Well, it's been three weeks since I dropped a gem on my adoring fans and maybe some of you deserve an explanation. So I guess the best way to do it would be in the form of a multiple choice question.

Where the hell has he been?

A) A best friend came home from Iraq for Thanksgiving, and we had to catch up on some times before he headed back last week.

B) An overnight hospital stay over the weekend due to an illness.

C) Winning is boring, and leaves nothing to bitch about.

D) Still playing Halo 2

E) All of the above

If you chose "E" then you were absolutely correct so let's get on with the chatter.

Tom Brady's Numbers: This week the media was stirring up all types of trouble rambling on about Brady's numbers and how they have dropped off. Those who fed into this argument obviously have been sleeping in a cave and don't know squat about football. Since the Pats have a rusher with over 1,000 yards, what else is supposed to happen to his numbers. I bet you Brady is in better physical and mental condition than he was this time last year because of the success of the running game this year.

Adam Vinatieri's Contract: I don't understand why the media would put this info out there. I'm sure this team and Adam can work something out since he is one of the highest paid players on this team, and I'm sure he knows he's not going to command high double figures because there are too many kickers out there through free agency and draft. If he does get greedy he will be shown the door, and have to start life elsewhere which would be stupid. With what he's done for this team he is set for life in New England as far as perks throughout the area. I'm sure that this will value much thought in his and his agent's decision making.

The 12-1 Patriots: This weekend the Pats took down the Cincinnati Bengals, and became the AFC East champs after the New York Jets penalized themselves out of a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots just keep winning, despite a suspect/borderline secondary that is just waiting for Ty Law to return.

The Patriots now have three games remaining, and only one of those teams (Jets) are above .500. The Pats WILL win out the rest of the season, and I don't expect them to sit everyone during that last home game against the San Francisco 49ers because the home streak is at risk. So, no one will sit until the game is under thumb. Once the season is done, the Pats will either play the Indianapolis Colts or the Steelers for the conference title, which -- I PROMISE -- barring injury, they will win. The reason why I say this is because there are some Colts and Steelers fans who are living in an illusionary world.

The 10-3 Colts: For all of those Colt's fans who are praising QB Peyton Manning, they can sit back, and enjoy these final three games because Manning will probably break QB Dan Marino's passing TD record. Just remember though -- and you heard this from the Sinista1 himself -- there will be one more thing the two quarterbacks will have in common, and that's watching the Super Bowl from their couch, because no matter what accomplishments these two attain, it doesn't matter unless you've got a ring.

Oh yes, the ring... That precioussss ring, it's sweet goldness and diamonds... My preciousssss, precioussss ring.! Ask the guy who found Tully Banta Cain's, he felt the power for a week, but was able to break it's spell and return it to it's owner.

So say what you want about the Colts, but I have my own thoughts about them. This is a team that is winning games with no defense and a schedule that heavily favored them. In this 16 game season, the Colts had 10 games that were played indoors? aka artificial climate. The Colts have won all but one (Jaguars) of these games, the remaining losses (Pats and Chiefs) were played outside.

To show how even more lucky they are, for the month of December all four games (Titans, Texans, Ravens and Chargers) are being played indoors. The Colts finish the season in the elements against the Denver Broncos, but that is nothing compared to what they may face if they have to play in New England or Pittsburgh come January.

Oops, did I just shatter some dreams in the AFC South?

The 12-1 Steelers: The Steelers ended the streak, and despite the pounding the Pats took, there were some intangibles that did play a factor into this loss, and I'm sure there are two guys (Law & Corey Dillon) just looking to make this a different game overall. With Dillon in the game, the defense won't have the same luxuries they had in the last match-up. Another difference, between the two is that the Pats offense is putting numbers on the board outscoring the Steelers despite giving up more points. I know there are many who would like to see the AFC championship played here, but to be honest, after getting the satisfaction of the Red Sox taking down the Yankees in NY, it would make the win even sweeter. The final thought on this is that Bill Belichick is a much better coach than Dave Cowler, and there is no way he and his staff are going to allow this team to lose twice to the same team this season.

The ESPN NFL 2K5/EA Sports Madden Football War: For those of you who follow the NFL and play over the net on either your Sony PS2 or XBOX Live, you know that this year ESPN put out a much better game for half the cost, and forced EA Sports to offer all types of deals to purchase Madden, which finally had them dropping their price altogether. Well, this war has taken a very nasty and expensive turn. EA Sports has signed an exclusive five-year deal with the NFL giving them sole rights to use NFL video, audio and music. This means that any company making a football game next year won't have the NFL shield or resources to make a competitive game. For gamers, this is a sad issue because this year's Madden didn't come close to ESPN, and with this deal it shows how much ESPN took a bite out of EA's profits. This deal is also a big move since both Sony and Microsoft are planning on releasing there next-gen consoles late 2005 or early 2006.

Pedro Martinez: Pedro has signed with the NY Mets for $54 million over four years! After the nagging injuries he had over the last two years, I'd say he only has about two years left -- tops, and there are rumors that he signed the deal with the Mets knowing he has a tear in his shoulder that may perfect his performance next year. One of the reasons why he chose the Mets is because their contract pays him even if he goes down with an injury. This was something the Red Sox were probably not going to do with a four year contract offer knowing his injury history. Some are saying this tear is at 90%. So to Pedro, I thank him for helping to bring a MLB World Series championship to Boston, but he needs to remember that he is going back to batting, and despite the fact he's probably no threat at the plate, I'm sure there are some pitchers who plan on throwing at him high and inside next season.

Charlie Weis: Charlie has been chosen to lead the masses at South Bend Indiana. Weis will lead Notre Dame as head coach next year and it will be interesting who he chooses for his coaching staff. (It's rumored that asst. head coach/offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia may step up to take over next season.) As for Notre Dame, it should set off a recruiting boom for talent, and a ratings monster in the New England area since NBC televises all of the Fighting Irish games. It will give me and others another reason to watch college football come Saturday next year.

Yes, now I feel relieved getting all of that off of my chest, and before I head out, I'd like to dedicate this article to my man, my brother Dennis Donahue, who left last week to finish up his time over in Iraq.

Keep your head down and come back in one piece... We love ya man!

Hit me up: Sinista1@msn.com