My Favorite Patriot

My favorite Patriot is Tedy Bruschi. For a lot of reasons - he's a class act, he's a linebacker (The One True Position) but mostly because he's a tremendous example of perseverance and dedication. In an era where the vapid & moronic are celebrated and fawned over by our celebrity culture and many of our athletes are thugs and/or dog-murderers, Bruschi stands out as an actual role model. You see, he suffered a stroke 3 years ago -- 1o days after winning the 2005 Super Bowl, 3 days after playing in the Pro Bowl -- that was nearly completely debilitating. And on Sunday he will play in his 5th Super Bowl. There is an excellent and uplifting article about his brush with death and admirable climb back HERE, and I will be wearing my Bruschi jersey on Sunday. Teammate Rodney Harrison puts it very well:

"What we've done," strong safety Rodney Harrison said, "is sport, not real life. What Tedy accomplished, it's pretty much a miracle, really. I mean, come on now, the two aren't even close."

Go Pats!