Also, celebrating a member of an opposing team almost killing one of your players is a curious take for an 'ActualPatsFan'.
To be VERY clear, anybody who praises Mo Lewis is not a fan in my book.
I agree. It’s in poor taste to celebrate a guy taking a freak hit and almost died if it were for the Pats trainer and Drew’s brother.
Okay I guess we're doing this...
Mo Lewis has nothing in common with Jack Tatum.
I've seen one zillion life threatening hits watching football at every level. HAD Drew not fully recovered, things would be very different, just as HAD **** Rehbein been fine and still with us today, ditto.
Randy Vataha took one of Tatum's cheap shots early in the '76 playoff, got up and playfully nodded squawking at him the way Squirrel often did after a hard hit.
Drew had zero short or long term ill effects from the hit. You can try to equate it to Bruschi's (non-football related) stroke if you want, but if I and every sports announcer had to qualify our comments to satisfy decorum, we'd never fit in anything about the game.
I do disagree with the game at Buffalo being suspended after Harmon went down, as I've seen lots of guys go down. Several of them did not recover and some did eventually die, like Reggie Lewis.
People, life and sports are emotional. And often emotion takes over where common sense would be better off prevailing.
I never wished Tony Eason any ill will or physical harm beyond simply not being on the field so someone astronomically better could play and give us a chance to win. Same with Drew in his later years with the Patriots.
Mo Lewis is not Bernard Pollard. Drew put himself in a vulnerable position and Lewis just did his job. The same way Walt Coleman did his job. And Tom's teammates on that 2001 team did their job.
The hit Tom Jackson put on Steve Grogan early in the '79 game at Mile High is worthy of Assault With Intent To Murder charges. But that is the game. I never celebrated it, and wouldn't even if I were a Broncos fan.
I'm recognizing and celebrating the aftermath of Lewis' hit, which include Drew being 100% healthy and making the Pro Bowl the following season for the Bills.