At Least Gisele’s Not Married to a Ref

So, you think it’s great to be Gisele Bundchen?

You want to be a sexy supermodel? You want to be married to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady who some might say is equally sexy? You want to be rich and famous? Well, all of that comes with a price.

For starters, you have to have a thick skin. So thick that you need to be able to set aside your feelings and opinions when you are confronted by exuberant Giants fans immediately after your husband’s team loses in the Super Bowl.

And because she is rich and famous and married to Brady, Bundchen’s comments were captured on video by the gossip Web site, theinsider.com. She was heard saying: “My husband cannot f------ throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time,” Bundchen said. “I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times.”

Believe me, it’s hard to bite your tongue, to stay composed. I know. I’ve been there. No, my husband and his teammates didn’t just lose a big game, much less a Super Bowl. However, my husband has officiated basketball games for several years, at various levels. And if you think that Tom Brady suffered a verbal pummeling with every errant throw, just imagine the beating the officiating team takes.

I sat in witness, listening to comments, some directed specifically at my husband, and others directed at the refs in general. I’ve heard all types of comments ranging from how bad the officiating team’s eyesight is to cruel taunts about the best way the officials should meet their demise. Win or lose, despite dropped balls or overthrown passes, hundreds of fans still show up the next Sunday decked out in “12” or “83” or “insert your favorite player” jerseys.

However, most fans have a negative view on officiating—and they all think they can do a better job than the officials on the floor. And what’s more, except for a handful of officiating “geeks,”—and believe me, they exist—very few people show up to games rocking the black-and-white stripes of the officiating crew.

I’m not rich or famous or married to Tom Brady, but I do benefit on so many levels. For one, I’m not easily recognized. In fact, unless my husband comes over to chat with me during a break or before the game, very few people are aware of our relationship. And even if they were—and some have been, and I’ve heard about it—I wouldn’t respond to their comments. I know, as an official’s wife, that it comes with the territory.

After several days of unflattering media coverage and comments, including an unfortunate choice of words from Giants running back Brandon Jacobs who said that Bundchen “needs to continue to stay cute and shut up,” (he has since apologized), I suspect that Bundchen truly appreciates that taking the high road might benefit her greatly the next time she finds herself in this situation. And believe, now that people are aware of how easy it is to mock her, fans will try to test her.

Let’s just hopes she passes the next time around.