Patriots @ Ravens

Bill Simmons of espn.com is one of my favorite columnists. He's a Boston native and very passionate about Boston teams.

He writes a weekly column during the NFL season and picks the games' winners. This week was especially good and of the Pats @ Ravens game he wrote:

Patriots (-20.5) over RAVENS

The best part of these nationally televised Ravens games? When they show Ray Lewis doing his elaborate pregame entrance at home -- he always looks like one of those washed-up WWE wrestlers holding onto the same entrance gimmick they had from 12 years ago when they were still popular. It's like seeing Hacksaw Jim Duggan carrying the American flag or something. Stick a fork in the Ravens.

(I have to admit, I'm already looking ahead to the Steelers and Jets. What if the Pats left Chris Hanson inactive for the Jets game and played without a punter? Wouldn't that be the ultimate slap in the face? Know this going in, Mangini ... we're not punting. Can you think of a better psychological ploy? It's one thing to go 19-0; it's another thing to be the team that intentionally scratched their punter before a game for the first-ever Eff You Transaction. Now I know what I want for Christmas.)

LOL ... perfect! I would so love to see Bill Belichick mess with Mangini and not play with a punter for that game ... and not only to not play with a punter, but make an announcement that he's doing so. Excellent.