Somewhat more complex than C-A-T

From Foxborough, Mass.:

Or is it Foxboro? There seems to be no consensus on the proper spelling for the home of the New England Patriots, even on the road signs along Rte. 1 -- jam-packed Rte. 1, may we add -- leading to Gillette Stadium.

The AP style seems to be Foxborough. But it's spelled both ways on the road signs. And when I go on the weather.com website to get forecasts for today's Chargers-Patriots game, I type Foxborough, MA into the search box and get "no link found." But I type in Foxboro, and voila!

(Incidentally, at 12:45 p.m. EST, it's 24 degrees (and feels like 11 degrees), with winds at 14 mph gusting up to 21 mph.)

That, as I wrote this morning, could be the X-factor in today's game. Lots of wind would have an effect on the passing game, and could reduce this to a slug-it-out ground battle.

Would that help the Chargers, enough to make the upset of the ages possible? Not sure.

But there's an interesting trend. Most of the media -- virtually all of the national media, and absolutely all of the media back here -- are taking a New England victory almost as an article of faith. The consensus is that the Patriots will cruise. (ESPN's absolutely unscientific poll revealed that all 50 states voted for New England. I mean, the Chargers couldn't even carry their home state, which would go down as an Al Gore moment.)

But in talking to a few of the Patriot fans we've run into since getting here, the assumption is that this game could be a lot closer than the pundits predict, regardless of the conditions.

My pick? The Chargers will cover the 13 1/2-point spread, but the Patriots will win.

(Incidentally, this post and lots of others from today's game will be available here, at the PE.com Chargers blog.)





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