Jacket and tie

Tedy Bruschi was a big fan of the "hat and T-shirt" moments. Those were the games where a championship was on the line. Be it the division, the conference, or the Super Bowl. You win and it's hats and T-shirts for everyone. Those were the games when Bruschi was at his best.

This weekend it was a "jacket and tie" moment as Bruschi (and longtime announcer Gil Santos) was inducted into the Pats' Hall of Fame.

Once again, Bruschi was at his best. Here's the link to the highlights of the ceremony on Patriots.com.

Full tilt

Tom Brady. Rodney Harrison. Willie McGinest. Corey Dillon. Ty Law. Kevin Faulk. Troy Brown. Mike Vrabel. Matt Light. Antoine Smith. Deion Branch. Richard Seymour. They are the names that make up the Patriots' three-titles-in-four-years dynasty.

There's another name that goes on that list. In the minds of many people, it's the name that goes right at the top.

Tedy Bruschi. Or, as it was pronounced on game day at Foxborough and Gillette stadiums, Tedy Bruuuuuuuuuschi! Brady has been the face -- and the hair -- of the franchise for more than a decade now, but Bruschi was the team's heart and soul when it was winning titles.

Bruschi is getting his red jacket today as he enters the Pats' Hall of Fame. The plaza outside the Hall was jammed last year when Brown became the first ring holder to be inducted. It should be overflowing with fans today for the man who may be the most popular Patriot of all time.

He came to the Pats in the '96 draft with Lawyer Milloy and Terry Glenn as part of Bill Parcells's rebuilding project. Along with Drew Bledsoe, Ted Johnson, and Ty Law they formed the young nucleus that helped turn the franchise around. Bruschi was a defensive lineman for Arizona State, tying the NCAA record for sacks with 52. But he was considered too small to play the line in the NFL. So where to play him? That was a problem Parcells had for a while. Bruschi was moved to linebacker but saw little playing time at first because the Pats had Johnson, McGinest, Todd Collins, and veteran Chris Slade. A pretty solid foursome. When he did get into the game he made an impression. Mostly on special teams. I would yell down from Section 311 to "Get Bruschi in there" but I don't think Parcells heard me. But it was clear Parcells was trying to do just that.

In 1997 Bruschi became a starter and quickly developed into a clutch playmaker. He's the kind of player the Pats are in need of the most these days. A guy on defense who can change a game with one play. There are so many Bruschi highlights that it is difficult to pick out just a few, but here are my top 5 Tedy moments in no particular order:

• "They ain't got it!" Second of the great Pats-Colts playoff games. Pats hold a mere 6-0 lead against the high-octane Colt offense in the cold and snow. Manning and the Colts are driving. He hits running back Dominic Rhodes with a pass over the middle and Bruschi arrives a second after the ball does. And he came away with the ball, wrestling it from Rhodes with sheer will. It is the Bruschi moment. He simply out-hustled the other guy. He came to the sideline and raised the ball in the air barking "They're looking for this! They ain't got it! They ain't got it!" The Pats went on to a 20-3 victory, the most dominant performance of the dynasty.
• Let it snow. The other snow game. The one against Miami in the regular season of 2004. It was snowing so hard that as I sat in my car on Route 1 not moving, the guy on the radio announced "If you aren't at the stadium yet you should turn around and go home." Turn around and go home? I've been in traffic for three hours. I'm a mile away. Screw that. I'm glad I didn't take the advice. Bruschi makes the big play of the game, picking off a pass inside the 10 and returning it for a touchdown, sliding on his knees in the snow as he crossed the goal line. That was followed by those who did make it to the game tossing the snow into the air in celebration. Bruschi started tossing snow, too. It looked like winter fireworks.
• Down goes Drew! The sack of Drew Bledsoe in Week 3 of that same season put away a close game as the Pats were driving for their record unbeaten streak. Bruschi sacked old-friend Bledsoe, forcing a fumble, and after nailing Drew to the field, got up and threw the block that let Richard Seymour take the fumble in for a TD and the 31-17 victory. One of my all-time favorite Pats' highlights.
• The comeback. After suffering a stroke just a few days after winning his third Super Bowl, Bruschi comes back to play in a home game in Week 7 against the Bills. Nine months after nearly dying. I always felt that he would play again if he recovered fully. He was in the prime of his career and from my seat in the stands you could see just how much he loved playing the game at the highest level. I can still remember the ovation when he was introduced. It was just one of those great moments that sports can give you. He was on he field for more than 70 plays that game and made 10 tackles. And of course the Pats won.
• Faulk you. The first Super Bowl title. 2002. The underdog Pats pull the upset over the high-powered Rams by playing football the way it was meant to be played. Nasty. Not loud-mouth Ray Lewis style of nasty, but workman-like Tedy Bruschi hit 'em till it hurts style. Early in the game the Rams superstar RB Marshall Faulk (speaking of loud-mouths) takes the ball and heads right toward a gaping hole. Bruschi steps up from his linebacker spot to take on Faulk -- one-on-one. Faulk goes to deke his way to a big play and Bruschi hits him square in the midsection and takes him down. Hard. He gets up and lets out a roar. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

Bruschi is the Terry O'Reilly of the Patriots. Not the fastest. Not the biggest. Not the most skilled. But the hardest worker and the smartest at how the game is played. O'Reilly was the spiritual leader of those great Bruins teams of the late '70s and early '80s. He was and is my favorite Bruin. You could see how much he loved the game and he set a work ethic that everyone else on the team felt driven to match. Bruschi was that guy for the Pats. When Bill Belichick called Bruschi "the perfect player" upon his retirement a few years ago, he could have been talking about O'Reilly. The word is heart. Looking back now, it's no surprise that he was drafted by Parcells. He finished his career as a Belichick guy, but he was a Parcells guy long before anyone knew there would be such a thing as a Belichick guy.

I can understand how football fans across the country hate the Pats. I've got no problem with it. It's how I felt about the Cowboys on the '80s and the Steelers in the '70s. After a while you get sick of seeing the same team at the top. But anyone who doesn't love to watch the way Tedy Bruschi played the game isn't really a football fan. You may have tired of his "Patriot Way" talk (as I have) but he meant it. To him the Patriot Way was all about hustle, effort, and dedication.

We sat in Section 311 in the old stadium, not too far from the top but still with a great view of the game. Our four seats at Gillette are in Section 109 on the 45-yard line behind the Pats bench. About 15 rows back. I wouldn't think there are too many seats with a better view of the game -- and of the bench. One of the best parts of sitting so close has been studying the interaction of the players and their head coach.

It's been fascinating to watch as the defensive players huddled with Belichick on the sideline while Brady and the offense are on the field. Belichick would gather the veteran defensive guys around him, sometimes with a dry-erase board in hand, and start going over what the other team is doing and how to stop it. And the players would soak in every word. Bruschi chief among them. He was like having another coach on the sideline. From the moment he joined the team, Bruschi was a player you just loved to root for.

Like Terry O'Reilly, guys like Tedy Bruschi don't come around all that often.

Football weather

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
Patriots 17, Titans 14 (1/10/'04): The forecast for tailgating before today's AFC Championship game is promising. When me and my friends roll into the Enchanted Forest lot about six hours before kickoff temperatures are expected to be around 40 under partly sunny skies, albeit with a steady wind. Perfect day for grilling, drinking, and talking football. If only the game was scheduled to start while the sun was still in the sky. It's not. Kickoff will be around 6:30 and during the game temperatures are expected to go down into the 20s and the winds are expected to go up. Wind chill near zero. Hmmmm. Where I have heard that before? Right. The coldest game in Patriots' history.

The record shows that it was four degrees above zero at game time when the Patriots met the Titans at Gillette for a playoff game in the winter of '04. I guess that is the temperature at which vodka freezes. And the temperature where the brain goes numb. Well maybe that has as much to do with the vodka as the temperature.

The main characters in these tales were all present for one of the great playoff games not just in Pats history but NFL history. Shep (the key to us moving from Section 311 in the old stadium to Section 109 in the new stadium... a story for another day), Mark (a drunken discussion one night led to him standing in a snowstorm for hours to buy four season tickets), Bergs (the guy who makes sure there's no meat left uneaten), Billy (there's one in every group), Matt (Shep's son who was new to the group at that point but would later become so dedicated to the tailgates that he would make the drive to and from New York for the games), and Toph (Mark's brother and master Dead-mix maker) brought as many things to keep us warm as we could think of. We were joined by my sister and her son, Pete. They scored tickets online and drove down from Maine to stand in the cold and tailgate with us. Since it was probably much colder in Maine (isn't it always?) I guess it wasn't that crazy.

My friends and I had season tickets since 1994 and during that time we enjoyed an incredible... almost ridiculous... run of great weather for football games in New England. And I'm not just talking about the 70 degree early season September games. There were late December games in T-shirts and shorts (give him a day above 40 degrees and Bergs will wear shorts). There were many times as we sat there in the parking lot of the old Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium enjoying the meal and drinks of the day where one of us would be heard to say "One of these days I hope we get one of those really really really cold days. Football weather. How fun would that be?" As we unloaded our gear that day I thought of those words. Actually, it was so cold I could almost see my thoughts as one can see your breath. "... one of those really really really cold days." Uh huh.

My personal plan was to bring as many layers as I thought I could fit into and slowly add them as the temperature around and inside my body dropped. A normal number of layers for a cold day is three maybe four. That day I had 10. Thirty minutes into the four-hour pregame tailgate and I was on layer number six. Coincidentally the same number of vodka and cranberry juices that Bergs was on. We all have our own way of keeping warm. Everywhere you looked around the stadium lot you could see barrels and fire pits blazing as men and women bundled in what looked like very flammable clothing stood just inches away from the flames. At one point a barrel positioned too close to a porta-john tipped over and the plastic toilet caught on fire, the flames slowly rising higher and higher. The fire engine on standby at the lot had to fight its way through the growing crowd gathered around the burning toilet for warmth. When the fire was extinguished there was an audible groan. Just the sight of the fire had made everyone in the lot forget how cold we were for a little while.

We cooked up our usual assortment of steaks, sausages, stews, and burgers with each of us trying to eat the food as quickly as we could before all the heat had been drained from the meat ... which was usually in less than a minute. A good two hours into the tailgate I stood next to Bergs and Mark talking excitedly about the game but they looked at me as if I was Kenny from "South Park." My "I think we can get some pressure on McNair and force him to make mistakes" turned into "I thmmm sommm prmmmm formmmm mmmak mmmtakes." Bergs, using a spoon to break up the chunks of frozen vodka in his drink, said "I think your face is frozen. I have no idea what you just said." So I spent the next 15 minutes in the car getting the feeling back in my face and upon stepping back outside added layers seven and eight.

As game time drew near we packed everything up, dumped the hot charcoals in a pile on the pavement, inserted the hand and feet warmers into our gloves and boots, and poured ourselves a drink to sober up before we headed in (Dunkin's coffee and Grand Marnier with a little whipped cream blended in). As we stood around waiting for everyone to get their layers in place, Billy said happily "These feet warmers are really great. My feet are already getting really toasty!" We all looked at him and laughed. And then Mark said very matter of factly, "Billy, you're standing in the pile of red hot coals. Your boots are on fire." It was not the first tailgating incident involving Billy and fire and it wouldn't be the last.

We put out Billy's boots and then joined the thousands of faceless fans streaming into the stadium in the hopes that the lights and the body heat from the crowd would provide some warmth. It didn't. It was just as cold inside the stadium. Not too cold to continue drinking beer, but surely too cold to play good football. Tom Brady proved it wasn't too cold to play good football when he connected with Bethel Johnson (remember him?) on a bomb down the middle of the field just five minutes into the game. Everyone in the crowd was so grateful to have something to jump around and high five about that we celebrated that touchdown for a good 10 minutes.

The Titans showed they could also play some good football in bitter cold and the back-and-forth game was tied 14-14 with just more than four minutes to play. The tension was as tough to take as the cold. Adam Vinatieri (remember him?) stepped onto the field to try to kick a 46-yard field goal. Vinatieri is known for his two kicks in the Snow Bowl against the Raiders and of course his two Super Bowl game winners, but his kick in the ice cold against Tennessee is the one I will remember the most. Why? Because I can still hear the sound of his foot hitting the ball. It sounded like a cannon because the ball was so frozen. But somehow #4, as he always did, managed to get that cinder block of a ball in the air and between the uprights to give the Pats a 17-14 lead. The Pats held on for the win and the crowd, feeling almost toasty, celebrated as the players hurried for the warmth of the locker room.

Every now and then, even on a warm summer day, I get a little chill inside. I think it's leftover from that day in 2004. Fortunately I don't think I'll need to set my boots on fire today. It's not supposed to be that cold.

21-snowball salute

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE

Patriots 12, Dolphins 0 (12/7/'03): As the Pats get ready to close out the regular season today against Miami in a snow-covered Gillette, I thought back to another snowy December game between the two teams nine years ago. It's one of my all-time favorite tales from the tailgate.

The game took less than three hours to play. It took me almost two hours longer than that to get to the stadium. It was worth it. If you look at the score you'd see a 12-0 win over a lousy Miami team. Just another regular season game, you might think, on the way to a Super Bowl title. Oh how wrong you would be.

This one's called the "Snowball Game" for the impromptu -- and kind of magical -- method of celebration that the Pats fans created with the snow piled up in the stands. Did I mention the snow? Twenty-eight inches fell on southeastern Mass. overnight and into that Sunday morning. Although at times it seemed more like 28 feet. I started shoveling at 5 a.m. in order to meet Mark and Bergs in the lot by 9. I was a little late. As the shovel broke through the snowbank of my driveway into the street I looked at my Doberman-Shepherd and thought "If I only had 11 more of her to pull me on a sled to the game." It would have been faster.

I loaded up the car for the wintry tailgate I was anticipating and headed down the street. It was just before 8 a.m. as I called Mark to let him know I was on my way. "Bergs and I are stuck in traffic on Route 1 but we are almost there," he said. "I may be a little late," I said. "But I should be there soon." I only lived 20 minutes away. A quick stop at Dunkins' (28 inches of snow doesn't stop the mail or the DD coffee) and I started my journey to Gillette.

There are many routes one can take to the stadium if you live in the next town. Of course all of them lead to the route to end all routes ... Route 1. I decided I would use the main roads and highways, figuring they would be plowed better than the back roads. So it was Rte. 140 to 95N to Rte. 1S. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I hit Rte. 140. Seems the main roads weren't really plowed either. The backup to get onto 140 was about a mile from the lights. I sat patiently in my car listening to the pre-game show and drinking my coffee. What would have taken about eight minutes on a clear day took my close to half an hour. But I crawled my way along the ramp to 95 hoping that my pace would quicken once I hit a real highway.

It didn't. The road was lined with cars that had skidded off the side. Some accompanied by tow trucks. Some clearly left there by their owners hours before. The three-lane highway was down to one barely passable path down the middle. I slid my way into the traffic and resumed my crawl. "Route 1 getting to the stadium is not moving," one of the Pats announcers said. "I'm glad I got here hours ago." No sooner had he said that when Mark called. "Route 1 is not moving," he told me. "Bergs and I have barely moved since we talked to you." It was now after 9 a.m. We decided to abandon our plan to meet in the P2 lot and agreed to just grab any spot we can when we got there and then find each other. "See you soon," I said.

The single lane on 95 moved at speeds varying between two and five miles an hour. Mostly two. "I should have bought another coffee," I thought to myself as I made my way along the ramp to Route 1 as the clock neared 10 in the morning. An hour on Rte 95 to go just about 2 miles. I got to the turnaround on Route 1 and merged into the traffic heading south to the stadium. The cars were barely moving. The clock -- on the other hand -- seemed to be moving faster. 30 minutes later I had made my way to the three-miles-from-the-stadium sign. Three miles to go. Almost there! The radio guy chimed in again. "If you are not at the stadium yet," he advised. "You aren't getting here. State Police are urging people who haven't left yet to stay home. And my advice to those who are on the road right now is turn around and go home."

Turn around and go home? It's just after 11 and I'm three miles away. The game doesn't start for two hours. Hell, I can still cram down a burger and a few drinks if I get there in 90 minutes. Turn around and go home? I've been on the road for three hours. It's going to take me that long just to get home. Turn around and go home? Screw that. I turned off the announcers and put on some music. Around 11:30 Mark called. "We're in!" he announced. "How close are you?" I told him I was about two miles away and that traffic was beginning to move a little. "Two miles?" he said. "OK, well we'll start cooking and have something ready when you get here."

As the clock moved past noon the aggravation level began to rise. I know there's a lot of snow but why is it taking this long? The roads are bad but they aren't that bad. I soon had my answer. I made my way through the booth to pay my parking toll and all I could see were giant mountains of snow. There had to be parking spots somewhere out there. But where? And where are the guys in orange who always make you park in a certain spot? Nowhere to be found. It was every car for himself. Most turned right towards the stadium so I turned left towards the end of the lot to find a spot. First thing I saw was a traffic island. Well, I didn't actually see it. But I felt it as I drove up and over it. I think some guy in orange yelled at me from the distance but I'm not sure. I kept going further and further away from the stadium. Lots of snow and cars. No spots. Finally. Finally! I found a spot between a snowbank and a porta-potty. It wasn't really a spot but I was taking it. I got out of the car, put on my layers, and called Mark. "I made it," I said. "Where are you guys?" He told me they were waiting by the South Gate with my ticket and a cocktail. A cocktail? I started running.

I ran the length of the lot, passing people who seemed to be wandering around lost among the mounds of snow. As the National Anthem played in the stadium I got to the gate where Mark and Bergs were standing. "Here," Mark said as he handed me a heavily iced vodka and cranberry juice. "I made it a double. Figured you'd need that." With a smile I drank it down as if we were in a desert instead of a winter wonderland.

We got to our seats and found that most of the stadium was still covered in deep snow. The steps had been mostly cleared but the rows had enough snow in them that you couldn't get your seat to go down all the way. What to do? The people in front of us hadn't arrived yet so we simpled kicked and pushed as much snow as we could down on their seats. Just as the people behind us had done earlier. Slowly but surely the snow was making its way to the bottom of the stadium. One fan, one row at a time. I had a flashback to the old stadium when it was filled with snow and how it always led to snow (more like chunks of ice) being hurled through the stands. I never got nailed but there were some close calls.

Gillette was quite a sight with all the snow but the game itself wasn't much to see. Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal in the first quarter and that 3-0 score was holding up with nine minutes to go in the fourth. The Dolphins had the ball at their own goal line. QB Jay Fielder dropped back to pass and threw a dart on a quick slant to the right. Tedy Bruschi, who had already returned three picks for TDs that season (that's what playmakers do), stepped in front of the pass at about the five yard line and took it untouched into the endzone to make the score an insurmountable 10-0. As the touchdown music blared (Gary Glitter's "Rock 'n Roll Part 2," of course) the fans began picking up the snow and tossing it in the air every time they got to the part where everyone yells "Hey!" It looked like white fireworks going off. A much different snow experience than in the old stadium. People laughed and tossed snow again when the Pats recorded a safety and they continued the snow tossing magic when the victory became official. We were all kids again playing in the snow.

After the game, Bruschi was quoted as saying "That was incredible, wasn't it? Throwing the snow up in the air with the music. It got me into the holiday spirit." Five hours in traffic. No tailgate food. Snow piled on our seats. Holiday spirit? Tedy was right. Watching the snow fly in the air everyone in the stadium felt it too.

Game films

There are a lot of great football movie moments. There's the touch football scene from "The Wedding Crashers." There's the cons vs. the guards of the original "The Longest Yard." There's the doctors vs. the doctors in "M*A*S*H."  All great game films.

But some of my favorite football scenes are not from the movies at all. They're from television. The NFL Network fills the down time in its schedule with lots of episodes of the "Top 10" series from NFL Films. "Top 10 Greatest Comebacks." "Top 10 Quarterbacks." "Top 10 Draft Flops." "Top 10 Brett Favre Moments." I saw one the other night that was "Top 10 Things We Loved About the 2000s."

The 2000s. There sure was a lot to like about that decade for Pats' fans. And the "Top 10" list is full of Pats references. #6 is the Brady-Manning rivalry. #7 is the number of new mega-stadiums (Kraft World was built at the start of the 2000s.) #3 is colorful wide receivers (two words: Randy Moss). #1 is close Super Bowls. Well, the Pats won three of them by a field goal each time. #4 on the list would be #1 on my list. The Patriots dynasty.

The dynasty may be over, but the fun is still going. Enjoy the clip. Enjoy the bye.

Red jacket day

Drew, Ty, Troy, Tedy, and Kevin. Some day they will all be wearing red jackets.

A great catch

I was listening to the Sports Hub on the drive to work Saturday. Two guys whose names I can't remember (which is why they are working Saturdays too) were talking about the news that Mike Vrabel, three-time Super Bowl champ linebacker for the Pats, had announced he was retiring from the NFL.

One of the nameless voices said "Vrabel made a lot of big plays for the Patriots. He was a good player but not one of the all-time great Pats." Vrabel not a great Patriot? That's why he's working the radio on Saturdays.

Mike Vrabel is not only one of the all-time great Pats, he is one of the all-time great stories. The Patriots listed him as a member of the team's 50th anniversary lineup. SI put him on their all-decade team for the '00s. In my rankings of the best players during the Belichick era, I have Vrabel at number six.

VRABEL: A key piece.

Vrabel was one in a long line of great Ohio St. linebackers. He stood out almost every Saturday afternoon that I watched. I loved the Big Ten back when it still only had ten teams. I was a big fan. Vrabel was a guy I wanted the Pats to take. I always want them to take the Buckeye linebacker.The Steelers took him in the third round in '97 and he played four disappointing seasons. Except whenever he played the Pats and Drew Bledsoe. He killed Bledsoe. But he didn't do enough of that against the rest of the league's QBs to earn a new contract. That's where Belichick and Pioli made one of the key moves that turned the team into a champion.

The Pats signed Vrabel prior to the 2001 season. He was added to a linebacking corp that had Bruschi, McGinnest, and Ted Johnson. Three players who were entering the prime of their careers and who -- if they could all stay healthy -- were capable of making lots of plays. Vrabel made four players on the verge of developing into stars. And on the verge of becoming leaders. At the time of the signing it was seen as a low-risk, high-reward move. Nobody knew just how high that reward would be. Not even Belichick.

Vrabel started every game at outside linebacker that season. He teamed up with a rejuvenated McGinnest to make a formidable pass rush. They may not have had as many sacks as some other great LB tandems, but they had more clutch sacks. And more clutch plays.

Vrabel and Buschi became the brains of the team. McGinnest and Harrison were the intimidators. Brown and Faulk were the heart. Brady was the fire. But Vrabel and Bruschi were the brains. They connected with their coach on a level not often seen. It translated to almost always being in the right place at the right time. The feeling was always that the Pats were a step ahead of the other team. (I know, that illegal video library might have had something to do with it, but not much). The main reason the Pats were the smarter team was because Vrabel and Bruschi were always the most prepared players on the field on every play. And that spread through the whole team. That quality defined the team's dynasty.

Vrabel not an all-time great Patriot? Just a good player?

The video above is full of game-changing sacks, tips, tackles, and picks. Oh. And 10 touchdown catches. There were so many great plays with #50. Go to the 4:10 mark and you will see his biggest play. The Pats were trailing the Rams 3-0 early in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXXVI. The heavy underdogs were delivering big hits all over the field but to that point the Rams were still carrying the play. That all changed with one swipe of Vrabel's arm. As QB Kurt Warner rared back to fire a pass, Vrabel was on top of him and -- in a move he learned from Willie -- he raised his right arm and smashed it into Warner's facemask. The hit forced a weak pass that Ty Law cut in front of and took down the sideline for a touchdown. Pats 7-3. That play was the moment that the Pats -- and their fans -- knew that they could win.

Should there have been a blow-to-the-head flag thrown? Oh, yes there should have been. But like a lot of things over the past 10-plus years, the call went the Pats way on that play. Just like things went the Pats way the day Belichick and Pioli signed Vrabel.

One last honor for Vrabel... NFL Network ranks him seventh on the list of 10 most versatile players.

Name that player

MOSI'S MOOSES: Best name ever.

Me and my fellow tailgaters (Mark, Shep, Matt) exchanged e-mails all day about who we want the Pats to take in tonight's NFL Draft. (We need pass rushers!) Mark brought a little comic relief by adding a few names to his list that were just that... names.

The Pats have had some great football names over the years. Mosi Tatupu. Sam Gash. Daryl Stingley. Randy Vataha. Lawyer Milloy. And Tedy Bruuuuuu-schi! They currently have some great names in BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, and of course, Zoltan Mesko.

Mark sent out his list of "Cool-sounding names the Patriots should take":

Taiwan Jones, RB. Eastern Washington.
Titus Young, WR, Boise St..
Buster Skrine, CB, UT-Chattanooga.
Tyler Sash, S, Iowa.

Matt added one more... Cecil Shorts III, WR. Mount Union College.

Brady to Shorts! I like the sound of that.

Ted-dy! Ted-dy! Ted-dy!

If there was ever a question about who is the most popular Patriot of all time, it was answered during halftime of the Pats-Jets game. On a cold night like Monday, halftime ceremonies are usually just an afterthought to getting warm, using the bathroom, or getting another drink. Not on this night. Except for the red seats (I guess the lure of the clubhouse and the flatscreen TVs is just too strong), most fans stayed right where they were as Mr. Kraft brought out a blue #54 jersey and had the man of the hour -- of the night -- put it on.

Tedy Bruschi removed his coat in the frigid air and donned his game shirt. He let out a Bruschi roar and the adoring crowd echoed it right back at him. On a night when Tom Brady was working hard on leading a new Patriots team to a shot at a Super Bowl, Bruschi was leading the fans on a great trip down memory lane.

The halftime ceremony was just like Bruschi. Simple, heartfelt, fun, and memorable. A video montage opened the proceedings, chronicling the linebacker's 13-year career. After Kraft praised him for his dedication to the team and the community, Bruschi gave a shout-out to the best coach in the history of the game and to the fans who braved many cold nights like Monday to cheer him on.

Pointing to the championship banners, he did what Belichick's players always do... give credit to everyone else. He went through the names of the great players who helped put those banners in the south end zone corner of Gillette. Troy Brown, Joe Andruzzi, Ty Law, Lawyer, Rodney, Willie, Vrabel, Ted Johnson, Roman Phifer, Richard Seymour, even Larry Izzo. The mention of each players name brought a loud "Whoooo!" from the delighted crowd. (One player that he didn't mention? Asante Samuel. I guess Tedy is still pissed about that dropped pick in the Super Bowl too.)

There are going to be a lot of fun induction ceremonies at the Hall at Patriot Place in the upcoming years. If Bruschi's day is anything like his night on Monday, it will be the best one of all.

Bruschi captured the mood of everyone at Gillette when he said, as he stepped to the mike wearing his #54 jersey, "It still feels good." It sure does.

21-snowball salute

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE

Patriots 12, Dolphins 0 (12/7/'03): As the Pats get ready for a huge showdown with the Dolphins in Miami where it is currently 84 degrees and sunny, I thought back to a December game between the two teams at Gillette where the weather was a little less pleasant.

The game took less than three hours to play. It took me almost two hours longer than that to get to the stadium. It was worth it. If you look at the score you'd see a 12-0 win over a lousy Miami team. Just another regular season game, you might think. Oh how wrong you would be.

This one's called the "Snowball Game" for the impromptu -- and kind of magical -- method of celebration that the Pats fans created with the snow piled up in the stands. Did I mention the snow? Twenty-eight inches fell on southeastern Mass. overnight and into that Sunday morning. Although at times it seemed more like 28 feet. I started shovelling at 5 a.m. in order to meet Mark and Bergs in the lot by 9. I was a little late. As the shovel broke through the snowbank of my driveway into the street I looked at my Doberman-Shepherd and thought "If I only had 11 more of her to pull me on a sled to the game." It would have been faster.

I loaded up the car for the wintry tailgate I was anticipating and headed down the street. It was just before 8 a.m. as I called Mark to let him know I was on my way. "Bergs and I are stuck in traffic on Route 1 but we are almost there," he said. "I may be a little late," I said. "But I should be there soon." I only lived 20 minutes away. A quick stop at Dunkins' (28 inches of snow doesn't stop the mail or the DD coffee) and I started my journey to Gillette.

There are many routes one can take to the stadium if you live in the next town. Of course all of them lead to the route to end all routes ... Route 1. I decided I would use the main roads and highways, figuring they would be plowed better than the back roads. So it was Rte. 140 to 95N to Rte. 1S. I knew I was in trouble as soon as I hit Rte. 140. Seems the main roads weren't really plowed either. The backup to get onto 140 was about a mile from the lights. I sat patiently in my car listening to the pre-game show and drinking my coffee. What would have taken about eight minutes on a clear day took my close to half an hour. But I crawled my way along the ramp to 95 hoping that my pace would quicken once I hit a real highway.

It didn't. The road was lined with cars that had skidded off the side. Some accompanied by tow trucks. Some clearly left there by their owners hours before. The three-lane highway was down to one barely passable path down the middle. I slid my way into the traffic and resumed my crawl. "Route 1 getting to the stadium is not moving," one of the Pats announcers said. "I'm glad I got here hours ago." No sooner had he said that when Mark called. "Route 1 is not moving," he told me. "Bergs and I have barely moved since we talked to you." It was now after 9 a.m. We decided to abandon our plan to meet in the P2 lot and agreed to just grab any spot we can when we got there and then find each other. "See you soon," I said.

The single lane on 95 moved at speeds varying between two and five miles an hour. Mostly two. "I should have bought another coffee," I thought to myself as I made my way along the ramp to Route 1 as the clock neared 10 in the morning. An hour on Rte 95 to go just about 2 miles. I got to the turnaround on Route 1 and merged into the traffic heading south to the stadium. The cars were barely moving. The clock -- on the other hand -- seemed to be moving faster. 30 minutes later I had made my way to the three-miles-from-the-stadium sign. Three miles to go. Almost there! The radio guy chimed in again. "If you are not at the stadium yet," he advised. "You aren't getting here. State Police are urging people who haven't left yet to stay home. And my advice to those who are on the road right now is turn around and go home."

Turn around and go home? It's just after 11 and I'm three miles away. The game doesn't start for two hours. Hell, I can still cram down a burger and a few drinks if I get there in 90 minutes. Turn around and go home? I've been on the road for three hours. It's going to take me that long just to get home. Turn around and go home? Screw that. I turned off the announcers and put on some music. Around 11:30 Mark called. "We're in!" he announced. "How close are you?" I told him I was about two miles away and that traffic was beginning to move a little. "Two miles?" he said. "OK, well we'll start cooking and have something ready when you get here."

As the clock moved past noon the aggravation level began to rise. I know there's a lot of snow but why is it taking this long? The roads are bad but they aren't that bad. I soon had my answer. I made my way through the booth to pay my parking toll and all I could see were giant mountains of snow. There had to be parking spots somewhere out there. But where? And where are the guys in orange who always make you park in a certain spot? Nowhere to be found. It was every car for himself. Most turned right towards the stadium so I turned left towards the end of the lot to find a spot. First thing I saw was a traffic island. Well, I didn't actually see it. But I felt it as I drove up and over it. I think some guy in orange yelled at me from the distance but I'm not sure. I kept going further and further away from the stadium. Lots of snow and cars. No spots. Finally. Finally! I found a spot between a snowbank and a porta-potty. It wasn't really a spot but I was taking it. I got out of the car, put on my layers, and called Mark. "I made it," I said. "Where are you guys?" He told me they were waiting by the South Gate with my ticket and a cocktail. A cocktail? I started running.

I ran the length of the lot, passing people who seemed to be wandering around lost among the mounds of snow. As the National Anthem played in the stadium I got to the gate where Mark and Bergs were standing. "Here," Mark said as he handed me a heavily iced vodka and cranberry juice. "I made it a double. Figured you'd need that." With a smile I drank it down as if we were in a desert instead of a winter wonderland.

We got to our seats and found that most of the stadium was still covered in deep snow. The steps had been mostly cleared but the rows had enough snow in them that you couldn't get your seat to go down all the way. What to do? The people in front of us hadn't arrived yet so we simpled kicked and pushed as much snow as we could down on their seats. Just as the people behind us had done earlier. Slowly but surely the snow was making its way to the bottom of the stadium. One fan, one row at a time. I had a flashback to the old stadium when it was filled with snow and how it always led to snow (more like chunks of ice) being hurled through the stands. I never got nailed but there were some close calls.

Gillette was quite a sight with all the snow but the game itself wasn't much to see. Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal in the first quarter and that 3-0 score was holding up with nine minutes to go in the fourth. The Dolphins had the ball at their own goal line. QB Jay Fielder dropped back to pass and threw a dart on a quick slant to the right. Tedy Bruschi, who had already returned three picks for TDs that season (that's what playmakers do), stepped in front of the pass at about the five yard line and took it untouched into the endzone to make the score an insurmountable 10-0. As the touchdown music blared (Gary Glitter's "Rock 'n Roll Part 2," of course) the fans began picking up the snow and tossing it in the air every time they got to the part where everyone yells "Hey!" It looked like white fireworks going off. A much different snow experience than in the old stadium. People laughed and tossed snow again when the Pats recorded a safety and they continued the snow tossing magic when the victory became official. We were all kids again playing in the snow.

After the game, Bruschi was quoted as saying "That was incredible, wasn't it? Throwing the snow up in the air with the music. It got me into the holiday spirit." Five hours in traffic. No tailgate food. Snow piled on our seats. Holiday spirit? Tedy was right. Watching the snow fly in the air everyone in the stadium felt it too.

New kids on the block

Day three of the NFL Draft (rounds 4-7) saw the Patriots add seven more players to their roster of rookies. Another tight end (now Belichick is just messing with me), two offensive lineman, two defensive lineman, a quarterback, and a punter. It's that last one that I'm kind of excited about. Zoltan Mesko. 6'-4'' punter from Michigan via Romania. That's right, the Patriots new punter is from Romania. Here, in its entirety, is the NFL.com scouting report:

"Mesko is a four-year starter that had his best season punting the football in 2009. He averaged 44.5 yards in 52 attempts with 0 blocked. Mesko is excellent at dropping the ball inside the twenty yard line to pin opponents deep into their own territory. Mesko has good size and athleticism for the position with above average leg strength. Mesko has been effective in tough weather conditions and shows poise under pressure. He has been solid with his hang time and distance but isn’t an elite punter in this years draft. Mesko is a solid prospect that will likely get his named called late in the draft."

OK, I'm not sure why, after describing the guy as a punting god, you would then say he isn't an elite punter in this years draft, but whatever. If Zoltan -- and let's just agree we are all calling him Zoltan and not Mesko -- can be to punting what Gostkowski has been to kick-offs and field goals then the Patriots will be set in the kicking game for many years to come. Don't underestimate the importance of that. The Pats lost several close games last year (Denver, Indy, Miami) that a well placed punt might have made a difference in. Oh, and he was a captain for the Wolverines, The first special teams player in school history to be so honored. Look at him. He looks more like a linebacker. Maybe he can catch passes like Vrabel. I've got high hopes for Zoltan.

The other players taken in day three provide depth where it is always needed -- on the offensive and defensive lines. Ted Larsen, Tom Welch, Brandon Deaderick, and Kade Weston are likely deep bench or practice squad guys. Belichick, although he has stumbled several times in the early rounds of the draft, has always seemed to find a lineman late in the draft who surprises so we may see one of these names making an impact someday. The team also grabbed Oklahoma St. quarterback Zach Robinson with one of its compensatory picks. This is the guy who was making the passes to Dez Bryant so he must have been doing something right. Is he the young QB who will eventually replace Brady? Seems fitting that a seventh-rounder would one day replace the greatest sixth-rounder ever chosen. But that's getting a little ahead of things.

The Patriots added twelve young players to their roster. Some of them could -- should -- have an immediate impact in 2010. That's what makes the NFL draft so much fun. It's like going on a shopping spree. I'll take one of those, one of those ... each selection an opportunity to find the next Tedy Bruschi, Asante Samuel, or Tom Brady. Even the next Ben Coates.

Playoffs?! Playoffs?!

At the start of this decade the Patriots had played in 17 playoff games in 40 years of football and their record was an underwhelming 7-10. There were some great games in there but also some heart breakers (Steelers 7, Pats 6 in '97 is a good example). In this decade the Pats have played in ... 17 playoff games. In just ten years. Their record? 14-3. It's still hard to believe.

As the Pats get ready for the playoffs in a new decade, it's a good time to look back at the last 10 years and rank the top playoff games. It's not really a ranking as much as a list of great memories. 14-3. Three titles. What a decade.

10. '06 Divisional round (vs. Chargers): The only non-Super Bowl year game to make the list. This was one I watched mostly with my hands partially blocking my eyes, fearing the Chargers next score that would have blown the game open. San Diego led 14-3 early but the Pats scratched their way back to 21-13 with eight minutes to go. The Pats were teetering on the brink of disaster the whole game and when Brady was picked by Marlon McCree with about five minutes left it looked like the Pats were done. But McCree kept running with the ball and the ever-alert Troy Brown stripped it and the Pats recovered. New life! Brady quickly cashed in on the second chance with a TD and two-point conversion (direct snap to Faulk of course) to tie the game at 21. The Pats D held and Gostkowski nailed a 31-yarder for one of the all-time great playoff thefts.

9. '04 Division round (vs. Colts): When a team's most impressive, dominating defensive playoff performance of the decade only comes in at #9, well, you know you've been treated to some great games. This was the "Clock Killin' '' Corey Dillon game. This was the game where the unstoppable force (Colts' offense) met the immovable object (Pats' D). The league had changed the rules after the Pats beat the Colts (and beat them up) the year before, allowing more freedom for the receivers. The new rules didn't help. Bruschi ripped the ball from Dominick Rhodes's hands. The Pats (with the help of the cold and snow) ripped the heart right out of the Indy offense. They beat the Eagles for the title two weeks later but this was the '04 Super Bowl.

8. '03 Divisional round (vs. Titans): The coldest playoff game in Patriot history. Every now and then a shiver will run through my body leftover from that day. How the players were able to play such a great game is beyond me. It took all my strength just to drink my beers. Brady hit Bethel Johnson on a 41-yard bomb as if it was a sunny September afternoon. Rodney Harrison hit everything in sight (and had a pick) and Adam Vinatieri hit yet another huge kick, nailing a 46-yarder with five minutes to go. I can still hear his foot smack the frozen ball as if he was kicking a cinder block. It hurt just to listen to it.

7. '01 AFC Championship (vs. Steelers): I watched this one at a bar with Paul. I was supposed to be at work. It seemed like a good day to take a three-hour lunch break. Other than the Sox Game 7 win over the Yankees this was the best bar game I've watched. The place was raucous. The Pats were big underdogs. The Steelers were way too cocky. Then Brady went down and Drew Bledsoe came in to play the role of hero. It was Bledsoe's shining moment as a Patriot -- and his last. He sure deserved it. Troy Brown made two huge special teams plays and the Pats found themselves headed to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

6. Super Bowl XXXIX (vs. Eagles): A Super Bowl not in the top 5? A Super Bowl that gave the Pats back-to-back titles not in the top 5? That's right. It wasn't all that great a game. The Pats only won by a field goal (24-21) but the game never felt that close. Not every Super Bowl is a classic. The key is just to win it. The beauty always lies in the final score. The Eagles and T.O. put up a good battle but the Patriots were too experienced, deep, and confident to let the chance at history get away. Linebacker Mike Vrabel made an acrobatic TD catch and Rodney sealed the victory with a pick, ending the game by flapping his arms like Eagles wings. The Pats had soared to the level of a dynasty.

5. '03 AFC Championship (vs. Colts): When someone says Gillette Stadium isn't a great home-field advantage its pretty clear that they weren't there for this game. The rivalry was just starting to build at this point. If you asked most people (outside of NE) which of these teams was about to win back-to-back titles I bet 90 percent of them would have chosen the Colts. They would have been wrong. The Pats D forced Manning to throw four picks (three by Ty Law) by harassing him and knocking his receivers all over the field. Rule changes would follow. And so would more Pats victories.

4. '04 AFC Championship (vs. Steelers): Oh, this game was fun to watch. The rematch with the Steelers in Heinz Field. Three years later the Pittsburgh players were still whining about their '01 loss and, having put a beating on the Pats in the regular season, were predicting a blowout. They were right. It was a blowout. Pats 41-27. And it wasn't that close. Deion Branch caught a TD bomb to open the scoring and then ran one in on the reverse to close out the scoring. Brady was an efficient 14-21 for only 207 yards and two TDs. But the D forced three picks -- Rodney taking one 87 yards for a touchdown. Blowout.

3. Super Bowl XXXVIII (vs. Panthers): One of the strangest Super Bowls ever. And the most exciting. The first quarter was a defensive war. Neither team scored. Then Vrabel forced a fumble, Brady hit Branch for a touchdown, and the two teams busted out to score 24 points in the last three minutes of the half. 24 points in three minutes after a bruising defensive first half. I've never seen anything like it. The two teams went back into their defensive stance, both coming up empty in the third quarter. That all changed again in the fourth quarter when the teams combined to score 37 points. Most of them on big plays. The game kept swinging from a standoff to a shootout. The Pats had Brady and Vinatieri. They got off the last shot for one of the greatest Super Bowl victories in NFL history.

2. Snow Bowl (vs. Raiders): "After review, the quarterback's arm was going forward ..." Tuck that! I'll be watching the tape of this game when I'm a happy old man. Hopefully I will be able to remember what it was like to be there as well as I can now. I think I will. The weather. The old stadium. A franchise's luck changing forever. A kick for the ages. A game for the ages. Most of the talk now centers on the fumble-that-wasn't and Vinatieri's clutch kicks, but the Pats receivers (Patten, Brown, Wiggins, Faulk) made some incredible catches in the blizzard. It was a memorable way to close out the old place. There's only one game that could top this instant classic.

1. Super Bowl XXXVI (vs. Rams): I was sitting on the floor next to the television in my parent's den. I wanted to be as close to the TV as I could. Brady spike the ball with just seven seconds left, the ball bouncing straight up and landing gently in the palm of his hand. Everyone was silent as Vinatieri walked out for the kick. "If he makes this we are Super Bowl champs," ran through my mind about 100 times in 30 seconds. I'm sure it was going through the mind of everyone in the room. But no one dared say it. The ball was snapped. Vinatieri kicked it smoothly. The camera angle switched to behind the goal post, the ball heading right towards me. It was right down the middle. Right down the middle! We yelled and danced and hugged and laughed -- and even cried a little -- for hours. The kick was good. I still can't believe it.

Dynasty. Starring ...

It seems just yesterday I was working at my old newspaper on New Year's Eve 1999. Y2K! The millennium! The world is going to end! Hoard water and Yodels! Well the decade began and we all survived. As it comes to an end it won't go down as a favorite decade of many -- unless of course you are a Patriots fan. For us, it was a most amazing decade indeed. Looking back at the Super Bowls, great playoff wins (and tough losses), and seasons of 14-2, 14-2, and 16-0, it's easy to select the most important player in this dynastic decade (Mr. Bundchen). But who would make up the rest of the list if you were naming the top 15 (10 wasn't quite enough) of the '00s? I'm glad you asked. (Note: Nine of the 15 were Patriots' picks. That's great drafting).

15. Ted Johnson: I'm not sure any Patriot sacrificed his body more than inside linebacker Ted Johnson did for the team this decade. The guy's a football player. Ohio State. No neck. He's the Jason Bourne of LBs. You can knock him unconscious and he will still get up, find you, and make the tackle. A draft pick of Bill Parcells, Johnson was one of the guys who helped build the dynasty in the mid-90s and then got the satisfaction of still being there when all the work paid off.

14. Deion Branch: The MVP of Super Bowl XXXVIII. Branch became the deep weapon that Brady had been missing and was the piece that turned the Pats offense from solid to dangerous. His long TD catch early in the '04 AFC title game in Pittsburgh set the tone for the romp. His catch to set up the winning kick in the Carolina Super Bowl was one of the toughest -- and most underrated -- catches I've ever seen.

13. Antowain Smith: The man was a bull with a hell of a kick. I loved Smith when he played with the Bills but injuries made him a big question mark when the Pats picked him up for the 2001 season. He answered all the questions. He ran for almost 1,200 yards and scored 12 TDs in his first season, leading the Pats on their improbable run to the playoffs. He was even bigger in those playoffs, returning to his hometown of New Orleans and playing a key role in the Pats erasing the nightmares of their previous two bayou Super Bowl trips.

12. Ted Washington: As important as Smith was in the Pats building a running game, the acquisition of the house that is Ted Washington was even more important when it came to stopping the run. The Pats had a huge hole in the middle of the D just a week before the season started in '01 and the late August trade for Washington filled that hole and then some. The Pats ranked 4th in the league against the run. Big Ted was the foundation -- literally -- of that defense.

11. Wes Welker: The only guy on this list without a Super Bowl ring. Hopefully he gets one soon but he doesn't need one. He's already one of the toughest, grittiest, smartest Patriots I've ever seen. He's averaging 100 catches a season. Simply put: How can you not love watching him play? How many clutch third-down catches has he made? Too many to count.

10. Adam Vinatieri: Is there another dynasty that has its kicker in the top 10? The greatest clutch kicker in the history of the game. Which kick do you want? The first Super Bowl winner ("It's gooooood! It's gooooooood!). The Snow Bowl kick. The Snow Bowl winner. The winner against the Titans in 6 degree temps. And those are just in the playoffs. I've seen so many great seasons by teams end on a "wide right." Not with Vinatieri. We didn't call him "Money" for nothing.

9. Kevin Faulk: Yes, Kevin Faulk. Most underrated player in the entire league these last ten years. Need a big catch? Go to Faulk. Need a big block? Line him up just in front of Brady. Need a big kick return? Put #33 back there. He's one of those guys that every dynasty has. The role player who plays every role to near perfection.

8. Corey Dillon: I can still remember the summer day over my parent's house when my brother Richie called from North Carolina. "ESPN's reporting that we traded a second-round pick for Corey Dillon.. Corey Dillon! We're going back to the Super Bowl!" And he was right. The Bengals sent away their disgruntled star and he had one more Hall of Fame season left in him to lead the '04 Pats to the title. He capped it with a monster game in the Pats most solid playoff victory of the decade -- the 20-3 punishing of Indy.

7. Ty Law: Kurt Warner drops back to pass. He throws it right just as he gets hit. The ball ... is intercepted! Ty Law! He takes it all the way for a touchdown! Patriots lead! That pick-six in the first Super Bowl made the team believe they really could pull off the upset. Law, who early in his career spent most of his time drawing yellow flags, evolved into an All-Pro shutdown corner. His three-pick game against Manning in the '03 AFC title game is one of the greatest performances by a cornerback ever.

6. Mike Vrabel: The cast-off from Pittsburgh who fit the Bill Belichick/Romeo Crennel defense perfectly. Vrabel, another OSU linebacker, is the man who hit Warner in the face (was that a penalty?) that forced the errant pass that was picked off by Law. He also forced the fumble in the Carolina Super Bowl that set off the scoring binge. Vrabel was always there to make a play. On both sides of the ball. He caught five passes while a Patriot. All for touchdowns.

5. Rodney Harrison: I can still hear the sound of Rodney coming on a blitz and smashing the quarterback to the ground with one of the hardest hits I've seen. And that was in a preseason game before the '07 season. You hear a lot these days about how all players take plays off. Not Rodney. He played every play as if the Super Bowl was on the line. Voted the dirtiest player by his peers year after year, that's what happens when you take pleasure in hitting as hard as you can. A Hall of Fame safety for sure.

4. Tedy Bruschi: Was there ever a better match of player and coach than Bruschi and Belichick? Watching them on the sideline it was like having two defensive coaches. During the years Romeo was there ... well, the three of them were pretty tough to outsmart. Belichick called him "the perfect player" at Bruschi's retirement press conference. That says it all.

3. Troy Brown: Who has the most catches in Patriots history? Troy Brown. Bingo! Who returned a punt and set up a blocked field goal return to beat the Steelers in their first AFC title clash? Troy Brown. Bingo! Who made the biggest catch in the drive to set up the winning kick in New Orleans? Troy Brown. Bingo! So many clutch catches. So many game-changing special teams plays. He even played nickel back when the Pats were decimated on defense. Whatever Belichick asked him to do he did. Troy Brown is the Patriots. Bingo!

2. Willie McGinnest: OK. I'm biased. Willie was my favorite player before he even played a down for the Patriots. I loved to watch the Pac 10 back in the '80s and early '90s and McGinnest was one of the best linebackers USC ever had. And that's saying something. When the Pats took him with the fourth pick in the '94 draft I was thrilled. Unfortunately Willie was plagued by a groin injury that slowed him for several years. But that all changed when this decade started. Willie's big plays stack up with anyone's on this list but it was the way he made his big plays that made him the leader of the dynasty. He didn't just sack you. He took you down with a fist in your face or a knee in your back. He was an intimidating playmaker. He was the man.

1. Tom Brady: One of the greatest stories in sports of the past 100 years. That's right. 100. A skinny sixth-round pick walked onto the field with his hands in his pockets on that September afternoon in 2001 and proceeded to lead the team to three Super Bowls in four years. I know he's got Gisele now, and Bridget's baby, and his commercials aren't funny like Manning's. And he wears those stupid TB hats. But he still has a burning desire to win after all he has accomplished. If he should be able to win another title before he hangs it up sometime in the next decade he goes down as arguably the best to ever play in the league. He's already the best to ever play in a Patriots uniform.

Almost made the cut: 16. Randy Moss. 17. Lawyer Milloy. 18. Vince Wilfork. 19. Richard Seymour. 20. Matt Light. 21. Daniel Graham. 22. Dan Koppen. 23. Ty Warren. 24. Asante Samuel. 25. David Patten. Did I miss anyone?

The Junior member

Junior is back. Reality TV star, surfer, Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau that is. The season just got a little more entertaining.

Does this mean Belichick and the Patriots are desperate after the loss in Denver? Not at all. The defense has actually played well through five games. It's in the middle of the pack in most of the major defensive categories and that has been without Jerod Mayo. last season's defensive rookie of the year. The defense still has a ways to go but it is not, at the moment, a weakness.

Seau is not the first wave in the return of the geriatric squad. The Pats movement to a younger, faster defense is still on track. You won't see Rodney, Tedy, or Ty Law suiting up over the next few weeks. Although I admit I'd like to see Rodney come back for one last run too. Seau is a good fit for the Pats down the stretch. And unlike the other veterans who have moved on to the golden pastures of the TV analyst chair, Seau has some unfinished business. A ring.

Among the many disappointments of the Super Bowl loss to the Giants, one of the biggest ones for me was not getting to see Seau hold the Lombardi up high. Seau, who played most of his great career with the Chargers, is one of those players you enjoy watching whether he plays for your team or not. Like Tedy Bruschi. When he joined the Patriots for the 2007 season it seemed the last piece of the puzzle for another Super Bowl run. And it was. He was a key part of that amazing 16-0 regular season and came up with some big plays in the AFC title game against his old team from San Diego.

There was a moment in the Super Bowl right after the Pats scored late in the game to retake the lead against the Giants (Brady to Moss) when the TV camera caught Seau and Bruschi embracing on the sideline. Not in celebration as if the game was over. It was more like Bruschi saying to Seau "OK, let's go out and stop them and win you a ring." It was a great moment. Unfortunately, thanks mostly to Asante Samuel, the defense did not stop the Giants and ... well, we all know what happened.

So Junior is back. That is a good thing. He will bring experience and leadership to the younger players on the defense. Any game that Mayo gets to play with Seau is a very good thing. Seau doesn't have to be the Hall of Famer that he is. He just has to make a few key plays here and there like he did during the last two seasons.

The Patriots continue on their quest for that fourth title. And Junior resumes his quest for his first. It would be a great ending to the decade for both.

Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuschi!

There was something very different at the season opener against Buffalo. Something was missing. Tedy Bruschi.

This was the 16th season opener for me, Bergs, Shep, and our gang. We sat in Section 311 in the old stadium, not too far from the top but still with a great view of the game. Our four seats at Gillette are in Section 109 on the 45-yard line behind the Pats bench. About 15 rows back. I wouldn't think there are too many seats with a better view of the game -- and of the bench. One of the best parts of sitting so close has been studying the interaction of the players and their head coach.

It's been fascinating to watch as the defensive players huddled with Belichick on the sideline while Brady and the offense are on the field. Belichick would gather the veteran defensive guys around him, sometimes with a dry-erase board in hand, and start going over what the other team is doing and how to stop it. And the players would soak in every word. Bruschi chief among them. He was like having another coach on the sideline. From the moment he joined the team, Bruschi was a player you just loved to root for. And I've rooted for him for 13 years. The fact that he is now a fan favorite is no surprise. And it's no surprise that he was drafted by Bill Parcells. He finished his career as a Belichick guy, but he was a Parcells guy long before anyone knew there would be such a thing as a Belichick guy.

He came to the Pats in the '96 draft with Lawyer Milloy and Terry Glenn as part of Parcells's rebuilding project. Along with Drew Bledsoe, Ted Johnson, and Ty Law they formed the young nucleus that helped turn the franchise around. Bruschi was a defensive lineman for Arizona State, tying the NCAA record for sacks with 52. But he was considered too small to play the line in the NFL. So where to play him? That was a problem Parcells had for a while. Bruschi was moved to linebacker but saw little playing time at first because the Pats had Johnson, Willie McGinest, Todd Collins, and veteran Chris Slade. A pretty solid foursome. When he did get into the game he made an impression. Mostly on special teams. You could see from when he was in the game that he could make things happen. I would yell down from Section 311 to "Get Bruschi in there" but I don't think Parcells heard me.

In 1997 Bruschi became a starter and quickly developed into a clutch playmaker. He made so many great plays that listing them is a timeline of the Patriots run from 2001 till he retired before the season started. There are so many Bruschi highlights that it is difficult to pick out just a few, but here are my top 5 Tedy moments in no particular order:

• The Rhodes "fumble." Second of the great Pats-Colts playoff games. Pats hold a mere 6-0 lead against the high-octane Colt offense in the cold and snow. Manning and the Colts are driving. He hits running back Dominic Rhodes with a pass over the middle and Bruschi arrives a second after the ball doesl. And he came away with the ball, wrestling it from Rhodes with sheer will. It is the Bruschi moment. He just outhustled the other guy. He came to the sideline and raised the ball in the air barking "They're looking for this! They ain't got it! They ain't got it!" The Pats went on to a 20-3 victory.
• Fireworks! The snow game against Miami in 2004. It was snowing so hard that as I sat in my car on Route 1 not moving, the guy on the radio announced "If you aren't at the stadium yet you should turn around and go home." Turn around and go home? I've been in traffic for three hours. I'm a mile away. Screw that. I'm glad I didn't take the advice. Bruschi makes the big play of the game, picking off a pass inside the 10 and returning it for a touchdown, sliding on his knees in the snow as he crossed the goal line. That was followed by those who did make it to the game tossing the snow into the air in celebration. Bruschi started tossing snow too. Winter fireworks.
• Down goes Drew. The sack of Drew Bledsoe in Week 3 of the 2004 season put away a close game as the Pats were driving for their record unbeaten streak. Bruschi sacked Bledsoe, forcing a fumble, and after nailing Drew to the field, got up and threw the block that let Richard Seymour take the fumble in for a TD and the 31-17 victory. One of my all-time favorite Pats' highlights.
• The comeback. After suffering a stroke just a few days after winning his third Super Bowl, Bruschi comes back to play in a home game in Week 7 against the Bills. Nine months after nearly dying. I always felt that he would play again if he recovered fully. He was in the prime of his career and from being in the stands week after week you could see just how much he loved being on the field. I can still remember the ovation when he was introduced. It was just one of those great human moments that sports can give you. He was on he field for more than 70 plays that game and made 10 tackles. And of course the Pats won.
• What the Faulk. The first Super Bowl title. 2002. The underdog Pats pull the upset over the high-powered Rams by playing football the way it was meant to be played. Nasty. Not loud-mouth Ray Lewis style of nasty, but workmanlike Tedy Bruschi hit 'em till it hurts style. Early in the game the Rams superstar RB Marshall Faulk takes the ball and heads right toward a gaping hole. Bruschi steps up from his linebacker spot to take on Faulk -- one-on-one. Faulk goes to deke his way to a big play and Bruschi hits him square in the midsection and takes him down. Hard. He gets up and lets out a roar. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

Bruschi is the Terry O'Reilly of the Patriots. Not the fastest. Not the biggest. Not the most skilled. But the hardest worker and the smartest at how the game is played. O'Reilly was the spiritual leader of those great Bruins teams of the late '70s and early '80s. He was and is my favorite Bruin. You could see how much he loved the game and he set a work ethic that everyone else on the team felt driven to match. When Bill Belichick called Bruschi "the perfect player" he could have been talking about O'Reilly. The word is heart.

I can understand how football fans across the country hate the Pats. I've got no problem with it. It's how I felt about the Cowboys on the '80s and the Steelers in the '70s. After a while you get sick of seeing the same team at the top. But anyone who doesn't love to watch the way Tedy Bruschi played the game isn't really a football fan. You may have tired of his "Patriot Way" talk but he meant it. To him the Patriot Way was all about hustle, effort, and dedication.

Can the Pats replace a guy like Tedy Bruschi? You can never replace a player like him. But what you can do is just enjoy the memories from 13 great seasons. I've been fortunate to have a seat to root for him all those years.

Thanks, Tedy.