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jon_8_us
01-14-2007, 02:02 PM
Just thought it was funny to read this after all Tom Brady has proven to be.......



http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1998/nov/11-20-98/photos/mvmfbcbradynd090598.gif
By Jim Rose
</B>Daily Sports Editor

Early in this football season - say, a little more than two months ago - there were signs indicating that Tom Brady's days as Michigan's starting quarterback were numbered.
From the get-go, the stars seemed to be aligned against Brady. Fifth-year senior Scott Dreisbach was more experienced, after all; incoming freshman Drew Henson had the fans, the Yankees and Sports Illustrated on his side. Heck, even Lloyd Carr called Henson "the most talented quarterback" he'd ever been around.
So Brady - who came oh-so-close to winning the job from Brian Griese a year earlier, but as backup was relegated to the sidelines during the Wolverines' 12-0 season - didn't exactly take over with his name in lights. In fact, you might even say that he toiled in the shadow of his backup - Henson, the phenom everyone wanted to see.
And after the Wolverines opened the season with a pair of losses, the cries for Henson didn't get any quieter.
With a repeat national title already out of the question by Sept. 12, there were more than a few fans who called for the season to become one big Henson training session.
But then something happened: The Wolverines started winning - with Brady at the helm. That was on Sept. 19. And they haven't stopped yet.
Now, one victory from an improbable return trip to the Rose Bowl, there's no longer any question whose team this is. With Brady guiding the offense, the Wolverines have won nine straight games - and the Henson experiment is a distant memory. What looked at the beginning of the season to be a bona fide quarterback controversy has fizzled in the past several weeks - while Michigan, on the other hand, has ignited.
"Of course, when you show what you can do out there, and you play well, it's a good feeling," Brady said. "It's definitely more fun when things are going well."
The outlook wasn't always so rosy. Even after the initial furor over the quarterback situation died down - even after it became apparent that Brady would be taking the majority of the snaps - there were signs that all was not well with the Michigan offense. After convincing wins over Eastern Michigan and Michigan State, the Wolverines went into something of a funk, averaging just 18 points per game for the next four games.
All four games resulted in Michigan wins - but did nothing to silence critics of Brady's beleaguered offense.
With a potentially murderous three-game stretch looming, the unthinkable occurred: players and critics agreed on something.
It was no big secret - simply put, the offense had to improve. Everybody knew it. Especially Brady.
"Well, we knew along that we had an offense that could put points on the board," Brady said. "It was just a matter of going out and getting it done."
In the past two weeks, the Michigan offense has roared to life - the 27 points in each game are the most by the Wolverines since the fourth week of the season. And how's this for a kicker: In both games, Brady threw for more than 200 yards, giving him four such games in a row and pushing him past the 2,000-yard mark for the season. Just three other Michigan quarterbacks have thrown for more in a single season.
Is it mere coincidence that Michigan's offense is hitting its stride just as Brady seems to be hitting his? Probably not. But it sure seems to be pretty good timing.
And it's the kind of thing that can catch the eye of an opposing coach.
"Brady does a good job," Ohio State coach John Cooper said. "Like Griese last year, he does a good job running (Michigan's) offense.
"He's not flashy. He's not spectacular, but he does what the coaches ask him to do. He stays within the game plan and doesn't beat himself."
And so, after eight wins in a row, Brady and his team are in position to salvage what looked, early on, to be a lost season. In fact, to simply say as much doesn't do their turnaround justice - a win tomorrow sends the Wolverines back to Pasadena with a second straight Big Ten title. A loss, however, means the Wolverines will suffer through the winter knowing they're co-champs with at least one other team. It's not something Brady wants to see happen. "Anytime you win a few in a row, you start to feel good about yourself," Brady said. "Fortunately, we've been able to keep winning - and now we've got one more to go."

scottanservitz
01-15-2007, 12:42 AM
Jon,
You want to hear funny, I recorded the Pats-Bolts game today due to family obligations. My buddy came over and I told him to not say anything so as to not ruin it for me. No radio, nothing until 10:00 when I could see it for myself. I did get online for 2 minutes and I usually check here for anything interesting. I saw your title and instantly got bummed out. I didn't read it but thought for sure after seeing Brady get those 3 picks in the game the Chargers won. To add injury to insult, my recording time stopped with 3 or so minutes in the game and the Chargers with a 3rd down and like 7. Well, it is now 12:41 a.m. and I had to check Sportscenter to get the final. Wow. You thought Pat and Charger fans were on a roller-coaster ride. What a game!
Scott

jon_8_us
01-15-2007, 12:05 PM
Thats a pretty funny story!!
jon