Pats Against The World; Football Picks

I mentioned the Patriots briefly on Tuesday but I saved my thoughts from their triumph over the Colts for this space because I wanted a few days to settle down and gather my thoughts. The Pats 24-20 victory over the Colts was the first time in the history of sports that a team got screwed by the officials and still won the game. And it wasn't like the officiating was quietly favoring the Colts -- they received the benefit of every crucial call during the game. Bill Simmons breaks it all down in his column today so I won't waste words here but it was a horrible display by the zebras. The pass interference calls against Ellis Hobbs, Asante Samuel and Randy Moss were all no questions asked, without a doubt, absolute wrong calls. It really did look like the NFL, Roger Goodell (commissioner), Mike Pereira (head of the officials), Bill Polian (don shula version 2.007 -- yes, shula's name is purposely in lowercase) and the entire Colts team was involved in a plot to keep the Patriots down. In the end we haven't heard anything on the subject from Belichick and the Patriots -- what a surprise -- and even the local media hasn't hit too hard on this issue. The reason for that is simple: THE PATRIOTS WON THE GAME!!! People can talk all they want about video tape and cheating and can do what they must to try and have the game be changed but nothing can stop this team. No amount of bad calls can keep Peyton "When Do I Shoot My Next Commercial" Manning from fumbling on his last two possessions. Nothing can keep Randy Moss from making a one-handed catch going across the middle. Nothing can stop the Patriots from being the Patriots. This team will run the table. This team is destined to finish 19-0. Will there be any talk of tainted Super Bowls and rumors of cheating when they trounce the Cowboys, 52-21? Of course there will be. And you know what will happen then? Nothing. Winning will be the greatest answer this team can produce and they produce louder than any team in NFL history. As for the picks... NCAA Indiana (-2.5) over NORTHWESTERN (Play 13!!!) TENNESSEE (-1) over Arkansas NOTRE DAME (+4) over Air Force Auburn (+2) over GEORGIA OKLAHOMA (-40) over Baylor Last Week: 0-4-1 Season: 16-22-2 NFL TENNESSEE (-4) over Jacksonville KANSAS CITY (-3) over Denver Buffalo (-3) over MIAMI Cleveland (+10) over PITTSBURGH St. Louis (+11) over NEW ORLEANS Atlanta (+4) over CAROLINA WASHINGTON (-3) over Philadelphia GREEN BAY (-6) over Minnesota (LOCK OF THE WEEK) Cincinnati (+3.5) over BALTIMORE Chicago (-4) over OAKLAND Dallas (-3) over NY GIANTS Detroit (+1.5) over ARIZONA SAN DIEGO (+4.5) over Indianapolis SEATTLE (-10) over San Francisco Last Week: 6-8 Season: 52-56-4 Lock of the Week: 4-5