As The Ball Bounces: Conference Champs

Chuck Bednarik wasn't the only Eagle to go both ways. Sam Baker punted and kicked for the Eagles from 1964 to 1968. The former Oregon Duck handled both duties for the Eagles up until his final season in the league, 1969, when he yielded the punting to rookie Bill Bradley, who would gain greater fame for his 11 picks as a defensive back in 1971. Baker's best year as an Eagle was 1966, when he was 18 of 25 for a 72 percent field goal rate. Baker boots one high and deep, and the ball comes down at about the eleven-yard line.

Oh, goody. Two weeks of listening to Terrell Owens flap his yap.

Here's hoping the Patriots just look at him and laugh.

If this is it for Jerome Bettis, he'll go down as one of the all-time greats who never got to wear the big ring.

And he has the Patriots to thank for a few of those unhappy endings.

Sooner or later, we knew that one NFL head coach would finally figure out Ben Roethlisberger.

Who else but our very own.

You are watching the end of the Belichick-Weis-Crennel era in Foxborough, yet you cannot feel anything but happiness for the two coordinators whose ships have finally come in.

Yes, Martha, Romeo's going to Cleveland.

Geek of the week: the moronic programming director at CBS who thinks that some show named Numb3rs is of better programming value than a decent postgame show with the victorious Patriots.

First of all, guys in gaudy suits who drive pink or purple Cadillacs don't pimp their bimbos as well as CBS did that show.

Second, what you the Patriot fan wouldn't have given to see Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe explain this game away after that unprofessional Terrible Towel waving in the pregame.

Three huzzahs for Boomer Esiason.

The nice part about the Super Bowl is that you get the Fox team. And not past-his-prime Pat Summerall who knows nothing about the Patriots or John Madden who knows nothing about Tom Brady. You get Joe Buck, Cris Collinsworth and Troy Aikman who, though you may not agree with them, will give you spirited coverage of the game.

Remember, Buck was there at Busch Stadium when Doug Mientkiewicz (traded Wednesday to the Mets) caught this little ground ball hit off the bat of Edgar Renteria.

And you also get the world's best pregame show, the best postgame show, and lots more coverage on Fox Sports Net. You'll want to suck in as much postgame as you can if the Patriots win, and Fox will give it to you.

For the second year in a row, Bill Belichick will get decent coaching competition on the other side. Andy Reid and Bill Johnson are two of the league's best at their respective jobs.

Michael Vick got to the next step. Now he climbs another one next year.

Back to school: You're not a real football fan until you've seen at least one Senior Bowl.

What is the Patriot record without Ty Law?

Even worse, what is the Patriot record without Richard Seymour?

The whoops you just heard are from Andy Wasynczuk, Patriot capologist. Nothing like all these mechanisms to keep Patriot salaries down.

It's a good bet the Steelers know who Deion Branch is now.

And thank you, Corey Dillon, for a magnificent contribution to this season, something that did not include rushing the football. It's called "rendering Branch totally forgettable".

Anytime you see a Cincinnati article denouncing the career of Dillon, go to your supermarket, buy a bunch of grapes, drown them in vinegar, and send them to whichever paper printed the article.

One Eagle to not overlook: Jevon Kearse. The "other" free agent.

Another Eagle not to overlook: Jeff Thomason. And all those other free agents they bring in from construction sites. All he has to do is catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl and everyone west of Great Barrington will forget those clutch Vinatieri field goals.

Arthur Blank would be so much more likeable if he had at least done a better job of sacking Dan Reeves.

Jim Mora is still this writer's coach of the year.

Remember him: Harold Jackson had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons. One of them was in 1979 with the Patriots. The other two were in Philadelphia, in 1969 and 1972. He put in four years with each of this year's Super Bowl teams, sandwiched between two tours of duty with the Los Angeles Rams. In 1979, both Jackson and Stanley Morgan broke the 1,000-yard barrier. And Steve Grogan's passer rating for the season was only 77.4? Oh, those 20 interceptions.

Two more measly wins and Herman Edwards would be in the Super Bowl against the team he played for when the 1978 Miracle In The Meadowlands took place.

This time, Bill Cowher doesn't have special teams or Kordell Stewart to hang any blame on. Brains always win out over motivators any day.

Face it, this loss hurt. Hines Ward shed a ton of tears, Plaxico Burress wants to take his talents elsewhere and Bettis might retire. Never mind the depleted psyche of the people of the region.

An open message to Patriot Nation: People across the USA are sick and tired of the Patriots always winning. That's their problem. Enjoy the success right now and crave more of it.

Because we can all be like Hines Ward in a heartbeat. Always let the good times roll.