panther Jason Avant caught 5 passes for 47 yards in a 37-37 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. Michael Cox was called up from the practice squad to return 2 kicks for 53 yards in the New York Giants' 27-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles; on the other side, Brandon Graham made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Taylor Lewan made his first career start, which was at left tackle in the Tennessee Titans' 16-14 win over Jacksonville. In that same game, Denard Robinson had 5 carries for 22 yards and 3 catches for 14 yards on the losing side.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Ryan Mundy

Ryan Mundy (#21 in white)

In his first year with the Chicago Bears, safety Ryan Mundy made 2 tackles against the New York Jets and then picked off a Geno Smith pass, which he returned for a 45-yard touchdown in Chicago's 27-19 victory.

Honorable mention: Tom Brady was 24/37 for 234 yards and 1 touchdown as the New England Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders. In that same game, Charles Woodson made 4 tackles and broke up 2 of Brady's passes for the Raiders. Tim Jamison made 5 tackles for the Houston Texans, but they lost to the New York Giants by a score of 30-17.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Chad Henne

Chad Henne

Chad Henne started the season opener for the Jaguars over this year's first round pick, Blake Bortles. Henne went 24/43 for 266 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The Jags jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but they gave up 34 unanswered points in a 34-17 loss. In that same game, Denard Robinson had 3 carries for 8 yards and 1 catch for 3 yards. On the other sideline, Brandon Graham had 4 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

Honorable mention: Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders had 9 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup in a 19-14 loss to the New York Jets. Arizona Cardinal linebacker Larry Foote had 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups in an 18-17 win over the San Diego Chargers on Monday night. New York Giants free safety Stevie Brown had 9 tackles in a 35-14 loss to the Detroit Lions. Tom Brady was 29/56 for 249 yards and 1 touchdown in a 33-20 Patriots loss to the Miami Dolphins.

NFL Wolverines: 2013 Statistics

Denard Robinson, Chad Henne, Jordan Kovacs

Despite the football program's recent and not-so-recent struggles, Michigan continues to be well-represented in the NFL.  Here's a list by position group:

Quarterback

Tom Brady recorded an 87.3 quarterback rating, his lowest since 2003.  Still, 4,343 yards and 25 touchdowns isn't too shabby.

Chad Henne continued to show that he can be a valuable and reliable backup in the NFL.  The only problem is that Henne played a starting roll for the Jacksonville Jaguars, which resulted in a 4-13 record.  After the season, the Jags still locked up him for another two years.  Henne finished the season with a 76.5 quarterback rating, 3,241 yards passing, 13 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.

Ryan Mallett didn't see game action backing up Tom Brady.

Running Back

Denard Robinson carried the ball 20 times for a total of 66 yards.  Although that only amounted to a 3.3 yard average, he did have an impressive 24-yard run against the Buffalo Bills.  Unfortunately, Robinson fumbled at the end of the play--one of his three fumbles on the season--and the ball was recovered by Buffalo in the endzone for a safety.

Michael Cox  recorded 43 yards on 22 rushing attempts in his rookie year for the New York Giants.  He also operated as an on-again, off-again kick returner, registering a 56-yard return against the Detroit Lions late in the season.

Wide Receiver

Jason Avant is a "wonderful catcher of balls . . . and such a good receiver for all the Eagles, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," or so the song goes.  He finished the season with 38 receptions for 447 yards and two touchdowns.  Avant signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers at year's end. 

Junior Hemingway played in every game, and totaled 13 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns.  He also recorded eight tackles, presumably on special teams.

Mario Manningham played in six games but did not accrue any statistics during his injury-plagued season for San Francisco.  He later signed a one-year deal with his former team, the New York Giants.

Offensive Line

Jonathan Goodwin graded out as the second best center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, and played in all 16 games for the 49ers.  Despite that, he has yet to be re-signed by his team and is currently a free agent.

Jake Long started and played in 15 games for his new team the St. Louis Rams.  He spent the previous five seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

Steve Schilling played in seven games as a San Diego Charger before signing with the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.

David Baas played in three games for the New York Giants.  He is now a free agent. 

William Campbell suited up for the New York Jets but did not see game action.

Patrick Omameh did not see game action with his team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

David Molk was not in the league during the 2013 season after being cut by the Chargers; however, he recently signed with Chip Kelly and the Eagles and is listed on the team roster.

Hit the jump for the defensive players.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

In a 34-14 loss to the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raider Charles Woodson had 11 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry.

Honorable mention: The Jacksonville Jaguars' Chad Henne went 30/51 for 331 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in a 30-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Avant caught 3 passes for 45 yards in a 24-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Kansas City Chief Junior Hemingway had 5 catches for 45 yards in a 27-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Tom Brady completed 14/24 passes for 122 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in a 34-20 Patriots win over the Buffalo Bills.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady

The Tom Brady of old is back! Brady was 23/33 for 432 yards and 4 touchdowns. His Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score 55-31.

Honorable mention: The Steelers' LaMarr Woodley had 8 total tackles and 1 fumble recovery in the loss. David Harris had 10 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in the New York Jets' 26-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: David Harris

David Harris

New York Jets inside linebacker David Harris had 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry in a 19-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the season, he has 51 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 3 quarterback hurries.

Honorable mention: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was 25/43 for 269 yards, 1 interception, and 1 game-winning touchdown in a 30-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Alan Branch had 6 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in the Buffalo Bills' 27-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley had 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 2 quarterback hurries in the Steelers' win over the Jets. Oakland Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson had 3 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in a 24-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady

Tom Brady had a 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, completing 20/31 passes for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns. His New England Patriots are 4-0.

Honorable mention: Jay Feely hit the game-winning field goal for the Arizona Cardinals in a 13-10 win. LaMarr Woodley had 3 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble but his Pittsburgh Steelers lost a 34-27 game to the Minnesota Vikings. Oakland Raider Charles Woodson had 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry in a 24-14 losing effort against the Washington Redskins.

NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 #4 - Tom Brady

I like Charles Woodson's  profile better, but apparently the NFL doesn't like free promotion and disallows embedding.  Brady and Woodson are the only two former Wolverines on this year's list.  Last year, they checked in at #4 and #36, respectively, and were also joined by Jake Long (#59) and LaMarr Woodley (#63).

A Patriot for Life

Via the Washington Post

Tom Brady has reportedly signed a three-year contract extension with the New England Patriots worth an estimated $27 million.  Already signed through 2014, the deal makes Brady a Patriot through 2017 and the age of 40 -- almost certainly ensuring that he finishes his career with the same team that drafted him out of Michigan with the 199th overall pick.

Although $27 million dollars sounds like--and indeed is--a ludicrous sum of money, Brady is actually signing for much less than his true market value.  In turn, the Patriots immediately free up $15 million in cap space and retain more capital to build a better team.  For the sake of comparison, most expect Baltimore quarterback Joe Flaco to make around $20 million per year when he finally inks his new deal.

SI notes that this is not the first time that Brady has put his team first during contract negotiations.  His last contract, worth $60 million over six years, paid him about $5 million less per year than Peyton Manning at the time.  Although Brady's sacrifice is clearly a noble act that reflects his team-first mentality, there may be a secondary gain in order.  If the extra cap room results in an improved Patriot team and an additional Super Bowl win or two, Brady could stand to make substantially more money in sponsorship and advertising.  

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Brady wearing an Ohio State jersey after losing a bet on The Game to teammate Mike Vrabel

A Michigan Man now holds the NFL record for most playoff wins by a starting quarterback.  The 41-28 Brady-led victory over the Texans on Sunday earns him a 17th playoff victory and a #1 spot in the record books directly above Joe Montana.  Brady's three touchdown, 344-yard performance also elevates him to third place for most touchdowns thrown in the playoffs and extends his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 48.  Only Drew Brees has more (54).  Brady's work is not yet finished this year, of course, as he and the Patriots are scheduled to take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game this weekend.

Honorable Mention:

• Zoltan Mesko booted two 60-plus yard punts.
• Jonathan Goodwin helped pave the way for 323 rushing yards and a 49er win, and in his second year in the league, Coach Jim Harbaugh leads his team to the Conference Championship Game.

Miscellaneous: 

• Charles Woodson and Alan Branch end their seasons as the Packers and Seahawks lose in the Divisional Round. 

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Stevie Brown

"Many years from now, I will be awesome." - Brown, '08

Another interception, another 40-plus yard return, a couple more items to throw on the already large pile of evidence that suggests Stevie Brown is a good starting safety with a bright, highlight-filled future.  Brown wins the NFC's Defensive Player of the Week award for the second time this year as he and his Giants wrap up their season with a blowout over the Eagles.  Brown finishes the year with eight interceptions (2nd in the NFL), 307 interception return yards (1st in the NFL, Giants' single-season record), 76 tackles, two fumbles forced, two fumbles recovered, and 11 pass break-ups.  Expect those numbers to earn him plenty of dollars and attention from teams around the league when he hits the free agent market in March.

Honorable mention:  Tom Brady threw for 284 yards and lead the Patriots to a 28-0 win over the Dolphins.

Miscellaneous:

• Following a nine-game absence, Charles Woodson is medically cleared and expected to play in the Packer's playoff game on Saturday against the Vikings.  He joins Leon Hall (Bengals), Alan Branch (Seahawks), Jonathan Goodwin (49ers), Tom Brady, and Zoltan Mesko (Patriots) as U of M's representatives in the playoffs.