It was an eventful week for Patriots fans. After Monday night’s impressive road victory over the Dolphins, the focus was quickly shifted to the enigmatic Randy Moss.  

Good riddance, No. 81! Your “Me First” attitude will fit in quite nicely in Minnesota, where other inflated egos (No. 4) have gone to roost. I doubt Randy’s presence will help the Vikings win the NFC North, but here’s hoping that he makes a difference against the Jets. By the way, Moss will be playing on Monday Night Football for the second straight week. I wonder if that’s ever happened before?

Moss’ tenure in New England wasn’t a complete disaster – not in the least. He was a member of one of the greatest offensive squads (2007) in the history of football. If not for a miracle catch by David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII, Moss could brag about having the game-winning touchdown catch to cap a perfect season.

Over the last few years, Moss has raked in some of the greatest catches in the team’s 50-year history. Two stick out in my mind: A game-tying catch - off a Matt Cassel pass - as time expired in a 2008 matchup against the Jets, and the one-handed grab against Darrelle Revis a few weeks ago. Aside from David Patten’s catch – after being knocked unconscious - during a game-winning drive against the Bills in 2001, Moss has provided more “are you kidding me?” moments than any New England wideout I’ve ever seen.

That being said, he had to go. I said it in a blog post a few weeks back following his mind-boggling press conference: the guy just didn’t fit the Patriot mold, and it was time for him to hit the road. I’m hearing a lot of football fans expressing their concern about New England’s offense. All I’ll say is take a look at the offensive starters on the 2001-2006 teams. I’m flabbergasted that people still question Belichick’s philosophy. In 2008, he coached a team to 11 wins WITHOUT Tom Brady (“franchise” player).

Belichick wants his players to fit into a system, play a role, do their job. Moss cared more about his contract than fulfilling his specific duty for the betterment of the entire team. The Patriots are a better unit without him, especially from an intangibles standpoint.

Earlier this week, I was running late for work and, in my mad dash to get ready, I forgot about my cell phone. So, for about 10 hours I didn’t have it in my pocket. The first few hours, it felt weird. I felt almost naked, kind of vulnerable, without my cell. About midway through the day, a coworker could tell that I was a little off, so she said ‘You know, about 15 years ago, we all survived and got through the day without cell phones.”

So true. And that’s how I feel about Moss. Yea, it’ll be a little weird without him for a few series, but then the offense will move on. Just look at those three Super Bowl banners. The Patriots did just fine – and thrived – before Randy Moss came to town.

WEEK 5 NFL PREDICTIONS

JACKSONVILLE AT BUFFALO: Pick – Jaguars

NEW YORK GIANTS AT HOUSTON – Texans

KANSAS CITY AT INDIANAPOLIS – Colts

TAMPA BAY AT CINCINNATI – Bengals

GREEN BAY AT WASHINGTON – Redskins

ST. LOUIS AT DETROIT – Lions

CHICAGO AT CAROLINA – Panthers

ATLANTA AT CLEVELAND – Falcons

DENVER AT BALTIMORE – Ravens

NEW ORLEANS AT ARIZONA – Saints

TENNESEE AT DALLAS – Cowboys

SAN DIEGO AT OAKLAND – Chargers

PHILADELPHIA AT SAN FRANCISCO – 49ers

MINNESOTA AT NEW YORK JETS – Jets

Last week: 9-5

Season record: 36-26

NORTH COUNTY MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Chad Alibozek

School: Hoosac Valley

Year: Sophomore

Sport: Golf

On Monday, Oct. 4, Alibozek shot a 36 at Forest Park Country Club as the Hurricanes defeated Taconic 146-163. He finished two strokes behind teammate Corbin Brassard for the top spot. One day later, Alibozek paced Hoosac with a 39 during the team’s setback on the road against Wahconah. On Thursday, Oct. 7, the ’Canes (10-4) rebounded with a 147-182 win over Drury at Forest Park. Alibozek posted a 38. He enters Sunday’s Berkshire Classic at Stockbridge Country Club as the tournament’s defending champion.

Favorite athlete? “Bubba Watson (PGA golfer)”

If you could attend one sporting event in the world, which would you choose? “The British Open”

Favorite sport to watch on TV? “Football”

Favorite sports team? “Philadelphia Eagles”

Favorite athletic memory? “Winning the Berkshire Classic last year.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “(Golfer) Barrett Ramsay from Monument Mountain.”

What is the hardest aspect of playing golf? “The mental game. Just trying to control yourself.”

Goals for the rest of the season? “I want to win the Berkshire Classic and qualify for the state tournament.”

What role will sports play in your life 20 years from now? “My goal is to play somewhere down in Florida, maybe on the Hooters [golf] tour. It’s like a step or two below the PGA.”

Coach’s take: “Chad’s the man. He’s doing it again. He worked on his game all summer. Him, Corbin Brassard and Matt Freitag all joined the Taconic Golf Club, and they all worked on their long-iron game. It has really paid off. Chad really wants to improve every time he’s out there. When he doesn’t perform up to his own standards, he’s hard on himself. He shot a 38 against Drury, and a 38 to him isn’t that big of a deal. For some other guys, that would be the best rounds of their lives.”

 NORTH COUNTY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Alexandra Levinsky

School: Mount Greylock

Year: Senior

Sport: Volleyball

Levinsky had a productive week on the hardwood for the postseason-bound Mounties (11-1). On Monday, Oct. 4, the senior captain notched 13 kills and seven aces during Mount Greylock’s 3-1 victory over Pittsfield. During a 3-0 win over St. Joe’s on Wednesday, Oct. 6, Levinsky delivered eight kills to help Greylock clinch a spot in the Western Massachusetts Division III tournament. On Friday, Oct. 8, Levinsky tallied 14 kills and nine blocks in a 3-1 triumph over Taconic.

Favorite pro athlete? “Wes Welker”

If you could attend one sporting event in the world, which would you choose? “A Yankee-Red Sox game”

Favorite sport to watch on TV? “Football”

Favorite sports team? “New York Yankees. It’s really interesting to see people’s reactions when you tell them you’re a Yankees fan when you’re in the heart of Red Sox nation.”

Favorite athletic memory? “Making the elite team for my travel volleyball league during my sophomore year.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “(Volleyball player) Julia Warner, who graduated from Lee High School last year.”

What is the hardest aspect of playing volleyball? “This is going to sound gross, but I sweat a lot. So when I dive for the ball, I slide all over the floor. It’s frustrating when you have to ask the referee to clean up my sweat spots on the floor. My teammates have told me to bring my own towel to the game.”

Goals for the rest of the season? “It’s safe to say that we really want to beat Wahconah. I think they’re 11-0, and they’re the only team we lost to [this season]. We really want to beat them.”

What role will sports play in your life 20 years from now? “It would be really cool if I could still play in an adult pickup league. I’d also like to be an athletic trainer. I’d like to work with athletes and, if they’re injured, get them back on track. Being injured is one of the most frustrating things an athlete can go through. I’d like to help them.”

Coach’s take: “She’s our captain on the floor. She worked hard in the offseason, playing on several travel teams. She has turned herself into one of the best overall players in the county.” (Mount Greylock volleyball coach Phil Paul.”

It’s well past 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I’m just getting home from tonight’s Sox-Yankees game at Fenway. Only Boston and New York would play more than eight hours of baseball in one day. Two extra-inning games in a doubleheader, and they’re right back at it at 1:30 p.m. later today. Potentially, these teams will have about 11-12 hours of baseball played in a 24-hour span. Unreal.

Great win by the Sox in the nightcap. They may be out of the playoff picture, but when a team full of minor-league transplants prevents the defending world champs from taking control of the AL East, it’s a good night at the ballpark. Terry Francona deserves the AL Manager of the Year award. I don’t care that Boston isn’t going to the playoffs; he’s coached a team full of nobodies to 88 (or 89) victories. It’s remarkable. Just imagine what Boston would have done with Ellsbury, Pedroia and Youkilis in its lineup the entire season?  Or if Papelbon, Beckett or Lackey decided to earn their paychecks?

Also, I thought it was interesting to see “Thank You Mike” plastered on the Green Monster. I love Mike Lowell. He was the source of a lot of great memories here in Boston, most notably a World Series MVP performance in 2007. BUT… it seems a little odd for the Sox to honor him in such a blatant manner, just a few months after they relentlessly tried to trade him. Maybe it should have read “Thank You Mike For Not Being Mad at Us After We Treated You Like an Old Piece of Furniture We Couldn’t Get Rid of at a Tag Sale.”

So, here’s hoping the Sox snag the last game of the regular season and the Yanks have to open the playoffs at Minnesota. Although, I should mention that the Yanks can beat Boston and still finish second in the division if Tampa beats Kansas City.

By the way, my favorite moment of the game (by far) came in the fourth inning when Daniel Nava took home while A.J. Burnett was arguing with the first-base umpire. Epic fail by the Yankees. Talk about undisciplined baseball. No excuse for a mistake like that in Babe Ruth League, let alone the Majors. Couldn’t have been more thrilling to see it happen to the Yanks.

Enough about baseball.

WEEK 4 NFL PREDICTIONS

Some exciting storylines this weekend. Donovan McNabb returns to Philly, the Bears have a chance to remain undefeated by handing the Giants their third loss of the season, and two big divisional matchups with Pittsburgh-Baltimore and New England-Miami. I hate – absolutely HATE – picking against the Patriots, but I don’t have enough confidence in their defensive unit playing against a pretty solid Dolphins team on the road. I hope they prove me wrong.

SAN FRANCISCO AT ATLANTA: Pick – Falcons

CINCINNATI AT CLEVELAND: Pick – Browns

NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO: Pick – Jets

SEATTLE AT ST. LOUIS: Pick – Seahawks

DENVER AT TENNESEE: Pick – Titans

DETROIT AT GREEN BAY: Pick – Packers

BALTIMORE AT PITTSBURGH: Pick – Steelers

CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS: Pick – Saints

INDIANAPOLIS AT JACKSONVILLE: Pick – Colts

HOUSTON AT OAKLAND: Pick – Texans

WASHINGTON AT PHILADELPHIA: Pick – Eagles

ARIZONA AT SAN DIEGO: Pick – Chargers

CHICAGO AT NEW YORK GIANTS: Pick – Giants

NEW ENGLAND AT MIAMI: Pick - Dolphins

Last week: 8-8

Season Record: 27-21

NORTH COUNTY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Taylar Gallup

School: Hoosac Valley

Year: Senior

Sport: Cross Country

On Sept. 22, Gallup placed second in a tri-meet at Monument Mountain. She completed the 3.05-mile course in 22 minutes, 12 seconds, leading the Hurricanes to 15-50 victories over both Monument and Drury. The ’Canes enter October sitting atop the Berkshire County standings, sporting an unblemished 7-0 record.

Favorite TV show? “I like the Bachelorette when it’s on.”

Favorite book? “The Catcher in the Rye”

Favorite subject in school? “Math”

Dream job? “I want to be an occupational therapist.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “(Taconic’s) Chandler Ortega”

Hidden talent? “Making puppets and making videos”

Favorite band or musical artist? “Chuck Wicks”

Favorite athletic memory? “Definitely cross country practices. We have so much fun. We meditate together, we have a lot of inside jokes. We have so much fun.”

Hardest aspect of cross country? “Mentally pushing yourself and telling yourself to keep going when your body is screaming ‘Stop! It hurts!’ Sometimes it’s tough to breathe and your legs hurt so bad, but you’ve got to push yourself.”

Coach’s take: “Taylar is our leader for the amount of work she does. She’s also the glue that holds the team together. Her excellence has helped bring the rest of the team together. She never backs down, no matter what the challenge.

“During the race at Lenox [earlier this season] she was as sick as could be. Before the race, I told her just ‘keep purple (Pittsfield runners) behind you.’ She worked really hard even though she was sick. She didn’t have a great race by her standards, but she did what needed to be done – keep purple behind her – to help the team stay undefeated. All the younger kids look at that and see how hard she works. It helps build the team.” (Ron Namislo, Hoosac Valley girls’ cross country coach)

NORTH COUNTY MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Ben Gamache

School: Drury

Year: Senior

Sport: Cross Country

On Sept. 22, Gamache won the boys’ tri-meet on Monument Mountain’s 3.05-mile course. He finished the race in 18 minutes flat. The Blue Devils are 3-5, but Gamache has placed first overall in all three meets he’s competed in this fall.

Favorite athlete? “Milan Lucic. You’ve got to go with hockey.”

Favorite TV show? “Man Versus Food (on Travel Channel)”

Favorite subject in school? “Calculus”

Favorite book? “The autobiography of Tedy Bruschi was pretty good.”

Dream job? “I would really like to be an architect. That’s my goal.”

Dream vacation spot? “Maybe somewhere like New Guinea. Somewhere different like that.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “There’s a few. The Harmon brothers (Ethan and Andrew from Hoosac Valley) were pretty hard to beat. (Greylock’s) Matt Cheung and (Lenox’s) Scott Carpenter are pretty crazy to run against.”

Hidden talent? “I can draw pretty well. I’m starting an art gallery.”

Favorite athletic memory? “It would probably have to be my first race (in 2009) because of the injury (broken leg) I was coming back from. It was my junior year at Lenox, and I came in third place.”

Hardest aspect of cross country? “For me, it would have to be an away meet. Just driving there and having to wait for the race. You just want to get out there and do it. We don’t have any home meets this season, so I experience it every week.”

Coach’s take: “He worked hard over the summer. He came back in shape. He ran at the Nike Cross Country Camp, and he did well in the Fourth of July race. He’s put a lot of time in, and so far he has lived up to that. He’s got a lot of things he’d like to accomplish, and he’s well on his way to a good year.” (Drury boys’ cross country coach Jim Buffoni)