Bledsoe's post-football life

[Willie55]

I remember when he bought the vineyard as in investment.

Good to see him catching up with Tom Brady and other old teammates.

Still tasting success - The Boston Globe

 

[Mike the Brit]

Good to see him catching up with Tom Brady and other old teammates.

Nice to see him enjoying life. Thanks again and all the best, Drew.

 

[Tunescribe]

Nice to see him enjoying life.

Somehow I suspect that's what Drew's goal was all along. He's only 38 and has been retired from football for three years. I'll bet Brady is still playing at 38.

 

[Gwedd]

Somehow I suspect that's what Drew's goal was all along. He's only 38 and has been retired from football for three years. I'll bet Brady is still playing at 38.

I think you nailed it. Square in the black, brother. Square in the black.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Somehow I suspect that's what Drew's goal was all along. He's only 38 and has been retired from football for three years. I'll bet Brady is still playing at 38.

Using your numbers, I hadn't realized that Bledsoe had put up those stats by the age of 35; makes them all the more remarkable.

Lots of things drive retirement age, including injuries. Aikaman and Namath retired at 34, due to injury; Bradshaw at 35; Dan Fouts and Jim Kelly at 36.

QB's who perform at the highest level after the age of 35 are rarities; Elway and Favre being the best examples, but only Elway won an SB after he was 35 (Joe won his last in the season he turned 33, as did Steve Young). As Pats fans we're all hoping that Tommy is in the Elway/Favre category!

 

[Pewsterbaby]

I think you nailed it. Square in the black, brother. Square in the black.

I swear, there's always been this freaking backlash against Drew Bledsoe by almost every Pats fan who's under the age of 40. Most of y'all didn't even come on board 'till they had the blue jerseys. Well, you're all spoiled. 5 Super Bowl trips in 12 years.
I'm 43 and I, ME, I remember Pats joke quarterbacks I, ME, I had to suffer watching through the 70's & 80's, like...

Hugh Millen
Bob Bleir
Tom Ramsey
Doug Flutie (who blew 1st time around, and wasn't a factor on later jaunts)
Tom freaking Owen
Hugh Millen
Marc Wilson
Matt Cavanaugh
and Tony Eason (who's the only Super Bowl qb not to complete a pass)

Allow ME to tell you that when Bledsoe came, The Pats finally had a real quarterback who's ability (emphasis on the word "ability") other teams feared. Yeah, a REAL marquee name around the league. Before that, most people couldn't even NAME whoever was the Pats quarterback was at any point and time.

There's 5 Pats qb's who are above juvenile jibes like yours. They're named Parilli, Plunkett, Grogan, Bledsoe, and Brady. What? Where the heck were YOU while those other cans of corn up there were slinging for The Pats in the old stadium? Yer spoiled.
Oh, and as far as Brady playing at 38, we'll believe it when we see it. What, You got a freakng crystal ball 'er sumpthin'?

Bledsoe put The Pats back on the map. The relevancy map. I remember DECADES when they weren't even on the radar, lost in the sea of nfl oblivion. You want me to give you a ride to school this morning? Learn your history prior to the year 2000, junior. The Dalai Lama you're not.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

Bledsoe was a great QB, no doubt. I hope the best for his business. Also, Both Peyton and Tom I believe will play as long as Favre has if no injuries hold them back.

 

[stevedogc]

saw an interview he had with Steve Burton. Burton asked him what is was like coming back to New England. Drew said he was amazed at seeing how much the Stadium area had come along since the days of Foxboro stadium. Burton made reference that both Drew and Parcells had alot to do with that. Drew looked very humbled when Burton mentioned that. Nice to see, and very true. Parcells, Drew and Kraft put them back on the map. Nicve to see Drew enjoying life after football.

 

[Pewsterbaby]

I think you nailed it. Square in the black, brother. Square in the black.

And lets not forget that stellar Pats quarterback by the name of...

Tom Hodson! Yayyy!

And look up Bledsoe's stats while you're at it. They're stellar.

 

[stevedogc]

I swear, there's always been this freaking backlash against Drew Bledsoe by almost every Pats fan who's under the age of 40. Most of y'all didn't even come on board 'till they had the blue jerseys. Well, you're all spoiled. 5 Super Bowl trips in 12 years.
I'm 43 and I, ME, I remember Pats joke quarterbacks I, ME, I had to suffer watching through the 70's & 80's, like...

Hugh Millen
Bob Bleir
Tom Ramsey
Doug Flutie (who blew 1st time around, and wasn't a factor on later jaunts)
Tom freaking Owen
Hugh Millen
Marc Wilson
Matt Cavanaugh
and Tony Eason (who's the only Super Bowl qb not to complete a pass)

Allow ME to tell you that when Bledsoe came, The Pats finally had a real quarterback who's ability (emphasis on the word "ability") other teams feared. Yeah, a REAL marquee name around the league. Before that, most people couldn't even NAME whoever was the Pats quarterback was at any point and time.

There's 5 Pats qb's who are above juvenile jibes like yours. They're named Parilli, Plunkett, Grogan, Bledsoe, and Brady. What? Where the heck were YOU while those other cans of corn up there were slinging for The Pats in the old stadium? Yer spoiled.
Oh, and as far as Brady playing at 38, we'll believe it when we see it. What, You got a freakng crystal ball 'er sumpthin'?

Bledsoe put The Pats back on the map. The relevancy map. I remember DECADES when they weren't even on the radar, lost in the sea of nfl oblivion. You want me to give you a ride to school this morning? Learn your history prior to the year 2000, junior. The Dalai Lama you're not.

I think someone needs to go find his happy place. Getting a bit riled up for someone simply giving there opinion that Brady will be playing when he's 38 (which he has claimed we wants to do) and that Drew retired early to enjoy life. Anyone who was a fan of the Pats back in the Bledsoe days remembers how much he enjoyed his time away from the game. He was known to go back to Washington in the off season and all but go into hiding until he was needed back in Foxboro.

 

[RayClay]

Drew always played hard and played hurt which is all you can ask. Sure, he wasn't as driven as a John Hanna, but few are. He had other interests and enjoyed his private life in the area he grew up in, can't really crucify someone for that.

His obvious weakness with foot work and agility might have been ameliorated with some dance lessons, or something, and I will fault him for that.

Glad to hear him say you don't have to worry about Brady, because Tom makes me wonder if he is totally focused lately. Hopefully a strong varied game plan will take care of that this year, though i don't know where we expect that to come from.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I swear, there's always been this freaking backlash against Drew Bledsoe by almost every Pats fan who's under the age of 40. Most of y'all didn't even come on board 'till they had the blue jerseys. Well, you're all spoiled. 5 Super Bowl trips in 12 years.
I'm 43 and I, ME, I remember Pats joke quarterbacks I, ME, I had to suffer watching through the 70's & 80's, like...

Hugh Millen
Bob Bleir
Tom Ramsey
Doug Flutie (who blew 1st time around, and wasn't a factor on later jaunts)
Tom freaking Owen
Hugh Millen
Marc Wilson
Matt Cavanaugh
and Tony Eason (who's the only Super Bowl qb not to complete a pass)

Allow ME to tell you that when Bledsoe came, The Pats finally had a real quarterback who's ability (emphasis on the word "ability") other teams feared. Yeah, a REAL marquee name around the league. Before that, most people couldn't even NAME whoever was the Pats quarterback was at any point and time.

There's 5 Pats qb's who are above juvenile jibes like yours. They're named Parilli, Plunkett, Grogan, Bledsoe, and Brady. What? Where the heck were YOU while those other cans of corn up there were slinging for The Pats in the old stadium? Yer spoiled.
Oh, and as far as Brady playing at 38, we'll believe it when we see it. What, You got a freakng crystal ball 'er sumpthin'?

Bledsoe put The Pats back on the map. The relevancy map. I remember DECADES when they weren't even on the radar, lost in the sea of nfl oblivion. You want me to give you a ride to school this morning? Learn your history prior to the year 2000, junior. The Dalai Lama you're not.

I'd take out the personal comments vs. the other poster, but otherwise I agree with you. In Drew's eight years as starter, the Pats, starting from an awful base, won 64 games and went to the Playoffs four times, including the SB. The Pats hadn't been to the playoffs in the six years prior to his arrival and had won a grand total of 31 games in that time. One can argue the Parcells' effect, the effect of the Krafts, yes. But, Drew played a major role in that.

The rap that can be put on Bledsoe is that he never finished the deal; that he lacked the intangible qualities that differentiate an Aikman from a White or a Brady from, well, a Bledsoe. But, that's a rap that can be put on a lot of very good QB's, with the exceptions of the "greats." It's why the greats belong in the HOF and Drew doesn't, though I think he will be seriously discussed and deserves to be.

But, like you, I have no patience for those who slam this guy; the injury he suffered that opened the way for Brady was life threatening and it amazes me that people "celebrate" it. Say you're happy that Brady got his shot, sure, we all are; but Mo Lewis is not a hero because of a hit that he put on Drew Bledsoe...it nearly killed him.

 

[Tunescribe]

I swear, there's always been this freaking backlash against Drew Bledsoe by almost every Pats fan who's under the age of 40. Most of y'all didn't even come on board 'till they had the blue jerseys. Well, you're all spoiled. 5 Super Bowl trips in 12 years.
I'm 43 and I, ME, I remember Pats joke quarterbacks I, ME, I had to suffer watching through the 70's & 80's, like...

Hugh Millen
Bob Bleir
Tom Ramsey
Doug Flutie (who blew 1st time around, and wasn't a factor on later jaunts)
Tom freaking Owen
Hugh Millen
Marc Wilson
Matt Cavanaugh
and Tony Eason (who's the only Super Bowl qb not to complete a pass)

Allow ME to tell you that when Bledsoe came, The Pats finally had a real quarterback who's ability (emphasis on the word "ability") other teams feared. Yeah, a REAL marquee name around the league. Before that, most people couldn't even NAME whoever was the Pats quarterback was at any point and time.

There's 5 Pats qb's who are above juvenile jibes like yours. They're named Parilli, Plunkett, Grogan, Bledsoe, and Brady. What? Where the heck were YOU while those other cans of corn up there were slinging for The Pats in the old stadium? Yer spoiled.
Oh, and as far as Brady playing at 38, we'll believe it when we see it. What, You got a freakng crystal ball 'er sumpthin'?

Bledsoe put The Pats back on the map. The relevancy map. I remember DECADES when they weren't even on the radar, lost in the sea of nfl oblivion. You want me to give you a ride to school this morning? Learn your history prior to the year 2000, junior. The Dalai Lama you're not.

Listen you goofball, I've been a Patriots season ticket holder for 17 years and followed the team closely long before that, so perhaps that will give you some perspective on which of us is chiming in from the peanut gallery. I personally attended all but two home games Drew played in Foxboro, including those where he wore a visitor's uniform.

Bledsoe was a talent and deserves much credit, as you correctly point out (along with Kraft and Tuna), for helping put this team back on the map. He also was a solid citizen. But, Drew was NOT a student of the game, and vainly put blind faith in his arm to carry him through. He liked football, he did not love it, and didn't put in the work necessary to ensure a Hall of Fame career despite amassing impressive stats. Don't get me wrong, I loved the guy, especially in his second season here. He accomplished a lot, but one is left wondering how much more he could have achieved with greater dedication and focus.

As for my crystal ball and Brady: Tom has stated that he plans to play at least that long and perhaps longer. Considering that he possesses the drive and dedication we all wish Drew could've mustered, I wouldn't bet against him.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think someone needs to go find his happy place. Getting a bit riled up for someone simply giving there opinion that Brady will be playing when he's 38 (which he has claimed we wants to do) and that Drew retired early to enjoy life. Anyone who was a fan of the Pats back in the Bledsoe days remembers how much he enjoyed his time away from the game. He was known to go back to Washington in the off season and all but go into hiding until he was needed back in Foxboro.

I, ME started watching when he was a toddler. Perhaps it permanently damaged his psyche...

I'm glad Drew has a passion for winemaking. He didn't have the necessary level of passion for his previous craft, although he had all the measurables and absolutely loved slingin' it on Sundays. Unfortunately the game has evolved schematically to the point that god given talent is seldom enough to get you where your team wants to go.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Listen you goofball, I've been a Patriots season ticket holder for 17 years and followed the team closely long before that, so perhaps that will give you some perspective on which of us is chiming in from the peanut gallery. I personally attended all but two home games Drew played in Foxboro, including those where he wore a visitor's uniform.

Bledsoe was a talent and deserves much credit, as you correctly point out (along with Kraft and Tuna), for helping put this team back on the map. He also was a solid citizen. But, Drew was NOT a student of the game, and vainly put blind faith in his arm to carry him through. He liked football, he did not love it, and didn't put in the work necessary to ensure a Hall of Fame career despite amassing impressive stats. Don't get me wrong, I loved the guy, especially in his second season here. He accomplished a lot, but one is left wondering how much more he could have achieved with greater dedication and focus.

Why can't we have these discussions without the personal comments.

I think your perspective on Bledsoe in the second paragraph is a fair one, though I would word it differently and its really not provable. You're arguing that the difference between Bledsoe and greatness was passion. Since that's intangible, it's hard to refute, but, I would put it that, as a fan, I was never confident that Drew was going to get it done. If that's a lack of passion or "dedication and focus," I don't know.

I find myself now reacting against those who dismiss him, while I was one of his biggest critics when he was playing.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I, ME started watching when he was a toddler. Perhaps it permanently damaged his psyche...

I'm glad Drew has a passion for winemaking. He didn't have the necessary level of passion for his previous craft, although he had all the measurables and absolutely loved slingin' it on Sundays. Unfortunately the game has evolved schematically to the point that god given talent is seldom enough to get you where your team wants to go.

Whenever there's a Bledsoe thread and no matter how much I agree with a lot of your other posts, I just cringe at your nick. That hit nearly killed Bledsoe; Mo Lewis doesn't "rock" for that. I'm as happy as any Pats fan that Brady got his shot and for all that happened, but that didn't "rock."

Otherwise, I agree with your assessment along the lines of "passion." It's an intangible, but it distinguishes the very, very good (which Drew was) from the great.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Obviously, there were limits to Bledsoe's game and it's easy to put that down to lack of commitment. Perhaps so -- I can't judge. But what I suspect is that any weaknesses may also have been connected with his strengths -- his trust in his own abilities and capacity to take things as they come.

What no one can dispute is that he gave a lot to the Pats and we should all be grateful for it.

 

[Tunescribe]

Why can't we have these discussions without the personal comments.

I merely was responding to personal comments in kind. But you are right.

I think your perspective on Bledsoe in the second paragraph is a fair one, though I would word it differently and its really not provable. You're arguing that the difference between Bledsoe and greatness was passion. Since that's intangible, it's hard to refute, but, I would put it that, as a fan, I was never confident that Drew was going to get it done. If that's a lack of passion or "dedication and focus," I don't know.

I find myself now reacting against those who dismiss him, while I was one of his biggest critics when he was playing.

There should be no dismissing Bledsoe; he had a fine career by most standards. But there exists abundant anecdotal evidence of Drew's belief that his arm could overcome all and trump extra study/preparation, dating back to Parcells' observations of his habits as a rookie. Yes, he was tough as can be and enjoyed slingin' it on Sunday as poster Mo points out. He certainly was no JaMarcus Russell in that he honored the job-related obligations of Monday through Saturday. But football was not his passion.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Whenever there's a Bledsoe thread and no matter how much I agree with a lot of your other posts, I just cringe at your nick. That hit nearly killed Bledsoe; Mo Lewis doesn't "rock" for that. I'm as happy as any Pats fan that Brady got his shot and for all that happened, but that didn't "rock."

Otherwise, I agree with your assessment along the lines of "passion." It's an intangible, but it distinguishes the very, very good (which Drew was) from the great.

The hit didn't kill him, it was a clean hit, it certainly "rocked" the foundation of this franchise (and took BB off the hook on that score), and the screen name wasn't adopted until well after all of that was known. It was also clear by then to many of us that something had to give or this team wasn't going anywhere and Belichick might have been gone before he could stem the tide. It's not like Drew was going to step aside voluntarily...

Another revisionist memory from the good old days is how Tuna turned it all around. He certainly brought the franchise name recognition. How relevant we were at 21-27 heading into the 1996 season is debatable. Fortunately for us what may have tipped the balance there was the hiring of a new Assistant Head Coach/defensive backs...some guy named Belichick. Kraft seemed to sense that, but at the time he was unable to make himself pull the trigger on someone who was perceived as so closely aligned with Parcells...

The Patriots weren't terribly relevant thereafter, either, seemingly slowly but steadily spiraling downward even after replacing Carroll with Belichick. That all began to change in September 2001. Coincidence, I think not.

And it is unfortunate we can't ever have this discussion without someone like yourself also resorting to personal comments...:ugh:

 

[Patspsycho]

I swear, there's always been this freaking backlash against Drew Bledsoe by almost every Pats fan who's under the age of 40. Most of y'all didn't even come on board 'till they had the blue jerseys. Well, you're all spoiled. 5 Super Bowl trips in 12 years.
I'm 43 and I, ME, I remember Pats joke quarterbacks I, ME, I had to suffer watching through the 70's & 80's, like...

Hugh Millen
Bob Bleir
Tom Ramsey
Doug Flutie (who blew 1st time around, and wasn't a factor on later jaunts)
Tom freaking Owen
Hugh Millen
Marc Wilson
Matt Cavanaugh
and Tony Eason (who's the only Super Bowl qb not to complete a pass)

Allow ME to tell you that when Bledsoe came, The Pats finally had a real quarterback who's ability (emphasis on the word "ability") other teams feared. Yeah, a REAL marquee name around the league. Before that, most people couldn't even NAME whoever was the Pats quarterback was at any point and time.

There's 5 Pats qb's who are above juvenile jibes like yours. They're named Parilli, Plunkett, Grogan, Bledsoe, and Brady. What? Where the heck were YOU while those other cans of corn up there were slinging for The Pats in the old stadium? Yer spoiled.
Oh, and as far as Brady playing at 38, we'll believe it when we see it. What, You got a freakng crystal ball 'er sumpthin'?

Bledsoe put The Pats back on the map. The relevancy map. I remember DECADES when they weren't even on the radar, lost in the sea of nfl oblivion. You want me to give you a ride to school this morning? Learn your history prior to the year 2000, junior. The Dalai Lama you're not.

Amen to that! (aside from the personal comments).

A lot of people who complain and whine on this board evidently did not have to live through the '90 season.