FOXBOROUGH - They are not much different from the folks who read the sports pages and call the talk shows. They are football fans and they will watch the games this weekend. Just like you.
Heath Evans says his wife loves to watch football, so they'll be in front of their TV for most of the action. Richard Seymour says he expects Rodney Harrison and Ty Warren to watch the games with him at his house. Junior Seau says, "I got my popcorn, everything on timer. We're ready to go."
These football fans have more at stake than you. They are the 16-0 New England Patriots and they will watch the wild-card games with the knowledge they'll be playing one of this weekend's winners Jan. 12 at Gillette Stadium at 8 p.m.
What about coach Bill Belichick? Will he come into the office late tomorrow to watch the Jaguars and Steelers? Will he view this game from a cold, lonely office, clipboard in hand? Or will he make tomorrow night's game a social occasion?
"I don't know," the coach said yesterday. "But I'll definitely watch it. That game will have . . . that could be one of the teams, so I'll definitely watch it."
This seemed unnecessarily evasive, even by Belichickian standards. Surely the coach has plans for his screening of a game that means so much to the Patriots' future.
"You don't know if you'll come into the office to watch it?" I tried again.
"No," said the NFL Coach of the Year.
Not good enough. Might the coach do what so many of his disciples do? Might he watch the game at a sports bar? Buffalo wings and all?
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Belichick said sarcastically. "Maybe hit a couple of them - first half, second half. Get a different flavor for it."
Perfect. Bill could watch the first half at The Fours on Canal Street in Boston, then drive up the Massachusetts Turnpike to Buff's Pub for the final two quarters of Jaguars-Steelers. Think anyone would notice him sitting in a corner booth, wearing the gray hoodie, playing Keno, scarfing wings, and chugging a couple of drafts?
Imagine the thrill for the other patrons.
Hey, is that Bill Belichick over there playing darts with the cheese-eatin', dry-heavin', karaoke-playing local losers?
Unlikely. The coach of the year might not watch these games from his antiseptic office, but he's probably not going to be arguing about his Fantasy Football League prospects with local yahoos while the Jaguars and Steelers duel for the right to play the undefeated Patriots.
New England football fans will watch the games. They know the winner of Pittsburgh-Jacksonville likely will be the Patriots' first-round opponent. But they also know that if the Titans beat the Chargers Sunday, the Patriots will play Tennessee.
