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s no need to change that.Note: The Jets and CFLs
PHOENIX - His teammates were mostly showered and gone, but Tom Brady was having trouble even bringing himself to move. Colin Kaepernick Super Bowl Jersey . He sat in front of his locker in Indianapolis, pulling on a pair of boots with a pained look seemingly etched on his face.Bradys Super Bowl had ended badly once again, and he was trying to make sense of it all. In a few minutes he would walk down a hallway and tell the media why he had the ball in his hand to win the game with 57 seconds left and couldnt deliver the long touchdown drive every New England fan was expecting three years ago against the New York Giants.It always comes down to one or two plays, Brady said then. If you make them youre celebrating. If you dont, you dont sleep for a week.Celebrating or sleepless, Brady knows both well. The first three times he took the Patriots to the Super Bowl he came away with three championship rings.That there were more Super Bowls to come was a given. Bill Belichick was building a dynasty behind Brady, and the quarterback was just beginning to feel comfortable as a superstar at the age of 27.But Brady has lost the last two, and the opposing quarterback was the MVP in both of them. Eli Manning outplayed Brady not once but twice, the first time in the very stadium where the Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.There hasnt been another Super Bowl championship in a decade now. And theres a real chance that should the Patriots fall again, losing three straight Super Bowls might define Bradys eventual legacy nearly as much as winning the first three.Greatest quarterback of his era, sure. Brady has won while fighting injuries, and won while his many receivers always seemed to be going through a revolving door in New England.Just to get to six Super Bowls is a staggering accomplishment no quarterback had ever achieved before Brady and the Patriots beat Indianapolis to return to the big game once again.And should the Patriots beat the Seahawks on Sunday, Brady would join Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, two names long enshrined as greats in Canton, as the only quarterbacks to win four rings.But where do you put a quarterback with a .500 Super Bowl record in historical context? What do you say about one who won his first three, and lost his next three?You say hes no Bradshaw, who won all four of his Super Bowl appearances for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Certainly not Montana, who won four in 12 full seasons for San Francisco and might have won at least one more if not for injury.While Bradshaw was helped by a dominant defence, Montana won in blowouts and last-minute rallies. His quarterback rating of 127.8 is the best ever in the Super Bowl, while Brady barely cracks the top 10 at 93.8.Heres a stat that even tops that: In four Super Bowls, on the biggest stages of his life, Montana never threw an interception.Most importantly, Montana didnt need three shots to win a fourth title. He won every time he took the field in a Super Bowl.Brady was asked several times and in several different ways this week about playing in the Super Bowl six times and what he thinks his eventual legacy will be. He didnt bite, refusing to rank himself while talking in generalities about how great it is to be playing in his sixth.Its hard to think about those things, Brady said in response to one question. Like I said, Ive just been fortunate to be on some great teams. Those guys are unbelievable players, they were so great for this league. They were great teams. I was the biggest 49er fan growing up and to watch Joe and Steve Young — who were my two idols — who were just great for the game and great for the sport.Brady has been great for the sport, too. Hes the All-American quarterback with the supermodel wife who seems to lead the perfect life.He doesnt get into trouble off the field, and he usually delivers on it, like he did this season when his irritation with his teams play quickly turned around a season seemingly headed nowhere.Still it will be hard to call him the greatest ever, even with four Super Bowl wins.Three losses, and you cant even put him in the conversation.____Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg ;Dee Ford Super Bowl Jersey .C. -- Carter Ashton had a pair of goals and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 on Saturday in the American Hockey League. Nick Mullens Super Bowl Jersey . The team let Keaton Ellerby, James Wright and Matt Halischuk become unrestricted free agents after declining to make them qualifying offers. Ellerby, 25, appeared in 51 games for the Jets last season and had two goals and four assists.WINNIPEG - A few rare smiles crossed Dustin Byfuglien’s face as reporters crowded around him after practice Tuesday.The Winnipeg Jets defenceman is enjoying a season thats brought him accolades from the NHL and praise from his teammates and coach for being a special player.The NHL’s first star of the week after collecting six points in four games, Byfuglien will take part in the league’s all-star game in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend.The recognition is coming during a season he says has him feeling more confident and settled in his personal and professional life.Byfuglien was married last summer to long-time girlfriend Emily Hendry, and in early December head coach Paul Maurice moved him from forward to his preferred position on defence after injuries felled a number of blue-liners.I think making her my wife finally has helped out and made things good, he said with a smile. I think just all around. Just going back to defence, I just like getting out of my bed and just going to work. It’s something that I enjoy and just kept going with it.The Jets (25-14-8) are on a four-game win streak as they get set to host Columbus (20-21-3) on Wednesday for their last game before the all-star break. They hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, five points ahead of Calgary.The 29-year-old Byfuglien said there’s absolutely no doubt he’s playing better defence than in the past.Former Jets head coach Claude Noel had moved Byfuglien to forward in early January 2014. When Noel was fired a few days later and replaced by Maurice, the new coach kept him in that spot.Byfuglien noted the Jets have been playing different systems with Maurice and that’s had an impact on everyone.As a team we’ve changed our game so much, he said. The way we play, and the way we played back then, it’s way different. We feed off each other and you can make plays.And the six-foot-five, 260-pound Byfuglien has been making plays and putting up points.In 47 games, he has 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points. But 20 of those points have come in the 21 games he’s played defence since Dec. 5.He’s unlike anyone, Jets forward Blake Wheeler said of Byfuglien. He’s special in a lot of ways.That includes Byfuglien’s physical presence, but also his instincts on the ice and the way he reads plays and intercepts pucks, Wheeler explained.He’s been dominant since he’s been back on (defence) especially, and he’s been a huge reason for our success.Byfuglien hasn’t really changed this seaason, but he may be feeling better about the way his game is viewed, Wheeler said. Dante Pettis Super Bowl Jersey. I think he’s just comfortable now and I think he feels appreciated, he said. I think he felt under-appreciated before, you know, with a lot of the things he does and the things he tries to do.It can be frustrating as a player to come to work everyday and, kind of, it’s almost like a puppy. You hit him on the head and he keeps coming back for love, and if you don’t get it, it can sometimes wear on you a little bit.I think this year he feels appreciated, he feels like what he does is impactful on what we’re trying to do as a team.Byfuglien said he’s been following what Maurice has told him to do since he switched back to defence.Little things. Doing what I do and not get out of the game plan, Byfuglien said. Just stick with it and everything will just come.The player fans love to call Big Buff has also turned up his physical game.Rookie defenceman Ben Chiarot has been paired with Byfuglien and said the veteran is helping him make the transition. His friends and family ask him what Byfuglien is like and he tells them he’s a fun guy who likes to joke around on and off the ice.He also enjoys watching Byfuglien’s physical game.He’s so strong and so much bigger than everyone else, he just manhandles guys out there, Chiarot said. It’s like he’s playing with kids sometimes, so that’s fun to watch and it’s been impressive to see.Maurice said it might not be fair to say Byfuglien is exceeding his expectations on the blue-line.There’s never been a doubt that he’s a special player, he said. He can really do whatever he sets his mind to do.What the future holds for Byfuglien really depends on how having all the defencemen healthy will affect the minutes played, he said. The Blue Jackets contest may feature the return of defenceman Jacob Trouba, who’s missed 16 games with an upper-body injury. Trouba practised Tuesday and is awaiting medical clearance. He’s the last of four key defencemen to return after the rash of injuries.I’m in no hurry to get him out of there by any means, Maurice said. He’s a defenceman right now and he’s one of the best in the league right now so there’s no need to change that.Note: The Jets and CFLs Blue Bombers announced Tuesday that they were unable to finalize a date to host the Heritage Classic outdoor game at Investors Group Field next season and are very hopeful that a date can be secured early in the 2016-17 season. ' ' '
- Created: Jan 14 '20
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