You read it here first; New England Patriots go 15-1; undefeated until their last game of the regular season, to be beaten by.......The New York Giants!!!

So far so good; Giants crushed Buffalo, in preparation to do the same the the Patriots!

As it turned out, New England won. But they had to earn it.

While New England is certainly capable of finishing the season undefeated, I personally believe they will get knocked off on the way to the Super Bowl. I think Indy will have their number.

Explain some things! 1)How was it that the Patriots were only penalised a first round draft pick, and Belichick fined, for cheating by that videoing? Is that the worst penalty possible or was the offence considered not too bad? [You presumably cannot have, as not relevant, the penalties that would be imposed in European soccer.Here a team would be relegated to a lower division in the league for next season (as happened in Italy recently) or they'd be docked a number of points,starting the season with a negative figure, so that they'd be unlikely to finish as champions whatever their results,or they'd forfeit the game or they'd be thrown out of the league for a season or altogether ]

2)Does the team have great popularity or is the public's attitude one of grudging respect? In soccer you'll find that some winning teams never get general popularity.They are thought efficient but not entertaining to watch, or they have players who lack magic though they play well as a team, or they lack colourful characters (on or off the field).Our public loves successful managers (coaches) who grab headlines by their outspoken comments or wit,have a touch of Cassius Clay about them, or players who play like a dream but are in the tabloids as much as they are in the sports papers or are of the kind that seems to do nothing for much of the game and then produces a few moments of unparalleled genius to turn it. Anything which enlivens is better than boring efficiency.A team which persistently wins 1-0 or 2-0 and takes conservative tactics when leading, is never as popular as one that concedes goals but then 'wakes up' and always snatches its victories in the last half hour (ideally in the last minutes)

By all accounts here, Belichick is rather dour

Giants 24, Bucs 14; look out Dallas, here comes Big Blue!!!

The limb is getting stronger! Giants still have to get past Green Bay at Lambeau, no easy task, but if they do, they are in the Superbowl.

Go Giants!!!

Sail-

They have a good chance of downing the Pack--IF Manning avoids the big mistake...

Arizona here we come! Big Blue is going to the Superbowl! It is now the Manning Era; he has come of age.

(all my friends laughed when I said that early in the season).

The limb I went out on early in the season held; BIG BLUE went all the way!