SB XLII Postmortem: Pats dreams killed by instant karma

Yeah, this was enjoyable to wake up to this morning.

"Instant karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead"

As is the case with most things in life, last night's staggering choke job by the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII can best be summed up by the lyrics of John Lennon.

Many people have ascribed to the karma theory in describing what happened to this supposed dynasty, this alleged "greatest team ever", this suddenly slow group of tired and aging playoff warriors. And what's a once-cocky Patriot fan to say other than karma came back on 'em in a big way?

Well that and the Giants treated them like a urinal at a Sturgis bar during bike week.

But me being a liberal democrat and all I believe in shit like karma, and I have to agree that there is something to be said for how badly the whole "flaunt it in everyone's face that this team was the greatest of all time and would have no trouble capping off their record-setting season with an annihilation of the Giants en route to an historic title" slant blew up in our faces.

Looking back, I now realize how arrogant and smug I sounded before the game whenever the subject of the Pats chances of making history came up.

When my next door neighbor, Philly fan Robin, asked me if I was nervous about the Big Game, my response was a non-plussed "why should I be, they haven't lost in over a year?"

And I practically made my co-workers throw up with my weekly '___(fill in the win total here)-0 with ___(fill in the amount of games left)more to go' signs. When my boss so slyly inquired this morning, "what happened to 18-0 and one more to go, Jeff?", it was all I could do to keep from bursting out in a hysterical scream of ashamed madness.

So when Tom Brady responded to NY WR Plaxico Burress' mid-week prediction that the Giants would win 23-17 with a condescending "(we're only gonna score) 17 points?", complete with a Madison Ave melting grin and actual bemusement, I could only agree with his reaction instead of noticing what a foolhardy, cocky, and utterly idiotic thing that was to say.

In the end it turns out we were right to be incredulous at Plexico's promise: the Pats didn't even get 17 points.

The hints of bad karma potentially coming back to bite us in the ass came early--illegitimate kids, spying--and often--running up the score, postgame handshakes--so it was fitting that when the ultimate upset had been completed, karma came full circle as Bill Belichick left the field before the game was officially over, sealing his fate as one of the most miserable, unlikeable classless faux-geniuses to ever put on a hoodie.

Speaking of, it was another co-worker of mine who asked the $64,000 question when the gloom had subsided a bit this morning: why was Belichick wearing that god-awful bright & shiny new red hooded sweatshirt for the game? League mandate, I guessed, what with those NFL brass types wanting to put on as glossy a front as possible for the NFL Films folks.

But I think Doni tapped into something there; when Belichick shedded that tattered, nasty old hoodie, the one that had been through the countless battles, that had been privy to confidential tapes, that had been an arm's length away from refusing to shake another coach's hand, he lost his mojo, his security blanket, his irascible prick cloak.

After that fashion faux pas (one in a long line of blunders made by the coach on the day) Eli Manning turned into Peyton, David Tyree turned into Franco Harris, Tom Coughlin turned into a coaching genius in his own right, and the curtain fell on what was supposed to be a team for the ages and exposed the mierable little man underneath.

"Instant karma's gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin'
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughin' at fools like me
Who in the hell'd you think you are
A super star? "

Payback's a bitch.

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The Dark Night: Pats' dreams of perfection gone in less than 2:00

Super Bowl XLI:
NY Giants 17, New England 14
MVP: Eli Manning

Ding dong the dynasty is dead.

With history on the line and immortality within reach, the New England Patriots fell short in its quest for a fourth title in 7 years tonight in Glenadale, Arizona.

Eli Manning led the Giants on a miraculous last-minute drive, highlighted by an epic escape from pressure that resulted in a huge 3rd down completion, and when Tom Brady's heave on 4th & 20 from the Pats 16 fell short with :02 seconds left, the world came crashing down on a legion of fans up to its earholes in cockiness and condescention for the last 12 months.

Let the onslaught begin.

No escuses, either, the Pats just got whipped. It was a perfect shitstormn of poor play calling, bad passes, stupid penalties, a piss-poor offensive line and a zillion missed opportunities on defense.

Was it just me or did New England's D look to be an average of 105 years older than New York's D, save for that last drive when Adelius Thomas finally showed up and played like a man possessed for about three plays.

Right now I can't even write a comprehensive sentence, so I'm gonna go drown my sorrows, sleep it off, and come back tomorrow with plenty of insightful commentary regarding the next titanic collapse chapter written in the log of New Engldand sports lore.

Should be a fun day at work tomorrow.

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SB XLII Notes: Hateriot Nation in full effect

As gametime gets closer, the New England haters have come out in full effect. We say: Bring it on!

Walking to the copy machine at my office I've heard it about 100 times over the past two weeks.

At my son's Little League ballfield, more than one parent has made the comment in some form or another, with varying degrees of vileness or matter-of-factness.

Log on to any (non-Boston) sports blog and you have to shield your eyes from the shitstorm of hate blowing full-force in Patriots' fans direction from every comment board and Super Bowl post.

And to top things off, when I picked up my copy of the St. Pete Times sports page yesterday morning I was even greeted by a 1000-word column stating what I've known to be obvious from many first-hand experiences:

Yup, the country's number-one passtime right now appears to be New England bashing.

"Hope the Pats lose."

"They're gonna lose you know."

"The Giants are gonna take the Pats down!"

...and the ever popular...

"Fuck New England!"

Been there, heard that, can't wait to buy the DVD.

The funniest thing about all this animosity towards the Greatest Team of All Time and fans of the Hub of the Sports Universe in general is that the more you idiots hate us, the better off we feel. It means our team is beating the shit out of eveybody, including the team of said bashers, and rater than ignoring it, we are friggin' eating up all this vim & vitriol coming our way.

Like Bostonians can't take a little namecalling, fighting and hatred? We're fucking bred on that stuff, morons.

So keep the hate coming. We don't want the pity and the sympathy and the chraity that comes with being fans of a pathetic, unlucky, and/or bumbling organization.

We'd rather feed off the hate, revel in it, until we're so full of happiness and championship trophies that every sports fan in the country hates our very existence.

I guess we are turning into the Evil Empire II.

Oh well.

Coming Tomorrow: SB XLII Prediction

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SB XLII Notes: 1 week to go, aka the Worst Sunday of the Year

I think we all can agree that the Sunday of the bye week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl is the equivalent of pigskin purgatory: not quite as painful as the interminable hell that is the off season, yet not nearly as satisfying as the certainty of being able to watch a football game on any given Sunday between early August and mid-January.

After a week of unending commentary, relentless analysis, continuous comparisons and sorry soundbites, I'm so ready for some football that I had to replay the Pats/Giants game from Week 17 just to remind myself that New England has a chance to win the latest installment of the Big Game.

Because everywhere I go, from my son's Little League field to my office, and everything I watch and listen to, from ESPN to sports talk radio, I am subject to some form of the following phrase:

"granted, New England should win this one, but if the Giants can just...(insert some form of ingenious scheme or gameplan that they assume Belichick hadn't already thought of three years ago here)"

or

"(noticing Pats visor on my head) Patriots...psssssshhhhh, they suck. They cheat and they suck, and the Giants are gonna beat them this time 'cuz they nearly beat em in that last game of the season...(grinning idiotically)"

Which begs a question I've been asking myself after seeing the vitriol directed towards Boston sports fans lately: which is really worse, the Boston fans or the Boston fan bashers?

Check out the Deadspin comment board at any given hour to learn the answer to that one.

But I digress. The three major "news" stories related to the game this off week have focused on Brady's bum ankle, the fact that he brought cheesy flowers to Giselle's pad while flaunting his boot, and Plaxico Burress brazenly (i.e. foolishly) stating that he believes the G-Men have a better receiving corps than New England.

See what I mean. Purgatory.

But I would be a fool, or at least a terrible blogger, if I didn't throw a post into this football vacuum, so here's my takes on the major topics, and my ever-reliable prediction for each:

-Brady's ankle improving, chances of playing remains at 100%
Look, enough already, we get it -- Tom injured his ankle in the AFC Championship Game, which explains why he turned into Kerry Collins for a little bit, and he certainly tweaked it enough to merit some medical concern-- but to sit around harping about the chances of the injury affecting him come Sunday, or whether or not he's good enough to beat Eli Manning even if he's not, is a complete waste of time, words and breath.

In fact, the more everyone talks about it, the more I'm convinced there is absolutely nothing wrong with the man, and he and Belichick and the team are merely playing it up, you know, for shits & giggles. When you think about it Brady has been playing it so coyly, from a public appearance on the streets of New York with the boot then partying at Butter later that night sans said bulky footwear, to no-showing for a couple of practices but then greeting fans at a rally with no signs of a limp, that it makes perfect sense.

My guess: by next Sunday the story will have been so beaten to death even Britney Spears will have tired of hearing about it, and Brady will show no ill-effects of the phantom sprain as he picks apart the Giants d-backs like he chooses the next mother of his love child.

-Plexiglass Burress makes expensive comments his teammates can't cash Hey, Plex, look you had a nice game last week, and you've had a nice season, and you are a tall, tough receiver who can come down with a big catch or strive for that extra yard when you're team needs it...

...but when you say that you believe that your teammates and yourself constitute a better receiving corps than the Patriots collection of Pro-Bowlers and record-holders, well people dismiss your accomplishments and just think you're a fucking idiot.

Forget the fact that statistically speaking the New York receivers come up short in ever major category, (see NFL rankings chart for yourself):

NE/NY
YDS: 4859(1)/3376(22)
REC: 440(2)/302(23)
TDs: 50(1)/23(14)
YPG: 304(1)/211(22)

and focus on the fact that Burress, New York's #1 target, isn't even better than Moss, Boston's primary weapon. In fact, Burress' numbers are more on par with Wes Welker's as far as yards and TDs (although Welker caught 42 more passes then Plexiglass), and the stats of Brady's 3rd & 4th options (Stallworth and Kevin Faulk) or 5th & 6th choices (Gaffney and Ben Watson) are comparable to Burress and his backup band of Armani Toomer, Jeremy Shockless, Sinorice Moss and Derrick Ward.

MY Guess: this boast will blow up in Burress' face in the same way that Anthony 'Memba me? Smith's and Igor the Idiot Olshansky's did this year, and Burress will admit to smoking too much winter green the morning before that press conference.

-Brady bringing flowers was bigger story than the boot
This is what happens when you've got scum-sucking leeches like TMZ dovetailing their coverage of skanky celebs and coked-out starlets into the sports world. Instead of just leaving it at "oh shit, Tom's in a walking boot", now we've got a debate about why he's bringing pansies to his girlie's house, and how come he's always holding little doggie and...oh just shoot me now.

my prediction: this story will still be talked about long after the Super Bowl ends, because after the Pats win their 4th championship, this is the type of shit the haters will have to hold on to.

One. More. Week.

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18-0, one more to go: Pats defeat Chargers, 21-12, to reach SB XLII

It wasn't pretty, and Tom Brady wasn't at his best, but the Pats took care of business and defeated the whining crybabies from San Diego to make it to their 4th Super Bowl in the last 7 years.

Brady threw three picks and was forced to rely on the running game more than usual to seal this win, but with the key Chargers banged up, it was basically a foregone conclusion that New England was going to win this one, it was only a question of 'how'.

The answer was on the ground, as New England relied on the running game for the second week in a row instead of the potent passing attack that has been their hallmark all season. Lawrence Maroney rang up his second consecutive 122-yard game, 116 coming in the 2nd half when the Pats adjusted their gameplan to compensate for the Chargers' decision to take away Randy Moss & the receivers.

Although Moss had just 1 catch for the second consecutive game, the combination of Maroney's herculean effort combined with some clutch catches by unheralded yet invaluable situational back Kevin Faulk provided the Pats with enough firepower to bring send the Chargers home from the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Faulk had 8 receptions for 82 yards, none bigger than his 14-yard grab on 3rd & 3with just over 5 minutes to go in the game and the Pats nursing the 9-point lead. The catch allowed the drive to continue, and New England ran out the clock on San Diego's season after that. In fact, after the Pats got the ball back with 9:13 to play, San Diego never touched the rock again.

Perhaps the Chargers could take a lesson from the Pats backs, as the dynamic duo of Faulk and Maroney outgained the Chargers combo of LaDanian Tomlinson and Michael Turner 221 total yards to 77 total yards. Most of that differential can be attributed to the fact that king crybaby Tomlinson played just one series, carrying the ball twice and recording one catch, before his bad knee forced him to the sideline for the rest of the day.

There he sat like little Dark Helmet, on the bench bundled up and pouting while his teammates tried to pull off the miraculous upset.

Too bad even on a day when Brady (22-33, 209yds, 2TD, 3INT) looked mortal, the Chargers were made up of too many walking wounded players to put up much of a fight against what is shaping up to be the best team in NFL history.

Maybe next year, SD.

So now the Pts will head to Arizona to meet up with those pesky Giants again after the G-Men pulled the upset against the Packers in Lambeau. Get ready for two weeks of stories about how New York "almost" beat New England in the last game of the regular season, and how they have a good shot at upsetting the Pats in the Bowl.

To that I say bring it on, New York.

Cause Boston's ready to make you our bitches in two sports, boys.

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AFC Championship Game: Chargers @ Pats

Quickie Prediction:

Chargers all banged up, had little chance of winning if healthy. Factor in 0-degree temps and the greatness that is Tommy Brady, and what you have is hello, Super Bowl XLII.

MY PICK: Pats 34, San Diego 17



GO PATS!

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Could the latest episode of 'Randy Being Randy' derail Pats?

Answer: Not likely, but it sure could jeopardize his job security and impending payday

By now we all know the details that have made available surrounding the latest strange & scandalous story involving Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss.

But, in case you've been watching too much American Karaoke, here's a brief rundown:

Moss has been slapped with a restraining order by a "longtime companion" of his, who claims that on January 6th, Moss inflicted bodily harm on her and then would allow her to leave her residence to seek medical attention for the (alleged) injuries. The document also states that Moss has a drinking problem, and owns some firearms.

Hmmmmmm.

The episode quickly went from Internet rumor to full-blown scandal after Moss took to time out of his normally media-silent week to defend himself in an impromptu news conference at Gillette on Wednesday that had the feel of a future R. Kelly rape trial presser.

He claims that this companion was slightly injured during an act of "horseplay", and that he never tried to prevent her from taking care of her injury. It was all a misunderstanding. In fact, he professes to have "never laid a hand on a woman in his life", this coming from a guy who tried to run over a meter maid in Minneapolis.

Since then shots have been fired from both camps, with the Moss lawyers stating that he was being extorted by a companion of the companion to the tune of $500 Gs, and The companions firing back that Moss tried to blackmail them to stay quiet.

It's a classic, convoluted case of 'he said-she said', but let's get one thing clear: since no one wants to talk about what actually happened, and the women is being labeled a "companion", and Moss deemed the action an accident, we can all assume that this was some R. Kelly-related form of kinky sexual injury we're talking about, and not a full-fledged attack on a defenseless woman.

In other words, it's just another case of Randy Being Randy, which is evidently the mid-winter equivalent of Manny Being Manny for Boston sports fans.

But the big question is, will this distraction hinder the team's ability to obliterate every team in its path on the way to immortality?

And the answer is no. because nothing, not even the lead QB impregnating an actress and then upgrading to a supermodel, can prevent this team from accomplishing its goals. Especially not a minor flare up like this.

No, the question isn't whether Randy will go on to catch 10 passes for 150 yards and 3 scores on Sunday, the question is what this latest incident--and the pending outcome of any legal decisions-- could do to his status as an unrestricted free agent?

Over the last few weeks word was coming out that Moss, who took a major pay cut and a 1-year deal to play for New England this year, could command, or demand, $10 million a year for multiple years following his record-breaking 23 TD reception season.

But with another character blemish hanging over Randy's cornrows like a nagging bug, the Pats brass will have him right where they like all their star players not named Brady: over the contract barrel.

Good move, Randyman. Now go ring up that 10/150/3 game and continue to pray this issue all blows away.

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2008 AFC Championship Game: Chargers vs. Pats

San Diego stuns Colts, setting up a playoff rematch with the Pats, this time at Gillette Sunday's AFC Divisional Playoff Game was an "either/or" proposition for the New England Patriots and their ever-polarizing fan base:

either the Colts would win, setting up a grudge match rematch of their epic AFC Championship game of a year ago; or the Bolts would win, setting up a grudge match rematch of their epic AFC Divisional Playoff Game from a year ago. Not to mention it would also mean that Peyton's legacy would be back in its proper place -- playoff choker.

Either way, it was a win/win for Pats fans no matter how you sliced it.

Turns out Peyton and the beat up Colts were not as well prepared to defend their title as everyone thought they would be, and the listless Mannings dropped another big home playoff game, falling short of the big prize once again when they gagged to the Chargers, 28-24.

Christmas in January, anyone.

How else can you describe having the irritating, infuriating, self-promoting ADD-riddled quarterback with the goofy family and the toothy smile at home watching this year's battle for the Bowl instead of fucking with the Pats mojo during it?

And how do you explain our team getting another chance to elicit tears from the Whiny Bunch, a.k.a. LT, Merriman, Phillips and the rest of the crybabies from the left Coast, who still haven't stop bitching about New England players mocking Merriman's idiotic sack dance at midfield following that classic 24-21 comeback victory in San Diego last January?

Ho ho ho!

So the teams will meet again, this time in Foxborough, but at this point, does it really matter who lines up opposite the juggernaut that is the 2007 New England Patriots?

They've already beaten 4 of 5 supposed other "best teams" in the NFL this year --Indy, Jacksonville, Dallas and Pittsburgh -- not to mention already dismantled this very Chargers team, one that was chomping at the bit for revenge for that stinging postseason loss, back in Week 2 in Foxborough.

Throw in the fact that the Bolts are more banged up than Courtney Love after a 3-week bender, with QB Phillip Rivers, Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates all nursing semi-significant injuries, and it shouldn't matter that we all know how hard it is to beat a good team three times in a row, should it?

Well, just ask the Cowboys about that one.

Go Pats. Kick the Chargers right in their whale's vagina.

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NFL Week 2: Sacks, spies and videotapes

With the specter of Videogate hanging over their heads, Bill Belichick and the Pats must focus on knocking off the bloodthirsty Chargers

We enter the second week of the 2007 season with the New England Patriots occupying a familiar place on the NLF landscape: the most despised team in the league.

But this season, something's different, and I'm not just talking about the revamped receiving corps and the addition of all-everything defender Adalius Thomas.

No, this year in addition to putting together one of the best teams on paper since the Dunder Mifflin crew, the Pats, and coach Hoodie Belichick specifically, have been saddled with the worst label in all of professional sports--cheaters.

When a Patriots assistant coach was busted in the opener for videotaping defensive signals being used on the New York Jets sideline last week at the Meadowlands, the repercussions sent shockwaves rippling throughout the league and further polarized its fanbase.

Jets coach and Sopranos co-star Eric Mangini, a former Belichick assistant who dared leave the Pats fold for the dark side of the Jets before last season, apparently had inside knowledge of the Patriot's cheating ways, but he waited until the fourth meeting with his former team to expose his longtime mentor and his habit of trying to gain a competitive advantage over his opponent at all costs.

The fallout has been a shitstorm of biblical proportions heaped upon the franchise that had become the model for contemporary NFL supremacy, and especially the coach who had always rubbed people the wrong way with his surly demeanor, cryptic quotes, and hideously ugly choice of sideline garb.

After a meeting with Commissioner Roger The Hammer Goodell Belichick was slapped with a fine of $500, 000 bucks, the organization was hit with a $250K tariff and also must suffer the painful loss of a first-round draft pick next April if New England should happen to make the playoffs this year.

Which is like saying Lindsay Lohan must go back to rehab if she ever drinks again.

But the monetary admonishment and loss of a valuable draft pick pales in comparison to the public relations hit the team has taken since the news broke that New England has resorted to such bush-league tactics for much of the dynasty years. Universal respect for what the team has accomplished has turned into an "I knew they were up to something" avalanche, with players, coaches and analysts coming up with instances of examples where the Pats players on the field seemed to know too much about what the plays their opponent was trying to run.

So where do we go from here? The Patriots were already despised by many for beating up on the league for the past six seasons, for stockpiling talent the way Angelina Jolie stockpiles adopted children, and for becoming the standard bearer for the perfect franchise from the ownership to the front office to the coaching staff to the players.

Now they've got a quarterback who had a baby out of wedlock and is getting ready to tie the knot with Leo DiCaprio's leftovers; a wide receiver who was one of the most talented-yet-despised players in the league just a year ago until he found football God and decided to clean up his act for the good of the jewelry; and a coach who has proven that just having the best team and smartest coaches doesn't mean you can't resort to the ancient art of gaining a competitive advantage over your opponent by any means necessary.

My analysis? Patriots overcome the newfound adversity and ride the fuel of widespread hatred all the way to title #4.

NFL WEEK 2 GAMES TO WATCH:

1.) San Diego (1-0) at New England (1-0) SNF 8P NBC
Oh you think this one won't be a doozy? The two teams that slugged it out in last year's AFC Wild Card game, resulting in a late Patriots win and subsequent crying by many of the Chargers players including league MVP LaDanian Tomlinson, will meet again under the lights at Gillette for a must-see showdown tinged with revenge and redemption.

Tomlinson and other Chargers have been very vocal about the role of Videogate in that playoff victory last January, and you know he, Steroid Merriman and Phillip Rivers, who was horrible towards the end of that contest, want to exact a small measure of revenge by taking New England down in their own crib on national TV.

Too bad it ain't gonna happen. Brady and Randy Moss proved they are already on their game despite no preseason time together, and the defense, though smarting from the HGH-induced suspension of Rodney Harrison, will be up to the challenge of stopping Tomlinson and forcing Rivers into more foolhardy mistakes that will cost his team the game.
MY PICK: Videogate be damned, Pats 27, San Diego 21

2.) New Orleans (0-1) at Tampa Bay (0-1)
The saints are one of the trendy favorites to reach the Super Bowl from the weak NFC this year, but after getting torched for 41 points in the season opener against the Colts a week ago Thursday, people might want to readjust their opinions.

The Bucs, meanwhile, looked like the same old middling Bucs of four of the past five years, failing to score a touchdown in a 20-6 loss at Seattle despite upgrading the offense with QB Jeff Garcia and with the fire under Chucky Gruden's ass hotter than it has ever been. But something tells me the Bucs are going to make a game of it against their NFC South rivals in what could be the final home opener of Chucky's regime, and although they may not win, look for Tampa Bay to at least keep it close, and possible even get in the end zone.
MY PICK: New Orleans 34, Tampa Bay 24

3.) Cincinnati (1-0) at Cleveland (0-1)
The Bengals may have defeated the hated Ravens last week, but a lackluster performance where Carson Palmer only threw for 192 yards and the defense forced 6 turnovers yet the team barely squeaked out a 27-20 win wasn't exactly the impressive opening effort Super Bowl-starved fans in the Queen City were hoping for.

The Battle of Ohio has been a lopsided affair of late, and when Cleveland traded starting quarterback Charlie Frye to Seattle following their 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh in the opener, they sent the message that the time is near to hand the reigns of the franchise over to hometown hero Brady Quinn. It could be another lopsided outcome, but one thing's for sure, with the Dog Pound clamoring for Brady to guide the team and Chad Johnson ready to bust out a new TD celebration, things won't be dull in C-Town this afternoon.
MY PICK: Cincy 37, Cleveland 19

4.) Indy (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0)
These two AFC Central rivals have seen their fare share of tough battles over the last few seasons, especially last year when the Champs barely knocked off the upstart Titans at home, 14-13, in Week 5 last season, then dropped a stunning 20-17 decision to Tennessee in Week 13 when the Titans kicked a 60-yard FG with time expiring to hand the Colts their second loss of the season.

With Vince Young more comfortable in the offense and Tennesseans once again supporting a football team other than the Vols, this game will be no cakewalk for television personality Peyton Manning and his shuffled band of title seekers. In fact if I were a gambling man I'd look for Tennessee to pull off another upset today. Of course I'm a lousy gambler, but it's always fun to pretend.
MY PICK: Tennessee 24, Colts 23

5.) Minnesota (1-0) at Detroit (1-0)
Two teams vying for this season's most surprising team go head-to-head at Ford Field today and both are coming off impressive wins highlighted by outstanding performances from their number one draft picks.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries in his first game since being selected with the seventh pick back in April, and for Detroit heralded rookie receiver Calvin Johnson validated his #2 selection when he lit up an awesome Oakland defense for 4 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown in Detroit's see-saw 36-21 victory over the Raiders. Both talents will be on full display today in a game that could be one of the most exciting in the league this week.
MY PICK: Detroit 27, Minnesota 24

Other Game Predictions:

-Pittsburgh 31, Buffalo 17
-Carolina 24, Houston 13
-Jacksonville 19, Atlanta 6
-Green Bay 23, NY Giants 20
-St. Louis 28, San Fran 21
-Dallas 31, Miami 14
-Arizona 27, Seattle 24
-Baltimore 16, NY Jets 3
-Denver 34, Oakland 17
-Chicago 13, Kansas City 10
-Philly 28, Washington 17 (MNF)

Enjoy Week 2, and remember, don't take any of these picks seriously-after all, I am the World's Worst Gambler!

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Patriots lineman Hill found dead after accidental drowning

The NFL and the New England sports community suffered another tragic loss when the body of Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill was found a half a mile from where he fell into the waters of Lake Pontchartrain Sunday night.

Hill, a third-year player and Louisiana native who played collegiately at LSU and won a National Championship with the Tigers in 2003, was riding a jet ski with a female companion Sunday after dark when tragedy struck. The rough waters located near a busy shipping channel contributed to the water crafts overturning, and the fact that neither rider was wearing a life vest only exacerbated the situation.

By all reports Hill, an exemplary player, role model and human being who was able to swim, made an attempt to rescue his female friend, who could not. The friend was found unharmed, clinging to a piling, but Hill could not navigate the strong current and was washed away despite rescue attempts by an alert bystander on shore and numerous search groups.

Hill's tragic death comes on the heels of the sudden passing of two Denver Broncos players this off season, corner back Darrent Williams from a fatal gunshot wound on New Years Eve, and running back Damien Nash from an apparent heart attack after a charity basketball game in February.

The Boston sports family also has endured unexpected deaths in the past eight months: Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach in October; Celtics guard & playoff legend Dennis Johnson, also from a sudden heart attack in February, two days before Nash; and former Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley, whose painful, paralyzed life came to a abrupt end in April.

Combined with the recent deaths of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock, USC kicker Mario Danelo, and former Eagle Andre Watters, and there has been more than enough disturbing confirmations that even our most physically gifted and athletically talented people cannot escape the harsh realities of the real world.

R.I.P., Marquise.

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WTF are the Pats doing?!

First New England drafts a thug from 'Da U' and then it trades for Mr. Malcontent himself, Randy Moss

Sorry I haven't posted in so long, but the Sox blog is really keeping me busy , especially with all the games against New York this past week.

But what has happened during the 2007 NFL Draft these past two days have forced me to put down the red ink and post something about what the Sox' sister team is doing out there in Foxborough.

I went to bed last night reading all I could about New England's only 1st round pick, U 0f Miami safety Brandon Meriweather. All the reports are the same: hard hitter, fast runner, nose for the game, can step in immediately and be a factor in the secondary, all the things you want to hear about a No. 1 pick.

Oh, except for the fact that he tried to bash somebody's skull in on the football field last fall.

Yes, he's that Brandon Meriweather, the one who had his face plastered all over every sports and news show in America, along with 30 of his close friends & teammates after they were inolved in that infamous, ugly on-field melee between Miami and Florida International in October.

Various versions of the video are readily accessible on YouTube, and Meriweather is easy to pick out of the sea of players: he's the skinny one wearing #19 who can be seen joining the fracas shortly after it began, and he is doing his best imitation of trying to put out a fire that might have sprung up on the FIU player's face & legs, because he keeps stomping on them furiously.

Your New England Patriots #1 draft pick, folks.

Of course everyone associated with the team & the league says that Meriweather is contrite, that's not how he really is, and he will have to conform to the strict policies and style of the Patriots team. And when you think about it, the brawl was a spur of the moment thing and he may deserve the benefit of the doubt that his emotions probably got the best of him.

Oh yeah, but he was also involved in a incident where he discharged a firearm in the direction of a suspect who had shot his Hurricane teammate in the ass last July.

Anyway...people change ya know (like the battered wife said about her hot-tempered fiancee)

As if that bit of draft day news wasn't enough to wrinkle the nose of any diehard Pats fan, waking up this morning made one such fan think that the Apocalypse was finally upon us: the Pats traded for wide receiver/world class asshole Randy freakin Moss.

Everyone who watches the NFL knows Randy Moss, whether it be for his spectacular catches, length-of-the-field sprints to the end zone, and acrobatic feats like throwing the ball over his shoulder or catching a hook & ladder and running in for a TD.

Too bad everyone in the country with a TV set knows who Moss is from his litany of on-and-off field incidents, a list that would take up most of this post to detail. Some of the lowlights include attempting to run over a police officer in Minnesota, walking off the field before the end of a game, squirting a bottle of water at a referee during a game, and perhaps most memorably wiping his ass along the goalpost at Lambeau Field during a playoff game a couple of years ago.

Add to that laundry list a history of admitting that he stops trying when he's not into playing, that he jakes it every time he feels like, and that he has such a problem with authority that he drew the ire of respected NFL coach Art Shell and noted football maverick/Black Hole creator Al Davis, and to say the Pats are getting a guy with a lot of baggage is like saying Donald Trump is having a bad hair day- it's redundant.

Of course Moss has talent, although no one knows whether that talent is actually in decline, or have his totals just dropped because he decided he didn't want to contribute in Oakland anymore. Either way, my question is, why bother?

The Pats have always been the leader in taking character over talent, as evidenced by the numerous drafts when big-name guys were on the board but the NE brass went for lesser-known character guys. Now it appears that the team may be selling out on its own motto just to borrow from Davis' familiar mantra of "Just Win Baby"

Is it really worth it to bring another Rozelle trophy to town?

People of Foxborough, heed the words of the immortal Clark W. Griswald: "roll 'em up!"

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R.I.P. Darryl Stingley

The former Patriots star receiver had his career and now his life cut short by paralyzing 1978 hit.



I am fighting back tears as I write this post because a man I hardly knew and barely remember saw his star-crossed life come to an early end yesterday as former Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley passed away at age 55.



Why am so broken up over the death of someone I didn't know and barely remember? Because the unfortunate accident that made Stingley a household name and object for nationwide sympathy in 1978 left an indelible impression on my sports-saturated youth.


I was only a naive 10-year-old living in Boston when Stingley's accident occurred. I remember he was one of the most exciting players to watch on a New England team that boasted stars like Stanley Morgan, Sam "Bam" Cunningham, Russ Francis, Steve Grogan and John "Hog" Hannah. He was fast, had great hands, and was one of those guys you wanted to watch just for the "what will he do next" factor, a-la contemporaries T.O. and Randy Moss. He was well-liked and one of those guys New Englanders rooted for because of his personality, attitude and obvious talent.


It was during an exhibition game (!) against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland/Alameda Coliseum in August of 1978, going into Stingley's sixth NFL season, that tragedy struck. Grogan sailed what appeared to be a harmless pass over Stingley's outstretched hands and it appeared the play was over; little did anyone know that Stingley's career, and for all intents & purposes his life, would be over as well.


Hard-hitting Raiders safety Jack Tatum chased the play, came across the field and leveled Stingley with a devastating hit after the ball was out of reach that while legal was typical of the rough, take-no-prisoners style the Raiders played with back then. Stingley lay motionless on the turf for quite a while, and soon it became apparent that something awful had happened to one of the brightest young talents in the league. Stingley would not rise from the turf and gingerly walk off the field, shaking out the cobwebs and hoping to get back in the game.


Not only would Stingley never play again, the 26-year-old would never walk again, either. He was rendered quadriplegic, and he and Tatum never reconciled what happened on the field that night. The play was deemed legal and while Tatum admitted he was unhappy with what happened to Stingley he showed no remorse for making a legal hit. In fact in his book, appropriately titled "They Call Me an Assasin", Tatum admitted he hit players not just to knock them down but to hurt them.


In Stingley's case mission accomplished. But not only did Tatum hurt Stingley, he wounded the hearts of a region that was unprepared to deal with this kind of athletic tragedy. The play was run countless times on New England newscasts, and even as a 10-year-old I vividly remember that morbid scene of Stingley being wheeled off the Coliseum field and being told over & over that he would never walk, never mind play, again. It was a chilling wake up call to the realities of the dangers involved in playing professional sports, something I realize was unequipped to deal with at that age.


Jack Tatum took some of my athletic-related innocence on that August day of my youth, but more tragically he took the hopes, dreams and talents away from a potential superstar who had a potential Hall of Fame career & rewarding life ahead of him. Ironically Tatum would later go on to lose both his legs due to complication from diabetes. Perhaps it took him losing his ability to walk that made him realize what he took away from Stingley & the Patriot Nation that night.

The death is the latest in a disturbing 2007 trend of Boston athletic icons passing away suddenly; first Red, then DJ and now Darryl. Following the untimely passings of Len Bias, and Reggie Lewis, Bostonians are beginning to wonder if there is a new kind of curse over the Commonwealth.

R.I.P. Darryl; you will always be loved & remembered with fondness in New England.

(More pieces on the Stingley tragedy here, here, and here.)

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Corey Dillon is done winning Super Bowls

Disgruntled. Tired. Banged-up. Conflicted.

All of the above may be used to describe (former) Patriots running back Corey Dillon after the 32-year-old bruiser sent mixed messages today regarding his football future, hinting at retirement yet "willing to look into offers from other teams."

But camera-shy Corey sounds perfectly clear regarding one aspect of his career- he's done carrying the rock for the New England Patriots after 3 seasons, 3,180 yards, 39 touchdowns and 1 large diamond-studded ring.

Dillon was an instrumental part in New England's 3rd Super Bowl title, rushing for a Patriot record 1,635 yards in the 2004 regular season after being released from his own personal purgatory with the Cincinnati Bengals. But it's no secret that the press-hating Dillon seethed over his decline in carries (from 345 to 209 to 199 last year) as well as the emergence of rookie Lawrence Maroney in 2006, forcing Dillon into becoming almost a situational back, primarily a short yardage & goal line specialist.

Combine the attractiveness of Maroney's age (22), productivity (722 yards) and contract (rookies don't make much) with Dillon's aging legs, declining numbers and bloated salary (he is owed $4.4 million for 2007, part of a 5-year extension he signed in 2005) and Dillon knew the handwriting was on the wall for him to be used even less than Chucky used the A-Train the last few years.

But instead of hanging around with a model franchise as an important part of a team that has a chance to make the Super Bowl every year he wants another shot at starting glory despite the fact that he is about 4 years past his prime and is a locker room cancer waiting to happen on a less-disciplined team. So he asked out of his contract, which the cash-thrifty Pats happily obliged, and although he dropped some hints about wanting to spend more time with his family and such, if a better deal (i.e. being a featured back) comes around then Corey will suit up for an 11th season.

Thanks for everything, Corey. Don't let the reality check hit you in the ass on the way out.

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MannyBeingManny, Papa Brady and the NBA All-Yawn game

It's been a busy beginning to the week as the news wire is crackling with a plethora of interesting stories, some less earth-shattering than others.

The NBA All Star game was a complete dud; file that under the less-than-earth-shattering category. As usual the affair was nothing more than a glorified exhibition game featuring a zillion bad passes, numerous missed dunk attempts, plenty of solo showboating with zero defense played. Kobe Bryant took home the MVP trophy for the West in their 153-132 over the East squad thanks to his 31-point, 5-rebound 6-assist performance, which included no less than four impressive, crowd-pleasing dunks.

In other words the game just like every other game for the past 15-20 years. What, did everybody think that just becasue the game moved to Vegas that it would suddenly morph into a well-played, competitive contest? This game is what it is- a glorified exhibition game featuring a zillion bad passes, numerous missed dunk attempts, plenty of solo showboating with zero defense played.

The good news for the Association? No players were arrested and/or shot this weekend in Sin City. So the entire experience was a positive.

Also in the "less than earth shattering" department we have word that mercurial Red Sox slugger (it's a new law, we have to describe him like that) Manny Ramirez will...drumroll please...report late to training camp. What? You're kidding me? I would have never believed it (please set sarcasm radar to high.) More surprising is the source of the startling information, via the Globe- Gascan Julie Tavarez.

Tavarez passed the word along to Red Sox brass that ManRam would be about a week late for camp due to his mother's pending surgical procedure. Nice of Manny to inform his employers by way of the tried & true "have my buddy tell them a bald-faced lie about my mother" method. Classy.

Let the circus sideshow that is Manny Being Manny begin!

Speaking of sideshows a story broke involving 3-time Super Bowl champ and God-loving Catholic poster boy Tom Brady yesterday that could finally put a dent in his once-invincible armor: his exgirlfriend, actress Bridget Moynihan, has let it be known that she is preggers with the potential next greatest quarterback in NFL history, spawn of Tom.
Yes Tommy Boy is going to be a baby daddy. Unfortunatey the couple has been split up for over 4 months and Brady has moved on to supermodel/DiCaprio throwaway Gisele Bundchen, so this triangle of intrigue is sure to light up both the gossip pages as well as the sports sites for months to come.

This is a huge story not only for Patriot Nation but for the sports world as well. How will the news that a successful, well-liked white athlete go over with the same public that has criticized African-American players who have found thgemselves in the same position- fathering a child out of wedlock? Or in Shawn Kemp's case, a dozen or so.

Not to mention the fact that Tom is a staunch Catholic, and unless the church has suddenly turned ultra-liberal I do belive they frown upon such acts of bastardry.

All I know is this isn't a good thing for any of the parties involved. Except the baby. He's set for life.

To quote Dan Patrick: " I always thought Brady had the best protection?"

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Concussions causing serious problems for many players

Ted Johnson was a hero with New England but is now a shell of a man due to the effects of concussions

An invisible ailment has been plaguing many of our sports stars for years and although the condition is difficult to pin down the results can be devastating and even fatal.

Concussions have been a part of contact sports since the dawn of competition, they just weren't diagnosed as such back in the "old days." Back then players just got "knocked silly" or had the wind knocked out of them and then went right back out on the field. A study by the Poynter Center states that around 10% of all athletes involved in contact sports suffer a concussion each year.

Now we know that concussions and their debilitating effects can cause long-term damage to the sufferers, especially when multiple or severe such injuries occur. Some players who have retired prematurely due to concussions include Ney York Islanders Hall of Fame center Pat La-Fontaine, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver and current ESPN analyst Merrill Hodge, and just yesterday San Francisco Giants catcher Mike Matheney was forced to hang up his gear due to the effects of multiple concussions.

Two recent stories have really brought the issue of concussions among athletes to light. Back in November right here in Tampa former Philadelphia Eagles great Andre Waters killed himself with a shotgun. His death was puzzling at first, but it was later discovered that the former safety, known for his bone-crushing, borderline illegal style of playing, was left severely depressed and debilitated by brain damage due to the effects of too many concussions. That state of mind most likely led to his untimely suicide at the age of 44.

Now comes this sad story from the Globe's Jackie McMullen about former Patriot linebacker Ted Johnson. Johnson was a stalwart on defense for all three Pats' Super Bowl-winning squads and helped form a devastating linebacking corps with Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel.

Johnson suffered multiple concussions during his 11-year career, at least 30 by his estimation, but it was a pair of back-to-back bell ringers that he endured in the 2002 pre-season that has left him depressed, confused and on the brink of destruction. The first was inflicted by a Giants running back in an exhibition game and the second just 4 days later in practice. Johnson claims he did not want to participate in contact drills so quickly after the concussion from the game, which left him feeling "out of it", but that head coach Bill Belichick had left the blue "contact" jersey for Johnson to wear that day.

Immediately after entering the practice Johnson suffered another concussion after a routine, non-violent tackle. Johnson was furious with New England trainer Jim Whalen for making him wear the blue jersey, but Whalen informed him that it was Belichick's decision.

Now Johnson is so f'd up that he suffers from symptoms that are more befitting of an Iraq war vet than a vet of 11 seasons on the gridiron: depression, dizziness, excessive drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, memory loss, poor concentration, ringing in the ears, and acute sensitivity to noise.

And the fact that he directly blames the Hooded Genius and the Patriots training staff for allowing him to get to this state makes the story all the more stunning.

Not only is this a staggering indictment of Belichick, providing a disturbing inside look at how a team urges its players to play through certain situations while sacrificing the player's health, but it is an extremely sad situation for Johnson, a gregarious, fun-loving fan favorite during his career with the Pats.

To hear what he is like now makes me sick to my stomach. To think that men like Johnson and Waters and all the others would give so much of themselves just to entertain us armchair critics says all you need to know about the importance of sports in today's society.

Unfortunately they are important enough to risk your life for.

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AFC Championship: Colts 38, Pats 34

The day after.

The aftermath of the Pats devastating, emotional, gut-wrenching, soul-crushing, humiliating, mind-boggling, disheartening, unfathomable and incredible loss to the Colts has felt like a slow & painful death for Pats fans.

It feels like being poisoned. At the end of game last night, when Tom Terrific threw the interception to Indy's Marlin Don't Call Me Tito Jackson which sealed the Colts biggest win since the Mayflower vans left Baltimore, I thought I had been hit with a poison dart- my immediate reaction was numbness, shock and confusion mixed with a healthy dose of dull pain.

The next day it's as if the lethal toxin has spread throughout my body, causing me to feel nauseous, irate, weak and dizzy. My brain is frazzled and my extremities are useless. There is a sharp pain in my head and a sick feeling in my gut. "Has this really happened? Did the Colts really perform an exorcism on the demons from New England that have haunted them for all these years, and was it the presence of shaman Adam Vinateri that finally turned the tide away from the East Coast conquerors and towards the team from middle America?"

I know I have to review the game before I can spew bile-filled comments about it so I will attempt to put a coherent summary together before my brain is completely overrun with hysteria.

The game started out the way any red white & blue Pats fan would want it to. On New England's second drive they went 75 yards in 8 plays highlighted by a 35-yard run by Corey Dillon on 4th & 1 from the Colts 48 (Brilliant Call # 1) and capped with a wacky, lucky touchdown that made it feel like the football gods were shining on our team once again. Brady handed off to Lawrence no show Maroney (8 rushes, 13 yards) who fumbled the exchange just before the goal line. Three or four Colts players surrounded the ball but somehow it squirted out of that circle of humanity and was pounced on by guard Logan Mankins in the end zone for a miraculous touchdown; 7-0 New England and it was just get started.

Manning & Co. countered with a long 14-play 53-yard drive that fell short of the end zone thanks to a holding call on the Colts at the Pats 26. Old friend Adam Vinateri kept his streak alive of never having missed a kick in this arena by nailing a 42-yarder to slice the lead to 7-3, and New England's infamous "bend-but-don't-break" defense held true.

The second quarter would bring so much joy to Pats fans that we could hardly contain our giddiness. As the quarter opened New England was already mounting a 72-yard drive that began at the end of the first quarter and featured a 27-yard pass from Brady to Troy Mr. Clutch Brown on 4th & 6 from the Colts 34 (Brilliant Call #2) that set up Dillon's 7-yard touchdown scamper and the lead was 14-3 before Indy even knew what hit 'em.

If that wasn't bad enough for the 56,000+ yokels that packed the stadium what happened next just about brought tears to their eyes. After a three yard run by Dominic Rhodes put the Colts at their own 31 yard line manning threw an ill-advised pass to the right sideline intended for Marvin Harrison. Unfortunately for Indy Assante I shoulda been in the Pro Bowl Samuel jumped the route and picked Manning off, returned it the 31 yards for the score and sent the legions of Patriot fans into a "this is too good to be true" tizzy. It was now 21-3 New England just 5:00 minutes before halftime and you got the feeling that the folks back home were already planning the team's itinerary for Miami.

So even when Indy mounted its best drive of the game, marching 80 yards on 15 plays in just under three minutes and tacking on a 26-yard Vinateri field goal to cut their deficit to 21-6 at the half, no one on New England's side really batted an eye, least of all thought that drive would spell the beginning of the end of the good times for the Pats.

Soon after the second half started everyone would realize that the way the game began was not the way it was going to end. The Colts received the opening kick and promptly embarked on a monstrous 14 play, 76-yard endeavor that chewed up the first 7:00 minutes of the 3rd quarter and culminated with a 1-yard TD run by Manning. The drive featured a long play of 12 yards and it was that Chinese water torture style of offense that started to eat a hole in the Patriots stoic defense. That score cut the deficit to a workable 21-13 and the Patriot fans started adjusting seating positions in an effort to squelch the queasy feeling growing in our bellies.

That feeling would grow to a full-fledged salmonella scare after a quick 3 & out by Brady & the offense. Then CBS put up a graphic showing that the Colts have run 29 of the last 30 plays spanning the halves and Solomon Wilcots (where did they dig this guy up from?) reports that the Patriot sideline is starting to resemble a scene from "Grey's Anatomy"- contusions, sprains, cramps, dehydration & a gale force of sucking wind.

As all of this is going on Manning goes right back to work on that beleaguered defense, orchestrating another 76-yard drive, this time aided by 2 costly New England penalties an, offsides on Richard Seymour on 3rd & 5 from the 27 that gave Indy a first down and a pass interference on Ellis Hobbs, who played the game of his life, for face guarding Harrison in the corner of the end zone that set up 1st & goal from the one.

This was the part that really stung the most for New England players, coaches, and fans: Dungy & the Colts used a play straight from the Hooded Genius' playbook to tie the game and swing the momentum fully over to Indy's side. Manning took the hand off and everyone thought the play was going to be a run up the middle. But Manning rolled out and threw to a wide open man on the left flat who cruised into the end zone for the touchdown that sent the whole;e state of Indiana into a frenzy and the Patriot Nation into a state of shock.

The player who waltzed in with the score that broke the Patriots' back? Defensive tackle and former Patriot Dan Klecko. Ouch.

Manning completed the 18-point comeback with a 2-point conversion to Harrison and the game was tied at 21, yet it felt like the Pats had already lost something. I think it was their impenetrable aura of playoff invincibility, but I'm not sure.

From here things just got worse, and that sickening feeling growing inside my stomach was turning into a full blown Norovirus. The Pats would tease us into thinking they were going to pull this one out somehow, just like they did in San Diego last week despite the odds being stacked against them, but it wouldn't last. The brief hope was provided courtesy of an 80-yard return on the ensuing kick by Hobbs which quickly gave New England the ball at the Indy 21. Five plays later, including a wide open drop in the end zone by Reche slippery fingers Caldwell, Brady hit the other Gator Jabbar Gaffney on the back end line for a great grab as he was shoved out of bounds. After further review the call stood and New England briefly regained their composure & swagger, holding a tentative 28-21 lead entering the final quarter.

It was that final quarter that will go down as this team's Waterloo, the 15 minutes that deconstructed the Patriot myth and exposed the Team of the Decade to be the second best team on the field this night. Of course after the go-ahead score Manning immediately marched his troops down the field, slicing and dicing the exhausted Pats D for another 67 yards in a mere 3 minutes and tying the game on what would prove to be the most unbelievable of all the crazy touchdowns scored on the day.

Rhodes took the hand off from the 2 and barrelled forward towards the goal line but had the ball knocked out of his grip by a ballistic Patriot helmet. The ball dropped down and was recovered by center Jeff Saturday for another touchdown by a lineman, the third of the game, and it was like an "anything you can do we can do better" type of score. This mad dash to the finish line was knotted at 28 and it definitely looked like whoever had the ball last would have the chance to win this game.

Things looked good for New England when a 15-yard return coupled with a face mask penalty on Indy gave the Pats the ball at the Colts 43 but a costly penalty, an illegal shift on Gaffney, and another wide-open drop by Caldwell forced them to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Stephen Adam who? Gostowski. The damage was done though as the Pats could have had an easy touchdown; Caldwell lined up with no one opposite him, but by the time Brady realized it Caldwell was so anxious to get the score and atone for his earlier drop that the ball clanged off his hands and fell harmlessly to the turf.

Did the Pats chances of winning this game fall with it?

It would appear that way because on the next series Manning had his playoff coming out play, a play that said "we're not gonna take it" anymore and began lifting the ginourmous monkey off his back. On first down from his own 23 Manning hit Dallas Clark at midfield who zigged & zagged his way to the Pats 25 for a back-breaking 52-yard reception that stunned the Pats defense and elated the Colts sideline. Although Indy had to settle for a 36-yard Vinateri field goal that knotted the game at 31 the damage to the Pats psyche was done:

the Patriot defense absolutely could not stop the Colts offense in the second half.

Another terrific return by Hobbs, who had 220 yards worth of returns on the evening, gave New England great field position again, but again they had to settle for 3 points instead of 7 despite a 25-yard completion to Daniel Graham that put the ball on the Colts 29.

So it was 34-31 New England and after the teams traded punts the Colts took over with 2:17 to go from their own 20.

What followed will forever be known as Indy's version of The Drive in the annals of Indianapolis sports folklore, as small as those annals are.

Once again RainManning moved the team down the field, splicing a devastating 32-yard pass to Bryan Fletcher, who was being "covered" by 2nd year linebacker Eric Alexander, around two other completions, two Joseph Addai runs and a highly questionable roughing the passer call on Tully Banta-Cain to get the Colts to 3rd & 2 from the 3. When Addai took the hand off, put his head down and ran through a gaping hole for the score to make it 37-34 with exactly one minute left the Colts had their first lead of this see-saw battle and had unquestionably lifted that gigantic gorilla off their backs.

The only question was would Tom Brady be able to place that hairy beast right back on Peyton's shoulders?

Fifty four seconds and 79 yards was all that stood in the way of another miraculous win or the monkey being lifted off Manning's shoulders for good. After a 19-yard completion from Brady to Ben Watson and a 15-yarder to Heath Evans got the ball to the Indy 40 everyone in the country was sitting on the edge of their seats just waiting to see how Tom Terrific was going to do it again. Everybody except Peyton, that is. The CBS cameras showed Manning on the sideline with his head in his hands, unable to watch the life get sucked out of his team by Mr. America yet again.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the inevitable; Brady's next pass was picked off by the (now) immortal marlin Jackson and the Colts were on their way to the Super Bowl at the expense of the shell shocked New England Patriots.

The greatest comeback in Championship game history was complete as well as New England owning the dubious distinction of being the highest-scoring losing team in team in Championship game history as well. Wow. Talk about a double-dip of a devastating defeat.

The monkey has been put to the side for Manning, Dungy and the rest of the underachieving Colts team. It's on to the Super Bowl to face another primate-saddles squad, the Chicago Bears.
The Colts finally succeeded in displacing their arch rival on the field in a meaningful game, and the off-season of wondering what could have been and whimpering begins today for New England and its fans.

It's too early to tell if this is a "Chicago Bulls overcoming the Detroit Pistons" moment or a "Sox beating the Yanks in the ALCS" moment for the Colts yet. Meaning the 1990 Pistons went on to win two titles and become a dominant team for years after finally getting over the hump that was the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. But the 2004 Red Sox team that dispatched the Stanks in the biggest series comeback in sports history fell to a miserable 3rd place just two years later and have to spend lavishly just to keep pace with the Evil Empire. Is this win just a one-year blip for the Colts & pats, or has the tide really turned in favor of the perennial postseason losers?

It's hard to say but many of Patriot Nation's worst fears were realized last night on the FieldTurf at the RCA Dome:

-Peyton Manning can indeed win the big one. He has just beaten the two toughest defensive teams in the AFC in successive weeks, one in a tough-as-nails grinder on the road (12-6 @ B-More) and another a come-from-behind shootout against his personal Goliath at home to reach that elusive Super Bowl.

-The Colts can no longer be considered Regular Season Wonders.

One of my favorite nicknames I've hung on a team or a player is now wiped off my list. After yesterday's victory, coupled with playoff wins over the Chiefs and Ravens, even if the Colts go on to lose the Bowl this run has eliminated them as Regular Season Wonders forevermore (unless they go 14-2 next season & lose in the first round. Fingers crossed.)

-Tom Brady is human
Despite supermodel & actress girlfriends, 3 Super Bowls & 2 SB MVPs, a Hall of Fame career and the love and adoration of millions of fans worldwide we found out at the end of the game last night that there is a mere mortal man behind the Wizard's curtain. When Tommy Boy took the ball with less than a minute left and 80 yards to go for the win everybody and their brother just knew he would guide the team down the field and lead his troops to yet another postseason comeback victory. You know the rest.

He didn't and a little chip was taken out of the Brady Mystique that let us all realize he is human after all.

That's all I can muster right now. I'm heading back to my dark bedroom to look up at the ceiling for a few hours and think of all the witty comebacks I'm going to have to throw back at gloating Patriot haters for the next year.

As Dan Shaughnessey so perfectly put it in today's Globe, "Red Sox pitchers & catchers report on February 18th."

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Colts come back from largest deficit in Championship game history

"mumble mumble muble... C*&KS*&KINGMOTHERFU*KERMANNINGGOTOHELL...whywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!!?

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Super Bowl XLI: Chicago vs. Indianapolis

a.k.a. another Super Bowl I won't need to watch

I'm in too much pain to do a regular post after the Colts just got through exorcising years of demons by knocking off the mighty Patriots, their personal nemesis, and advance to the Super Bowl.

Two weeks of hearing "Peyton Manning is going to the Super Bowl" and Rex Grossman will be there with him?!

I think I'll just go lock myself in a dark room and have a good scream.

I'll get back to you later when I'm more coherent.

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Pats will face Chargers in Battle of the Year: Eagles win too

AFC Wild Card Game

New England 37, New York Jets 16

When the dust settled and the sun was starting to go down over the Giant Razor Blade the two coaches, mentor & student, came together at midfield for a brief, awkward, menbrace.

Then Belichick turned away and muttered from under his grey hood "how'd that taste you pudgy little Benedict Arnold cocksucker?!"

Or maybe it didn't happen exactly that way. But if I were writing the screenplay for the Patriots 37-16 drubbing of Eric Mangini's New York Jets this afternoon in Foxborough, that's how I would end it.

The Hooded Genius had groomed Mangini to be in the position he is in, the youngest head coach in the league, ever since Bill was the head man in Cleveland and Mangini was one of his assistants. But the fact that Eric bolted so soon, after the departures of Charlie Weiss & Romeo Crennell, left a bitter taste in Belichick's mouth.

Things got testy when Bill wouldn't even mention Mangini by name in the week leading up to their last game in Week 10; New England losing that game at home, 17-14, led to the infamous cold shoulder at midfield between the two former friends and fueled the stories of animosity, jealousy and pettiness, mostly on Belichick's part.

Ah but there's nothing like a sound playoff ass-kicking to stoke the flames of friendship and cause a crusty genius coach to slap helmets, run up & down the sideline looking for someone to hug, and grin ear to ear more in one day than he had in the last 45 years combined.

What did the Patriots do to make a sourpuss like Belichick grin like a Chesire cat? They befuddled the same Jets defense that had manhandled the Patriots in that November loss, harassing Tom Terrific with a variety of blitzes and hits.

Coming out on the first drive running a no-huddle offense New England marched 65 yards in 10 plays capped by an 11-yard touchdown by Corey Dillon. (side note: a couple of weeks ago I was watching the Pats/Titans game at the local sports bar when I got into a "discussion" about Dillon & Travis Henry, Tennessee's back. The Titans fan sitting next to me started to get bitchy-wonder why- when I said the Titans needed another back to help Henry or they'd never make it in the playoffs, someone like Dillon. This yahoo went on to tell me that Dillon sucks, he's washed up, that Henry is a 1,000+ yard back and he is good enough to get them to the Super Bowl, they have LenDale Fatburger White, yadda yadda yadda... I said Dillon is the best short yardage back in the game right now. This touchdown reaffirmed that. Just thought I'd bring it up.)

After a Jets field goal New York took a 10-7 lead thanks to a 77-yard touchdown pass from Chad Pennington to Jerricho Pats Killer Cotchery; in 3 games this year against the Pats the former NC State standout had 16 catches for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns.

But the Pats got back on track thanks to Brady (22-34, 212 yards, 2 TDs) and his superior mastery of the New England offense. Tommy Boy led the Pats on two long scoring drives, the first culminating in a Stephen Adam Who? Gostokowski field goal and the second with a 1-yard TD from Brady to Daniel Graham to make it 17-10 New England at the half.

It's playoff time, where Tommy Boy is a terrific 11-1 in his career

New York would mount an impressive drive to open the third quarter- 10 plays, 73 yards in nearly 7:00- but after that it was all New England. Gostokowski added two more field goals in the quarter, the second one coming as the direct result of a wacky mistake by the Jets. Pennington lateraled the ball back to his running back, but Rosie Colvin put his arms up and nearly picked it off. Although the ball would drop harmlessly to the ground, Vince Wilfork jumped on the ball and started to run. With the Patriots' coaches urging him to run the mountainous tackle rumbled 35 yards to the New York 15. No one else, Pennington included, seemed to realize that a backwards pass that is dropped IS A FUMBLE, except the alert Wilfork, who had a monster game after missing 3 straight.

Now leading 23-13 the only thing left to do in the final quarter was put the icing on the cake. Which they did when Brady directed a 13-play, 63 yard drive that ended with an example of why Brady is the perfect conductor for Belichick's genius schemes. On 3rd & goal from the 7 Brady lined up in an empty backfield, read the defense, and called Kevin Faulk back to him as if to block or run the ball. But after the snap Faulk broke into the flat untouched and Brady hit him with a perfect tender pass for the score, putting a beautiful capper on a beautiful fall-like New England day.

Assante Samuel would add the cherry on top when he returned a Pennington interception 36 yards for a touchdown, his 11th of the season ("under-rated") with 5:00 left for the final margin, and then it was manshake time between the Hooded Genius and the Man-genius.

These two former friends will warm up to each other eventually and perhaps even go out to dinner with each other and Romeo & Weiss, like Tony Dungy, Herm Edwards and Lovie Smith did last Friday night before the Colts/Chiefs game.

As long as the mentor keeps beating the pupil in the playoffs, that is.

Up next: The Pats will travel to San Diego to take on the 14-2 Chargers in a revenge match of sorts. San Diego handed the Pats their worst loss in many years last season, 41-17 in Foxborough. The game will be at 4:30 on Sunday. Full preview coming soon. I'm too spent to write any more.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the other game...

Giants gag again as Eagles keep soaring (ugh- that's all I can come up with)

Philly 23-20

Tiki Barber went out with a whimper as the joyless Giants dropped their 7th game in their last 9 and in the process most likely got coach Tom Coughlin fired.

The Eagles will next play at New Orleans next Saturday at 8:00 as Jeff Garcia and his magic beans will try to pull off another miraculous win. Since entering the starting lineup Garcia is 6-1, but much of that success has to do with the reemergence of Brian Westbrook. Westbrook had 141 yards rushing and has helped Garcia lead an efficient and effective offense on this streak.

That's all I got. More tomorrow, plus a preview of the BCS Championship Game (yes-it's finally here!)

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