A Small Tribute to Drew

It's a quiet day after a rainout, with at least one more rainout likely this Patriots' Day weekend. According to local forecasts, the Boston Marathon is going to be run in monsoon conditions, threatening as well the Red Sox annual mid-morning start (spring in New England is actually a pretty shoddy affair, but at least it's not winter). So, while there's a break in the action, I'd like to take a brief moment to shift the focus. As you all likely know by now, former Pats quarterback Drew Bledsoe announced his retirement this week, ending a 14-year career in which he threw for 44,611 yards and 251 touchdowns, and I, for one, would like to reflect on that a bit, if for no other reason than it makes me feel a bit old. It seems like he was just drafted a couple years ago...

It's become almost automatic for New England fans to dis Drew Bledsoe. Too stationary. Rattles too easily. Thin-skinned. While it may be the case that Bledsoe never was able to live up to his hype-although he fared far better than the other wunderkid in the draft that year, Notre Dame's Rick Mirer-all the snide talk has more than a little "what have you done for me lately," bandwagoner quality about it. A real fan, one who sat through every game of those miserable years between 1989-1992 (when the Pats went an overall 14-61 to be the laughingstock of the league) knows that's an unfair characterization. The young Bledsoe came into the league a model of consistency and accuracy, with a gun for an arm and the ability to thread a football through the eye of a needle when he needed to-his second year with the Pats he led the league in passing attempts, completions, and touchdowns. His best overall year with the Pats came in '97, with an 87.7 passer rating and went to his third Pro Bowl. It's also true he didn't age gracefully, and was never able to modify his game as his physical ability declined. Still, he retires seventh all-time in yards passing, 13th in touchdown passes and fifth in completions. So he must have done something right along the way.

My own personal fondest memory of Bledsoe will always be that 2001 AFC Championship Game against the Steelers. After losing his job to Tom Brady, and riding the bench in what must have been humiliating fashion that season, Bledsoe rose to the occasion and led New England to its' only offensive touchdown in a 24-17 upset. It was a nice final touch to what we all knew was likely his last game in a Pats' uniform.

So, good luck, Drew, and thanks for the memories. Hope to see you around the NFL very soon.