My Friends,

All that hand wringing that went on at Fox Sports headquarters when NBC was plotting to snatch the Bears-Patriots contest appears to have been with good reason. Fox failed to protect that game with one of its five "vetoes," but still hoped to shift it into the marquee 3:15 slot and broadcast its pregame Fox NFL Live from Gillette Stadium as the network showcased the matchup. Then the battle featuring the undefeated Bears facing the always strong Patriots appeared on NBC's radar screen as something they might want, and it was left to the league to mediate.

The Bears loss to the Dolphins removed some of the game's luster, though, and NBC settled the matter when they opted to keep the Eagles-Colts tilt the league had originally designated for that night, pitting the resurgent Donovan McNabb against an undefeated Peyton Manning. But now the Colts have also suffered their first loss, and they'll face a likely swirling Eagles squad who lost McNabb for the season (again) to a torn ACL.

Somewhere Rupert Murdoch is smiling, and GE corporate wonks are wondering why they paid up for the flex.

LBF

11/21/2006