Tom Brady was named the most-hated quarterback in the NFL by Public Policy Polling, garnering 18 percent of the vote, and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath can understand why.

Broadway Joe knows a thing or two about being a hated man. He was despised during much of his 13-year NFL career for his unusual style, cocky demeanor and on-field success. So, while today’s NFL is very different, Namath still can relate to what the New England Patriots quarterback has to face.

“I think he looks at his wife [Gisele Bundchen‘s] pictures in the magazines and holds her hands more than he reads his own press clips,” Namath told Metro in a phone interview last week. “It is the wins No. 1, then because he is so visible [why he is disliked]. It is human nature to want that success and want to see your own quarterback succeed.”

The trait Namath described is better known as jealousy, and Brady’s two NFL MVP awards, three Super Bowl rings and countless Pro Bowl selections are worth envying. But Namath doesn’t see the jealousy in a negative light. Instead he says being disliked should be something of a “compliment” for Brady.

“Opponents having to play against Brady have to be legitimately angry seeing his smile on the sideline after touchdowns,” Namath said. “It’s kind of a compliment to be disliked by so many opponents. It comes from winning first.”

Winning is something Brady has done plenty of during his 13 seasons as the Patriots’ starting quarterback, so much so that he’ll start his eighth career AFC Championship Game on Sunday in Denver — something that might have his quarterback counterpart, Peyton Manning, feeling a little jealous.

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