After he got hammered in the 1996 election, Bob Dole told everyone who would sit still and listen that he didn't take things as hard as he'd feared. "I slept like a baby...woke up crying every two hours," he'd say. If last night had just been a game, it would have been OK. Even if it meant the end of the dream of a perfect season, we probably could have handled it. If we'd lost......

Bostonist hearts the Herald's habit of mashing up anything sports-related with other subjects, such as online romance. Today, as the Super Bowl approaches, Joe Dwinnell contacted a shrink to help fans find meaning in Bill Belichick's hoodie and cope with various neuroses. The good doctor warns that fans might want draw clear mental boundaries between themselves and the Patriots coach: Q: Bill Belichick is so dry, but that’s good. Should we all go through life......

This morning, the Patriots are headed to Phoenix. Most of America is uncomfortably embracing a New York team as "good"'s only hope against "evil", while we're just waiting and anticipating that Tom Brady will eventually show up and rejoin the team. (We think he will; it's not Manny we're talking about here.) Luckily for the Pats, another opponent has decided to open his big mouth and give them something other than Brady's foot to talk......

In a way, it doesn't feel right; the Colts should perhaps be in town today. They are(were) the defending champs, after all. They gave the Patriots the first in a long stretch of runs for their money that the Pats survived. The Dungy-Belichick and Manning-Brady rivalries are about the biggest stories in sports in this young century. But who cares, really. The Colts are on the golf course and it's San Diego who's in town......

Summer had officially come to Fenwarts, but the mood was anything but cheery. Professor Schillbedore was still missing and presumed in rehab. Harry Potter still dreaded his potions class, but now wasn't pleased with Defense Against the Dark Arts, either. The new teacher, Professor Matsuzaka, started the term with much promise, but lately had struggled in class, unable to cast even a simple Chicagous spell to stop a pair of animated white socks. And Voldemort......

There was no "The Giants win the pennant!" moment of stunned jubilation last night, as Tom "What Me Worry" Menino cruised to victory in the mayoral race, defeating Maura "For The Love of God, I Mortgaged My House" Hennigan by a 35-percentage-point margin. South Boston, as promised last winter by angry residents who had their illegal parking privileges revoked, did not support the mayor. Unfortunately for Hennigan, parking is not that big a deal in......