Pats season ends... Playoffs begin without them

Over the past few weeks I gave you the definitions to the words: Parity and Irony.

This week I have two final words for you, so pay attention because there could be a test during the off-season for extra credit.

Intensity (in ten' siti) vt : very concentrated, to perform in a deeply emotional or earnestly purposeful manner.

Assumption (a sum' shon) n : act of assuming that which is taken for granted, supposition.

No hints needed here, I'm pretty sure you all know where I'm going the first word. Because for five minutes everyone involved with the Patriots performed with intensity.

I'm not just talking about the coaching staff, and the players who pulled out a great win. I'm also talking about those 60 thousand fans that finally got their asses out of their seats and made some noise for this team. I'm serious, in five minutes the 'Fins called timeouts and their coaching stuff was lost, because I believe they thought for some reason this team was going to lie down after the trampling RB Ricky Williams laid on them for three quarters.

So why were there only 60 thou screaming for the Pats, and why did Miami head coach Dave Wannstedt shut Williams down for the final quarter?

Well, that brings me to my second word assumption, and we all know the breakdown of the word "assume" right? Well, for some over zealous fans they missed the comeback because starting the grill was more important, beating the traffic sometimes helps, or just for the plain reason they had no faith in the team.

Well now they know what it feels like to be on the outside looking in when you hear the roar of the crowd, and security won't let you back into the gates. As for the Dolphins staff, they assumed the Pats were done, and maybe they could secure the win without Williams, because the Pats were flooding the box. Who knew?

So the Patriots season ended on a good note, hoping for the Green Bay Packers to defeat the New York Jets, and the Browns to lose, to secure themselves aa playoff spot and a divisional title.

Let's review our previous words.

Parity: No other word describes this year's NFL season, and on any given day when you expect teams like the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers to lay waste to teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets; parity changes it all for you and lines your bookies pockets.

I'm pretty sure the bookies made back all of the money they lost on last year's Super Bowl this season.

Irony: The Pats had to root for the Browns or Jets to lose to the Falcons and Green Bay, respectively, which meant all of those fans that once hated WR Terry Glenn had to cheer for him like he was a hometown hero. But, the irony doesn't stop there.

What do you get when you have two coaches who were best friends, until one of those friends made a career move, and voiced his intentions without asking you before hand?

How about two coaches who were friends until you testified against him in off-season NFL hearing?

How about two coaches who coached the same team to the Super Bowl where one lost and the other shocked the world?

Did you think the Tuna Bowl games were hyped when the Jets and Pats matched up when he left or how about those Bledsoe Bowls?

Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. Next year we have two more Bledsoe Bowls again, but all eyes will be focused on the Dallas Cowboys where Bill Parcells has come out of retirement to take the reins. I expect this to be a huge media frenzy as the Tuna and his boys ride into Foxboro next year.

Oh yes, you do smell another The Call episode from me.

As for my playoff picks for this weekend:

The Jets will slaughter the Colts with an impressive air attack.

The Browns will lose to the Steelers while Tommy Maddox may show reason why the XFL should be brought back.

The Packers will bring shut down the already slow Falcon WR's and force QB Michael Vick to make things happen, but one man can't win a game come playoff time.

The 'Niners will bring the Giants down to earth no matter how much this writer likes TE Jeremy Shockey.

Comments or Thoughts to Sinista1@msn.com.