By JIM DONALDSON, The Providence Journal

There are some people who think it will be more difficult now for the New England Patriots to trade quarterback Matt Cassel, since Tom Brady has said he expects to be ready for the start of training camp.

Shame on Venus Williams. And on her sister, Serena, too.
The two of them will meet in the semifinals of the $2 million Dubai Tennis Championships.
They never should have played in the tournament at all.
Not after Shahar Peer, ranked No. 48 in the world, was unable to participate, banned from entering the country because she is an Israeli.

Tuesday morning quarterbacking following the first Sunday in six months without football . . .
Yes, I know the Pro Bowl was played Sunday. And, no, it does not count as football.
They have every reason to be proud in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are, after all, Super Bowl champions for the second time in four years.

Defense wins championships.
It was a cliche. But it also was more than that. It was a fact of football life, a gridiron maxim.
But it's not true any more.
Not after what happened in the Super Bowl Sunday night. Not after what happened last year in Super Bowl XLII.
Remember what happened in the final minutes of the fourth quarter a year ago in Arizona?

On New Year's Day, New England Patriots fans -- already suffering from the hangover of their team being out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season -- awoke to media reportss that Scott Pioli, Pats vice president of player personnel, would decide before the end of the day whether to take over as top football executive for the Cleveland Browns.

With doom and gloom closing in on New England Patriots fans, I bring them sweetness and light.
Frustrated, disappointed, and perhaps even disgusted by the seriously depressing, not to mention increasingly likely, prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time in six years, there is good news: There's no reason the Patriots can't win their final four games.

The New England Patriots are a more-than-respectable -- especially considering all of the injuries they've had -- 6-4, but, if the playoffs were starting this weekend, they would be on the outside looking in.

Well, the Boston Red Sox just missed getting back to the World Series, but the New England Patriots -- decisive 41-7 winners Monday night over Denver -- sure look like they'll be going back to the Super Bowl. Just kidding.

BOSTON -- This is why Lawrence Peter Berra was a genius. And why the Boston Red Sox are defending World Series champions. And why baseball is not merely the National Pastime, but the greatest game of all.