This column originally ran in The Standard-Times on Oct. 2, 2005.

By Nick Tavares
Standard-Times staff writer

A playoff berth is on the line today for the Boston Red Sox but all eyes might not be on the defending world champs.

That's because the area's other world champions the New England Patriots fan favorites as well are hosting the San Diego Chargers just a few miles from Fenway and only a few clicks away on the TV dial.

The Red Sox hoping to repeat last year's World Series victory need to qualify as a wild card team in this year's playoffs. They face the New York Yankees in a 2 p.m. start on NESN (Channel 51 on most local cable systems).

The injury-riddled Patriots on a quest for their third straight Super Bowl victory kick off at — p.m. on CBS (Channels 4 and 12).

Which team will fans be watching?

"I took a day off from work to watch both of them" said Liz Tolan 23 of Fall River. "I think they're both going to win definitely so I'll be flipping the channels back and forth."

"You've got to watch the Pats" said Josh Silva of Fall River. "They're going to beat San Diego tomorrow 27-20. I thought they'd go undefeated but they gave that game to Carolina just like they did last season in Pittsburgh."

"I'll have the split screen on" said Mike Bernier of Westport. "I'll keep it about 50/50."

Eddie Cabral and Geoffrey Alexander of Fall River and Paul Riccitelli of Fairhaven will try to split their attention.

"We're gonna try to watch both" Mr. Cabral 32 said. "We'll have a couple of TVs on. The Sox are important but the Pats are the Pats."

Today's Indians vs. White Sox game too could draw attention and channel flipping from fans in the area. The Indians playing at — p.m. on ESPN2 could help the Sox seal a playoff spot with a loss.

"We were flipping (Friday) night too" Mr. Riccitelli said. "We watched the Indians and White Sox go into the 13th inning."

"I lost my voice from screaming (during Boston's Friday-night win)" Mr. Alexander said. "But I'll watch the Sox over the Pats every time."

The Fox network made an interesting decision during yesterday's Red Sox vs. Yankees game shrinking and muting the local game in order to show live bits of the Cleveland-Chicago game rather than provide updates or show the Cleveland-Chicago game as the smaller of the two on a split screen.

"That was stupid" Ms. Tolan said. "Maybe if this was a Cleveland station maybe but it doesn't make sense. Who wants to watch Cleveland when the Sox are on?"

Tara Blanchard 28 of Acushnet works at Knucklehead's Bar and Grill in New Bedford which plans to make the decision easier for fans.

"We have (DirecTV's) Sunday Ticket so we're going to have every game on."

Ms. Blanchard also noted that the bar made sure that Sox fans watch their team without distraction.

"We shut off the juke box off Friday night and even made the band Shipyard Wreck wait until the game was done. No one was going to play music until the Red Sox game was over."

"I'd watch the Pats first" Kurt Westefeldt 42 of Fairhaven said. "I'd flip it on and off but the Chargers are a good team and I'd always rather watch football."

Regardless of which team garners the most attention fans are confident about how each would fare.

"We're so lucky in New England right now to have the Red Sox and Patriots playing this well" Mr. Cabral said. "It's like the Celtics in the 1980s; you expected them to be in the playoffs every year."

"With three Super Bowls and a World Series" Mr. Riccitelli added "you really can't lose."

Contact Nick Tavares at ntavares@s-t.com.

This story appeared on Page A1 of The Standard-Times on October 2 2005.