(posted by OMDQ)

(Note: No parenting classes this weekend - although I could probably use some - but it's not like I'll be taking it easy here. Camping with the in-laws, fantasy football draft with my brother, school starting on Tuesday - I'm dealing with a lot of stuff. That said, I hope to be here as often as possible this weekend, because I love everyone who reads my work and will be counting on you all to keep me sane. The end.)

Nobody was talking about this, so you might have missed it, but Tom Brady took a day or two off from practice this past week to fly out to California for the birth of his first child. When he returned...well, let's just say that apparently new arrivals in the family affect Brady the way deaths in the family affect Brett Favre (after conceiving and actually typing that analogy, I now think I know what goes through Woody Paige's head while he's writing a column), because he was awesome: 17-of-21 for 167 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters against the Panthers on Friday night.

Four things about the game story that stand out for their excellence:

1) "Brady then avoided reporters and questions about his whirlwind week. He hasn't even told his teammates the name of the baby." (emphasis mine...duh)

Really? He hasn't told anybody? Or he just hasn't stood up in front of the team and announced the kid's name yet? The first option makes me sad, because I'd hate to think he would withhold that sort of information from guys like Troy Brown and Tedy Bruschi, who have been with him through good times and bad (especially when Kissing Suzy Kolber told us earlier that the kid's name is Jonathan). The second option makes sense, fortunately.

On a personal side note: how happy am I that the kid is going to have Brady's last name? For awhile there, I was sure they were going to name him "Joseph Moynahan", which would have been problematic considering I already created one of those. As it is, "Jonathan Moynahan" would have been too close - I like the name Jonathan and might name one of my kids that someday. Now, it appears the archaic tradition of giving children born out of wedlock their father's surnames will save my family much consternation in the future.

2) "I thought Tim did a nice job tonight," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "I thought he handled some adjustments well."

I know it was an absolutely forgiveable mistake that somehow slipped past Mike Cranston's editors. You know it was an absolutely forgiveable mistake that somehow slipped past Mike Cranston's editors. But doesn't it make you smile just a little, the thought that Bill Belichick has trouble remembering his star quarterback's name? That is a true father-son relationship right there (spoken from experience: my father calls me Patrick or Timothy about 85% of the time).

3) "Stephen Gostkowski missed 2 of 3 field-goal attempts for New England."

Not a good preseason for Gostkowski, who will probably suffer comparisons to Adam Vinatieri every time he screws up for the rest of his life. I desperately want to make some smart-ass comment along those lines, but the kid stepped into an impossible situation last year and did a great job. It's not really fair to criticize him yet.

4) "On the next play, Jarvis Green blocked John Kasay's 43-yard field-goal attempt. Green also blocked Kasay's 49-yard attempt in the second quarter."

John Kasay is going to see Jarvis Green in his dreams tonight.

Photo: Reuters/Chris Keane