He has the start in SB XXXVI :

====> CBS Sportsline Article

It's all in the ankle. If he flags even a little Belichick will pull him faster than Warner can say Amen.

[ January 30, 2002: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

I totally agree with everything Glazer said in that article, and I think most Pats fans do too. No doubt, Drew is by far the superior passer - the deep corner pass into the end zone and the little "touch lob" last Sunday prove as much. But Brady moves the offense, plain and simple. I can't really tell how he does it, because he doesn't do anything flashy, and at times looks downright mediocre.

Even though the other guys on the team were careful to say that they didn't care who started on Sunday, I have to think that deep down they were saying a prayer for Brady's ankle. In the Snow Bowl (vs. Oakland), Brady put the team on his back when they were down by 10 and lead them to a most improbable victory. When Brady comes into the huddle and says, "Come on, guys! We can do this!", they believe it. As the past few seasons have shown, nobody's buying it when Bledsoe tries to lead the charge.

Still, you really gotta feel for Bledsoe. Before the decision was made/announced, he said that he wanted to start on Sunday more than he's ever wanted anything in his life. At the same time, after the decision was announced, he said that nothing feels worse than going to the Super Bowl and losing, and that he'll do everything he can to help the team win. His sincerity and conviction that it reminds you for the umpteenth time this season what an all-time good guy Bledsoe is.

Well, according to Cyd's sister, he's "a pompous ass".

I think Brady starting is the right decision. But Drew sure jacked up his trade value with that display against the Steelers.