Tedy Bruschi Selected For The Patriots Hall Of Fame

When you think of the Patriots, one of the most influential players during their unforgettable dynasty stretch (3 Super Bowls in 4 years) last decade was linebacker Tedy Bruschi. It's hard to come up with a more likable, productive or clutch guy. He was never the most talented player but he always seemed to make plays in the biggest spots, something that has been lacking in the past eight years since New England's last Super Bowl win (2005 vs. Philadelphia). Today, the team revealed that he was rightfully elected to the Patriots Hall of Fame along with former radio broadcaster Gil Santos.

Bruschi was voted in by fans, beating out offensive tackle Leon Gray and head coach Chuck Fairbanks. He'll become the 19th former Patriot to be inducted into their Hall of Fame. It is to be determined when that ceremony will take place next season but whenever it happens, it will definitely be one of the marquee events of the 2013 season during one of the Patriots' home games.

There is a reason that you still see tons of Bruschi jerseys when you go to Gillette Stadium for Pats games. It is basically impossible to not like Bruschi since as corny as it sounds, he stood for everything that was good in pro sports and we were extremely lucky to have him play his entire career (13 seasons) in New England. Not that we didn't know it already but since he retired, you appreciate the fact even more that there are very few Tedy Bruschis in the NFL and especially on the Patriots.

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Legendary Patriots Radio Announcer Gil Santos Headed To The Patriots Hall Of Fame

This afternoon, the Patriots honored longtime radio announcers Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti with a classy pre-game ceremony. In addition to that, Pats owner Robert Kraft announced that Santos would be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013 as a contributor.

2012 is the final season of broadcasting for Santos, who battled serious health issues last year. He will become the 20th member of the team's Hall of Fame and only the second contributor following Billy Sullivan, the franchise's founder and first owner.

It will be a very sad day next August when we fully come to grips with the fact that Santos is done. He's been my favorite New England related sports announcer in my lifetime. We are blessed with many good ones in the region but what makes him the best is that he didn't rely on schtick, blatant homerism or over the top calls. He was simply a professional that showed up every day and did his job, sound familiar?

Cappelletti retired after last season and was ably replaced by Scott Zolak. Finding someone to fill Santos's shoes will be much more difficult. I don't envy the person that has to replace a legend, that is never easy. After all these years and the innumerable big games (playoffs, Super Bowls) he's covered, Santos had become part of our extended family. He was always there and he never let us down.

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Big Changes In Store For The Patriots Radio Broadcasts Starting Next Month

I'm a sucker for professional sports on the radio. In our busy lives, we often find ourselves stuck in cars going from one place to another, especially on weekends when you have a significant other. That means that we're forced in those situations to turn to Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins and Patriots games on the radio. Lucky for us, all those local crews deserve high marks.

Today, New England's senior duo of those four major teams had some big news as Patriots radio color commentator Gino Cappelletti has retired. What's more, his longtime partner Gil Santos said this upcoming season will be his last after he nearly died following last season.

Cappelletti is 78 and he's worked at Pats games for 32 years after a legendary playing career with the Boston Patriots. Santos is 72, they've been together for 28 total years including the last 21 in a row. During that time in the booth, New England has gone from a complete afterthought and laughingstock in the NFL to one of the top franchises in professional sports. They've been able to cover six Super Bowls, including five in the past decade (three won by the Patriots).

It will be weird not to hear those familiar voices once the fall rolls around. No doubt, they had both slipped in recent years (especially Gino) so we knew this day would eventually come sooner rather than later. Sports Hub midday host and former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak was introduced last season as a sort of third set of eyes and ears (he was on the sideline). It hasn't been officially announced yet, but expect him to go upstairs with Santos beginning in the 2012 preseason next month-August 9 vs. New Orleans is the opener.

It's hard to imagine who will fill Santos' chair since he's one of the top play-by-play NFL broadcasters in the business. He has an outstanding voice and he's a true pro that always strikes the perfect balance between the fast-paced action and enjoying the scene. His calls from all the important playoff wins of the past decade are classic. "It's good, it's good!"-after Adam Vinatieri's field goal beat the Rams in Super Bowl 36 being perhaps his most famous line.

Similar to the Red Sox finding a new PA announcer for the recently deceased Carl Beane, the Pats will need to take their time to make the right decision. Unfortunately, Gil Santos don't just grow on trees.

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