January and February in New England suck, especially if one doesn't ski, skate, or snowmobile (and I don't do any of them). The Patriots have been a great distraction for the last 3-4 years, and it would be nice for this trend to continue. As much as I believe that sports receives far too much attention (to the detriment of issues that really matter), it probably does provide a role as a unifying societal force among the nations of the world. Like everything, it's a question of moderation. If sports fans paid as much attention to their leaders and the issues as they do to their teams, we'd all be better off.

Peter T.