Where are you? Who are you?

I know there is only one Tom Brady, like only one Tiger Woods or Big Papi, or Michelle Kwan, but there is always the next great one, to inspire their generation and give that generation and the others still here someone and something to cheer for, no matter what else is going on in their lives or the nation or world. 

Big picture-speaking, we are still fresh off the Brady years, the Patriots' Brady-Belichick dynasty, the duck boat parades, all of it. So we can't feel too down, as if the Red Sox still had not broken the curse or if the Celtics were not back going strong. New England fans have had their share of dry spells but also their share of glory eras.

So, then, next great New England sports hero, are you in the mix of the Patriots' roster, just waiting to break out as a team leader and scoring leader? Or next year's roster, hopefully, maybe?

We can wait. It's one of the things we New Englanders do well — through droughts and sports droughts, long, too cold winters or teams whose chances are ice cold, more or less before the games are played. Life and sports have surprises, though, and the next amazing Patriots dynasty will be like the spring, welcome whenever it shows up, sometimes early, other times, more like May. 

Keep watching the Patriots; they are still our team. And who knows, you might just be watching the next great player's growing years.

They all started somewhere.