A month-and-a-half ago this writer was celebrating the New England Patriots third Super Bowl win, and the birth of another New England dynasty that joined the ranks of the Boston Celtics. I was so proud for this team because they had finally achieved the success that had eluded them for so many years, and they did it with unselfish play and team spirit. An environment that was so strong, certain places of employment use the team as an example to creating a good work environment.

 

One day before the Pro Bowl a few friends of mine and I had got into a discussion about which players on the team would or would not be returning. At that time, I made an opinion about QB Tom Brady and how he could actually retire from this game atop the heap while being fully vested in the NFL's pension plan since he's completed four seasons. My opinion was that this was a guy who has three Super Bowl rings, a Hollywood girlfriend, and movie star looks. He could definitely make money elsewhere, while keeping his body intact.

 

One of my friend's quickly jumped to Brady's defense saying there was no way he was going to retire because he's so young, he's got a lot more to accomplish and blah, blah, blah. This was not the point I was trying to make.

 

The point I was trying to make was to never expect the unexpected in the NFL because you never know what can happen. Another example I used was Willie McGinest, another guy who is vested into the pension plan, and has a budding hip-hop music label 55 Entertainment. Willie now has three rings, and I don't think anyone would argue with him if he decided to step down to run his label full time, even though his late years have been his best since he had nagging injuries early on.

 

Then it happened.

Just days after playing in his first Pro Bowl, defensive favorite Tedy Bruschi was admitted to Massachusetts General after complaining about the loss of sight in one eye, headaches and numbness. The next morning Mass General reported to the press that Bruschi had suffered a mild stroke possibly stemming from a broken blood vessel in the brain. The latter cause of this sometimes comes from small blood clots, usually meaning there is an underlying problem elsewhere.

 

Soon after the announcement, Internet BB's, NG's, blogs and sports radio shows were flooded with well-wishers and those supporting Bruschi. The team?s web site was flooded with e-mail messages to Bruschi, including those fans supporting teams other than the Pats. Bruschi is a hell of a player and it's well recognized when you get letters from those who favor other teams.

 

Until today, no one really knew the seriousness of his stoke or what may have caused it, until yesterday when an Arizona (Bruschi's home town) network (Kold 13) reported that Tedy was going under the knife for heart surgery to repair a small hole in his heart. This hole might have been the culprit that led to the stoke, and I'm sure the doctors will repair the damage and assess whether or not he will be able to play again since the procedure seems routine. Yesterday it was reported that the procedure Bruschi might end up with was having a small tube inserted into his thigh and sent up to his heart that will allow the surgeons to repair the hole.

 

This new story was upsetting to me since a few years ago I had publicly apologized to Bruschi in one of my pieces because, when it was reported that they were going to make him a full time player for an upcoming season, I felt he wasn't ready to step up. That following season he proved me and others who doubted wrong and later became one of my favorite defensive players.

 

My question now is -- why? Why does something like this happen to a model player like Bruschi? This is a guy we saw before the Super Bowl playing with his kids, a guy who always brings his heart to the field for every play. He also doesn't believe in having an agent represent him, while at the same time he's probably getting more respect and earns more money on the bottom line, especially if he has invested it well.

 

So if Bruschi has to retire, I'm sure he would make a great linebacker coach or media guy, but as I asked before -- why?

 

Why do things like this happen to a class act like Tedy Bruschi, and not the overbearing selfish nitwits like WR Randy Moss, DE Warren Sapp or RB Ricky Williams? Bruschi is a guy that plays the game because he truly loves it and not for the "bling-bling," chest thumping "rah rah rah" or the "me me me" that certain other players are guilty of.

 

A few months ago, former Pats safety Lawyer Milloy made some comments on WEEI that caught me off guard. He talked about not being able to feed a family on Super Bowl rings, and how the Pats promoting and having a "team" atmosphere hurts a player's value on the free agent market.

 

How dumb is that?

 

We have a WR corps that can boast two or more Super Bowl rings, and despite not having one stand out since each guy made his significant contributions to those successful seasons. Having those rings will guarantee them a good payday no matter where they go, and I'm sure WR's Troy Brown and David Patten can attest to that.

 

So again I ask -- why Bruschi? This is a guy that any coach in the NFL would want on his team because his work ethic and values tend to rub off and makes an impact on those younger players around him. He also gains respect from those veterans who play alongside him like Willie McGinest, Ted Johnson and Rodney Harrison.

 

And what of the fans who's heart he stole? The fans in New England have loved watching Tedy in Foxboro and on television where he has made some big plays including the TD against the Miami Dolphins. A TD that inspired one of the most spontaneous moments in NFL fan history where snow was thrown into the air on the lyric "Hey" featured on Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll". This was a moment that I think meant a lot to Bruschi as he commented on it during the Super Bowl 37 rally at City Hall plaza.

 

As for this writer, if Tedy has to retire for his health reasons, he will be missed, and I'm sure the Kraft's will do everything possible to keep him a member of this team, possibly as a linebacker coach or assistant. Who knows what he can bring to this team on the other side of the ball, but I'm sure with his ethics he can succeed.

 

Tedy... My prayers go out to you and your family no matter what path you choose.

 

Comments? E-mail me at Sinista1@msn.com