Flashback: Life in 2002 and the start of the Patriots dynasty

BOSTON — It's February 2, 2002.

A 24-year-old Tom Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe and led the New England Patriots to an 11-5 regular season record. He's now getting ready to play in his first Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams.

The Rams, with MVP Marshall Faulk, are a 14-point favorite in the game, which will be broadcast on Boston 25.

Ty Law, who just made the Hall of Fame this year, will suit up for the Pats.

It's been exactly 17 years to the day since that matchup sparked the Patriots dynasty we know today. But what else has changed?

The Winter Olympics would be held in Feburary in Salt Lake City, with Apolo Ohno as the big star, it would be the last olympics without Shaun White.

Facebook doesn't exist. In fact, neither does MySpace. Friendster won't even be launched for another couple months.

The song at the top of charts is "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback.

U2 is set to play the halftime show after Janet Jackson backs out due to concerns over the recent September 11th tragedy. The Irish megastars deliver a memorable performance honoring the victims and will go on to win Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards for their song "Walk On."

In March, "A Beautiful Mind" wins best picture at the Academy Awards and a little-known French director named Jean-Xavier de Lestrade would earn Best Documentary for "Murder on a Sunday Morning." He would go on to make the hit true crime series "The Staircase" for HBO -- which would later be revived by a yet-to-exist Netflix.

At the theaters, where an average movie ticket was less than $6, Spider-Man would break the box office record for biggest movie opening.

The average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.61.

Cox Media Group