but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Obama voters suddenly discover a newfound affection for the Giants

Why would Obama voters become partisans of the Giants? The last home game before the election (November 4th) is November 3rd when the Redskins host the Steelers on Monday Night Football.

It has a nice synchronicity to it, as you could help get those western PA voters that love Steely McBeam.

moira kelly wrote:

Last week, the Washington Post had an article on million dollar plus properties that were in foreclosure because of ARMs. But, the article was about properties in Loudoun County. The Post would rather die than write about their rich friends and neighbors who are in foreclosure in the wealthy enclaves of Old Town Alexandria or Del Ray or Chevy Chase or Bethesda or North Arlington or Kalaroma or Cleveland Park. They would have you believe that only those stupid (brown or black) people in PW or PG County were living beyond their means.

moira, you obviously know the DC area as you mention quite a few places in its surroundings. However, it's odd that you then rant about the Post wanting to rather die than write about their rich friends and neighbors when the article in question is about Loudoun County.

http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/pages/122.html

Now, the City of Alexandria (VA) is #16, Arlington County (VA) is #12, and Montgomery County (MD, includes Bethesda and Chevy Chase) is #6.

I hope you will also note that Loudoun County (VA), as of November 2007, is #5 on the list of the Top 100 Wealthiest Counties. So, it's not like we're talking about a poor backwater here.

Or maybe not. The Patriots didn't exactly prove themselves adept spies. The Associated Press reports that the footage Walsh turned over included several minutes of the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders performing. The Patriots are in the same division as the Miami Dolphins, and they're taping the Chargers cheerleaders?

Three of the eight tapes were of the Miami Dolphins. Two contained both the offensive and defensive signals from the October 7, 2001 game against the Dolphins, wherein the Patriots got shellacked 30-10 down in Miami.

The rematch December 22? The Patriots won 20-13, combined for a total of 313 yards (they had only 149 in the first matchup). Could the tapes they acquired earlier have helped them? We'll never know.

However, what would have happened if the Patriots had lost that game? They would have finished 10-6 and Miami would have finished 12-4 (and won the AFC East).

Playoff Seeding:

1. 1. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3; AFC Central Champs)
2. 2. Miami Dolphins (12-4; AFC East Champs)
3. 3. Oakland Raiders (10-6; AFC West Champs)
4. 4. Baltimore (10-6)
5. 5. NY Jets (10-6)
6. 6. New England (10-6)

The Jets would have had the tiebreaker over the Patriots based on AFC conference record (8-4 for the Jets, 7-5 for the Patriots). The Ravens did have the tiebreaker over the Jets based on better record against common opponents (3-2 vs 2-2).

How different would the 2001 playoffs have been? The Patriots would have had to travel to Oakland and faced Oakland's potent offense in 53 degree, clear weather instead of 19 degree weather with heavy snow (remember: the Raiders-Jets wildcard game was 38-24). There might not have been a Tuck Rule.

If the Patriots had survived, they would have had to face the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and had they survived that, they would have had to go once more onto the road against the winner out of the Dolphins, Jets, and Ravens.

Remember, the 2006 Steelers were the first and only 6th seed to make it to the Super Bowl (much less win it). Could the Patriots been the first to go from #6 to Super Bowl champs, if they had lost that one pivotal game against Miami? Perhaps. However, it would have been a much more difficult road to hoe.

If the Patriots did not make the Super Bowl in 2001, would New England have traded Drew Bledsoe away? Would Tom Brady be considered part of the "Best Quarterback Ever" debate? Would Randy Moss consider going to the Patriots in 2007 for a pay cut and then combine to form the biggest offensive juggernaut in league history?

One game, two tapes, one slightly different result ... the NFL's version of the butterfly effect.

Would it have made a difference? Who knows? All I know is that they spent 8 years taping teams in violation of the rules. I have to think it would be useful to understand trends and to zero in on each play, analyze each signal, see how the defenses aligned and shifted. They could drill down and watch every single player for every single play for every single signal.

That wouldn't be worth much, would it?