FanNation - The Republic of Sport

   The day Patriots fans have long dreaded has finally arrived.

   True, we haven't seen the MRI, and all we've heard are anonymous Patriots and Jets talking out of school. But Tom Brady's left knee injury sounded bad on the radio on my way to the beach, and it looked worse when I got home and saw the tape.

   We may very well be talking the three most feared letters in sports medicine, ones that I know a little too well (yeah, Brady walked off the field, but I walked off the court, too, and I didn't get lowbridged by a blitzer). Operating on the assumption that Brady's done for the season is a reasonable decision right now.

   With one play, New England goes from taking an AFC East title for granted to a very realistic chance of not making the playoffs. The Jets have Brett Favre. And look what the Bills did to Seattle today. If Bill W. were a coach, he'd tell us to take the rest of the season one game at a time.

   Yes, the Pats beat Kansas City...hardly a victory to brag about (although they deserve credit for a nice rescue after a secondary breakdown and some questionable officiating in the final minute almost handed the Chiefs overtime). And kudos to a guy I've trashed in the preseason - Matt Cassel, who made his biggest throw since high school on his first pass of the game, the bomb to Randy Moss on third-and-11 from his own 1.

   Cassel managed the game well and avoided the big mistake, which is all we can dare ask of him (although he'll need to make a few plays to beat the Jets next week). Patriot Nation, console yourselves with the memories of another guy who had to come off the bench seven years ago to replace an injured starter, prompting prayers that he first do no harm.

   That guy has enjoyed a seven-year karmic roll the envy of any pro athlete. Three Super Bowl victories. Huge contracts. Rewriting record books. Success with the ladies. Mad real estate skills. He even produced an heir (maybe not in the accepted fashion, but the latest presidential election polls prove that's no longer a deal-breaker).

    But two weeks ago, when he missed the runup to the final exhibition game to go to Hollywood and lay down $11 million for some property down the street from the Governator, I really started to wonder if he was testing his superpowers a little too hard, pushing too big a pile of chips onto the red circle.

    Today, the ball landed on a black number.

    Tom, I can't give you advice about the you-know-what surgery (I was lucky enough that my doctor felt I could avoid the complete rebuild, and just had my meniscus removed and the floppy remains trimmed back). But do the rehab faithfully, and just keep in mind that you are being tested by a higher power (the same one you told Esquire didn't give a shiznit whether or not you won games).

    One more thing: you don't want to trade places with Peyton Manning after the embarassing pratfall he was involved in tonight.