Three Things for February 2
1. Tom Brady retires from the NFL after 22 seasons
After 22 successful seasons and seven Super Bowl wins, Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL.
During his retirement, Brady wants to spend more time with his wife and children and to leave the competition to more dedicated athletes.
“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady captioned a post on Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”
The former NFL quarterback said he is still figuring out how he will spend his time, but he plans to be involved in his TB12 health and wellness company, clothing line and NFT company.
“Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He was 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs,” reports AP News.
In 2020, Brady was drafted to the Buccaneers and his talent transformed the team. Before Brady, the Buccaneers hadn’t won a playoff game in 18 years.
“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition — if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady said. “There is a physical, mental, and emotional challenge every single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.”
2. Olympic torch relay starts for Beijing Games
The Opening Ceremony at the Beijing Games will take place on Feb. 4. The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics, shortened considerably because of coronavirus concerns, started today, Feb. 2. Former speed skater Luo Zhihuan, 80, ran the first leg.
The relay began at the Olympic Foreign Park. The torch will be carried through the three Olympics zones, starting with downtown Beijing before heading to Yanqing district and finally Zhangjiakou.
After hosting the 2008 Olympics, Beijing is set to become the first city to ever host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games.
“The Beijing Games have already been impacted on a scale similar to that experienced by Tokyo during last year’s Summer Olympics. China says only selected spectators will be allowed to attend events, and Olympic athletes, officials, staff and journalists are required to stay within a bubble that keeps them from contact with the general public,” reports AP News.
Participants in the torch relay have undergone health screenings and have been carefully monitored, starting two weeks before the event.
“Others among the 135 torchbearers heading out Wednesday were Jing Haipeng, captain of the Chinese Astronaut Corps, Ye Peijian, a 77-year-old consultant to China’s lunar exploration program, former NBA player Yao Ming, and Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who will direct Friday’s opening ceremony at the Bird’s Nest,” reports AP News.
According to NBC, the United States will send almost 80 athletes to compete in Beijing. The 2022 Beijing Olympics are set to include a record 109 sporting events this year, with seven new events in snowboarding, bobsled and skiing.
3. Native American tribes win $590 million opioid settlement with drug distributors
Opioid distributors now have to pay a settlement of $590 million to Native Americans and Alaska Natives due to opioid overdoses in recent years.
“The plaintiffs in the case are more than 400 tribes who say the opioid makers and distributors were responsible for the opioid crisis in their communities and say they've faced increased costs in health care, social services, child care and more as a result,” reports NPR.
Johnson & Johnson will pay $150 million over two years while AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health agreed to pay around $440 million over seven years.
According to NPR, 15% of the settlement will go towards lawyer fees and 85% will go towards drug treatment and related programs.
"This is a historic settlement that goes a small but important distance toward addressing a killing epidemic that devastated tribal communities," said Lloyd Miller, one of the lead attorneys on the case representing 120 tribes. "It is historic because at long last Tribes and States are standing shoulder to shoulder in addressing mass disasters,” reported NPR.
