Dear Mr. Jackson

Memo to all ESPN studio analysts:

Please keep disrespecting the Patriots. This morning, as per usual, everyone but Keyshawn Johnson trashed the Pats and predicted an easy Jets victory. Leads one to wonder what it takes exactly to become an ESPN "expert" anyway. Any panel on which Keyshawn Johnson is the voice of reason needs some signficant retooling.

This is a fascinating phenomenon - that certain ESPN personalities, Tom Jackson in particular, make no secret about their hatred for the Patriots and find any reason to announce their demise publicly. So much for objectivity. Jackson is nothing more than a bitter ex-player who never tasted a title and has to find reasons to discount the dynasty the Patriots built.

It goes deep with him. It was he who announced that the players in the Pats lockeroom "hated" Belichick when he axed Lawyer Milloy early in the 2003-04 season. (Point of order: The unified Patriots hoisted the Lombardi trophy later that winter). It is he who is always "yeah buts" to any statement or commentary about the Patriots dynasty and Belichick's resume. And it was he who was loudest in his vocal opposition to the Patriots spygate scenario last season, routinely trashing them on the morning pregame show.

Ironically, he doesn't hide the fact that he has a puzzlng man-crush on Tony Dungy, either. One could argue, given the Pats-Colts rivalry and long-time one-sidedness in New England's favor, that his distaste for all things Pats is directly related not only to his own inability to earn a ring but Dungy's same plight prior to the 2006 season.

For whatever reason, Mike Ditka has joined the party. He picked against the Patriots in each of the last three weeks last season, if memory serves me correctly. And he did it again this morning, when everyone on the panel - Jackson, Ditka, Mortensen, Emmit Smith and Chris Berman - except Keyshawn picked the Jets to win, and all had them scoring at least 21 points.

I couldn't help but smile midway through the fourth, when the Jets were still stuck on 3. It never ceases to amaze me how a) people continue to underestimate the Patriots will to win and b) how well the Pats use the disrespect card to their advantage.

So please, ESPN, keep picking against them. Mr. Jackson, keep clinging to whatever misguided hatred you have, keep proclaiming the reasons they won't win this week or that week, or why they aren't as good as everyone makes them out to be. Keep flapping your gums, Mr. Jackson, because, quite honestly,it seems to work fairly well for us here in New England.

Make no mistake about it - there was nothing pretty about Sunday's win in New York. It wasn't an offensive clinic, or a 60-minute highlight reel. It was hard-fought, ugly and workmanlike. It was a grind-it-out, do-what-you-have-to-do win reminiscent of the same team Jackson doomed in '03-04.

There wasn't very much pretty about that team, either. Except maybe the diamond-encrusted rings they all received that off-season.