A cold football Sunday

Just like the Final Four in college basketball, it's the semifinals that provide the best day of TV viewing and couch-potato eating. So today it's the NFL's two conference championship games leading to the Super Bowl. With Heather gone to her sister's in Rochester for the long weekend and grandson Dylan at his dad's for the week, it's Oliver and I, here to munch and hope the Patriots win and the Packers lose.

It's cold here, single-digit temperatures, but not as cold as it will seem at Foxboro and Green Bay, I'm sure.

12:35 p.m.: CBS has a highlight show of last weekend's games with great film and great narration going. Too bad, Colts; you lost again today! Too bad, Cowboys; so did you! I think I'll put on some bacon and make some pancakes and save "dinner" for the second game this evening.

12:44 p.m.: Is there anything that smells better that bacon while it is frying in the pan? Even Oliver knows that somebody is going to eat something good pretty soon. Unfortunately for him; it's Purina Dog Chow, not bacon.

1:03 p.m.: The pregame show is on. For all the whining all week about how banged up San Diego is, now Turner says that Gates, Rivers and Tomlinson will all play. So quit your whining, Chargers.

1:05 p.m.: A shot from Foxboro showed some sunshine there although the sun is already getting low in the western sky there. It will be dark in Green Bay by the time the second game starts. How stupid is it to play a game of this magnitude at night in January! Just for television's prime-time. Those millions the networks pay for rights let them call the shots unfortunately.

1:59 p.m.: Thankfully the one-hour pregame show on CBS is over. If James Brown, Marino, Esiason, Sharpe and Cowher were half as funny and entertaining as they seem to think they are, a half-hour show would still have been enough. Now it's time for a fresh pot of coffee, another couple cookies to sneak into the living room without Oliver seeing them, and the game itself. Go, Patriots!

2:03 p.m.: That was a cool introduction to their telecast that CBS had---a symphony orchestra performing with Patriot and Charger highlights on the screen behind them. It's still daylight in Massachusetts (3:05 p.m. there). It's clouding over here in Vermillion, too, with snow in the forecast for tonight into tomorrow.

2:28 p.m.: I'm too used to the Patriots driving down the field on their first possession. I'm a bit uncomfortable about three-and-outs on the first two possessions. Maybe it's the weather. Let's just not let San Diego hang around for too long today.

2:40 p.m.: Patriot haters in living rooms and bars everywhere are going crazy, but we're down only 0-3. Time to go dow and throw some clothes from the washer into the dryer.

2:52 p.m.: That's more like it! A great drive, and we're ahead, 7-3.

2:53 p.m.: Funny how I assume, when looking at a TV set, that the football field runs east-west. Don't they all?! But obviously this one in Foxboro runs north-south because the setting sun is shining only on the top of the stands across the way. So a north wind really zips down this field. No wonder they said the wind would have an effect if it is blowing.

2:55 p.m.: I'm hungry again. Shall we do popcorn, Oliver? Or more cookies and coffee? How about some of the instant vanilla pudding I made yesterday. Or shall we do a sandwich along with Jell-O salad this quarter?

3:17 p.m.: All right!!! First our punt receiver bats the ball down at the 3, then an interception, then the offense cashes it in. 14-6. Steady does it. On our way to 18-0 hopefully. To the Miami Dolphins of '72: just shut up and crawl back into your caves.

3:39 p.m.: I can't say 14-9 at halftime is comfortable, but if the Patriots can hold San Diego to only field goals like in the first half, we'll be O.K.

3:52 p.m.: A long TD drive straight down the field to start the second half would be just what the doctor ordered.

3:59 p.m.: Well, so much for that notion. Another interception. This is going to be a struggle to the end, it appears./

4:06 p.m.: Another escape, if you can call giving up a field goal an escape. 14-12. Time to show the offense that has carried us all season.

4:07 p.m.: Very light, light snow starting to fall. I see a snow advisory has been issued; up to four inches possible in southeastern South Dakota. Time to send Heather an e-mail so she's aware she'll have to allow some extra travel time from Rochester tomorrow.

4:13 p.m.: Nice 17-yard run by Maroney. But 17 yards is the longest play of the day so far for the Patriots? Come on.

4:14 p.m.: Shoot! I just looked for a baking dish, and we don't have one. If I'm going to fix that tuna casserole for supper, I'm going to have to go to the store to get a dish. Maybe I'll forego the idea.

4:17 p.m.: Staying on the ground. Maroney to the 20, Maroney to the 15, Maroney to the 11. Keep it going!

4:19 p.m.: Disaster. San Diego intercepts in the end zone. The only good thing is he ran it out to the 2-yard line. This is not looking good. Brady's third interception? What is going on? Patriot haters are going crazy all across the land.

4:26 p.m.: I can't sit still and watch this. Time to unload the dryer and fill it up again. Keep moving. Now it's the end of the third quarter, 14-12, and there's no margin for error. San Diego with a chance to win this game, and they haven't even scored a touchdown. Ridiculous.

4:30 p.m.: I went downstairs, and the Pats got a good drive going. Down past the 20-yard line and on the march. Finish it off! Back downstairs I go. Whatever works.

4:35 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Bob Trumpy on the radio isn't far from wrong. He says Welker is the Patriots' most valuable player of the year. 21-12. Now hold on, defense!

4:36 p.m.: I think I'd better stay in the basement until this is salted away.

4:37 p.m.: I wonder if Jason Ferguson in his apartment over the Chronicle office in Custer just threw something at his TV set. He hates the Patriots dating back to the snowstorm game in whatever-year-it-was when the Pats beat his Oakland Raiders. He's never forgiven them.

4:48 p.m.: Patriot haters just said what a lousy spot the refs gave the Chargers on that stop. First down for us!

4:49 p.m.: I'm not being cocky, but I'm taking a chance and sneaking back upstairs to watch the rest of the game in the living room where it's warmer than in the basement. Let that clock roll!

4:53 p.m.: First down! And under five minutes! Get that AFC trophy ready, boys.

4:58 p.m.: Two minutes to the Super Bowl! Bob Trumpy on CBS Radio: "Does this team know how to win a football game, or what?!" Imagine my team in the Super Bowl on my birthday. And it will be the fourth Patriots Super Bowl in seven years.

5:00 p.m.: I can't wait for Bill Cowher on the postgame show to eat his words. He picked the Chargers. Yeah, right. They gave a good fight. Somebody will say, but they had to play without Tomlinson. So what! You face whatever the opposition gives you.

5:02 p.m.: Patriots 21, San Diego 12. Pax vobiscum!

5:03 p.m.: Now I can sit down and watch the second game, hoping the Cheeseheads fall apart.