Sports Redux: Hats and Shirts

The Patriots, we learned last week, call these "Hats and Shirts Day". They're the days when the team clinches something, in this case finally locking down the AFC East, and everyone on the club gets commemorative hats and T-shirts proclaiming them division champions. The way the Pats looked yesterday, and the way the NFL has become completely insane, it's not crazy to think there might be more hats and shirts in the near future, is it?

The only Patriot who didn't acquit himself well in yesterday's 35-7 stomping of Jacksonville was Laurence Maroney, who fumbled away the Pats' first drive and never saw the ball again. He'll receive some private instruction this week, no doubt. So instead, the Patriots turned to Sammy Morris to do the bulk of their running (95 yards on 12 carries) but mostly settled for a vintage Brady passing attack. Tom was 23 of 26, came within a whisker of a perfect passing rating (pull over an MIT student if you get a chance and see if they can explain the formula to you, 'cause we can't), and got Randy Moss back in his happy place, throwing three of his four touchdowns to the big guy. Oh, and all Wes Welker did was catch 13 balls for 138 yards. Ho hum, who's next.

Everyone was chipper after the game. "It's the time of year where we really need to start playing good football, and I think today was one of our best 60 minutes that we played all year," summed up Brady. Randy added, "everybody had fun." No word on whether they Wang Chunged. So now the Pats have a pretty meaningless game against Houston left, and will wait to see which of the 153 clubs still at 8-7 will be coming to Foxboro for the first round.

In the drivers' seat for one of those playoff spots are the Jets, who got a late Christmas present from the Colts, who did everything except literally lay down and die in the second half. With a 16-0 season within sight, Indy pulled Peyton Manning with a slim lead early in the third quarter. The kid (didn't he look 13?) they put in to replace him fumbled away his second pass attempt into the end zone, and the Jets were off to the races. But we're sure Indy knows what they're doing, because <sarcasm> they're really good at turning their momentum back on once the playoffs start </sarcasm>.

Our winter teams split their games last night. Tim Thomas settled down after an early Florida goal and made 25 saves, while Michael Ryder tied it in the second and Marco Sturm won it in the third. The B's admit they were lucky that Bruin-killer Tomas Vokoun got the night off in net for the Panthers.

Out west, the Celtics played well in spurts, but couldn't ever really put the Clippers away. And it came back to kill them, as Rasual Butler's three tied it with eight seconds to go. Rondo got fouled with 1.5 seconds left, but bricked two free throws, and Baron Davis was able to get off a game-winning jumper. "I would love for Rondo to make the free throws, but I thought, for a veteran team, we played with absolutely zero composure," grumped Doc Rivers afterwards. The brightest spot for the C's was that Rasheed Wallace seems determined to bring the set shot back to the NBA. We'll see what happens tonight at Golden State.