Ro's Recz

For sports fans who enjoyed watching The Last Dance, there is a similar show now available on ESPN+. It is called Man in the Arena, and it follows the career/life of Tom Brady.

I think that the show might have been better off waiting until Brady’s career ends before being released, but who knows when that will be? Given all the excitement and hype that The Last Dance received, I think ESPN and Brady’s team wanted to capitalize on the opportunity. I do find it a bit weird that Man in the Arena is only available on ESPN+ though, rather than having a time slot on ESPN like The Last Dance did.

I thought Man in the Arena was a great show, and it was fascinating to get to see an inside look at the greatest NFL player of all time. The show starts from Brady’s first year in the NFL all the way up until 2019 (so it doesn’t show any highlights from his most recent Super Bowl run with the Bucs); in each episode, Brady speaks (as well as a couple of guest teammates) on the given time period.

As a Tom Brady fan, it was great to see what really makes Brady tick and how he has managed to stay elite in the NFL for over 20 years. All of the story is told from Brady’s perspective, so it is not an objective view of history; however, similar to The Last Dance, it is great to hear the GOAT talk about his career arc.

Man in the Arena Recommendation Rating: 5

1: Something worth checking out if you have time

2: Something that is a hit for some people, but not a must for everyone

3: Something worth prioritizing if interested

4: Something worth making time to check out

5: An absolute home run, worth going out of your way for