0202020285 DETROIT FREE PRESS 020202 Saturday, February 02, 2002 METRO FINAL

SPT; SPORTS

1B MITCH ALBOM SUPER BOWL XXXVI. ST. LOUIS AND NEW ENGLAND Copyright (c) 2002, Detroit Free Press TIME TO DECIDE: CHOOSING NEW ENGLAND TO WIN HAS BECOME MY PATRIOTIC DUTY Well, Curt, it had to happen. Like many of our fellow Americans, we have been downsized. In years past, we used 12 inches of space to insult one other before making our Super Bowl predictions. Those days are gone. We have been told to lose the frivolous part. Thus, we will only insult one another. What's that? Oh. They want the other part? Fine. A prediction. We all know the Rams will win. You know it. I know it. But since you beat me in our weekly NFL predictions contest by cheating (you hired a psychic named Bertha, who, by the way, has predicted you will never find the undershorts you've been missing since Wednesday), I get stuck with the tough job. So be it. Given the PATRIOT-ism in America, and the PATRIOT-ic tone of our war effort, and President Bush's love of PATRIOTs, and the fact that Mel Gibson played The PATRIOT, I will choose the PATRIOTS in an upset that is only fitting in these PATRIOTic times. Never mind that the Rams are faster, more skilled and more experienced. You want to be a Communist, go right ahead. Pats 26, Rams 24. THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED ARTICLE. SUPER BOWL;FORECAST;FOOTBALL