The Patriots, a Snowstorm and a Baby

Last night the New England Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs and will advance to their 9th Super Bowl with their quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.  Now before you stop reading, this article is more than just a comment on the Patriots victory, it is a story about my son who turns 17 years old today.  I am not a giant sports fan but NFL football has always been one sport I really enjoy.  I have been a New England Patriots fan for as long as I remember, before they were a successful franchise.    

In 2001 the Patriots looked like they might have a decent season with Bill Belichick in his second year with the team and Drew Bledsoe with his extended 10 year contract as quarterback.  In the second game of the season Drew Bledsoe was injured and I remember immediately saying "Our season is done".  Saying "Our or season or team" is just sports talk we do because we feel part of the team as a fan. Lisa teases me about it fairly often and I get that it sounds funny, but regardless it looked like the season was done for them.  The backup quarterback was Tom Brady who was a sixth round draft pick, someone never expected to go anywhere in the NFL besides backup qb.  

Tom Brady lost that game but then lead the Patriots to 11 wins over the next 14 games, enough to get them into the playoffs.  Their first game of the playoffs was on January 19th, 2002 against the Oakland Raiders.  The game was actually called the Snowbowl because it was a pretty decent snowstorm they played through.  The Patriots won the game with a field goal kick that had everyone out on the field using their feet to clear off snow.  Fun fact, we just had a big snowstorm here yesterday and today, probably part of the reminiscing leading me to write this.  This game occurred the night before Lisa was to be induced to give birth.  
If ever you think that being induced means you are going to have the baby at a reasonable hour the next day you may be mistaken.  The Patriots game was a late game so Lisa went to sleep and I stayed up watching it in our room (where the tv was located).  I guess I woke her a few times in excitement when the Patriots won, remember I was young and dumb.  The next day we went in to the hospital and they induced Lisa.  Amadeus was born the next morning at around 2:30am on January 21, 2002.  Three week later the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl, the beginning of the greatest sports dynasty in modern sports.