Menu

2001 New England Patriots

2001 Sports: In The Aftermath Of 9/11

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This article offers a snapshot of 2001 sports, a year that saw thrilling World Series and Super Bowl finishes, drama in the Final Four and Stanley Cup Finals and greatness in college football and the NBA.

GREAT 1980s SPORTS MOMENTS
Start reading today. 


The year 2001 in the United States was marred by the most tragic event in the history of our nation, the terrorist attacks of September 11. It was perhaps appropriate that the two best moments of what was a good year in 2001 sports, had some sort of linkage to that awful day.
In the aftermath of the devastation of New York, the Yankees became a focal point, something the city could share light-hearted enjoyment together with amidst the suffering. The Yanks would win their fourth straight pennant, including taking out the 116-win Seattle Mariners in a 2001 American League Championship Series that wasn’t the showdown everyone expected.
A bid for a fourth straight World Series title came up just short against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the Yanks and Diamondbacks gave the public an outstanding Series that wasn’t settled until the ninth inning of the seventh game. Sports had served its most important role in New York, in bringing a community together in a healthy way.
We shouldn’t overlook the Arizona Diamondbacks here–their World Series title was one part of a great sports year, that included the University of Arizona basketball team making the final of the NCAA Tournament. Click here to read all about the dynamics in the desert that sports year, including a game-by-game look at the 2001 World Series.
The Super Bowl was no less dramatic. The St. Louis Rams were the heavy favorite. They were led by MVP quarterback Kurt Warner, and running back Marshall Faulk, one of the best all-purpose backs to ever play the game. The offense, designed by head coach Mike Martz was dubbed “The Greatest Show On Turf” and they rolled to a 14-2 record, a blowout playoff win over the Green Bay Packers and a tough NFC Championship Game win over the up-and-coming Philadelphia Eagles of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb.
St. Louis came to the Super Bowl a 14-point favorite, set to win its second title in three years and lay claim to a mini-dynasty. The opponent was the unheralded New England Patriots, with its still relatively unaccomplished coach in Bill Belichick and an unproven quarterback in Tom Brady.
New England won a 20-17 thriller and in this year of the worst attack ever on the American homeland, perhaps it was appropriate that the sports calendar with a championship won by a team named “Patriots.” Click here to read about the 2001 New England Patriots.

***************

Springtime brought plenty of excitement in the world of college basketball and hockey. The Duke Blue Devils won their third national championship in 11 years, giving head coach Mike Krzyzewski a unique place in history. Read more about the 2001 Duke Blue Devils.
And the Stanley Cup playoffs provided some tremendous drama. A true showdown between the two best teams is rare in this upset-laden sport. So rare in fact, that it’s only happened one time in the last 24 years. 2001 was the year, and it was two accomplished franchises looking to carve out a place in history, as the Colorado Avalanche faced the New Jersey Devils. Even better, the series went the full seven games before the Avalanche finally won. Read more about the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals.

*************

The NBA Finals and the college football season made history in their own way. It wasn’t about a dramatic finish in the race for the championship. Each sport made history on the other end of the spectrum–through one team showing historic greatness.
Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers steamrolled through the NBA playoffs, losing just one game. In college football, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes had a roster that reads like a Who’s Who of the NFL Hall of Fame–or at least the Pro Bowl. The Hurricanes blasted through to a national title and a decisive rout in the championship game.
Each sport found its excitement, drama and controversy in the race to go opposite the powerhouse. The 2001 NBA playoffs produced seven-game series in both Eastern Conference semi-finals and the Eastern Conference Finals, and had two notable controversies develop, as Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers ultimately played their way into the Finals opposite Shaq and Kobe.
College football’s race for #2 at the end of the regular season was nothing short of wild. Nebraska seemed to be on a collision course with Miami, but then the Cornhuskers were humiliated by Colorado, 62-36 on Thanksgiving weekend. Nebraska was then in the Big 12, and the conference was split into divisions. The result gave Colorado the North Division title at Nebraska’s expense.
What happened then was that four successive teams–Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee and Texas–all failed in chances to win and secure the #2 spot. Colorado had lost twice and the BCS system ranked Nebraska ahead of both them and Oregon and let the Cornhuskers circle around and back their way into a date with Miami. Fortunately, the Hurricanes crushed them and brought some measure of justice.
Another milestone was reached in 2001, and in normal circumstances, it would have led this discussion. Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs for the San Francisco Giants and broke the single-season record that had been set by Mark McGwire just three years earlier. Of course what we suspected then, and know now regarding PED use has led both achievements to be forever asterisked.

The 2001 New England Patriots & Destiny’s Ride

, , , , , , ,

The 2001 New England Patriots weren’t a team coming into the season with great expectations. Their second-year head coach, Bill Belichick, had gone 5-11 in his first year. After having been fired in Cleveland, there was nothing to suggest Belichick was anything more than another run-of-the-mill NFL coach. When the Patriots lost their first two games, and franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe got hurt, it seemed as though as all was lost.

GREAT 1980s SPORTS MOMENTS
Start reading today. 


Belichick turned to a quarterback in his second year, Tom Brady out of Michigan. Week 3 of the 2001 NFL season marked a pivotal turning point in the history of the league–Brady got his first start, and ironically enough it came against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots won 44-13, and a new era was underway.

The turnaround wasn’t immediate. New England was still 3-4 at the end of October and 5-5 late in November, when a closing push of six straight wins gave them the AFC East title and the #2 seed in the playoffs.

The Pats had an 1,100-yard rusher in Antowain Smith, and a good defense led by Pro Bowl defensive backs Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy, and a talented front seven that included Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour.

It looked like this would just be a nice season and a building block for next year when New England fell behind the Oakland Raiders 13-3  after three quarters of their second-round playoff game. With a blizzard pounding Foxboro, coming back from this deficit seemed impossible. Then Brady ran for one touchdown and had his team driving a potential game-tying field goal when controversy struck.

Brady appeared to fumble and the ball recovered by the Raiders, a circumstance that would have all but ended the game. Officials ruled that Brady had his arm moving just enough to constitute it a forward pass attempt–the now-legendary “Tuck Rule.”

To this day, Raider Nation believes they were robbed. They’re right in a sense–any rule that deems the play anything other than a fumble is a bad rule. But…a bad rule is still a rule, and it’s not the officials’ place to change that. The call was made correctly.

Even so, by rights, the game should still have ended here at 13-10. What are the odds that Patriot kicker Adam Vinateri is going to kick a 45-yard field goal into a driving blizzard when there is no room to even plant his leg cleanly? Whatever the odds were, Vinateri did the impossible and sent the game to overtime. New England eventually won 16-13 and made it safe to utter the word “destiny.”

It was going to take some serious destiny to complete this run. New England was a 10-point underdog on the road in Pittsburgh for the 2001 AFC Championship Game. The Patriots used special teams to get a 21-3 lead. Troy Brown returned a punt for a touchdown, and Brown then blocked a field goal which was taken to the house. Belichick’s defense completely shut down the potent Steeler ground attack and forced quarterback Kordell Stewart into three interceptions, the latter which sealed a 24-17 upset.

The quarterback controversy resurfaced though. Brady had to leave the game in the second quarter and Bledsoe came in, played well and threw a touchdown pass. Who would start in the Super Bowl? Belichick decided to go back to Brady.

The Pats would be an even bigger underdog when they faced the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl. With MVP quarterback Kurt Warner and all-everything running back Marshall Faulk, the Rams would have been a heavy favorite against most anyone. Against the Patriots, they were a 14-point favorite.

Belichick’s defense would again come up strong. Ty Law returned an interception for a touchdown and with Brady playing it close to the vest, New England built a 17-3 lead after three quarters. St. Louis rallied to tie it, but Brady led the team down the field and Vinateri would be a hero one more time, kicking a field goal on the last play for a 20-17 win.

Brady was named Super Bowl MVP, but at 16/27 for 145 yards, this should not have happened. The defense was the reason New England won and Law had directly produced a touchdown. The cornerback deserved the award.

The 2001 New England Patriots truly were a team of destiny, getting a future Hall of Fame quarterback basically dropped in their lap, winning one miracle playoff game and then two more as double-digit underdogs. It was  the first championship of any kind in 15 years for the sports fans of Boston, who would soon become quite used to such celebrations.