Tom Brady on The Huffington Post

Dr. Jim Taylor: What Makes the Great Ones Great?

2009-12-02T10:50:37Z

So what do Tom Brady, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt, Annika Sorenstam, Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong, and Lisa Leslie have that you don't?

This question has been on the minds of many people of late with the recent publication of Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers and Daniel Coyle's The Talent Code. If you have read these books, you might conclude that greatness has little to do with innate abilities -- intelligence or inborn physical capabilities -- and everything to do with motivation and circumstance. However, both authors are missing the obvious, particularly as it relates to sports: all of the mental strength and opportunity in the world won't help if you're not physically capable of performing at the highest level of sport. A teenage boy may have the best hook shot on Earth, but if he has only 5' 10" genes, he will not be posting up in the NBA. As the former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden noted, "You can't teach height."

But, of course, innate physical ability isn't enough either. History is littered with "can't miss" kids who, well, missed -- "Did someone say Ryan Leaf?" Yes, you can get pretty far without it, but to be truly great, you must have it all: physiological gifts, opportunity, and finally, the psychological capabilities to take full advantage of them. If you look at these three contributors to performance, you really only have control over the last one: your mind.

In my work with athletes, I've been able to identify the five most important psychological qualities that distinguish the Wayne Gretzkys and the Candace Parkers from the rest of us.

Drive

The problem with superstar athletes is that you see the final result -- greatness -- but not all of the hours they put in on the court, field, track, or road. Whether you call it motivation, determination, or commitment, the great ones have it in spades. They just work as hard as they possibly can. And that drive is usually propelled by intense passion for their sport; they just love playing the game. Maria Sharapova, for all her seemingly natural talent, was the first on the court and the last off when she was a kid.

Confidence

I'm not talking arrogance, cockiness, or 'tude (Do you hear me, TO?). I'm talking about a deep and resilient belief in the great ones' ability to achieve their goals. They just know they will succeed even though they don't always. Back in the '80s, there was a poster of Michael Jordan taking a last second shot. The caption read something like: "I was given the ball 27 times with ten seconds left in the game and the winning shot in my hands...and I missed." That didn't stop him from wanting the ball and taking the shot. MJ believed he would make the next shot.

Calm

It's obvious, the great ones know how to handle pressure; they stay cool, calm, and collected when others around them are freaking out. Imagine taking an exam or giving a work presentation in front of 80,000 people who are letting you know in no uncertain terms they want you to fail. Remember "The Drive" by the 49ers against the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII in 1989? The Niners, down 16-13, had 3:10 to move the ball 92 yards to win the game. Quarterback Joe Montana looked at his teammates in the huddle, smiled, and asked if anyone had noticed John Candy in the stands, ESPN reported. Everyone laughed, the pressure was taken down a notch, and Montana completed what was perhaps the most famous of his 31 fourth-quarter comebacks in an NFL game. Montana definitely earned his nickname, Joe Cool.

Focus

You can see it in eyes of great athletes, like laser beams locked onto whatever they need to concentrate on to get the job done. They are totally focused, blocking out distractions, whether competitors, expectations, fans, nerves, conditions, past mistakes, or future results. Can anyone focus better than Tiger? In big tournament after tournament, against the best golfers in the world, when everyone expects him to win, Tiger puts his head down, his eyes on the ball and the ball in the cup.

Emotions

Ah, emotions: the last and most misunderstood piece of the athletic greatness puzzle. Emotions impact the great ones in obvious and surprising ways. First, what emotions come to mind when you think of Peyton Manning? Probably none. Ahead or behind, the guy is as stoic as Socrates. It's as if he's had his emotions (and his personality; sorry Peyton) surgically removed. He is an emotional master.

Then, there's John McEnroe. Now wait a minute, I know what you're thinking: "You can't be serious!!" He seems like the antithesis of Peyton Manning - and an emotional basket case. Yet, he too mastered his emotions on the tennis court, using them to fire himself up and unnerve his opponent. Remember all of those times when he seemed to emotionally lose it over a bad call or raged against an umpire or himself. Did you ever notice what happened after he settled down? He usually won.

Anetra Smith: Laughing My Way to 9-0!

2009-11-19T12:52:26Z

Let's see. Dumbest call ever? Best play by a backup safety? Worst call in New England history? Not sure what I'd call it but we can definitely call it ANOTHER Colts win. Last Sunday's marquee matchup between the Colts and the Pansies lived up to the hype. If you're a Colts fan!

Trailing 34-28 with 2:08 to go I had the feeling. You know the feeling. The feeling that Tom Brady is going to make your life miserable. The feeling that he's going to leave you pregnant for a super model. That was the feeling I had when Bill Belichick decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 from his own 28. I thought oh no not again!!!

Guess what though ... IT DIDN'T WORK! The New England mastermind made a dumb decision! Tom Brady threw a short pass to Kevin Faulk to ice the game but backup safety Melvin Bullitt drove the Patriots running back into the ground a half-yard short of the marker. I jumped off the couch screaming.

Do you know what that play set up? It gave Peyton Manning and well you name em ... Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Pierre Garcon, all the time in the world to score. And score they did. With just under two minutes left to go in the game Manning hit Wayne for a 15 yard gain and then turned the ball over to Addai. The four-year pro from LSU in turn carried it 14 yards to the one yard line. I could not believe my eyes. Addai tried to get in but no TD so Manning went to his old standby. Mr. Wayne. Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Wayne with 13 seconds left that rallied the unbeaten Colts to a 35-34 win over the Patriots.

Best Colts/Patriots game ever! The Colts have an 18-game regular-season winning streak, which is now tied for the second-longest in league history with well, you guessed it New England. Colts fans can rest a bit easier after this one. They only play one team with a record better than 5-4: the slumping Denver Broncos who are 6-3.

I always say I hate Patriots week but I definitely love the morning after a Patriot loss!

GQ Men Of The Year 2009 Covers: Obama, Tom Brady, Clint Eastwood Among Honorees (PHOTOS)

2009-11-17T10:05:03Z

GQ has unveiled its annual "Men of the Year" covers, and for the second straight year Barack Obama has made the list.

Obama was named Leader of the Year.

GQ also honors Tom Brady (Comeback of the Year), Clint Eastwood (Badass of the Year), the "Hangover" stars Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper (Funnymen of the Year), and Chris Pine (Breakout of the Year).

The covers will be available at newsstands nationwide on November 24.

See the covers (PHOTO CREDIT: Martin Schoeller/GQ) and vote for who you think deserves the honor most below:

In 2008, Ted Kennedy's tribute to Obama led GQ's Men of the Year coverage.

Colts Vs. Patriots: Indianapolis Shocks New England In Final Minutes, 35-34

2009-11-15T23:59:34Z

INDIANAPOLIS — Bill Belichick risked everything on one play Sunday night. It cost him a victory, and it may wind up costing him a trip back to Indianapolis for a rematch with Peyton Manning later this season.

After the New England coach failed on a stunning gamble deep in his own territory, Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left that rallied the unbeaten Colts to a 35-34 win over the Patriots.

Andrew Zack: In Search of Reading Role Models

2009-11-14T11:14:03Z

As a father, I regularly look to my toddler son and ponder
how will I share with him some of the experiences I so fondly remember from my
own childhood: rainy days building forts
out of TV tables and blankets, snowy nights building model planes and tanks, and
Saturday afternoons watching the Creature Double Feature. And, of course, reading books. Lots and lots of books.

As a boy and a teenager, I read voraciously, knocking off a
book a day or at least two or three a week.
But those days are long gone. If
there’s one casualty of a career in publishing, it’s reading for fun. Reading manuscripts and sample chapters and
proposals, not to mention several hundred emails a week, puts enough wear and
tear on the average agent’s eyeballs that a monthly eye exam could easily be
justified as a business expense.

Kids today, though, have a lot more competition for their
attention. I had five TV stations
growing up, not five hundred. And if I
wanted to change the channel, or my dad wanted the channel changed, I had to
get up and change it (yes, I was the original “remote” in our home). I had a manual typewriter, not three
computers. And I lived in New England,
where it actually snowed and rained, unlike where my son is growing up in San
Diego, the land that precipitation forgot.
Other than the occasional day well into the nineties, the weather is
rarely conducive to a day spent inside reading.

All of which is a long way of introducing the subject that
book publishing as we know it is in deep poop, because kids today have far many
more options for their “reading time” than I ever had and their parents are
just as, if not more, distracted. My son
will grow up like most kids in America today, with hundreds of TV stations to
choose from, millions of websites to waste time exploring, an iPod full of
media (likely video as well as audio), and video-gaming consoles and handhelds,
plus a beach full of surfers just a few miles away. How on earth will I get him to read a
book? And how will the publishing
industry get today’s kids--and their parents--to read books?

No, I don’t actually have the answer to that last question,
but if there was a question publishers should be pouring money into answering,
that would be the one.

Harry Potter was a godsend to the publishing industry. Not just for the millions (billions?) of
dollars in book sales it helped generate, but because it got an entire
generation of children to read. And not
just to read, but also to look forward
to reading and look forward to that next book in the series. Dan Brown did something similar with
adults. Adults who hadn’t read a book in
years felt they had to read The Da Vinci Code. Surely a few went on to read Brown’s other
books and maybe after that even read some other authors’ books. But Brown took six years to write another
book and Rowling is “done” with Harry Potter.
Thankfully Oprah still picks a book now and then.

Once upon a time, US presidents would be seen reading books
and those books would leap to the best-seller lists. But when did you last hear anything about
what the president was reading? What the
publishing industry needs today is not just best-selling authors like Rowling
or Brown, but also reading role models
that will inspire children and their parents to pick up more books. Forget “game night.” We need “reading night” in America’s
homes. We need a president who tells us
what he’s reading that week, not to mention talk-show hosts, ballplayers, and
supermodels. Because, like it or not,
those are the individuals to whom Americans seem to pay the most
attention. Oprah already tells us who
she’s reading, but what about Katie or Matt or Jay or Dave? What about Tom and Gisele? Angelina and Brad? Or how about the Jonas brothers or
Miley? Somewhere on all of those concert
tours, they must pick up a book,
right? Maybe publishers should add some
more celebrities to the galley mailing lists.
Certainly if Angelina is seen carrying the latest children’s book
release around the sales would skyrocket.
If tween girls want so badly to be like Miley, maybe she could pick up a
copy of Pride and Prejudice, or even Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and
inspire those tweens to do the same.

So let this be a call to action, Washington. Listen up, Hollywood. Our children need you to read and we need to
know what you are reading, so don’t be shy about actually being seen carrying a
book. And, please, let your choices not
just be from the best-seller list, because those authors are already doing just
fine.

Roger I. Abrams: We Could All Use a Bye Week

2009-10-31T18:29:46Z

For twenty years now, the National Football League, in an ever-vigilant effort to find more ways to sell its product to the television networks, has featured 16 games in 17 weeks. From the fourth to the tenth week, each of the 32 teams has one week off. The bye-week system extends the regular season providing for even more programming. The bye week is the time for devoted fans to take a rest from the 0-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for example. The fans of the 0-7 St. Louis Rams could use a bye week, but they don't get one for another week. Just sit back and enjoy the game as played by teams that win.

I was musing about how nice it would be to have a bye week as a regular part of our work activities, assuming, of course, that we still have a job in this economy. We could spend a few days in light practice, and then fly off to be with friends and family while every else continues to work. We could even watch them work on Sunday!

Bye weeks definitely are not good for fantasy football players. If you paid through the nose to get Tom Brady as your QB and Brady has the week off to be with Giselle, then what is a fantasy "owner" to do? I guess, in retrospect, the same thing happened to Brady-ites last year when Tom fell injured in Game One. This year, however, you should have planned your squad knowing when the bye week would hit. Back-up quarterbacks are a valuable commodity.
People are known to place bets on football games, and gambling websites report that awful clubs coming off a bye week do remarkably well against the spread. There are plenty of awful clubs in the NFL this year, so there are many opportunities to test the betting scheme. Actually, over the past three seasons, clubs coming off their bye weeks went 58-36-2 against the spread, not bad odds.

This has been a troubling season for the NFL. The remarkably successful effort at obtaining parity among the 32 teams seems to have fallen apart, at least at this stage of the season. Three teams remain undefeated -- the Colts, the Broncos and the Saints -- and three teams are seeking their first victory -- the Titans, the Buccaneers and the Rams. The last three are, of course, playing for the first pick in the draft. The extremes do not tell the full story, however. The Browns, Chiefs and Lions have only one win, and the Seahawks, Panthers, Redskins and Dolphins only two. They are not mathematically eliminated, but they should not pack their bags for Miami on February 7 unless they want to go to Florida for early spring training. Ten out of the 32 teams are hopeless or on their way there. For many with body clocks set to professional football telecasts, it may be a long fall and winter.

What then might amuse those football fans whose team has already fallen into the dumper? You can adopt another club just for the 2009 season. There are some great stories to follow: Drew Brees and the Saints are a lock for the playoffs, which they have made only six times since 1967. No city needs a winner more than New Orleans, which is still suffering from the Bush presidency. Or try the Vikings with their inspirational rent-a-quarterback, the aged Brett Favre. You either love him or you hate him. Either way, he could make the weeks pass. If you don't mind the pitchman-quarterback, root for Indianapolis. Hearing the greatest QB in the galaxy bark out his signals will set your heart spinning.

There are some interesting division contests. The Bengals have finally learned how to play football and are tied with the 2009 Superbowl Champion Steelers at 5-2. (That is one more win than the Bengals had all of last year.) The Patriots are only a game in front of the Jets with more than half a season to go, although if you read the New York newspapers, it appears that the Jets are in the lead. If these races do not inspire you, I propose a one-on-one staring contest between Coach Bill Belichick and Coach Rex Ryan.

So if your club has been dreadful, do the right thing. Toss them overboard, and pick a winner.

Gisele Buttons Her Jeans Over Her Baby Bump

2009-10-27T09:45:31Z

As if winning first prize in the genetic and spousal realms wasn't enough, Gisele Bundchen's food is blue ribbon-worthy as well.

Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-10-26T12:40:21Z

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 26, 2009 from
www.LenBermanSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

The Yankees advance to the World Series for the first time since
2003 by beating the Angels 5-2 in game 6. Game 1 of the World Series,
Phillies @ Yankees, Wednesday night.

All was not joyous in the New York area last night. The Arizona
Cardinals picked off the Giants 24-17. The Saints stayed undefeated.
The Vikings lost their first game.

ESPN fires Steve Phillips after his affair with a production
assistant.

The Cardinals are expected to hire Mark McGwire as hitting coach.
McGwire has kept a low profile in recent years as the court of public
opinion has "convicted" him of steroid use.

2. The Bronx is Burning

Just like the good old days. The Yankees will host their 40th World
Series. The 7th for Derek Jeter and finally the first for Alex
Rodriguez. Yankees vs. Phillies has all the makings of a great World
Series. But not for everyone. As subscriber Ruth Q. emailed last week,
"This World Series could be a nightmare for us Mets fans - Yankees
vs Phillies - who to root for??"

Pick your poison, Mets fans. For you it's basically a lose/lose
proposition.

3. Monday Musings

There are cracks in the concrete walkways at the new Yankee Stadium.
Hey, what do you expect for $1.5 billion?

-----

Neither Bobby Valentine nor Don Mattingly got the Cleveland
managerial job, former Washington manager Manny Acta did. We need
Bobby V. back in baseball to stir the pot.

-----

Remember a few years ago they were calling for Joe Paterno's head at
Penn State? After winning at Michigan Saturday 35-10 the Nittany Lions
are 7-1 At age 82, JoPa just getting started.

-----

Enough already with these throwback jerseys. Were those the Jets, New
York Titans or San Diego Chargers playing in Oakland? There's a reason
why those old jerseys were redesigned. Time to throwback the
throwbacks.

4. A Fine Mess

Who got fined more in the NFL, Titans safety Chris Hope for roughing
up Tom Brady, or Chad Ochocinco for wearing the wrong color chin
strap? (Second violation.)

Time's up. Both were fined $10-thousand. Rough tackles may kill
quarterbacks, but fashion faux pas will simply not be tolerated!

5. In Memoriam

When I mentioned Soupy Sales' (big sports fan) passing last Friday,
your remembrances of Soupy came pouring in.

From Jim S. "Show me tracks on the ocean floor and I'll show you the
prints of whales (Prince of Wales)."

From Ed G. "I'll always remember one of Soupy's jokes about baseball.
'Took my girlfriend to a game. I kissed her on the strikes and she
kissed me on the balls.' "

And of course many of you remembered what got Soupy in trouble. From
Howard C. "Fans of Soupy Sales are welcome to send in money to cover
the cost of the funeral. Please go upstairs and send us all the green
pieces of paper in Daddy's wallet."

Remember, Soupy did a "kids show."

Happy Birthday: Angels fan Pat Sajak. How much face time did that guy
get sitting behind home plate in Anaheim? 63.
Bonus Birthday: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 62.

Today in Sports: The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, became the first and
only NHL player to reach 2000 points. He finished with 2857. 1990.
Bonus Events: Hide your eyes Yankee haters. The Yankees beat the
Braves in 6 to win the World Series. 1996. And the Yankees beat the
Mets in 5 to win the World Series. 2000. And to think the 2009 World
Series has yet to begin.

Gisele Shows Off Her Baby Bump

2009-10-25T16:26:36Z

Gisele Bundchen is rockin' that baby bump alright. And it looks like the rest of her body forgot she was pregnant.

The supermodel was spotted braving the rain in the West Village today with some friends.

Bill Matthews: NFL Allows Lions to Play With 12 Men

2009-10-22T16:23:30Z

(DETROIT) Following their 26-0 defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions have been okayed by the NFL to play with an extra man on both offense and defense.

"With the extra man, we think the Lions might actually be competitive with other teams in the league," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Lions President Bill Ford Jr. was unhappy with the ruling.

"We had asked to get two extra players. I mean, have you see our roster? Have you seen us play? One extra player isn't going to help," Ford said.

The Lions have lost 26 of their last 28 games, including a NFL futility record 0-16 in 2008. The franchise has lost more games than any NFL club since 2001.

Goodell said he wants the Lions to get back to their glory years, the 1950s, when it won three NFL titles. Those, of course, were the years when the Lions were the only team in the league. Since the NFL started including other teams, the Lions haven't even reached the title game.

"Our hope is to restore the roar of this once-proud franchise," Goodell said.

Ford again objected, however, saying, "This franchise was never proud."

After practice this morning, Lions players said they hoped the 12th person on offense is New England quarterback Tom Brady.

Broncos, Patriots: Overtime Field Goal Caps Comeback Victory For Denver

2009-10-11T20:35:09Z

DENVER — Kyle Orton is no John Elway, Josh McDaniels is no Bill Belichick and those mustard-yellow uniforms certainly don't have anyone thinking "Orange Crush."

But on a day that had as much to do with Denver's colorful history as its promising present, anything seemed possible.

Sam Dudley: The 2009 Broncos: 2001 Patriots Redux?

2009-09-25T14:33:54Z

Eight years and two days ago, the course of NFL history changed. History has since been revised. Thank you, Morris C. Lewis.

It was the Hit Heard 'Round the World. Down 10-3 to the New York Jets with five minutes remaining, the New England Patriots faced 3rd and 10 from their 18 yard-line. On the ensuing play, Jets' rookie defensive tackle Shaun Ellis interrupted Drew Bledsoe's five-step drop and flushed him out of the pocket. The storied, 100 million-dollar New England quarterback rolled right, loafed 11 yards up the sideline, and was obliterated by Mo Lewis as he scampered out of bounds. Foxboro went silent. Drew's internal organs had never Bled-soe much.

What happened next and unfolded over the remainder of the New England Patriots' 2001 season bears particular relevance to the 2009 Denver Broncos. History may repeat itself, but it does not lie.

Amidst the chaos, Tom Brady '01 checked into the game. Tom Brady '01 should not be confused with Tom Brady '02 or anyone who has ever impregnated both a Hollywood actress and a supermodel.

That countless NFL fans remember Tom Brady '01 as Tom Brady '07 is a problem. This line of thinking revises history.

Tom Brady's career began on the Patriots' 29 yard-line. Brady completed 5 of 10 passes for 46 yards (21 of which came on a single play), ran once for 9 yards, and failed to lead the Patriots to victory. Brady played well that evening. He "managed" the Patriots' offense effectively during the game's final drive. He did not manage to pull out what would later become his trademark: a victory.

Brady continued to "manage" the Patriots' offense for the remainder of the season. His first two starts were not historic performances. Though the Patriots handily beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, Brady only completed 13 of 23 passes (56.5%) and did not throw for a single touchdown. The Colts finished 6-10 in 2001, and did not qualify for the postseason. Brady played an abysmal game the following weekend against the surging Miami Dolphins. The Patriots lost 30-10 in Miami while Brady connected on 12 of 24 (50%) passes for a meager 86 yards and zero touchdowns. Yet, Brady did not turn the ball over in either game, which surely impressed Bill Belichick.

Meanwhile, New Englanders considered Brady a temporary solution. Not even Bledsoe believed Brady was capable of achieving success in the NFL. In an interview with the Boston Herald less than a month after his life-threatening injury, Bledsoe stated, "I feel like I'm going to be the starter for as long as I'm here."

Drew spoke too soon. He became the most expensive clipboard-holder in NFL history faster than I just typed, "Mo Lewis."

Tom Brady "arrived" in Week 5 when Belichick set him loose on the San Diego Chargers. Brady displayed a newfound command of Belichick's playbook during his third NFL start. The sixth-round draft-pick completed 33 of 54 passes (61%), amassing two touchdowns and league-wide respect. His second touchdown pass, a shot to tight-end Jermaine Wiggins, came in the final minute of the game and forced overtime.

The Patriots won 29-26 on a 44-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. Brady however received the bulk of the credit for the dramatic comeback victory. He engineered a marvelous game-winning drive. Brady identified numerous Charger blitzes, and his audibles led to a string of completions that set up Vinatieri's game-winning kick. His poise and intelligence won the game.

Still, Brady '01 never became Brady '07. He was not even Brady '04-'06: The Bridget Moynahan Years.

In 15 regular season games, Brady '01 interspersed six impressive passing performances (91-pus QB rating) with nine relatively pedestrian outings (sub-79.6 QB rating). Although Brady finished the regular season with a solid 86.5 QB rating, a sine curve best describes his week-by-week performance. He was a wild card, who often played down to his competition. Few recall that Brady threw 10 of his 12 interceptions against non-playoff teams -- Buffalo (2 INTs, 3-13), Carolina (2, 1-15), Denver (4, 8-8), and Cleveland (2, 7-9). Brady's mediocre statistics make the Patriots' first Super Bowl victory seem all the more stupefying.

The Patriots clinched the AFC East by winning 11 of their final 14 regular season games. They did so despite the fact that Brady only threw 18 touchdowns to counter his 12 interceptions during this span of games. This is by far the worst TD-INT ratio he has ever posted. They advanced to Super Bowl XXXVI even though Brady threw more interceptions (1) than touchdowns (0) in the first two rounds of the playoffs. They won the Super Bowl even though the future Mr. Bundchen only threw for one touchdown, 145 yards, and completed fewer than 60% of his passes in the Big Game!

History demonstrates that Brady played effective (not spectacular) football throughout the 2001-2002 season. So, how did the Patriots win consistently with him under center?

The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI because Brady always played within the confines of Bill Belichick's game plan. Belichick's success started on defense. He paired an aggressive, nameless front seven with a proven secondary (sound familiar, Denver?). He fortified his tough, dedicated defense by running a conservative offense. Belichick did not possess a dominant All-Decade football team. The 2001 Patriots did not lead the League in total offense or defense. The roster did not brim with Pro-Bowl talent. Belichick won because each week he convinced all of his players to execute his game plan.

But what is so special about that? Every winning coach gets the most out of his players.

This is where today's fans contend, "Belichick won in '01 because of The System! His proven 'system' beat everyone!" Ah, of course, the good ol' Patriot Way. Unfortunately, crediting the franchise's incredible run and first Super Bowl victory to The Patriot System ignores and even contradicts history.

Making the playoffs was a pipe dream for the 2001 Patriots. Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated ranked the Bledsoe-backed Patriots twenty-fifth out of thirty-one NFL teams in his 2001 pre-season power rankings. Yet, the imagination of the contemporary fan revises history. The post-'01 dominance of the Patriots organization causes people to believe that the 2001 Patriots were supposed to win 11 of their final 14 games. This perception could not be further from historical fact. Each week, the Patriots were supposed to stop winning. I remember this because I was there.

In 2001, I was attending high school in a suburb of Boston. The Fall of '01 was the most frustrating season of my life. I had no car. I had no privacy. I had no mountains. All the while, "Pats" fans surrounded me. They bore names like O'sull, Walshy, and "insert the nickname of a character in Good Will Hunting and/or Boondocks Saints here." I lived in the Kingdom of the Enemy. Every week, I watched in disgust as the Patriots piled up yet another absurdly lucky victory. Yes, I broke things. Had Ray Bourque not recently jettisoned the Bruins and won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche, Greater Boston would have eaten me alive. I felt like a caged bird ... a caged bird that despised Tom Brady. The man was ruining my life. Griese was supposed to win and Brady, the backup, was supposed to lose. Bill Belichick had thrown off the natural order of my universe.

No one in Boston spoke of a "system" that would ultimately lead the Patriots to victory, let alone dynastic greatness. There was no saving the 2001 Patriots. With Bledsoe in the ICU, the Patriots were a pastiche of nobodies led by Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, and an unproven, unpopular, second-year head coach. Suffice to say, The System did not rescue the 2001 Patriots. The System had yet to exist.

Revisionist history clouds our judgment. Tom Brady's poor play against subpar opponents in 2001 tends to perplex those who examine his stats today. However, in 2001, few were surprised by Brady's errors. Analysts and fans blamed Brady's mistakes on inexperience and an overall lack of talent; no one expected precision, much less a Super Bowl run, from a sixth-round quarterback with no NFL experience. Brady's improvement since 2001, especially his historic 2007 season, has altered our collective memory. We now expected the Patriots to markedly improve after Bledsoe's brush with death.

Belichick's constant success since 2001 has also blurred NFL history. No one outside of New England recognized "The Patriot Way" until Belichick won Super Bowl XXXVIII. That season the Patriots went 14-2 and won the Super Bowl with a roster that contained only three pro-bowlers -- Ty Law, Willy McGinest, and Richard Seymour. None of these guys played offense. Talk of The System remained quiet until the 2004 Patriots set the NFL record for consecutive regular season victories and went on to win Super Bowl XXXIX.

By February 2004, the Patriots had won 28 regular season games in two seasons and consecutive Super Bowls. Belichick had become a genius in the process. He reached genius-hood in part by strategizing around season-ending injuries to established starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole. The coach inserted Asante Samuel (a second-year NFL player, fourth-round draft pick), Randall Gay (a rookie undrafted free agent), and Troy Brown (an aging wide receiver) into the New England secondary. His creative gamble paid off. As the Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the third time in four years, people came to believe that Bill Belichick could annually compete for a championship with a roster of antique chairs.

The franchise remained hungry and obsessively organized.

The New England System came of age in 2007, and it withstood the test of time (and injury) in 2008. Josh McDaniels played a major role in bolstering and preserving The System between 2006 and 2008; he had worked for the Patriots since 2001. McDaniels came of age while watching and actively helping Belichick change NFL history. Josh McDaniels is the Forrest Gump of the last decade of NFL football.

Pat Bowlen hired McDaniels for his work during the 2008 season. Yes, 2007 was an historic year in New England. But any team that starts eight Pro-Bowlers, including 3 of 5 offensive linemen, has a chance to re-write history. That is not to say that the '07 Patriots were not impressive. They were arguably the best team ever assembled. Yet, their talent at every position made it more difficult to discern the impact the coaching staff had on each game.

Bowlen believes that McDaniels stopped the bleeding in 2008. Colorado hopes Bowlen is right, but only time will tell if Matt Cassel owes McDaniels a sixty-third of his new $63 million contract. Cassell will most likely have to pay up. McDaniels belongs at the helms of an NFL offense. Cassell does not, unless McDaniels is calling his plays.

Speculating that McDaniels is attempting to re-build the 2001 Patriots roster position-by-position in Denver oversimplifies his occupation. Nevertheless, the chain of events that unfolded in New England between 2001 and 2007 offers hope to the Denver Broncos.

The 2001 Patriots and the 2009 Broncos are strikingly similar teams. In a strange twist of fate, Sports Illustrated ranked the Broncos 26 out of 32 before Week 1 kicked off. More importantly, McDaniels is currently working with the same level of unproven talent and low expectations that Bill Belichick coached to victory in 2001.

Like the 2001 Patriots, the success of the 2009 Broncos starts with an anonymous yet voracious defense. Denver also lost its franchise quarterback. The plot thickens as a 6'4" unproven signal caller replaces a Pro-Bowl pocket passer. Additionally, the problem child formerly known as Brandon Marshall is the '09 version of Terry Glenn. Glenn, a former Pro-Bowl wideout and a general nuisance, was in his prime when Belichick suspended him indefinitely in 2001 for his off-field transgressions. The franchise never offered Glenn a Super Bowl ring, and traded him to Green Bay before the 2002 season for two fourth-round draft picks. Say, didn't numerous teams low-ball the Broncos during the pre-season by offering third and fourth-round picks in exchange for Marshall? The list goes on, and the resemblance will grow stronger each time the Broncos win in 2009.

Sports icons are predicated on revisionist history. Revising history produces glory. Take revisionist history with a grain of salt, but also be sure to learn from it. Retracing each step an historic athlete took to become a legend sheds light on both the past and the present. Always keep in mind that Tom Brady '01 was not Tom Brady '07.

Kyle Orton will never be Tom Brady '07. McDaniels of all people knows this. Orton however does not have to be Tom Brady '07 for this team of Broncos to win games. Put your faith in the defense and coach McDaniels. He will do whatever it takes to win. This is the only method that McDaniels knows. He stuck with Cassell in '08, passing on a more proven player in Chris Simms. His controversial decision paid off. The Patriots won 11 games, McDaniels received a head-coaching gig, and Cassell won the lottery. Stick to a successful method and you just might end up with a productive system. Just ask Bill Belichick ... or his trusty sidekick, Josh McDaniels, who saw it all since '01.

Do not allow the glitz of the present to re-color the past. Remember history as it actually unfolded. Forget the legend of Tom Brady '01. Brady was not a legend when he won his first Super Bowl, and he certainly did not play like one. Live in the present by remaining patient with the '09 Broncos, especially on offense. Judge the Broncos for what they currently are: a 2-0 underdog led by a clever, competitive coach with everything to prove.

Eight years later in a town called Denver, the true story of Tom Brady '01 endures.

Tom Brady And Gisele Sued Over Wedding Shooting

2009-09-22T15:00:36Z

NEW YORK — Two photographers sued New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen for $1 million Tuesday, saying they were shot at during a post-wedding party in Costa Rica.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan alleged that the photographers, though the shot didn't hit them, suffered physical and mental harm from the attack during a celebration in early April at Bundchen's holiday home.

Tom Brady Confirms Gisele Is Pregnant

2009-09-12T08:11:49Z

After months of speculation, revealing photos and chatty sources, Tom Brady has confirmed the good news: wife Gisele Bündchen is, indeed, pregnant.

In an interview with ESPN's Chris Berman airing Sunday on SportsCenter and Monday Night Countdown, the 32-year-old New England Patriots quarterback reveals that the couple who married earlier this year expect their baby-on-the-way in December.

Tom Brady Talks Modeling, Kids & His Similarities To Gisele

2009-08-11T11:02:53Z

Expectant dad Tom Brady is on the September cover of Details. Inside he talks a little about meeting bride Gisele, having a baby with ex Bridget Moynahan and modeling for Stetson.

On modeling being harder than playing football:
"When I'm out on the football field, I have so much confidence in what I'm doing. With [the modeling], I don't know what I'm doing. I'm at the whim of the photographer and the crew."

On life and having a child out of wedlock:
"That's not how you envisioned your life, that's not how you envisioned having children, but it happens. Life is not living in the suburbs with a white picket fence. That's not life. Somehow our American culture has made it out that that's what life needs to be--and that if it's not that, it's all screwed up. It's not. You go through life and you try the best you can."

On being set-up on a blind date with Gisele:
"This friend told me he knew a girl version of me." Gisele chimes in, "And he said to me he'd found a boy version of me."

Tom Brady's Birthday Surprises

2009-08-04T10:50:27Z

Tom Brady turned 32 on Monday, and it looks like everyone remembered his special day.

The New England Patriots quarterback was appearing on SIRIUS XM's Mad Dog Radio Show on Monday when his parents, Tom and Galynn, called in and surprised him by singing "Happy Birthday." It was a special sacrifice for Brady's west coast-based parents, who had to get up at 3:45 a.m. to perform the serenade.

Read more: Tom Brady, Entertainment News

Angel Bump-Off: Karolina, Adriana And Heidi Show Off Their Bellies (PHOTOS)

2009-07-16T10:09:55Z

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show may be missing a few of its angels this year. Heidi Klum, Karolina Kurkova and Adriana Lima are all pregnant.

Karolina and Adriana are both expecting their first children and rocked their bumps on red carpets this week, Karolina is expecting with fiance Archie Drury and Adriana with her husband, NBA star Marko Jeric. Heidi and husband Seal are expecting their fourth child, a girl. Former angel Giselle Bundchen is also knocked up, by husband Tom Brady.

But it may not be long before the angels are strutting the runway in lingerie once again. Alessandra Ambrosio, who gave birth to her first child last August, walked in the Victoria's Secret show less than three months later.

PHOTOS:

Follow HuffPo Entertainment On Twitter!

Jancee Dunn: Heaven Can Wait

2009-06-24T16:42:05Z

For nearly twenty years, I've made my living by interviewing celebrities. I've hoisted a pint of Guinness with Bono, helped a pregnant Madonna out of a chair, and eaten Doritos on a tour bus with Beyonce. But that was a while back. It's time to move on. It's been time for a while.

I began my career in the late 80s at Rolling Stone. A typical week might involve a sit-down with Stevie Nicks, who once told me that her coke-Hoovering days came to an abrupt end after a doctor informed her that there was only a tiny piece of flesh left inside of her nose, and one good snort would rocket it to her brain to finish her off. Or I might chat with Grace Slick, who cheerfully described her abused lungs as "black bags," and, when asked if she had any regrets, immediately answered that she was dismayed that she hadn't "nailed" Jimi Hendrix or Peter O'Toole. Now, even the dimmest starlet from the CW network is media-savvy enough to deliver the blandest, most inoffensive quotes possible.

I knew it was time to hang it up when I realized that virtually every interview I've done in the past few years contained a variation of the most inoffensive quote of all: 'I'm really blessed.'

Now that I've pointed this out, you'll see it everywhere. Giselle Bundchen told Vanity Fair that she feels "really blessed" to have Tom Brady's baby in her life. Lindsay Lohan addressed her supposed bisexuality in Harper's Bazaar by saying, "I appreciate people, and it doesn't matter who they are, and I feel blessed to be able to feel comfortable enough with myself that I can say that." Shia LaBeouf told the Guardian newspaper, "I feel blessed. I'm an actor for hire, man. I couldn't be happier it's worked out this way, because that's a great job." Orlando Bloom informed an Oregon newspaper that he was "blessed" to be a part of Lord of the Rings.

It's actually a pretty canny move. Saying you're 'blessed' is a way to seem humble and grateful for your good fortune -- and also a way to indicate that you're been singled out especially by the Lord.

Tom Brady FLIPS KAYAK, Is 'Rescued' In Charles River

2009-06-10T22:56:50Z

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had to be fished out of the Charles River after capsizing a rented kayak, according to a report on The Boston Herald's website, although the report only says the incident happened "the other day."

Tom Brady Back At Work, Denies Gisele Is Pregnant (PHOTOS)

2009-05-28T17:13:03Z

(AP article, scroll for slideshow of Brady on Thursday)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday there's no baby on the way for him and his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Brady, who has a son with actress Bridget Moynahan, married Bundchen this winter in a pair of ceremonies in Costa Rica and California. RadarOnline.com reported last week that Bundchen is telling friends she's pregnant.

In his first news conference since an injury in the 2008 opener knocked him out for the rest of the season, Brady said Thursday that the injury allowed him to spend more time with his 21-month-old son, Jack.

"I cherish those moments," he said. "There's been great things happening in my life for a long time and certainly this year was no different. (There were) different areas of success, with marriage and with children."

When reporters noted that he used the plural "children" and asked if he was expecting another child, Brady shook his head with a smile and said, "No."

"One is enough," Brady said. "I have dogs and that's all I need."

***
PHOTOS:

Gisele Shows Off The Family Jewels (PHOTOS)

2009-05-07T08:33:45Z

Gisele Bundchen attended the 2009 Rainforest Alliance gala at the American Museum of Natural History Monday night without husband Tom Brady, but he was there in spirit in the form of his supermodel bride's bejeweled ring finger.

Below are unaltered photos from the event's red carpet, compete with the light reflecting out of Gisele's diamond ring.

PHOTOS:

All photos Getty

The MEN Of The Met: Tom Brady, Bruce Willis, JT, Kiefer, Kanye And More (PHOTOS)

2009-05-05T02:01:10Z

The women get most of the attention, but dozens of famous men in their black tie (unless you're Bono) finery were also in attendance at the Met Costume Institute gala Monday night.

From Kanye West to Marc Jacobs and Justin Timberlake to a dapper Jimmy Fallon, the guys held their own. Scroll down for pictures.

PLUS:
See the best dressed
See the worst dressed
See Madonna's bizarre ensemble

PHOTOS OF THE MEN:

Met Costume Institute Gala: The Best-Dressed (PHOTOS)

2009-05-05T01:26:12Z

At Monday night's "The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at New York's Metropolitan Museum, everyone took fashion risks. Some worked, some didn't.

See the best-dressed below and tell us if you agree in comments.

See the worst-dressed here and Rihanna and other women in tuxes here.

Or see what the men wore here.

*Follow Huffington Post Style on Twitter and become a fan of Huffington Post Style on Facebook*

Cops Probe Gisele/Brady Wedding Shooting

2009-04-07T21:51:22Z

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rican police are investigating claims by two photographers that they were shot at by bodyguards at the wedding of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Agence France-Presse photographer Yuri Cortes and Rolando Aviles of Costa Rican newspaper Al Dia claim Bundchen's bodyguards tried to seize their cameras' memory cards and shot at their car when they drove away. Nobody was hurt.

Gisele Dons Bikini For Pharmacy Run With Tom

2009-04-07T09:52:50Z

Gisele Bundchen and new husband Tom Brady leaving a pharmacy in Costa Rica Monday afternoon