That's My Quarterback: Drake Maye and His Bride Donated All Their Wedding Gifts to a Homeless Shelter
The giving of wedding gifts is one of the most complicated social traditions we practice. Even though it's been around in some form from the beginning of civilization, it's a tough one to master. Some people are experts at it:
But as any bride and groom will confirm, some are just horrifically inept at it. Even though you very awkwardly tell your guests what to give you, spelling it out with a registry of gifts that you yourself picked out, you're still going to have those deadbeats who accept your invitation, eat the expensive meal and bacon-wrapped scallops you provided free of charge, and still come bearing gifts worth less than the cost of the paper their invite was printed on. Still others will stiff you altogether, like it was somehow your privilege to have their brokeass selves at the bride's special day. It's truly a tradition that brings out the worst in some of the people we allegedly care about.
But for others, it can be their finest hour. A chance to show their worth as human beings. And I'm happy to report that the young bridegroom who has been filling the GOAT-shaped hole in my heart is one of those humans.
If you thought Drake Maye's recent wedding peaked with this under-center, 12-personnel balanced formation:
… I'm happy to report he and his lovely bride went far beyond merely producing the best groomsmen photo of all time. They used their family and friends' generosity to make the world a better place:
SI - 98.5 The Sports Hub's Scott Zolak shared that the newlyweds have since made an incredible gesture: donating all of their wedding gifts to those in need.
"So the wedding gifts," Zolak began on his eponymous radio show, Zolak and Bertrand on Tuesday. "He didn't tell anybody, and he had this supposed deal with his current wife that—they did a lot of donating with the local kids shelters and stuff for the area he grew up and some kids didn't have [the right] size shoes, didn't have some Christmas stuff—they didn't tell anybody, but they took their wedding gifts and sent them to the homeless and help centers down there."
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Now let me be the first to admit, I'm not the gift giver in my marriage. My generous Irish Rose makes those arrangements and I typically hear what she picked out as we're on our way to the venue. And therefore the thrifty, frugal Irishman in me wonders I've I'd be a little perturbed that she shelled out for the 800-thread count Egyptian cotton bed linens only to have them be given away to the needy, since I could've gotten away with the cheapest set sold by the Ocean State Job Lot. But I'll suppress that cheap bastard instinct.
Instead, I'll celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Drake Maye for their selflessness and generosity. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes them better people than most, and - just to bring it back to the Patriots - can only help him become an even better quarterback. A true leader of men:
The kind who can inspire those around him. Command a huddle. Remain calm and confident under the most trying circumstances. And, if need be, complete a throw to his running back while they're both on personal watercraft:
From Day One of taking ownership of this team, Mr. Kraft has made community service a priority. And it has worked. It transformed new purchase into the most successful franchise in all of sport. In part because winning off the field begets winning on the field. And the new face of his franchise is already, in just his second offseason, proving he fits right into the culture in Foxboro.
That's my quarterback.