16-0? Pinch me!

 I've had many bossess in my history of employment. Some were cool. Some not so cool. Some liked me. Most didn't.

Saturday marked possibly the coolest "boss favor" of all time. Well aware that my Patriots were embarking on an unprecedented 16-0 season, Mr. St. George III (He deserved to be a IV after this dandy) gave me Saturday night off from work. You see, although the holiday season slows business in the sports department, Saturdays are always long, busy days.

But I got the night off, to witness the New England Patriots make history, while Louie layed out the paper by himself.

Just noble.

Louie's team, the Vikings, squandered an automatic playoff berth last Sunday night against the Redskins. Always the professional, Louie didn't allow Minnesota's misfortune to spoil my fun.

That's true sportsmanship between writing colleagues from all walks of the NFL map. Lou is from Duluth, Minnesota. Darren is from Utah, but is a die-hard Denver sports fanatic. And I'm from Boston. Those are three very different cities, each with rich sports traditions.

When the Red Sox and Rockies squared off, Darren and I weren't exactly best buddies. Lucky enough, FOR HIM, I was in Boston when the Sox clinched the title. Oh, my. Oh, my. There would have been lots of dancing in front my co-worker, a passionate Rockies fan. 

Lots of dancing. And even probably some singing, but I like to save most of my vocal excercises for the B's Lounge.

If the Sox had lost to Colorado, I don't think I'd still be at The Daily Times. They would've fired me after I blew up Darren's computer, moments after he hung up his "Rocktober" wall poster.

If the Patriots lost to the Giants -- and they almost did -- I probably would've resented Louie for giving me the night off. I certainly wouldn't be writing this blog, praising him for his deed.

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Undefeated? Unbelievable. I'm truly in awe of the organization and its most recent accomplishments.

The three Super Bowl titles. The consecutive winning streak in 2004. Brady and Moss tearing apart the record books.

All impressive. But 16-0 is surreal. It doesn't feel real yet. I guess, if there are any Pats' fans reading, you may know what I mean.

With all that said, 16-0 doesn't mean diddly if New England doesn't hoiste Lombardi Trophy No. 4. 

I know Brady, Moss, Bellichick sound redundant when they dismiss the individual records, claiming its all about the team, and none of the individual accolades mean anything if a Super Bowl isn't won.

And it's true. 16-0 sounds pretty sweet, but 19-0 with a world championship ... that'll make sweet taste sour.

.........

I was amused by the press coverage leading into Saturday night's historic simulcast. (In the Boston and New York markets, FOUR different stations were broadcasting the season finale from the Meadowlands) Headlines read that the NFL "blinked," finally succumbing to the network's demands to carry the game. Last night's three-and-a half hour broadcast was the greatest advertisement the NFL has ever had.

CBS, NBC and the NFL Network? I cannot wait to see the numbers. I bet there will be a few more records broken in this game, and they'll revolve around viewership.

The NFL Network's ads were brilliant. The pre-game interview with Commissioner Roger Goodell was genious. The NFL was on center stage for all the nation (and all the world) to see. It was a great game with a storybook ending. December 29, 2007. It'll go down as one of the National Football League's shining moments.

Ha! So, the NFL "blinked?" I can tell you who did NOT blink; most of the people watching Saturday night's thriller.

......

Lou did his Year-In-Review column for Sunday's paper. It was well done and the stories were fairly ranked.

BUT ... I've only been in Farmington for nine months. I didn't experience a full calendar year in the Four Corners. Since I started in mid-March, there have been many great memories and amazing stories to cover.

Here are my Top 5 local stories of 2007 (that I covered in person)

5. State Softball Tourney in Farmington: Lots of fun. I had been at the paper for less than two months when New Mexico's state softball tourneys invaded town. Great atmosphere. Great food. And a great, if not necessary, warmup to Connie Mack.

Plus.... I bought a new car on the first day of the tournament. My first ride in the Cobalt (aka The Cobra) was to the Farmington Athletic Complex to cover the softball games. Ahhh...the memories.

4. I felt the sting, and the sting won: My first road trip assignment was in Albuquerque to cover the State baseball tournament.

When I first visited Farmington, all I heard about was its baseball. The Scorpions did not dissapoint, racking up their third consecutive Blue Trophy.

It was my first trip into Albuquerque. Fun town. But it makes Providence, RI, look like New York City.

3. Connie Mack: More proof that this IS a baseball community.

The MLB World Series meets Disneyworld. A school reunion meets a neighborhood block party. Pro-quality baseball meets Little League-like festivities.

The Connie Mack World Series was a tremendously unique experience. I'm looking forward to next August and the 2008 CMWS.

2. Covering Ellsbury: Within six months on the job, the paper flew me home to Boston, not on vacation, but on assigment. I completed a series on  Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury, pro baseball's first Navajo ballplayer

 It was dream come true. Nuff said.

1. Woah: This isn't really a story. My favorite story(ies) include every event that allowed me to sneak a glimpse at a Four Corners sunset.

Connie Mack league games. Fall football. Rock crawling. Motocross. Prep soccer. San Juan Open.

I can't count the number of times I've seen the sun go down in New Mexico, but it stops me in my tracks every single time. The colors. The clouds. A skyline full of mountains and bluffs.

You just can't beat it.

State championships, rookie outfielders and rockin' rodeos. All topics that can be covered all over the country.

But that Four Corners sunset? One of a kind.