Brady returns, Cassel moves West

The New England Sports Update
Justin Thrift

If there’s one thing that I enjoyed seeing this week more than a whimpering Christiano Ronaldo leading his team into a major Champions League loss, it was the sight of Tom Brady throwing a football and rejoining his teammates at Patriot training camp.

On a chilly overcast day in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the star New England quarterback talked to reporters for the first time since his surgery nine months ago and played warm-up scrimmages with his teammates. From Brady’s own words, it appears that his surgery was a complete success. “I feel as good as I could possibly feel,” Brady told NESN (New England Sports Network). After what seemed like the season from hell for Patriots fans and players, things seem to be coming back together smoothly for the team that many people consider the modern dynasty power in the NFL. Brady said yesterday that his injury is a testament to the physical nature of the game, an insight that allows for the unpredictable. "There are a lot of things that could happen in two months," he said. "I've got to drive home this afternoon in Boston traffic. You never know what could happen.”

In retrospect, Brady’s injury has lead to a number of peculiar and strange happenings; ironic things that spur small talk in local bars and create endless opinions that float from one sports junkie to the next. From a week 1 injury that shocked the entire NFL, we saw a kid from California receive a chance to prove himself as a quality quarterback on the biggest stage possible. We witnessed a championship caliber team deflate and miss the playoffs for the first time in six years. Maybe strangest of all, we saw that team engage in various business dealings that would send their new young talented quarterback, along with a longtime veteran linebacker to the team that injured their star player on opening day.

For the sake of clarity, it’s worth setting up a timeline of all the chaos that dictated last year’s Brady saga, and the aftereffects that will continue to ripple through the upcoming 2009-2010 NFL season.

September 7, 2008 – Tom Brady tears his ACL during the first quarter of the Patriots’ first game to the season, ending his season and ultimately the team’s Super Bowl hopes. The injury came from the hands of Kansas City Chiefs’ safety Bernard Pollard, who’s ironic position title didn’t factor much in this harsh tackle.

September 14, 2008 – Matt Cassel makes his first ever NFL start against the NY Jets and Brett Favre. Cassel completed 16 of 23 passes for a total of 165 yards giving the Patriots a 19-10 victory over New York. In being the winning quarterback, Cassel became the first player in history to beat Brett Favre in their NFL debut.

October 6, 2008 – Brady undergoes surgery to repair is knee injury in Los Angeles.

October 15, 2008 – Brady undergoes a second surgery to remove a minor staph infection that had formed as a result of him carrying his son around his hospital room. Negative effects of this surgery on Brady’s recovery thought to be minimal.

February 27, 2009 – After an impressive season with the Patriots, Matt Cassel along with Mike Vrabel are traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 34th overall round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

May 25, 2009 – Brady is caught on camera throwing short passes at Gillette Stadium hours before the NCAA Division 1 national lacrosse final game between Syracuse and Cornell. Brady would partake in small team practices that week and be seen in video on the official Patriots site working out with teammates.

May 26, 2009 – Brady is featured in Sports Illustrated were he tells a reporter that he feels excellent and plans to continue playing football for another 10 years.

May 28, 2009 – Brady talks to Boston media for the first time since his injury and is seen practicing with the team in Foxboro.

Whew. Tom Brady’s knee snapping under Pollard’s weight truly was the shot heard around the NFL last fall. With all that has happened in hindsight, one might wonder if the Kansas City Chiefs secretly applaud Pollard’s tackle, however unintentionally harsh it might have been. Seriously, could this team really have made out any better than they did after picking up a rookie Cassel who got his bearings on a championship team and proved his talent in a difficult AFC? Could the Chiefs ask for a better veteran guy than Mike Vrabel who has been a constant in the New England locker room for over 7 years and performs intensely and passionately every Sunday? I think the answer to all these questions is ‘no’, they couldn’t have made out better, and I’m happy to say that they deserve a player like Matt Cassel who will surely continue to blossom before our eyes this upcoming season.

It may still be a little early to say this, but are you ready for some football?