I'm going to start off by saying it: Tom Brady probably shouldn't go around saying "kick the dog" on the air or anywhere else in 2025, but he did and here we are. But I don't think he was talking about animal abuse.

No, that's an old phrase to talk about taking your anger out elsewhere -- my AP Psych teacher in high school used it to illustrate what "displacement" meant -- that is antiquated and a little dangerous given that when, say, a leading Fox NFL analyst says it on the air, people immediately worry about how Brady treats his pups.

Here's a summary of the backlash from Sunday's broadcast that left some folks scratching their heads:

Oops. It's a turn of phrase, but maybe leave that one at home next time, Tom.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Tom Brady gets so much backlash with 'kick the dog' line on air

Reporting by Charles Curtis, For The Win / For The Win

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect