Gillette Stadium

The Gillette Co. might be moving its headquarters out of Boston after 104 years, but the company plans to keep its name on the home of the New England Patriots, who face the Eagles next weekend in Super Bowl XXXIX. Gillette agreed to be acquired by Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble in a $57 billion deal announced yesterday. The deal raised questions about whether the Patriots' home in Foxboro, Mass., would still be called Gillette Stadium, but company spokesman Eric Krause said nothing will change.

New England quarterback Tom Brady, the reigning NFL MVP, limped off the field with a left knee injury yesterday in the first quarter of the Patriots' game against Kansas City. Multiple reports said last night the injury may be season-ending. Yahoo Sports quoted a source as saying Brady had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. "It's bad," the source said. "We're going to have to play without him. " NFL Network and ESPN both reported a similar pessimistic prognosis for Brady.

Troy Brown is coming back for a 12th season with the New Eng-land Patriots. The receiver-turned-defensive back, whose willingness and ability to play both ways made him the face of the Super Bowl champions' team-first philosophy, agreed yesterday to a 1-year contract with the team. "In this era, it is very unusual for a player to remain with one team for as long as Troy's career as a Patriot," coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. "Troy Brown is a special player and person and we are glad to have him back.

LOYOLA SCORED with 0.3 seconds left in the first overtime session and then won the game with a goal with 20 seconds left in the second to eliminate Penn, 10-9, in the first round of the NCAA women's lacrosse tournament in Baltimore. The game featured nine ties and five lead changes, and not once did a team hold a lead by more than one goal. Loyola (13-5) never led in the second half. Penn (9-8) took an 8-7 edge on a Caroline Bunting goal with 4:32 left in regulation, but Loyola countered 50 seconds later.

When the smoke finally cleared and Ozzy Osbourne quit lip-synching, the New England Patriots started what they hope will be a historic run to a fittingly numbered Super Bowl. If the Patriots, who unveiled their third world championship banner in four years last night at Gillette Stadium, actually win a third straight title in Detroit in February, it will be huge. Extra large, even. The road to Super Bowl XL has begun. The Pats began their journey with a 30-20 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

The spy games between the New York Jets and New England Patriots began last season. The Jets were caught videotaping at Gillette Stadium last season and the Patriots had that New York employee removed from the area, according to published reports yesterday. Jets coach Eric Mangini said his team received permission to film behind both end zones during the playoff game in January. "We taped the game, is what we taped, and we taped end-zone copy of the game, and we tape a double end zone, which is standard operating procedure for us," Mangini said.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb's status was downgraded from doubtful to out by the Eagles yesterday, which means A.J. Feeley, as expected, will start tonight's game against the unbeaten New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Eagles also downgraded safety Quintin Mikell's status from doubtful to out. J.R. Reed will make his second career start at strong safety in place of Mikell, who suffered a sprained ligament in his right knee in last week's game against Miami. Feeley practiced the entire week with the first-team offense, while McNabb was treated for a sprained right ankle and swollen thumb.

How far would someone go to be "Fan of the Year" of the New England Patriots? How about driving 5 1/2 hours each way from his home in the Poconos for nearly every home game in the past 32 years? That's what Swiftwater, Pa., resident Pat Noone has done to cheer on the Patriots at their homefield in Foxborough, Mass. He's only missed two games since 1975. The team honored Noone for his loyalty at a ceremony at Gillette Stadium. Noone received the Joseph R. Mastrangelo Patriots "Fan of the Year" trophy in front of a crowd of about 70,000 before a game against Miami.

Vinny Testaverde, who came out of retirement last season to help out the New York Jets, was signed yesterday by New England. The 43-year-old quarterback, the first overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 1987 draft, has played 19 NFL seasons and has 269 touchdown passes, eighth in NFL history, and is sixth with 45,252 yards passing. He becomes the third quarterback on the Patriots' roster, behind Tom Brady and second-year man Matt Cassel. The Patriots will be his sixth team.

Three points separated the Eagles from the New England Patriots at the end of Super Bowl XXXIX. Just three points. Less than three years later, the teams appeared to be as far apart as the sun and the moon as they prepared for tonight's game at Gillette Stadium. How could that have happened? "I don't wonder," Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said. "I've seen what they've done with some of the additions they had on offense and defense. I think that's probably the biggest thing.

LOYOLA SCORED with 0.3 seconds left in the first overtime session and then won the game with a goal with 20 seconds left in the second to eliminate Penn, 10-9, in the first round of the NCAA women's lacrosse tournament in Baltimore. The game featured nine ties and five lead changes, and not once did a team hold a lead by more than one goal. Loyola (13-5) never led in the second half. Penn (9-8) took an 8-7 edge on a Caroline Bunting goal with 4:32 left in regulation, but Loyola countered 50 seconds later.

New England quarterback Tom Brady, the reigning NFL MVP, limped off the field with a left knee injury yesterday in the first quarter of the Patriots' game against Kansas City. Multiple reports said last night the injury may be season-ending. Yahoo Sports quoted a source as saying Brady had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. "It's bad," the source said. "We're going to have to play without him. " NFL Network and ESPN both reported a similar pessimistic prognosis for Brady.

When Dont? Stallworth finally got back to his locker and had a chance to check his iPhone after the New England Patriots' 31-20 playoff win over Jacksonville late Saturday night, he was greeted by a text message from his mother. "Congratulations on 17-0," his mother's message said. Stallworth, the former Eagles wide receiver who is in his first and quite possibly only season in New England, shook his head. "I was like, 'No, the regular season is over,' " Stallworth said later.

How far would someone go to be "Fan of the Year" of the New England Patriots? How about driving 5 1/2 hours each way from his home in the Poconos for nearly every home game in the past 32 years? That's what Swiftwater, Pa., resident Pat Noone has done to cheer on the Patriots at their homefield in Foxborough, Mass. He's only missed two games since 1975. The team honored Noone for his loyalty at a ceremony at Gillette Stadium. Noone received the Joseph R. Mastrangelo Patriots "Fan of the Year" trophy in front of a crowd of about 70,000 before a game against Miami.

The spy games between the New York Jets and New England Patriots began last season. The Jets were caught videotaping at Gillette Stadium last season and the Patriots had that New York employee removed from the area, according to published reports yesterday. Jets coach Eric Mangini said his team received permission to film behind both end zones during the playoff game in January. "We taped the game, is what we taped, and we taped end-zone copy of the game, and we tape a double end zone, which is standard operating procedure for us," Mangini said.

The question was to have been this: At what point should Patriots coach Bill Belichick pull All-World quarterback Tom Brady in last night's game with the Eagles? With a 30-point lead? How about 40? It was a foregone conclusion that the Pats simply would rout the Eagles, thumb their noses at NFL convention about rolling up the score, and trot off the Gillette Stadium field having barely broken a sweat. The only element of suspense would be how frosty would the postgame greeting be between Belichick and Andy Reid.

Three points separated the Eagles from the New England Patriots at the end of Super Bowl XXXIX. Just three points. Less than three years later, the teams appeared to be as far apart as the sun and the moon as they prepared for tonight's game at Gillette Stadium. How could that have happened? "I don't wonder," Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said. "I've seen what they've done with some of the additions they had on offense and defense. I think that's probably the biggest thing.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb's status was downgraded from doubtful to out by the Eagles yesterday, which means A.J. Feeley, as expected, will start tonight's game against the unbeaten New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Eagles also downgraded safety Quintin Mikell's status from doubtful to out. J.R. Reed will make his second career start at strong safety in place of Mikell, who suffered a sprained ligament in his right knee in last week's game against Miami. Feeley practiced the entire week with the first-team offense, while McNabb was treated for a sprained right ankle and swollen thumb.

Go ahead and remember. Remember that early October afternoon 13 years ago when everything went right for the Eagles and everything went wrong for the San Francisco 49ers. Remember when unproven Charlie Garner made his NFL debut by bulldozing through the Niners' defense. Remember when the Birds' defense so terrorized Steve Young that his coach, George Seifert, pulled the quarterback midway through the third quarter, mainly for Young's protection. Remember the point spread - San Francisco by 9 - and remember the result: Eagles 40, Niners 8. Anything can happen.

It was two days before the Eagles' Super Bowl XXXIX showdown with the New England Patriots, and a small group of local reporters was invited to talk with defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. The subject was the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, and Johnson could not have been more candid. "They're a complete team," he said. "Good defense, good offense, good special teams. They don't make a lot of mistakes. There's really not a lot of weakness on that football team. " Johnson laughed when a reporter said his evaluation of the Patriots would worry Eagles fans eager for a parade down Broad Street.