An Interesting Sunday

Aren’t all sports about getting a ball to land on a particular spot? And yet the effort draws enthusiasm, not boredom.

About that enthusiasm, 43 year old Tom Brady adds a bit of interest to the madness on Sunday. He rode the bench at times at University of Michigan and did likewise with the Patriots. The Patriots had been led by an excellent quarterback, another great Drew named Bledsoe. I remember Drew well. He could play.

Per Pats owner, Robert Kraft: “I still have the image of Tom Brady coming down the old Foxboro Stadium steps with that pizza box under his arm, a skinny beanpole, and when he introduced himself to me and said ‘Hi Mr. Kraft,’ he was about to say who he was, but I said ‘I know who you are, you’re Tom Brady. You’re our sixth round draft choice,'” recalled Kraft. “And he looked me in the eye and said ‘I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.'”(Boston CBS, local, per Wikipedia)

With the odds heavily stacked against him, Tom became arguably the greatest QB ever. He moved from 4th on the QB list to second and Drew Bledsoe went down with some on field, traumatic, internal bleeding. Over the next two decades the Patriots rarely took the field without him.This Sunday, Tom will face the most multi-talented, young QB I have ever seen, Patrick Mahomes.

Patrick is the son of a former major league pitcher with a live, accurate, strong arm to underscore it. He runs like a pro running back. He thinks like a veteran QB. Under the most pressure imaginable, he frustrates the great athletes paid well to defeat his best efforts.

Tom Brady has a remarkable arm for a 43 year old and the seasoned, leadership skills of the Duke of Wellington. May the best young or old man win.