Tom Brady: The 2008 NFL Season Won't Be the Same Without You

Tom Brady, I'm going to miss you. My fantasy team is virtually done without you, and the New England Patriots just went from Gisele Bundchen to the Snapple Lady. No matter how good Matt Cassel or whoever else may be, there's only one fair Brady.

I scoffed at you for your dominance, continually beating teams in the biggest games with so much resiliency and championship furor. You made Wes Welker a household name, and only had one consistent RB in your Super bowl run, Corey Dillon.

Starting off as a sixth round draft pick from Michigan, you defied the odds and became the most successful, decorated QB in the 2000's.

I even attacked you in my article, "Five Displays of Athletic Arrogance" for your comments before the Super Bowl, because Patriots blood is more foreign to me than Sarah Palin.

But secretly, I admired your football prowess.

Mr. Brady, I will miss you this season. Yes, I was utterly annoyed when the Patriots became a dynasty and the whole world became Patriot fans.

I wondered, "how does he do this?"

No superstars, a monotone, arrogant coach, and no go to receivers. Just 'ole No. 12 in the pocket, making things happen.

God, please give me a sign.

I don't want to sound mean, but why couldn't a QB like David Garrard or Chad Pennington get this injury. Hell, anybody but the untouchable fraternity of quarterbacks in the NFL.

That would be Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers simply because he really needs to be on the field at least half of this season.

Whatever that guy from the Chiefs name is who made the hit on Brady should be held and smacked in the head by every Patriots player AND fan.

We needed to see how the Pats would respond to that crushing loss at the hands of the New York Giants, and how Brady and Moss would give us an encore.

Instead we get to see a good thing gone, well, terribly wrong for lack of a better phrase. It reminds me of the movie Belly, that starred DMX, Method Man and Nas.

Good movie gone bad when they decided to release Belly Two starring the Game, of all people.

Tom Brady is DMX, the one who made the first movie good, and Matt Cassel is the Game. Unfortunately for Cassel, people actually CARE about the Patriots.

I had a chance to interview various NFL players and coaches about the Brady injury, and they all had very interesting things to say. Dirty even.

Here are some quotes that they didn't want me to reveal, special to all Bleacher Report readers.

New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick:

"We'll deal with it. Come on, ESPN, we're the Patriots. The New England Patriots. Since when do we worry about anything? If I got hurt, it wouldn't matter. We have guys who can do the job, simple as that. Coach, player, Tom Brady, Dustin Pedroia, it doesn't matter."

New England Patriots WR Randy Moss:

"I don't know, man. I just want to win Championships. My career is missing one thing. At this point, it's two without Tom. He's the guy around here, I'm just trying to fit in. Now there's more pressure on me. Perhaps I'll take a couple games off to avoid serious injury and get ready for Tom to return next year. At this point, I miss the Raiders."

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker:

"Who's throwing me the ball? This sucks! I should put Brady on the back of my jersey because who am I without him? Now I have to catch passes from a High School quarterback? Call Drew Bledsoe!"

Buffalo Bills Coach Dick Jauron:

"What? Brady's out?! We can actually entertain the thought of winning the AFC East! The feast, it is mine!"

New England Patriots Radio Commentator:

"Tom Brady is back! Sound the Feasting Horn!"

(Crowd Yells)

(Brady hit, hurt on the play and out for season)

"The Feast, it's ruined."

New York Jets QB Brett Favre:

"Brady, hurt? Peyton went down for awhile, Brady's down, I better not be next. They say death happens in threes, do they say the same thing about injuries?"

Retired QB Daunte Culpepper:

"Randy, Randy! Tell Bill to call me, I want my career back!"

San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman:

"Tom, we have the same type of injury. We should become buddies. Get surgery by the same doctor on the same day, hang out afterwards and get a couple smoothies. Gisele have any friends?"

Pittsburgh Steelers S Anthony Smith:

"Ha Ha! I hate you Thomas Brady! You want to humiliate me in front of my home crowd after I tried to boost my career guaranteeing a win?! Get in my face like I'm a boy? Well who's the boy now, Brady Bunch? Hmmm? I don't hear you...!"

There were so many other quotes that I couldn't fit them all in this article.

Yeah Brady, this one hurts.

It was one of those moments when I remembered where I was when the news broke. I nearly dropped my glass of wine, and almost did my computer like Michael Phelps did Stuart Scott's in that Sports Center commercial.

This is wrong, it's so wrong. It goes on the list of sports happenings that should have never happened.

Things like this:

-Brett Favre appearing on a Madden game in a Packers uniform.

-Adrian Peterson running for 296 yards in one game in today's NFL.

-Mike Tyson going ape on Evander Holyfield's ear.

-O.J Simpson enjoying the same freedom I do.

I don't know how the Patriots will do this season with Matt "I'm a career bench player" Cassel at the helm, but I know one thing for sure.

Life just isn't the same on Sundays without Tom Brady. Much as I despise the Patriots, I realized that Brady is an enigma, and the NFL needs him.

You don't miss a good thing until it's gone. Best cliche in cliche history, hands down.