The word being tossed around by sports writers all over North America in the last few days has been "Dynasty". They are, of course, referring to the possibility of the New England Patriots achieving their 3rd Super Bowl in 4 years February 6th in Jacksonville, FL.

The Patriots' 41-27 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday was even more impressive than their 20-3 divisional-round victory against Indianapolis Colts because it happened on the road. It happened in Heinz Field, where the Steelers hadn't lost a game since 2003. And it happened because the Pats dominated the majority of the game - on both sides of the ball.

They are shaping up to be a modern day dynasty in an era where is isn't as easy as it used to be to keep a core group of players together on one team what with spiraling salaries & free agent signings. The Patriots are willing to play as a team - and consistently at that. They are a physical powerhouse who look very much like an unbeatable force.

All that being said, don't count out the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a team that has overcome a lot this season, not the least of which being the loss of Terrell Owens December 19th to a leg & ankle injury. QB Donovan McNabb and his band of merry men, have finally put to bed the curse of three consecutive losses in the NFC Championship game bringing the City of Brotherly Love together as one. "One Team, One City, One Dream" to quote the Eagles latest marketing campaign.

Of course, Donovan McNabb isn't celebrating just yet.

"There's no relief for me," he said. "We'll have relief after the Super Bowl. We set a goal of winning the Super Bowl, not just the NFC. So that's where I'm going. We're excited, but we're not done."

It all comes down to the biggest event in sports - Super Bowl XXXIX - February 6th from Jacksonville, FL.

Feb 6
Jacsonville
FOX

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Roger Federer is playing so perfectly right now that he made Andre Agassi look average. Defending champion Federer beat the eight-time major winner 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 Tuesday in the Australian Open quarterfinals, taking the punch right out of the best counter-puncher on the circuit.

Federer hit 22 aces and extended his winning streak to 26 matches. He's also won 24 in a row against opponents ranked in the top 10.

"He just outplayed me," Agassi said. "He was too good. I would suggest to his next opponent that he doesn't look to me for advice."

That would be fourth-seeded Marat Safin, who lost to Federer in last year's Australian Open final and will face him this year in the semifinals. Safin ousted No. 20 Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 and will be far fresher against Federer than in 2004, when the Russian had spent more than 18 hours on court through six matches.

The other men's quarterfinals are No. 2 Andy Roddick vs. No. 26 Nikolay Davydenko, and No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt vs. No. 9 David Nalbandian.

Jeff Thomason put down his hard hat, grabbed a helmet and joined the NFC champions. The veteran tight end is going to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles after being out of the NFL the last two seasons.

"It's incredible. I'm probably the luckiest guy in the world," Thomason said Tuesday after he signed with the Eagles to replace injured tight end Chad Lewis, a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Lewis, who hurt his foot on the second of his two touchdown catches in Philadelphia's 27-10 victory over Atlanta in the NFC title game, was put on injured reserve to make roster space.

Thomason was working as a project manager for a construction company in New Jersey when the Eagles called Monday. Lewis actually made the first call, telling Thomason he was recommending him as a replacement.

"That just shows how unselfish Chad is to be thinking about me at that time," said Thomason, who kept in shape by competing in triathlons.

This will be Thomason's third trip to the Super Bowl. He went twice with the Packers when Eagles coach Andy Reid was an assistant under Mike Holmgren.

We've decided to include the betED $5 question in our newsletter! It's simple: Simply come up with the answer to our question within 24 hours of receiving this email, email it to our promotions department and you will have $5 credited to your account. You can collect free money every week* and use it to wager at the betED Sportsbook or Casino.

What year was the last Pro Bowl played outside of Hawaii?

A - 1975
B - 1976
C - 1978
D - 1979

Send the correct answer to promotions@beted.com & include your member user name in the email, and you will win $5!

*Conditions apply.