Heartwarming

As Europe is being ravaged by a rather significant series of global warming events, it is in the Spirit of the Season we share this with our friends and fans across The Pond.

The New England Patriots Cheerleaders

Wife of NFL Star Arrested for Attempted Lynching

Some women are very protective of their men, apparently. Take Tanya Seymour, wife of New England Patriot defensive end Richard Seymour. She finds out Richard may be cheating on her and what does she do? She tries to lynch the woman!

The wife of New England Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour was arrested Thursday on charges she participated in a group assault on two women early New Year’s Day, authorities said.

Tanya L. Seymour, 27, of Gadsden, is charged with two counts of second-degree lynching, Richland County sheriff’s deputies said.

Her husband is a Lower Richland graduate and three-time Super Bowl champion, who was a first-round pick out of Georgia in the 2001 NFL draft.

The victims told sheriff’s deputies they were invited to a party at a Fontana Drive home and were “assaulted and ‘jumped” about 12:30 a.m., after the women got into an argument with some people and were told to leave, according to a report.

Tanya Seymour participated in the “mob” and punched the women numerous times in the face and body, arrest affidavits say.

One victim suffered a “busted lip and contusions under her right eye and to her finger,” according to an affidavit. The other “sustained a bruise to her left arm, scratches to her face and a sprained right wrist,” according to another affidavit. That victim also had a sore scalp from one attacker pulling her hair, it says.

The victims left after the attack, the incident report says.

Both identified Seymour from a photo lineup as one of at least three involved in the attack, according to affidavits.

Mugshots here.

Heartbreak: Cowboys, Patriots Miss Playoffs

This photo was from last year after the devastating loss to the Giants, but we can only imagine what the reaction from this maniac will be on the heels of the humiliating ass-kicking administered by the Eagles today.

Meanwhile, New England is out despite an 11-5 record as the Miami Dolphins have clinched the AFC East with a win over the Jets.

Minnesota earlier clinched the NFC North with a 20-19 victory over the Giants, who substituted liberally in the second half today and nearly won. The Panthers, meanwhile, also used a late field goal to win the NFC South.

So the wildcard games next weekend will be Philadelphia at Minnesota and Atlanta at Arizona in the NFC with Baltimore at Miami and Indianapolis at the winner of tonight's Denver-San Diego game.

Oh, and while it's not quite as funny as the Cowboys getting destroyed, the sad sack Detroit Lions reached perfection today as the first team to ever go 0-16.

NFL Week 11: Jets at Patriots

Since we overlooked last Thursday's Denver-Cleveland game, we had only 13 selections and went 5-8in Week 10 to stand at 68-72-7 for the year. We'll have the balance of Week 11 later in the week.

The Jets are in New England with first place in the AFC East on the line. They've lost 11 of 12 to the Patriots, but things couldn't be more different now in this heated rivalry. The Patriots have been devastated by key injuries and the Jets are now on a roll, with a big win in Buffalo two weeks ago and a thrashing of the Rams last Sunday. Matt Cassel has been efficient running the New England offense, but now there's no Lawrence Maroney, so look for the Jets to stifle the run. With it raining tonight, looks for the Jets to try and grind it out with Thomas Jones and mix in some Leon Washington. Brett Favre cannot be reckless and serve up any carless interceptions in a game expected to be played close tot the vest. The Jets are getting only three points, so basically this is an even line. This is a monumental game for the Jets. After all the offseason spending, after getting Brett Favre, this is what they've been aiming for: knocking off once mighty New England and taking control of the AFC East. And they will do it: Jets 20-17

Disaster for Patriots: Brady Reportedly Done for the Season

Meet Matt Cassel, starting quarterback for the New England Patriots.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected to miss the rest of the 2008 season with a severe injury to his left knee, according to two sources cited by Yahoo! Sports.

Brady left Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium after being hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard in the first quarter. Matt Cassel replaced Brady, and the Patriots went on to win the game, 17-10.
...
"It's bad," a team source told the website. "We're going to have to play without him."

The Patriots can still be competitive, but this is a huge blow for a team already rattle by losing the Super Bowl last season. No question there are doubts about Cassel, who's never started an NFL or college game.

Suddenly the AFC East looks wide open with the Jets and Bills suddenly in the mix for a division title. And my decision to pick the Patriots to not go to the Super Bowl looks like a good move.

I wonder if Vinny Testaverde has gotten a call yet tonight?

Update: Hmmm. Daunte Culpepper a possibility?

Maybe They Can Patent the Word 'Losers'

What part of you lost do they not understand?

Well, you can't say the Super Bowl-losing New England Patriots are letting a little thing like the truth get in the way of hustling a quick buck.

The NFL team continues to chase a patently false trademark designation on the you're-so-dreaming phrases "19-0" and "19-0 The Perfect Season," according to documents.

As sports fans recall, the Pats suffered a crushing loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII - ending their season with an anything-but-perfect 18-1 record.

But in documents displayed on thesmokinggun.com, Beantown lawyer David Johanson amended the Pats' original US Patent and Trademark Office filings on April 11 - to correct a misspelling.

Seems the team wants to peddle toy banks - not toy "bans" - with the inflated perfecto logo.

Judging by the application, every item under the sun would have had the logo slapped on it.

Give it up.

Patriots Did It for the Children

Take heart, Patriots fans, there's still someone out there who will wear your gear.

Of course, these little urchins don't know any better.

Tom Brady, here's your alternate universe.

The "championship" shirts and hats that the New England Patriots players were set to wear had they won the Super Bowl wound up yesterday on the backs of the poor children of Nicaragua.

In just minutes, one Pacific coast town was transformed into the last bastion of Pats pride south of Foxboro.

The Pats gear had been on the scene in Arizona on Super Bowl Sunday, ready to be donned by the New Englanders if they had a chance to enjoy a locker-room celebration of a 19-0 season.

But, thanks to quarterback Eli Manning and his New York Giants, the Patriot's undefeated season was not to be - and the boxes of championship shirts were never unpacked.

Instead, the T's - with "19-0" printed on them - were placed on pallets hours after the game and donated by the NFL to the World Vision charity. Yesterday, the group unloaded its first shipment.

It's a shame they won't get to read that fairytale book 19-0.

The gear is part of a sad, dreamed-up fantasyland that included the team trying to trademark the term "19-0," and "19-0: The Perfect Season" - three weeks before the Super Bowl was played.

Pats supporters tempted the jinx gods even further when staffers from the New York Times-owned Boston Globe authored a snoozer of a book, "19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots."

Meanwhile, father of the year Brady is idling away in Costa Rica while recovering from the beatdown administered by the Giants.

Giants Among Men

Let's hear it for the New York Giants.

Who said he couldn't play?

Plaxico Burress smokes Ellis Hobbs for the winning touchdown

He may be going to Disneyworld

I feel like a little kid today

Take my picture, please

Poor Tommy. At least you still have Giselle. For now.

Yes, it's true

OK, you can retire now

David Tyree makes the biggest catch of his life

Little Tommy takes a beating

How's that MVP trophy now?

I hope you have it on video

Photos via nj.com and the New York Post.

Some video:

New Taping Allegations Against Patriots, Fans Freak Out

It's one thing to report the story that the New England Patriots may have taped the walkthrough practice of the St Louis Rams prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.

It's another for a Boston paper to do it.

And naturally, the folks there are none too happy that that the Good Ship Belichick appears to be taking on water.

Just get a look at some of the reactions on the Boston Herald's website.

Jared Maler
Tomase, I hope you go into cardiac arrest.

Feb 3, 2008 12:32 AM EST

Hey, what is this, the Huffington Post?

Jared wasn't finished.

Jared Maler

I will never buy another Boston Herald because of the sensationalism your reporters seem to bring to the fore front of news. Tomase is a big fat unathletic slob who somehow got a gig writing in a tabliod. In truth, he's a slob who never had any athletic talent and now he wants to get back at those who do. Have another BigMac you fat slob.

Feb 3, 2008 12:42 AM EST

I suspect Jared won't be buying the Herald any longer.

This guy needs to learn some Netiquette. All those caps, dude. Tone it down.

Hey Fat tomato!Yeah you Tofatse! You have been bad mouthing the PATS since you got this gig.Whats with that you piece of S%$#? WHats all this crap about filming.Even if they did,(which they didnt) SO F&^%$NG WHAT?I could go to a game a sa spectator and film the same stuff. BIG frigin deal. We see it all on TV, I CAN TAPE THAT To. aS A MATTER OF FACT NEXT YEAR iM BRINGING A HIGH POWERED LENSE AND iM GOING TO FILM NOTHIN' BUT THE SIDELINES OF OPPOSING TEAMS. yOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?get a friggin life. You need to hit the sack with a woman for ONCE.

Feb 3, 2008 1:08 AM EST

So mature. Just imagine the reaction of these guys if New England were to lose tonight.

Here's another one wishing death upon the author. Apparently everyone in New Engalnd is in tip-top shape, thus they feel poking fun at the guy's weight make them feel better.

yarg

Wow has the Boston media sunk to an all new low. Mr.Tomase drops a bomb on us hours before the super bowl and hides. Until I see any credible evidence to back up this story, I’ll consider it useless. Another desperate attempt to draw attention to one shallow self. And if this “source” turns out to be true, videotaping was banned in 2006 you dumb ass. I hope you choke to death when you’re eating your next 80lbs of bacon you fat pig.

Feb 3, 2008 1:28 AM EST

Like some commenters, I think the Herald's site needs some improvements. Spellcheck, for starters.

DUNCAN LEARY

The problem with this rag of a newspaper goes deeper than thisone fat slob of a reporter.The editor that allowed this garbage to see the light of day should be fired.BS and inuendo does not constitute good journalism.The Herald is a joke and always has been...Thank god we have the GLOBE.MR Tomase needs to find an honest profession he obviosly dosnt have one now

Feb 3, 2008 7:57 AM EST

Are you getting the feeling Tomase isn't too popular right now?

Bill
Deny hearsay allegations, you must be kidding me. That’s all you have for a follow-up story! This entire episode of irresponsible reporting is a travesty to sports fans everywhere now that the national media is going with it. To try to ruin the Patriots once in lifetime achievements for no reason is unfathomable. All those involved in publishing this garbage should serve jail time starting with the editors of he Herald. And I am sure Tomase will be hiding for his life in Boston. The Herald is truly a rag for the ages.

Feb 3, 2008 9:01 AM EST

For what it's worth, Tomase better hope his source holds up.

The other day I noted Arlen Specter wanting to delve into Spygate and opined he was just seeking attention.

I'm beginning to wonder whether there are other shoes to drop.

Granted, this new story will probably just provide further motivation for the Patriots tonight, as if they needed any.

Super Bowl XLII

Having rolled through the NFL playoffs at 9-1 against the spread, we've now arrived at the ultimate game, the Super Bowl, and this could well be the most watched NFL game in history.

The New York Giants and New England Patriots drew a huge audience for their December 29 matchup at Giants Stadium, and with possible history in the making, this could well be the most anticipated NFL game ever.

These teams took wildly divergent roads getting to this point. New England was highly regarded entering the season after swiping both Randy Moss and Wes Welker for draft picks and took off from their first game. They stumbled a bit later in the season as some teams figured out ways to slow them down some, notably Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Still, they rolled through unbeaten and now stand as the first team to enter the Super Bowl at 18-0. They'll regard their season as a failure if they come up short here.

The Giants, meanwhile, staggered early, giving up 80 points as they went 0-2, then faced a 17-3 halftime hole in Week 3 at Washington. I honestly thought they were the worst team in the league at that juncture, but they rallied to go ahead and had a magnificent goal-line stand to win that game, which propelled them to a six-game win streak.

Unlike some previous Giants teams, they came together this year and became a force away from home, and now have won an NFL record 10 straight road games, including wins at Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay during their remarkable playoff run.

So we now have a team looking to cement its mark as the best ever against an underdog looking to pull off one of the greatest ever upsets, and if the Giants were to accomplish that, it would probably rank as the greatest sports moment in team and New York sports history.

Arguably, this is the most important game ever for either franchise.

Giants +12 Patriots: First of all, the trends here have been the Giants covering outright their last five games while the Patriots have failed to cover most of the latter half of the season, including both playoff games. OK, so some will argue they were no longer going full tilt and were never really in danger of losing, although they did face a 12-point hole midway in the third quarter of the Week 17 game.

In that game, the Giants attacked through the air from the first series, and Eli Manning had four touchdowns and has really blossomed since then. His one interception cost dearly, but he hasn't had a pick since. But I can't see the Giants wanting to get into another shootout, as the Patriots will be happy to score 40 any time.

So the Giants need to better establish the ground game and chew clock as they did in Green Bay. Brandon Jacobs struggled some against the Patriots in Week 17, but remember rookie flash Ahmad Bradshaw missed that game, and he's provided a different dimension to Jacobs with his quick breakaway ability. He can be a huge factor if given a little room, as the Patriots linebackers, while solid veterans, aren't exactly that fast. The Giants have rotated their two backs by quarter usually, but look for more Bradshaw early.

There's no question Bill Belichick will throw things at Manning he's not accustomed to, and you can be sure whichever corner plays Plaxico Burress, be it Ellis Hobbs or Asante Samuel, will be getting help shadowing the man who demolished Green Bay's Pro Bowl corner Al Harris in the NFC title game. So this should leave Amani Toomer and Steve Smith in single coverage, and both have come up huge in the playoffs. It would be nice also if we had a Sinorice Moss sighting and he actually made a play or two.

The Giants have also received superb special teams play of late (Domenik Hixon returned a punt against the Patriots in their last meeting) and now have a kicker who came up huge two weeks ago in Lawrence Tynes.

So I expect the Giants to be able to score in the mid-20s. Which brings us to the dilemma. How on earth do you keep New England to that or less?

New York's first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, now a sexy head coaching prospect, is a quick study. He's made second-half adjustments in all three playoff games, virtually shutting down the opponents, limiting Dallas to three second-half points and the Packers to a paltry 90 yards. They're playing shutdown run defense, leaving teams knowing they have to pass, and this has allowed the Giants front four to get plenty of pressure, forcing throws early, and getting key interceptions from R.W. McQuarters and Corey Webster, both of whom have emerged.

Now the Patriots from the outset will probably be going four and five wide often, so they'll need Webster or Sam Madison to be jamming Randy Moss at the line and hope they get enough safety help should Moss get by. Forget putting a linebacker on Welker. He's going to get his balls, but the safeties need to be on him as soon as he sees the ball. This still leaves Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney, not to mention tight end Ben Watson.

One other key on defense is they better find a way to stop Kevin Faulk on third and long situations, as he absolutely killed them the first time they met.

So the Patriots will get their points, but what needs to happen for the Giants to have a shot is hits on Brady via some clever line stunts and safety blitzes from Gibril Wilson and Aaron Ross. Expect Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan to get plenty of double-teams, which may free up rising third-year man Justin Tuck to cause problems.

If they can't touch Brady and the Patriots get a couple of quick scores early, it could be lights out.

I think they do get to him and force a key turnover or two. San Diego picked Brady off three times and he had one of his lousier performances in some time. Spagnuolo may well be able to disguise coverages well enough in nickel and dime packages, so don't be shocked to see Brady get picked off.

So as someone who believes in trends and history repeating itself, all you have to do, Giants fans, is harken back to January 1991. The Giants won a heart-stopping NFC Championship on a last-second field goal by Matt Bahr to stun the 49ers. It happened 17 years to the day of Tynes' kick, and both players, ironically, wore No. 9. They faced the reverse situation a week later against the Bills, and we all know what happened with Scott Norwood.

Which brings us to Patriots kicker Steven Gostkowski. He hasn't faced a pressure kick all year, and can he do it in the clutch?

Adam Vinatieri was money in three Super Bowl wins for New England.

They will now rue the day they let him walk. Giants 26-24.

UPDATE: This was originally posted Thursday night, but I'm bumping this to the top of the page until Saturday and will be adding predictions from other blogs and football prognosticators as they roll in.

So far we've got another Jersey guy, Lawhawk, also picking the Giants in a nailbiter.

Steveegg at the Wisconsin Sports Bar, while still disconsolate over the Packers, has a look at some betting possibilities.

Larwyn reminded me to mention the inspirational Army Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, who was previously noted here by Just a Grunt.

Self-Aggrandizing Blowhard Looking to Glom on to Super Bowl Hype

Super Bowl? I may play squash

I'm not sure whether this Senate fossil realized the whole Spygate brouhaha occurred during the second week of September.

It's time to, you know, move on, Arlen.

Thankfully, he says this doesn't rise to such grave levels as the destruction of CIA tapes, even though most people don't care about that, either.

With the Super Bowl fast approaching, a senior Republican senator says he wants the NFL to explain why it destroyed evidence of the New England Patriots cheating scandal.

"I am very concerned about the underlying facts on the taping, the reasons for the judgment on the limited penalties and, most of all, on the inexplicable destruction of the tapes," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in a Thursday letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the matter could put the league's antitrust exemption at risk.

"Their antitrust exemption has been on my mind for a long time," he said in a Capitol Hill news conference.

The matter may not compare to the CIA's destruction of interrogation tapes, Specter said, but he added, "I do believe that it is a matter of importance. It's not going to displace the stimulus package or the Iraq war, but I think the integrity of football is very important, and I think the National Football League has a special duty to the American people - and further the Congress - because they have an antitrust exemption."

Let's see if I can explain it for him.

You see, football is a very competitive sport, and any coach worth a nickel is trying to gain a competitive advantage over his opponent. This often involves trying to steal the other team's signals. You'd be incompetent not to.

Coaches don't have the luxury of sitting on their asses for a living and being elected in perpetuity unlike certain U.S. senators. It's a cutthroat business.

In a Jan. 31 letter to Specter which the senator released Friday, Goodell said the tapes and notes on the investigation were destroyed to ensure that the Patriots "would not secure any possible competitive advantage as a result of the misconduct."

Specter said the explanation "absolutely makes no sense at all," and blasted the commissioner for failing to respond to his inquiries on the matter for more than two months. Goodell said in his letter that he just became aware of Specter's questions Thursday.

The league has ruled New England did not gain an advantage in this incident, and still whacked Bill Belichick with a $500,000 fine and it cost the Patriots their first-round pick (shows you how blessed they are, they have San Francisco's pick, seventh overall this year).

So Arlen, go have a sandwich, a warm saucer of milk, and basically, STFU.

On top of this, the idiot claims he won't even be watching the Super Bowl.

"I may play squash while it's on," Specter said.

H/T Radical Ron.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

Aww, Tommy's Footsie Hurts

Gee, it would be such a shame if Tom Brady was hobbling around for Super Bowl XLII.

Tom Brady hasn't been brutally beaten down by the Giants yet - but at least the petal-pushing flower boy is limping.

The cocky quarterback for the undefeated New England Patriots was caught hobbling to the West Village home of his gal pal, Gisele Bundchen, yesterday - carrying a box of pretty little posies.

A day after the Pats' win over the San Diego Chargers propelled them to the Super Bowl against the Giants, Brady sported an orthopedic, open-foot brace on his right leg as he struggled with luggage and the box of white flowers.

Brady was later spotted wearing the boot and hobbling out of the East Village nightspot Butter, with Gisele, early this morning.

Take good care of him, Giselle.

The Giants don't want to hear any excuses after the game.

NFL Championship Games (Updated and Bumped) Giants, Patriots Win

New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes (9) celebrates with teammates after kicking a field goal in overtime during the NFC Championship football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, in Green Bay, Wis. The Giants won 23-20 and advance to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Giants' Michael Strahan is at right. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

UPDATE 10:55: New England wins by nine and the Giants stun Green Bay 23-20 in overtime.

Boy, did I ever get that hunch about Lawrence Tynes right.

**********************************

We've roared through the playoffs with a 7-1 mark against the spread thus far, the only blemish being Seattle getting buried in the snow last Saturday.

Today we have both games in cold weather sites with prohibitive favorites in New England and Green Bay, but like the underdogs getting the points in both games.

Chargers +14 PATRIOTS: After last year's playoff debacle against the Patriots in San Diego, the Chargers have undergone a coaching change, a slow start this season, and now key injuries heading into the title game. The Patriots, meanwhile, have lost once, this time last year at Indianapolis. I like San Diego getting two touchdowns here since I expect a heavy does of LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner, and keep an eye out for the diminutive Darren Sproles. The Patriots haven't been covering much the past couple of months, but still have way too much firepower for the depleted Bolts. San Diego will stick around into the third quarter, but Tom Brady Company have come too far to screw this up at home. Patriots 30-20

Giants +7.5 PACKERS: At the start of the 2007 season, these are two teams nobody thought would be playing for a shot at the Super Bowl. The Giants are on one of those rolls now for the past four games where they're finding ways to move the ball and Eli Manning has minimized his errors. Granted, Brett Favre has been magic in the cold throughout his career, but keep in mind his supporting cast is very young and hasn't faced a huge moment like this while the Giants have basically been in playoff mode for two months now. There's a reason they're 9-1 on the road and that's mental toughness. A couple of mistakes doesn't lead them to pack it in. Will Green Bay be able to overcome a couple of turnovers again this week? One name that's been rarely mentioned for the Giants this year is Lawrence Tynes, the placekicker; he's yet to be put in a pressure spot to win a game. Tonight, he could well be the man to send New York to the Super Bowl. Giants 20-17

NFL Divisional Playoffs

The best weekend of the football year is upon us, as the top teams are all in action and we have four pretty good matchups.

We got off to a 4-0 start against the spread on our playoff picks last weekend, continuing a hot hand from the 2007 playoffs, when we went 9-2.

Let's hope the magic continues.

You have an extra bonus this weekend as none of the games are on NBC, so you don't have to go out of your way to avoid the odious Keith Olbermann.

SATURDAY
Seahawks +8 PACKERS: Seattle has been pretty good on the road during the playoffs in recent years, keeping games close against Green Bay and Chicago, so I expect that trend to continue. Seahawks capitalized on Washington turnovers last week and good pass rush should force Brett Favre into a couple of mistakes. At the same time, Seattle's run game has been limited, so Matt Hasselbeck will be forced to throw plenty. Packers should be able to run with Ryan Grant. Spread's a bit high here, but home advantage means Packers get the slight edge. Packers 30-27

Jaguars +13.5 PATRIOTS: Jacksonville was fortunate to escape Pittsburgh last week after blowing 18-point lead. No shot they get that far ahead of the Patriots, who've had two weeks to rest and devise a scheme to slow down vaunted Jags running game. Weather will be in the high 30's at game time, so that's no factor. What is a factor is New England is 16-0 for a reason, and that's Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the aerial circus. Jags stick around for a while, but this should never be in doubt. Patriots 33-21

SUNDAY
Chargers +9 COLTS: Everyone expects Peyton Manning and the Colts to run roughshod over a Charger team that looked a bit shaky last week. But San Diego did beat them this season and has had past success in the RCA Dome. Manning threw six INT's in their November meeting, and while that won't happen again, Chargers should be able to force a couple of mistakes. How well Indy contains LaDainian Tomlinson is key, as Chargers have lost Antonio Gates, so don't expect much from Philip Rivers. Colts sweat one out. Colts 26-24

Giants +7.5 COWBOYS: A couple of fun facts at play here. Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since Barry Switzer led them to victory in Super Bowl XXX and Wade Phillips has never won a playoff game. When last seen in the playoffs, his Buffalo team was bamboozled by the Music City Miracle in Nashville. So what you've got here is a New York team playing with house money and supreme confidence, getting contributions from an assortment of rookies and free agents, and a quarterback in Eli Manning who came of age last week in Tampa. Terrell Owens will play, but should be limited, Tony Romo is under the microscope in Dallas and while the Giants defense may not sack him much, they should be able to contain him and force enough pressure that may result in a couple of turnovers. Giants will be able to stretch the field in the passing game and the 1-2 punch of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw could yield a big day on the ground. Our only upset of the week. Giants 28-24

Blockbuster Ratings for Giants-Patriots

As expected, Saturday night's Patriots-Giants game racked up huge ratings, with the game coming in as the most watched regular season NFL game since 1995.

The historic New England Patriots-New York Giants game pushed past this year's Patriots-Indianapolis Colts thriller to become the most-watched regular-season NFL telecast since 1995.

At least 34.5 million people tuned in to various outlets, including both CBS and NBC, to watch the Pats earn a place in NFL history Saturday by completing a perfect 16-0 regular season with a 38-35 victory over the Giants, according to preliminary estimates released Sunday by Nielsen Media Research.

That tops everything since the Thanksgiving 1995 Kansas City Chiefs-Dallas Cowboys game that averaged 35.7 million viewers. It also was ahead of CBS' 33.8 million viewers for the November 4 Patriots-Colts game.

Saturday's game was the first time since Super Bowl I in the mid-1960s that an NFL game was simulcast on more than one network. It also was available on three channels in New York (the local CBS and NBC outlets as well as Fox-owned indie WWOR) and all three of the Big Three in Boston (CBS, NBC and ABC).

CBS averaged 15.7 million viewers, which was the largest share of any of the networks simulcasting the game. NBC averaged about 13.1 million viewers, with 4.5 million viewers for the NFL Network nationwide and the rest spread across the three over-the-air channels in the New York and Boston markets (WWOR, Boston's WCVB and New Hampshire's WMUR).

NFL Week 17

The final week of the regular season is upon us and the primary hype in the league this week is tonight's Patriots-Giants game, which will be shown on the NFL Network, CBS and NBC. Here in the New York market it's also being shown on Channel 9.

That's what you call saturation coverage. Unfortunately, Bryant Gumbel is calling the game. Life has its tradeoffs, I guess.

New England is aiming for a perfect regular season, while the Giants have locked up the No. 5 spot in the NFC and will visit Tampa Bay next weekend. Hordes of Patriot fans have been snapping up tickets through StubHub and eBay, so it should be a raucous setting tonight.

New England fans will be more ornery once they find out they're parking in satellite lots where you can't tailgate on this lovely day. During construction at the Meadowlands, parking is limited to passholders. That should be amusing.

We've stumbled along under .500 all year, but have made up some ground with a 12-4 mark in Week 15 and a 10-6 tally last week, leaving the 2007 season mark at 107-122-10.

Is it possible to run the table and finish over .500?

Probably not. Let's find out.

SATURDAY NIGHT
GIANTS +13.5 Patriots: Giants have convinced themselves all the pressure is on the Patriots, and that may be true. But they better show up early. If they fall behind by 14 like they did last week in Buffalo, it'll be lights out and the last three quarters will be viewed from the bench. I think the Giants defense will be fired up and should be able to keep it close. In the end though, Patriots just have too much firepower for the Giants offense to keep up with. Patriots 31-20

SUNDAY
Bills +7.5 EAGLES: Is this Donovan McNabb's last game with the Eagles? I said a long time ago he'd be the Bears starter in 2008. If anything, his play the past couple of weeks shows he's still got a little game left. Eagles 20-17

BUCCANEERS +3 Panthers: One of the absurd spreads this week, based on the theory teams will sit starters wholesale. Some indeed may. But still, Tampa needs to stay fresh going into the playoffs. Buccaneers 21-17

DOLPHINS +3 Bengals: Big Tuna is watching and a lot of jobs are on the line. Dolphins 20-17

PACKERS -4 Lions: After being smoked in Chicago last week, Packers want to iron out some kinks before the two-week layoff. Packers 31-10

JAGUARS +6.5 Texans: Another absurd spread. Jags playing to get to 12-4 and I doubt Jack Del Rio wants to screw up the huge momentum they have heading into next week's wildcard game, likely at Pittsburgh. Jaguars 20-17

Saints -2 BEARS: Over to 3 wood: "The Bears have the 25th rated offense and the 28th rated defense. The Saints have the 5th rated offense and the 29th defense. So both defenses are equally bad, but New Orleans has a much better offense than the Bears. The weather Sunday in Chicago is supposed to be 35 degrees and cloudy, not so bad. The Bears have absolutely nothing to play for and have IR'd a lot of their players to protect them. Therefore, I take the Saints in a close one. And so it is. Saints 27-24

FALCONS -1 Seahawks: I'm going with the weird spread on this one. Seattle has to fly cross-country twice with a playoff game next week. Maximum rest for these guys. Falcons 16-13

BROWNS -10 49ers: Browns will take frustration out on Niners. They will then pray the Colts show up. Browns 37-13

JETS -6.5 Chiefs: Second-most important game of the weekend at the Meadowlands. A distant second. Jets 24-13

Cowboys +9 REDSKINS: Do the Cowboys want to just roll over and let a hated rival into the playoffs? I don't think so. Still, Washington is on a roll. Redskins 23-20

Steelers -8.5 RAVENS: A poll was released this week that said Rosie O'Donnell is the most annoying celebrity in America. Brian Billick was voted most annoying coach. From 13-3 to 4-12. Great job! Steelers in the mix for the No. 3 seed and would like to avoid Jacksonville. Steelers 27-7

BRONCOS +3 Vikings: Vikings will be looking at the scoreboard. If the Skins are winning handily, they may fold quickly. Last week's loss was a killer. Broncos 27-20

Chargers -8.5 RAIDERS: Pittsburgh can waive goodbye to the No. 3 seed. Chargers 31-10

CARDINALS -6 Rams: Just watch, everyone will again have the Cardinals as a sexy playoff pick again next year. Same old. Cardinals 41-17

SUNDAY NIGHT
COLTS +6 Titans: I have to think the Colts want to avoid the fiasco two years ago where they rested for a month and then got rocked in their first playoff game. That, and why let a heated division rival win a playoff spot in your building? Colts 24-20


UPDATE: We went 7-8-1 for Week 17 making the final record for 2007 114-130-12.

I erred above in the season record and had left off a tie.

NBC, CBS to Simulcast Patriots-Giants

In an unprecedented move, the NFL Network will now allow both CBS and NBC to simulcast the much anticipated New England Patriots at New York Giants game Saturday night, as the Patriots look to go to 16-0 for the season.

The Patriots-Giants game, which was to be broadcast Saturday night to less than half the country by the NFL Network, will be available to the entire nation under an agreement reached Wednesday by NBC and CBS to simulcast it.

The 15-0 Patriots are attempting to become the first National Football League team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go undefeated throughout the entire regular season. Miami went on to win the Super Bowl and finish 17-0 that season.

NBC and CBS will show the NFL Network’s production of the game, with the announcers Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth, and will not pay an extra rights fee. They will each get to sell 18 30-second commercial units.

Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, said yesterday by telephone that in a conversation in October with Steve Bornstein, the chief executive of the NFL Network, that he would be amenable to a simulcast, and would share it with another broadcast network, if the Patriots’ momentum toward an undefeated season continued. Then, on Monday morning, Bornstein called to ask him if his idea was still viable for NBC.

“As early as last week, I didn’t think it would happen, but then Steve called and I ran it past Jeff, and he said, ‘yes,’ ” said Ebersol, referring to Jeff Zucker, the president of NBC Universal. He added, “I’m intrigued by the historic nature of two over-the-air networks carrying the game. It’ll be fun and will give the NFL Network a chance to exhibit their wares.”

Joe Browne, a spokesman for the league, said: “The two networks independently expressed an interest in carrying the game. They saw the problems we were having with a few of the big cable companies, and so we went back to them earlier this week, and said, ‘What if you both simulcast the NFL Network?’”

What a shame the Giants will have to ruin the party for everyone.

Wait, did I just say that?

Just kidding. They have nothing to play for after locking up the NFC's No. 5 seed and a date with Tampa Bay next week.

Belichick Kicks Them While They're Down

There's a difference between beating people and going out of your way to kick them when they are down. The Colts are beating people. The Patriots are kicking them when they are down. John Clayton of ESPN has an excellent article on Bill Belichick's low class act:

Running it up: Belichick, Pats take no prisoners

On Sunday, Belichick kicked a Hall of Fame coach while he was down, running up the score on Joe Gibbs' Redskins to 52-7. This comes a week after Belichick reinserted quarterback Tom Brady midway through the fourth quarter of a 49-28 win over the Dolphins.

What seemed cute three weeks when Brady threw an unnecessary last-minute touchdown pass to Kyle Eckel while whipping the Cowboys 48-27 has turned ugly.

So why is Belichick running it up on people?

He wore the black hoodie in the Week 1 spy incident and accepted his punishment. Now, he's making the league pay with blowouts

So Belichick is PO'd that he got caught cheating, and is taking it out on the league. Yesterday, he brought new meaning to low class:

That's why he …

• … kept Brady on the field for an 88-yard drive six minutes into the fourth quarter despite already leading 38-0. On that 14-play drive, the Patriots went for a fourth-and-1 at the Redskins' 7 and ordered a 35-yard bomb to Randy Moss.

• … went for a fourth-and-2 at the Redskins' 37 on the next possession while leading 45-0. Backup QB Matt Cassel hit Jabar Gaffney with a 21-yard pass. Two plays later, Cassel scrambled for a 15-yard touchdown run to open a 52-0 lead.

Asked why he would go for two fourth downs in a blowout, Belichick responded, "What do you want us to do, kick a field goal?"

What you don't do Bill, is get 40 points up on an injured and undermanned team and still have your All-pro QB throwing bombs, doing QB sneaks on 4th down to get 1st downs, faking spiking the ball and throwing into the endzone, blitzing the other team late in the game, and needlessly pounding the team into the ground.

I'm not knocking the players, they are doing what they are told on the field. But Belichick knew the 'Skins had only three healthy corners going into the game, one got hurt early, and he still went out of his way to pound on them.

Still, there's no doubt what he's really doing. Redskins veterans Phillip Daniels and Marcus Washington, who have 18 years combined NFL experience, both said they had never seen a team run up the score the way the Patriots are doing.

Face it, folks, Belichick plans to lay waste to the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell took away a first-rounder, so the Patriots will take away your firstborn. Belichick has assembled perhaps the most dominating team in NFL history, and he's intent on destroying all opponents in his path.

This is just plain stupidity by Belichick. He is needlessly risking injury to his better players just to stick it to the league. And remember, what goes around comes around.

Other teams are noticing how the Patriots kick people when they're down, and it does not sit well with them. One of these Sundays, injuries will catch up to the Pats, the ball will bounce the other way, and they will get down in a game. And when that happens, watch for some big time payback. And I don't want to hear a word from Belichick when it happens.

This will not end well for Patriots fans.