One rule by which I will always live is this: It's not really football season until the Red Sox have played their last meaningful game of the season.

With that in mind, let's go Patriots.

There are high hopes this season for the Pats, who have won three Super Bowl titles this decade. Deion Branch's holdout is a cause for concern because David Givens left via free agency following last season, leaving a gaping hole at wide receiver.

Otherwise, however, it has the potential to be an outstanding team.

Branch's holdout is frustrating. He's not a free agent. The Pats gave him a chance to negotiate with another team, which could've led to a trade, but they weren't satisfied with the potential deals.

Now Branch has filed a grievance against the Patriots, apparently contending that even though he's under contract with them, they should look out for his best interests and trade him. Not likely.

With or without Branch, though, the Patriots should be a force.

-Watching Andre Agassi's first two matches at the U.S. Open was pretty special. Sometimes sports present opportunities for Hollywood moments, and when they actually happen, it's memorable.

Agassi beat Marcos Baghdatis, an exciting 21-year-old, in five sets Thursday night. Agassi is a 36-year-old with a bad back, yet Baghdatis was the one plagued by leg cramps in the fifth set, and Agassi barely held on.

No matter how long Agassi lasts in his final tournament, he provided a

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magical moment on Thursday night.

And kudos to Fairfield's James Blake, who wore a retro Agassi Nike outfit during his second-round victory on Friday. It was a fitting and classy tribute.

-On the subject of tennis, have you seen that Maria Sharapova commercial? You know, "I feel pretty, oh so pretty..."

The first few times I saw the ad, I found it annoying. The singing hurts my ears, and Sharapova hardly needs the boost to her ego.

But upon further review, I like the message it sends to female athletes. At the end of the commercial, the singing comes to an abrupt halt when Sharapova tears into a backhand winner and snarls. In other words, looks are all well and good, but they don't win athletic competitions. Talent and intensity do that.

-Have you heard of this Dean Karnazes guy? He's an endurance runner who plans to run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days. Yeah, that's right.

Karnazes once ran 350 straight miles, passing on sleep for three nights. He's nuts.

But he hopes to raise money for charities and stress to youngsters the need to be physically active. He'll be arriving in New England in mid-October.

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(Jeers) To the Jon Lester situation. The 22-year-old lefty pitcher was diagnosed with lymphoma, and that's just scary. Lester is considered a major part of the Red Sox's future, but suddenly for him, he's just concerned about making sure he has a future. Considering this and David Ortiz's recent heart issues, baseball has to feel secondary to the players and coaches in the Boston clubhouse.

Contact Chris Casavant at c.casavant@yahoo.com