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Belichick Tabs Brady to Start Super Bowl for Patriots
Superbowl.com ^ | 1/30/02 | HOWARD ULMAN

Posted on 01/30/2002 6:27:43 PM PST by Libloather

Belichick Tabs Brady to Start Super Bowl for Patriots
By HOWARD ULMAN
c. The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 30) -- Tom Brady wins again.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick picked Brady as the starting quarterback for Sunday's Super Bowl, choosing the former backup over three-time Pro Bowl player Drew Bledsoe.

Brady led New England to seven consecutive wins before spraining his left ankle Sunday in the AFC championship game. Bledsoe took over and led the Patriots into the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams.

That raised the question of who would start in the Patriots' most important game.

Brady was confident he'd be ready, and Belichick decided after viewing tapes of Wednesday's practice that the second-year pro was his choice.

"Tom Brady demonstrated in practice today that he is fit to play," Belichick said. "He will be our starting quarterback on Sunday."

Neither quarterback was available for comment after being informed of the decision by Belichick.

So Brady, who hasn't lost in two months, will start the NFL title game instead of the nine-year veteran, a $103 million player who sparked the latest victory.

Brady, the AFC's third-rated passer, was 12-3 in his previous 15 starts after the Patriots lost the first two games of the season with Bledsoe at quarterback. Now the 24-year-old player from Michigan, who has shown outstanding poise in big games, will start in the biggest game of his life after being a fourth-stringer as a rookie.

Belichick delayed naming his starter until he and his assistant coaches watched tapes of the afternoon workout at Tulane University. He went so far as to ask a pool reporter not to identify who took the most snaps in practice; the starter usually takes almost all off the practice snaps with the offense.

Bledsoe was the starter until a crunching hit sheared a blood vessel in his chest in the second game of the season. Brady helped lead New England to the AFC East title and to a 16-13 overtime victory over Oakland in the playoffs.

Bledsoe's relief performance in the 24-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday sparked the big question of Super Bowl week: Who would start?

Bledsoe, the first player drafted in 1993? Or Brady, the No. 199 pick two years ago who threw just three passes last year but jumped from fourth on the depth chart to bring New England back to New Orleans, where the Patriots made their only other two Super Bowl appearances?

Belichick's decision, though, might not settle the quarterback controversy for long.

There's always next season.

Questions could linger long into the offseason as coaches and club officials consider their options: Dump Bledsoe's big salary, explore a deal for the younger Brady, or keep both.

Earlier, Patriots owner Robert Kraft had some ideas about keeping the NFL's deepest quarterback corps together.

"If I have a vote, I would not be against both of them playing for us next year unless someone comes with a blockbuster offer for either one," Kraft said. "He's the prototype of the kind of player anyone would want on their team."

Asked how he would feel if he were told in the offseason that Brady would be the quarterback next year, Bledsoe said, "The future's the future and, right now, we're focused on this game, this week, and whatever happens after that happens. Right now, we're not going to even address that."

Bledsoe, who will turn 30 on Feb. 14, doesn't want to remain a backup after being the Patriots' signature player for most of his career. Chicago, Seattle and Washington all are possible destinations - good teams who could use a better quarterback.

AP-NY-01-30-02 2143EST


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
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Pats win 24-17...
1 posted on 01/30/2002 6:27:44 PM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather
Which Brady? Greg, Peter, Bobby or Mike?
2 posted on 01/30/2002 6:31:38 PM PST by sharktrager
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To: Libloather
Sorry, the Rams already have this game won. It's sad that they have to beat a team called the "Patriots".
3 posted on 01/30/2002 6:32:07 PM PST by RamsNo1
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To: RamsNo1
...the Rams already have this game won.

Strange, a ton of Steeler fans said the very same thing last week...

4 posted on 01/30/2002 6:34:51 PM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather
Bledsoe will be picked up by another team in a skinny minute. He's good enough to start for somebody. Hell, even Ryan Leaf was a starter for a few games for the Cowboys.
5 posted on 01/30/2002 6:41:32 PM PST by marshmallow
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To: Libloather
You won't have a fat, out of condition, "bus" running at you this week.

Warner's going to shred your secondary.

6 posted on 01/30/2002 6:43:34 PM PST by marshmallow
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To: Libloather
makes sense, after all, he got them there.
7 posted on 01/30/2002 6:45:42 PM PST by modern_orthodox
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To: Libloather
Rams by 28. Bledsloe comes in relief but its too late. Games on turf and the Patsies won't be able to key on the run like they did against the Squealers. Rams do have a passing game, you know.

Nice sentiment starting Brady but the Pat's fans I know say their only chance in this high scoring contest would be with Bledsloe.

8 posted on 01/30/2002 6:50:28 PM PST by mcenedo
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To: Libloather
I think that headline writer meant to say "TAPS", not tabs.
9 posted on 01/30/2002 7:07:48 PM PST by gg188
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To: gg188
The Greatest Show on Turf will demonstrate why on Sunday...Rams 38...Patriots 17.........
10 posted on 01/30/2002 7:15:06 PM PST by X-Servative
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To: gg188
Main Entry: [2]tab
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): tabbed; tab·bing
Date: 1872
1 : to furnish or ornament with tabs
2 : to single out : DESIGNATE
3 : TABULATE
11 posted on 01/30/2002 7:25:00 PM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather
The Steeler fans did say that last week but they also didn't have a super bowl tested quarterback, running back, wide receivers, etc....Shall I continue?
12 posted on 01/30/2002 7:29:00 PM PST by RamsNo1
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To: Libloather

Go, Patriots!

13 posted on 01/30/2002 7:32:52 PM PST by Cinnamon Girl
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To: Libloather
I wouldn't be suprised to see a press conference Monday morning with Bledsoe holding up a Redskins jersey and Daniel Snyder next to him acting like it's Christmas morning.
14 posted on 01/30/2002 7:38:08 PM PST by flair2000
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To: RamsNo1
What kind of football calls itself The Lambs??????????
15 posted on 01/30/2002 7:54:33 PM PST by cayman99
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To: flair2000
Bledsoe will go to the Cowboys before he would sign with those two clowns Snyder and Spurrier.

As for the game, I actually think the Pats might do something. Rams defense still soft, offense has not been that impressive in the playoffs (lot of turnovers to points against Green Bay; Eagles and that awful offense kept it close). Don't get me wrong, I like Warner and those receivers. They had better pick it up, though.

16 posted on 01/30/2002 8:03:06 PM PST by lavrenti
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To: sharktrager
I'm pretty confident its not going to be Mike...
17 posted on 01/30/2002 8:52:33 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat
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To: flair2000
...press conference Monday morning with Bledsoe holding up a Redskins jersey...

...and Superbowl trophy?

18 posted on 01/31/2002 3:50:05 AM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather
With precious few exceptions, the national sports media "experts" are proving that they learned nothing from the Steelers game, in which the Patriots proved the media's self-important rhetoric (predictions of a "Blitzburgh Blowout"... HAH!) to be useless garbage.

My only question is, once the Patriots beat the Rams for the NFL Championship, how many of these ignorant, self-absorbed stuffed shirts do you think will publicize their apology to the Patriots for having been so unrepentently insulting?

My guess is that they'll stick out their hairless chests, wipe the piles of egg from their vapid faces, and make some feeble excuse like, "Well, sometimes the best team doesn't win..."

Clearly, these imbeciles are still P-O'ed at New England for making them look like morons in Pittsburgh last week.

19 posted on 01/31/2002 9:37:29 AM PST by Gargantua
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To: RamsNo1
Really? What the Steelers did have was the NFL's #1 Rated Defense and #1 Rated Rushing Offense... which the Patriots easily stuffed right up the Steeler's "Heinz."

Just as you and your precious Rams are about to find out the hard way. The last time your powder-puffs played the Pats, you had 5 starters carried off the field. The Ram body count on Sunday is gonna make that look like a mid-season picnic.

20 posted on 01/31/2002 9:46:28 AM PST by Gargantua
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