Blogging in the Boston Globe, sportswriter Mike Reiss noted the lack of flags thrown on the Patriots Monday:

“The Patriots were not flagged for any accepted penalties against St. Louis (a holding penalty was declined), marking the first penalty-free game in the franchise’s 731-game history. The Patriots have been called for just one penalty in a game on 13 occasions, most recently on Sept. 10, 2006 against Buffalo. New England’s penalty-free performance was the first in the NFL this season and the first for an NFL team since Seattle was not flagged for any accepted infractions against Baltimore on Dec. 23, 2007. The Patriots’ penalty-free game was the 50th such performance by an NFL team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.”

No word on whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent the officiating crew a thank-you note for its fine work protecting the blessed Patriots.

The Rams sent league officials a video of a few of the more egregious non-calls, including an obvious personal foul committed against quarterback Marc Bulger. But, Rams coach Jim Haslett acknowledged, raising such concerns does no good.

“I love the responses,” Haslett said Monday, smiling wryly.

So why does he bother?

“To let them know that you know,” he said.

OUR NATIONAL HEALTH CARE CRISIS

Here is a terrifying look at what is happening a the University of Minnesota:

Americans are wary of universal health care, but when we’re turning over the medical care of our young people to college mascots . . .

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while waiting for the rain to stop falling on Philadelphia?

• Will the Rams defense gear up for Kurt Warner’s return?
• Will Warner put up a 300-yard, three-TD game at the Edward Jones Dome just for old time’s sake?
• With Ty Willingham forced out at Washington, will the Huskies make a big play for Gary Pinkel?
• Why is New England the NFL’s least-penalized team? Is it Bill Belichick’s great coaching – or is the fix in with the officials?

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Norman Chad, syndicated columnist: “By the way, have you ever noticed how similar golf courses and cemeteries look? Eventually we are going to run out of land, so is there any way we can combine these two cash cows? I mean, if you put some headstones in the sand traps, those bunkers would be even more hazardous, no? Plus, it could be a big moneymaker — what avid weekend golfer wouldn’t pay a premium for a cemetery plot right off Rae’s Creek at Augusta National? I smell big bucks for a dying industry.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Daunte Culpepper, who announced in September he was retiring because no teams were interested, now says he is coming out of retirement so that those teams can continue to be not interested.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “News item: Plaxico Burress receives three fines from the league totaling $45,000 - not long after being docked a week’s salary ($117,000) by the Giants for missing a team meeting. Comment: I’m beginning to think Plaxico, in anticipation of an Obama presidency, is trying to get his taxable income under $250,000.”

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “Brian Vickers‘ Red Bull Racing team was punished severely when the crew was caught dipping Brian’s car in acid to make it lighter. That was stupid. Don’t you guys watch TV commercials? If you want to make the car fly, dip it in Red Bull.”

Rick Chandler, Deadspin: “The forecast for the San Francisco 49ers season changed dramatically on Sunday from dismal to dangerous; like the difference between a cold, monotonous drizzle and a lightening storm in the mountains. And we can thank Mike Singletary for that. Not only did the 49ers’ new interim coach pull a player out of the game and tell him to “take a shower and go sit in the stands,” but he went to the sidelines and apologized to the fans (pictured here) following his team’s stinky 34-13 loss to the Seahawks. The spectacle then continued with a post-game rant. The 49ers season, of course, could now not be more doomed . . . or more fun.”

MEGAPHONE

“We’ll stay here if we have to celebrate Thanksgiving here.”

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, on the prospect of further rain delays in Philadelphia.