To the Editor:
I never liked Tom Brady. I can't really say it was ever justified. It's tough being a New York fan in New England, particularly in recent years. I guess that's why it took a Giants' victory in Super Bowl XLII for me to appreciate Tom Brady. I always thought Brady was an act. After all, it's easy to be charming and perceivably full of class when you're winning all of the time. Well, I was wrong. I know that Patriots fans will have a much different outlook than I have with regard to this game. I felt your pain in 2001 when the Giants lost to the Ravens 34-7 and Kerry Collins had a passer rating of 7 (that's not a typo). However, it's not my purpose to console you and I doubt any of you want me to. I certainly didn't want to hear from Ravens fans in 2001. I just wanted to express my appreciation for Brady's performance on and off the field last night. He took an unprecedented beating that would have dismantled any other quarterback in the NFL and put together a late drive that demonstrated his Championship caliber. I'm reminded of one of my all-time sports heroes, Evander Holyfield, who also demonstrated enormous courage and resilience in his first defeat against Riddick Bowe. Although I'll never be a Patriots fan, Brady has joined Holyfield as one of the few athletes I truly admire as pure competitors in an age where the money is already there. After the game, Brady made no excuses, cast no blame, and gave the Giants the credit they deserved. Although other members of the team did the same and I credit them for it (Harrison and Moss), none of them had as much of themselves on the line in this game as Brady did. That took extraordinary class and composure in my eyes.
Jim DeFilippis UNH Senior
Be the first to comment on this article!