One thing Bledsoe is far better than Brady at....

[1960Pats]

What are you talking about? Drew can rip it up and I'd love to ski with him. His form looks great and is fine for skiing wind blown fluff, soft cordorouy, powder and cornices. It wouldn't work so well on bulletproof, blue ice like we have back here, but he doesn't have to worry about that out there. I too, skied my whole life(40 years), including growing up ski racing all over the northeast and in college along with guiding backcountry tours outside of Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee.

I do agree about Brady's form though. He needs to stick to the blues and greens and keep his skis on the ground...at least while he plays QB for NE.

re-read. My only criticism of Drew was his skis are a little close at times for today's skis. I have a similar background and raced too. I'll stand by that one minor critique.

A group of my friends and I rented a chalet in the North Conway area for many years in the 70's. At the time we could get a beautiful place for about 5K for an entire winter with enough room for ten of us. Some of the guys would live up there but I'd only use it on weekends. I went skiing (if you want to call it that) twice in eight years but damn did I have a blast.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

A group of my friends and I rented a chalet in the North Conway area for many years in the 70's. At the time we could get a beautiful place for about 5K for an entire winter with enough room for ten of us. Some of the guys would live up there but I'd only use it on weekends. I went skiing (if you want to call it that) twice in eight years but damn did I have a blast.

Yeah, I belonged to one of the ski clubs up there when I was young and single. Travel up on Friday evening, ski Saturday, a different club always had a party on Saturday night, and ski or recover on Sunday. Great times and glad there wasn't social media back then

 

[1960Pats]

Yeah, I belonged to one of the ski clubs up there when I was young and single. Travel up on Friday evening, ski Saturday, a different club always had a party on Saturday night, and ski or recover on Sunday. Great times and glad there wasn't social media back then

I was surprised at how nice the chalets were for the price. For about $500 a person we'd have a great place with a beautiful view of Mt Washington.

 

[fair catch fryar]

re-read. My only criticism of Drew was his skis are a little close at times for today's skis. I have a similar background and raced too. I'll stand by that one minor critique.

No they're not. Everyone's athletic stance is different. Bode Miller's coaches at CVA used to rip him about his technique. He refused to bend and skied the way he felt was best and look how that turned out. I'll stand by that minor critique as well.

 

[Hyped]

One moment I'll point out that also could have left us in trouble during the 2001 season was this:



Brady showed his toughness on that play, but we were still fortunate it didn't turn out differently. Definitely endeared himself to those who wondered if he was a tough kid after that one. They went on to win 12-9, with Brady earning his first of many against the Bills

My favorite part of that game was Patten's concussion along the sideline that put a fumble ball out of bounds....

Crazy game....man...the 2001 season will always be my favorite season...every game was an epic adventure....

 

[Mike the Brit]

What are you talking about? Drew can rip it up and I'd love to ski with him. His form looks great and is fine for skiing wind blown fluff, soft cordorouy, powder and cornices. It wouldn't work so well on bulletproof, blue ice like we have back here, but he doesn't have to worry about that out there. I too, skied my whole life(40 years), including growing up ski racing all over the northeast and in college along with guiding backcountry tours outside of Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee.

I do agree about Brady's form though. He needs to stick to the blues and greens and keep his skis on the ground...at least while he plays QB for NE.

Totally agree.

Bledsoe is a really excellent skier. I wish I could ski like him.

He's poised, aggressive when he needs to be, has great fore-and-aft balance and an excellent pole plant. He wasn't trying too hard on the trail, but looked great on the powder rollers and through the trees. And, even with modern skis, skis together is the way to go in the powder. First, two skis together build a better platform than they do individually. Second, if the snow is less than ideal, the quality can change and you find yourself with one ski sticking and the other shooting ahead.

Yes, he's Old School -- not as Old School as this guy, though!

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

Appreciate all the Bledsoe game advice. I can't multiquote well on current device but I will check some out asap

 

[fair catch fryar]

I was surprised at how nice the chalets were for the price. For about $500 a person we'd have a great place with a beautiful view of Mt Washington.

Air BnB and VRBO has killed that these days. A lot of mountains are having a hard time finding employees in the traditional "ski bum" sense because no one can afford lodging on $12-$15/ hour. It's doubly worse at most resorts out west too. I'm glad I ski-bummed when I did.

 

[1960Pats]

Air BnB and VRBO has killed that these days. A lot of mountains are having a hard time finding employees in the traditional "ski bum" sense because no one can afford lodging on $12-$15/ hour. It's doubly worse at most resorts out west too. I'm glad I ski-bummed when I did.

We didn't know how good we had it. I found out a few years later when I married my wife and she had family living in the area. That was when I learned that the Mt Washington area was significantly more popular during the summer months.

 

[fair catch fryar]

We didn't know how good we had it. I found out a few years later when I married my wife and she had family living in the area. That was when I learned that the Mt Washington area was significantly more popular during the summer months.

I love that big ole rock pile. I don't get that way as much as I would like too. One trip to Tuckerman's in the spring and a hike in the fall is usually all I have the time for.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Bledsoe is living the dream - great guy!

 

[sb1]

Watched a bit of that 2001 AFC Championship game. I forgot how dirty the hit was by Lee Flowers on Brady that knocked him out of the game. That could have had serious implications on his career. Bledsoe himself also took a nasty (and unnecessary) shot out of bounds from a Steeler defender that looked very much like the Mo Lewis hit. And I doubt that was an accident.

The Steelers aren’t as detestable now as they were then but it’s still going to be great when the Patriots win their 7th and leave that team in the dust.

 

[Pape]

Yes. Broken finger in both games. After the Steelers game he was shut down for the year.

Regards,
Chris

he certainly had some messed up digits

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

That's always been the biggest problem - it's such a polarizing topic, even nearly 20-years later. People can't just appreciate Bledsoe was a really good quarterback, but obviously not the level Brady eventually reached. Along with Bill Parcells, Bledsoe helped get them back into the upper echelon group of teams into the NFL, which made this team relevant again. Meanwhile, Brady's been the player who made them champions and a dominant team since then.

While Bledsoe's time in New England didn't end well (realistically...very rarely does that happen, unfortunately), it doesn't change the fact he made football much more fun and exciting to watch compared to the era previously where things were pretty dismal for a long time. He was a good player, but Brady's been a better one, we know that. Doesn't change the fact I had a lot of fun afternoons watching Bledsoe and those teams play and I'll always appreciate his role in turning this team around.

I've always appreciated that Bledsoe was a good quarterback, maybe even slightly ahead of Eason, and he had a strong arm.

The army of Bledsoe/flying elvis worshippers never have or will admit that his removal from the lineup was required for years if the team was ever going to be competitive. Maybe not for Michael Bishop...Nor will they admit that Brady was clearly, obviously vastly superior even as a young, relatively inexperienced second year pro with zero awards, trophies or accolades. They raised a total stink about how unfair it was even though it wasn't, the level of uproar that should have occurred in Jan '86, Jan '87 and Dec '88 when Berry kept starting Eason over vastly better quarterbacks.

The "era previously where things were pretty dismal for a long time" actually lasted three stupid seasons, after Kiam failed to keep Doug Flutie here and sign him after that dunce Berry cut him after stupidly benching him.

People in Cleveland, Detroit etc. hear us complaining and correctly identify us as morons.

Kraft created this, and the very media he complains about fanned the flames of Bledsoe- and flying elvis era-hyperbole that never had an ounce of substance.

So, good for Drew that he's a nice guy and is loved by thousands here, the way that dozens and dozens of other Patriots astronomically deserved more and never were.

 

[1960Pats]

Watched a bit of that 2001 AFC Championship game. I forgot how dirty the hit was by Lee Flowers on Brady that knocked him out of the game. That could have had serious implications on his career. Bledsoe himself also took a nasty (and unnecessary) shot out of bounds from a Steeler defender that looked very much like the Mo Lewis hit. And I doubt that was an accident.

The Steelers aren’t as detestable now as they were then but it’s still going to be great when the Patriots win their 7th and leave that team in the dust.

In the 2001 playoffs it was pretty clear that Flowers was trying to take out Brady's knee. His excuse was that he was blocked into Brady even though the video shows that he wasn't blocked by anyone. He "stumbled" so he could hit Brady low.

The Steelers did succeed in ending Carson Palmer's season in the playoffs a few years later though. IIRC Palmer had been pretty successful against them the last time they played and had completed a long pass in that game before they decided to end his season and Cincy's chances.

The Steelers will always be detestable to me.

 

[Ivan]

In the 2001 playoffs it was pretty clear that Flowers was trying to take out Brady's knee. His excuse was that he was blocked into Brady even though the video shows that he wasn't blocked by anyone. He "stumbled" so he could hit Brady low.

The Steelers did succeed in ending Carson Palmer's season in the playoffs a few years later though. IIRC Palmer had been pretty successful against them the last time they played and had completed a long pass in that game before they decided to end his season and Cincy's chances.

The Steelers will always be detestable to me.

The irony of that hit by Kimo Von Oelhoffen on Palmer, that injured his knee and knocked him out of that playoff game, is that it the became known as the “ Brady Rule.” although the rule was put in place after that season, and before Brady was injured in the KC game.