The black tape on Tom Brady’s throwing hand during the AFC Championship was more than just a bandage protecting the 12 stitches he received after a mid-week collision with a teammate.
The black adhesive strip was actually a therapeutic tape sought out by a “mysterious doctor” to help Brady play through the injury, SportTechie reports.
At the annual conference of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society late last week in Glendale, Ariz., KT Tape’s brand marketing manager, Jacki Cassady, was working a convention booth when she was approached by a doctor with some questions on how the company’s kinesiology tape might help a very specific abrasion in a very particular area of the hand near the thumb.
The story get’s really interesting from there. Cassady contacted a KT Tape rep who happened to be in Philadelphia and was able to overnight a package of KT Tape Pro Extreme to Foxborough, Massachusetts, by Saturday.
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By Sunday, the football world was exposed to KT Tape as Brady, seemingly undaunted by the injury, led the Patriots to a 24-20 comeback victory over the Jaguars and secured a berth in his eighth Super Bowl.
The tape quickly became the talk of Twitter.
Has there ever been a more famous piece of tape than the one on Tom Brady’s hand right now? I hope this piece of tape is bragging to all his friends back in the training room after this.
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) January 21, 2018
Kinesiology Therapeutic tape has been around since the 1970s, mostly used in various bright colors by beach volleyball players. Its elasticity and ability to shed moisture make it perfect for athletes.
From KT Tape’s website:
When an area of the body is injured through impact or over-use, the lymphatic fluid builds up causing inflammation and swelling. This accumulation of lymphatic fluids may cause increased pressure on muscles and tissue which can cause significant discomfort or pain. It is believed that when applied correctly, KT Tape lifts the skin, decompressing the layers of fascia, allowing for greater movement of lymphatic fluid which transports white blood cells throughout the body and removes waste products, cellular debris, and bacteria.
Whether it aided Brady’s play is unknown, but his 26-of-38 performance for 290 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions sure looked like a ringing endorsement.
When the mysterious doctor who connected with Cassady about the tape was leaving her booth last week, he said to her: “Watch the games on Sunday, and see if you see your product.”
