a bruschi-free zone

well, after some erronious reports (courtesy of an overzealous boston news agency) stating that tedy bruschi would be returning for the 2005 season, we've come to find out that our man tedy will NOT be suiting up for your world champion new england patriots until 2006, if ever.

i find it amazing we're even having this discussion—-the guy had a STROKE--yet he still had enough guts, talent and ability to alllllll-most get back out on the field. and i can't imagine how much it hurts for him to have to admit that no, he can't play this year, because his heart (which he relied on more than any other muscle in his body) won't allow him to.

as easy as it is today to bow down to the altar of professional athletes and their amazing ability, this is a guy who truly EARNED the respect of his peers and, ultimately, became a true cult hero here in new england. not because of his athleticism and grace, but through his grit, integrity and bulldoggedness (if that's not a real word it should be). and now that he's had heart trouble, in new england all we can think about is reggie lewis. it's not fun to think about that--another one of our own struck down. hopefully he'll be able to get through this and come back; i just hope that, whatever he decides to do with his future, we won't have to bury another one of our heroes. and, just like reggie, this is a player who means more to his team than the numbers he puts up.

i don't think this is the last we've seen of number 54, but if we have, i think it's time to seriously begin considering a massive grassroots campaign to get tedy into canton. hopefully, though, he'll be back where he belongs next year to defend the patriots' unprecedented THIRD SUPER BOWL IN A ROW. but for this year at least, there's a gigantic hole on the patriots that needs to be filled in tedy's absence.

and i don't just mean on the field.