Meaninglessness brought to the masses

If you're dying to watch the New England Patriots make history Saturday night -- but can't afford NFL Network -- you're in luck.

But now that the NFL has made an allowance for CBS and NBC to simulcast the game, it begs the question: how many of us care?

Patriots fans have plenty of reason to watch, but not in the same way we all gathered around the talking box when Big Mac went for 62. History will unfold before our eyes, to be sure, but it all seems like such a foregone conclusion.

In addition to the perfect 16-0 season, New England has a couple of opportunities to make its mark on the record book.

• With two TD passes, Tom Brady will pass Peyton Manning for the single-season TD record (currently at 49).
  
  
• With two TD catches, Randy Moss would eclipse Jerry Rice for the all-time mark (currently 22, set in a strike-shortened season of 12 games).
  


• And with a mere touchdown, the Patriots will pass the '98 Vikings as the most prolific scoring team in history (the current points record is 556).

But are these records you need to see broken? Could you have picked the NFL's highest scoring team on a multiple choice test? Even the perfect season doesn't seem as big a deal, since we all figured out about Week 9 that the Patriots couldn't be beaten.

Furthermore, the game is of no consequence to the Giants, who have already clinched a Wild Card berth and stand to gain nothing by winning. So basically, it will be a regular season game for the Patriots and a preseason game for New York. Riveting!

I'm as much a fan of history as anyone else, and normally the opportunity to watch a record-setting sports event would make my hair stand on end. Saturday will be different, though. I'll probably flip on the game and watch a quarter or two, but if my wife asks me to accompany her to the grocery store, I won't object.

Vote Now (in poll to the right): Will you watch the Patriots go for 16-0?