We will. Like we’ll always love Bobby Orr, The Big Bad Bruins.  Russ, Cooz, Hondo, Big Red, Larry. Yaz, Tony C and the 67 Sox, Papi. Adam, Bruschi.
Well, if I absolutely had to, I could cut it to Tom Brady and Bobby Orr.  Tom and Bobby may be imperfect human beings, but they are perfect sports heroes. We’ll always love Bobby Orr for what he did on the ice and his presence off the ice.
Tom’s like that. From day one he gave us hope, then he gave us championships. Especially the first one. Remember how we felt when Tom drove the Pats down the field in the last minute.
Not sure nonsports fans can fathom the depth of our despair over the years, the decades: 1975, Sugar Bear Hamilton, Bucky Dent, 1986 (that really, really hurt). Now, we’re proud  Pats fans. We expect Super Bowls. We’re proud Boston fans. We expect championships. Tom opened the championship floodgates. And Tom always carries himself and speaks with class.He’s GQ handsome, a family man, kinda pretty wife. What’s not to love?!
So it kills me to think of life on Sunday mornings in the fall without Tom Brady.
But, we have to face the future. Who’s going to be the man who takes Tom’s place? Are we that spoiled and naive to expect another Tom. Come on! Can our Bill actually draft another Tom?  I mean another Tom in ALL respects.
Is he movie star handsome? Does he have elite talent? Does he say all the right things?
Jimmy  Garopollo, step forward.  You have a huge burden. You’ll have our football hearts and minds in your hands some day. You already have the dreamy looks ( that’s how he’s described by women who keep a worn paperback of 50 Shades of Grey by their bed). Someday, but not right away, you’ll need a beautiful wealthy supermodel girlfriend. And you gotta win championships.  Only then will you be ready for us to compare you to  our Tom. To fill the void in our hearts.
But sadly, there never has been another Bobby Orr.

“No man stands as tall as when he stoops to help a child”.
I was watching a piece last night on 60 minutes about Nick Saban, the great Alabama coach. That was a quote on his father’s tombstone. Now that was a real man.
Certain things are so right and so wrong,  black and white. You don’t hit a woman, you don’t hurt a child. Real men know this. We don’t react to provocation by lashing out physically at our loved ones, girlfriends, wives, kids.
On the other hand, we’re not football players. We aren’t raised in a culture of violence.  Everything football players do, all their training since they were kids,  has led to this. You get hit, you hit back. Your girlfriend slaps you, whack her. No problem. Even if you’re in a Las Vegas elevator, no problem. You’re a star. You make millions. You’re protected by coaches, by owners. Violence is what got you here. It’s in your blood. It’s your raison d’etre. And you’re girlfriend loves you enough to marry you. All sad but true.

Please Gronk, practice getting in a protective position as soon as you catch the ball. Your too valuable to try to get an unimportant extra 5 yards in the middle of the field. We need your touchdowns. You’re a red zone monster!!
When you caught that pass against the Browns, your next body movement should have been getting yourself in a protected position for a hit. You should have been aware of the safety closing on you. And if you had done your film work, you should have known TJ Ward, was the hard hitting safety that was targeting you, ending your season.
And while we’re at it ,let’s not forget to criticize the Pats for exposing you with moronic play calling. Early in the first quarter of your first game back from your broken arm, they sent you long down the right sideline, where you layed out, as you are known to do, landing on your injured arm. Why send you long? Early in game? Makes no sense. You should not be used to stretch the field!!!!! Maybe, maybe, in the last few seconds of a critical game if Pats are losing. But never at any other time! So, Gronk, protect yourself, and , Pats, please protect Gronk.