How many snowstorms this week have we had? I’ve lost count.

After Jets-Patriots, A Vain Attempt To Avoid The Sports Media – Here is my SB Nation Boston media column, with a look at the aftermath of Patriots/Jets, and examining more garbage from Tony Massarotti.

Jackson takes hit on his credibility – Chad Finn has a look at the ridiculous comments, spin and backtracking this week from ESPN’s Tom Jackson, who picked the Patriots to win the game, then afterwards said he only picked them to fire up the Jets, and then backtracked to say that he actually did think the Patriots would win. Kirk Minihane also goes after Jackson.

Jets run may not be done – Bill Doyle’s media column has CBS’ Phil Simms and Jim Nantz weighing in on the AFC Championship game.

A pair of WEEI hosts have engaged in media-on-media crime in the last 24 hours:

[blackbirdpie id=”28115545261871104″]

[blackbirdpie id=”28439431824281600″]

Both are worth a listen, though in the John Dennis rant, one of his primary targets is Tony Massarotti. That’s a tough one – who to side with?

Rosy memories – This was a good piece from Buddy Thomas, who catches up with former Ohio State and Bears running back Bobby Watkins, who grew up in New Bedford and still lives in Dartmouth.

The Celtics were not at their best last night. For much of the night, their offense was stagnant. When cruch time rolled around, it was 38-year-old Shaquille O’Neal who gave them a spark, and Ray Allen hit a big shot late in the game to help the Celtics to a 86-82 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Shoot, give it to Ray Allen – Steve Bulpett says that even though Allen was 1-7 heading into that final shot, he was still the man the Celtics wanted to take the big shot. A. Sherrod Blakely has more on Allen getting the shot.

Shaquille O’Neal defies age with big play – Chris Forsberg has Shaquille O’Neal more than pulling his weight with this Celtics team. Mark Murphy says that Shaq shocked the Celtics into business mode last night.

Winning the games they shouldn’t – Paul Flannery says that the Celtics had no business winning this game, but this is what elite team do.

Surgery not in the cards – Julian Benbow’s notebook reports that Jermaine O’Neal will not have surgery, but instead another month of rest and strengthening work. The Herald notebook from Murphy has more on O’Neal’s knee.

Brady to have foot surgery today – Shira Springer and Monique Walker broke the news last night that the Patriots quarterback has been playing with a stress fracture in his foot, and will have surgery today to put a screw in.

Defense tackles many questions – Karen Guregian looks over the Patriots defense for who is worth keeping, and who should be gone.

Patriots hoping to draft up successful offseason game plan – Glen Farley has the Patriots looking to improve the team through the draft.

Rookie receiver Taylor Price’s future wide open – Ian Rapoport’s notebook has the rookie receiver looking for a bigger role next year.

Lavarnway next in receiving line – Peter Abraham has a look at minor league catching prospect Ryan Lavarnway. Christopher Smith has more on Lavarnway.

Red Sox and Ryan Kalish see virtue in patience – Alex Speier has Kalish’s AAA manager predicting that he’ll be a 10-time All Star – even though he’ll start the year at Pawtucket.

Red Sox insist minor-league talent hasn’t dried up – Sean McAdam has the Red Sox believing they’ve still got plenty of young prospects.

Ex-Portsmouth star Westmoreland continues rehabbing – Brian MacPherson has an update on the outfielder.

Curt Young set to pitch in – Michael Silverman checks in with the new Red Sox pitching coach.

Welcome to Red Sox 101 – Joe McDonald has a look at the rookie development program.

Bruins finding their third identity – Joe Haggerty has the Bruins becoming a team that can pull off third period comebacks.

It occurs to me that . . . – Bob Ryan has a thoughts column.

With the loss to the Jets a day further away, some are starting to come around to the notion that this was a surprisingly good season for the New England Patriots, and that the future is looking bright for the franchise. The labor situation in the NFL stands between now and the 2011 season, but assuming things get worked out, we should expect that his team will continue to get better.

Kraft laboring forward – Greg A Bedard has the Patriots owner keeping positive about not only his own franchise, but the league’s labor situation as well.

Patriot fans, all is not lost – Mark Farinella says that there certainly is reason to look to the future with optimism.

Deion Branch uses defeat as Jet fuel for 2011 – Dan Duggan has the receiver saying that despite the loss, he’s glad to be back in New England and excited for next season.

Ten quotes that define the legacy of the 2010 Patriots – Christopher Price has 10 quotes that will define this season.

All is not lost for fans – Bob Ryan says that Boston fans can look to the other local teams for support during this tough time.

The Continuing Slow, Agonizing Death of Sports Commentary – Michael Gee wonders why credit cannot be given to the other team after a loss, it’s always the fault of the home team.

Talent, not coaching, doomed Patriots – Staying consistent, at least, Ron Borges says that it wasn’t the X’s and O’s, it was the Jimmys and Joes that lost this game.

Tim Thomas remains way ahead of the pack, follows easy shutout with hard-earned win – DJ Bean with a look at last night’s Bruins victory over the Hurricanes.

Red Sox hope for rebound from Beckett, but he doesn’t need to be the ace – Brian MacPherson looks at the prospects for a bounce back season for Josh Beckett.

Jed Lowrie not short on hope in bid to be a Red Sox starter – John Tomase has Lowrie hoping to seize the starting shortstop position.

Kevin Garnett returned to the lineup last night for the Celtics, and with 19 points and 8 rebounds and a key steal in the final seconds was the difference for Boston in a 109-106 victory over the Orlando Magic. Get all the links at CelticsLinks.com.

No D-nying KG’s impact – Steve Bulpett has Garnett making a huge contribution to the win. Chris Forsberg and A. Sherrod Blakely have more on KG’s impact.

Kevin Garnett’s frenzied, and brilliant, return – Paul Flannery looks at KG’s return, the Celtics defense on Dwight Howard, and a look ahead to the playoffs.

They’re cooking now – Gary Washburn says that perhaps more than anything else, chemisty is a key for this Celtics team.

Starting 5 together for first time since Finals – Brian MacPherson’s Celtics Journal says that with Perkins practicing the Celtics are able to finally get their starting five some work together. The Herald notebook by Mark Murphy has Ray Allen closing in on Reggie Miller. The Globe notebook by Julian Benbow has Paul Pierce late in getting on the scoreboard. The postgame notes from Chris Forsberg has Pierce getting a key bucket late from his sweet spot.

The final report cards are out for this season. As you imagine, the Patriots didn’t do too well in what turned out to be their final exam for the season. Making The Grades – Divisional Round Playoff vs. Jets – Jeremy Gottlieb on Patriots Daily leads us off, followed by: Ron Borges | Mike Felger | Mike Reiss | Kirk Minihane

Amid uncertainties, Belichick to return – Mark Farinella says that you know that Bill Belichick has really been thrown by a loss when he thanks the media for their patience and cooperation in his closing remarks.

Patriots offseason should be busy – Karen Guregian looks forward to the spring and summer for the Patriots.

The Pats begin a long offseason – Glen Farley has the Patriots with plenty of time to think about this one.

Not known when they’ll play pickup football – The Globe notebook by Monique Walker has the Patriots uncertain of the future with the labor situation. The Herald notebook by Ian R. Rapoport has Belichick defending the clock use in the fourth quarter.

Chara deserves tip of the hat – Mick Colageo has Zdeno Chara recording his first career hat trick in the Bruins 7-0 wipeout of the Hurricanes yesterday afternoon.

Milan Lucic back from injury – Steve Conroy’s notebook in the Herald has the forward back in the lineup. The Globe notebook by Nancy Marrapese-Burrell has Mark Stuart also returning.

The Jets backed up their bravado and trash talk by dominating Tom Brady and the Patriots at Gillette Stadium yesterday 28-21. The game wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. The Jets pretty much controlled this one right from the Patriots opening drive when David Harris picked off a Tom Brady screen pass on what looked to be a promising drive.The Jets were after Brady all afternoon, sacking and confusing him, and the Patriots had no answers.

The Jets now advance their second straight AFC Championship game, where they will play the Pittburgh Steelers.

While the ending to this season was certainly crushing, I’m don’t think you can categorize the season as a failure. There were way too many positives in 2010, as the Patriots were rebuilt right in front of us. They’ve got a bright future, one that looks to have a fairly long window if they can have another successful draft in April.

It’s a holiday today (or is it a day of mourning?) so I imagine not many people are at work today to check in here. If you want all the coverage from the game you can check PatriotsLinks.com.

Ten Things We Learned Sunday: Nightmare will haunt Patriots all offseason – Christopher Price looks at another rough ending to the season for the Patriots.

Tom Brady, Patriots get zoned out – Mike Reiss looks at the defense the Jets played which totally befuddled Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Uncharacteristic ending for the Pats – Tom E Curran with a look at the stunning end of the season.

You know what? That’s enough. Even I don’t have the stomach for any more…

We’re finally on Friday, on the cusp of the weekend, and closer to the kickoff of Patriots/Jets on Sunday at 4:30.

I’ll get this out of the way first, and I’m embarrassed about it.

This game concerns me. Greatly.

To me, this has the makings of an “exorcise the demons” type of game for the Jets. You’ve got the historically disappointing Jets coming off having their doors blown off by the Patriots a month ago. You’ve got Mark Sanchez and LaDainian Tomlinson, who have struggled mightily at Gillette Stadium, among others, getting a chance to atone for poor performances here in the past.

Sanchez has not looked good for much of the season, and he’s been horrible in two games at Gillette (1TD, 7 INT) but he’s been very good in the clutch this season. Could he be clutch for an entire game? I think he has the potential to have a good game here.

My lasting image of LT – besides telling reporters how classy he is – is from the 2007 AFC Championship with him sitting on the bench in a parka, helmet on. He also has a chance for redemption against a franchise that he despises.

The Jets have guys who have burned the Patriots in the past – Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, Jason Taylor. Could the Jet offense control the ball enough that the Patriots offense’s opportunities are limited? Can their defense hold the Patriots down in those limited opportunities? Tougher, but not out of the question. It seems like most people have pretty much conceded the game to the Patriots, but even that concerns me.

I hesistate to type this, but there is almost a 2004 Red Sox feel to these Jets, a loud, obnoxious group of idiots, who are looking to finally break through against a traditionally superior opponent.

Please. Tell me I’m stupid and way off base with this. I’ll feel better. If I’m wrong on Sunday, no one will be happier than me.

Alright. I’ll exhale now. It’s off my chest. Onto a few links:

Where the Coaches Let Their Guard Down, a Bit – From Richard Sandomir in the NY Times, a look at the pregame production meetings, with several broadcasters talking about how helpful and pleasant Bill Belichick is in these meetings. One says he can be even more forthcoming than Rex Ryan at times.

ESPN saves worst for BCS’ biggest game – On the second page of Phil Mushnick’s media column is this gem:

Who made the worst knee-jerk call in the history of modern sportscasting? Funny you should ask. One could logically guess Mike Francesa, given that he has made so many, but the title belongs to a more likable fellow, ESPN NFL studio analyst Tom Jackson.

After the Patriots opened the 2003 season with a 31-0 loss to the Bills, Jackson firmly, knowingly declared that “Bill Belichick has lost this team.”

The Patriots went 14-1 the rest of the way, won the Super Bowl, went 14-2 the next season, and, well, since Jackson’s claim, Belichick’s Patriots are 113-29.

Nice legacy.

In ratings game, NFL scoring lopsided win – Chad Finn’s media column looks at record numbers for the NFL this season.

Boston’s Morning Sports Talk Shows Are All A-Twitter – My SB Nation Boston media column looks at the Twitter antics of Boston sports radio morning shows.

Patriots’ winning ways put Spygate hand-wringing to rest – Mike Freeman says that Spygate was tremendously overrated.

SpyGate: The Most ‘Overblown’ Story of the Decade – Russ Goldman on Patsfans.com has a very good column on this subject as well, with quotes from Bill Cowher, Jimmy Johnson, and the Jets blogger who first broke the videotaping story.

Tuning In: Ryan’s hope is fading – Bill Doyle’s media column has CBS analysts scratching their heads over Rex’s antics this week.

Doubters abound, but Meriweather unquestionably makes an impact – Shalise Manza Young has a look at the Patriot that New England fans love to hate, safety Brandon Meriweather.

Green-Ellis finds yards almost every time – Ian Rapoport has some eye-popping stats on the production of BenJarvus Green-Ellis this season.

A year later, things are different for Vince Wilfork – Christopher Price looks at how far things have come in one year for the Patriots and their massive defensive lineman.

Among Kraft moves, coach gets top billing – Bob Ryan looks at Robert Kraft’s best move – hiring Bill Belichick.

Heat turned way up for rivalry game –  Tedy Bruschi and Mike Reiss break down the game on Sunday.

Patriots-Jets: How they match up – Karen Guregian examines the matchups.

Leigh Bodden still on corner – Rapoport’s notebook has the injured veteran corner enjoying the success of his teammates. The Globe notebook from Monique Walker has a look at Wes Welker’s comments yesterday. The Patriots Journal by Robert Lee and Brian MacPherson has Brandon Spikes a bit rusty in his return to practice this week.

Check out coverage of the Bruins 7-5 win last night over the Flyers at BruinsLinks.com.

Nice clip from Quick Slants last night – Tom E Curran with a nice jab at himself and his fellow media types for acting  “like fourth-graders” this week:

http://www.csnne.com/common/thePlatform/web/swf/flvPlayer.swf

Can we just get to Sunday already? The non-stop talk by the Jets, along with the media repeating every bit of it over and over again was amusing Monday and Tuesday. By this point though, what else can be said? Lets just line ’em up and play the game.

I’m trying to avoid the articles this morning which are solely about the talk, and link some actual football pieces:

You can find all the coverage over at PatriotsLinks.com.

Pressure is on Mark Sanchez – Ron Borges says that the Jets QB has “gone from one of the most overrated quarterbacks in football to perhaps the most underrated.”

Is he coming on strong? – Amalie Benjamin says that Shonn Greene might be the key to game for the Jets on Sunday.

Belichick has Pats ready for a title run – Lenny Megliola talks to Bill Belichick’s daughter Amanda and Patriots analyst Gino Cappelletti about the job the head coach is doing with this team.

Jets talk rings hollow – The headline of Karen Guregian’s column might lead you think it’s a trash talk article, but it’s more about New York’s weakness in the middle of the field.

Jets might back off the blitzes on Sunday – Christopher Price notes that the Jet might focus more on coverage this time around. Robert Lee also examines this subject.

Lined up for a return – Michael Vega has Dan Connolly talking about his kickoff return against the Packers for the first time.

Snap, tackle and pop – Ian Rapoport has Vince Wilfork looking ahead to the task of stopping the Jets running game.

New England Patriots bullish on tight ends – Tim Whelan Jr. has a look at how far the tight end position has come in a year for the Patriots.

Danny Woodhead focused on here, now – Rapoport’s notebook has the former Jet not looking back. The Globe notebook by Monique Walker has all Patriots arriving on time for practice in the snow. The Patriots Journal from Robert Lee and Carolyn Thornton has more on Connolly.

The Celtics ran over the Sacramento Kings at the Garden last night, 119-95. Get complete coverage at CelticsLinks.com.

The problem with Jermaine O’Neal’s knee – Paul Flannery’s three-pointer looks at another setback for the Celtics most expensive free agent signing of the summer.

Semih Erden goes distance for C’s – Chris Forsberg has Erden picking up the slack in the middle.

Mound of facts against Josh Beckett – John Tomase says that history doesn’t favor Josh Beckett bouncing back big from his miserable 2010 season.