FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH:

•Is Tom Brady’s recovery behind schedule, as former Journal colleague Tom E. Curran has reported on NBC.com?

Who really knows, given that Curran’s assertion has been questioned by other NFL reporters.

And maybe it’s because I know Curran, and also know that the Patriots never tell the entire truth when discussing injuries, that if I had to choose one side or the other, it would be that, yes, Brady is behind schedule.

What this would mean — if it’s actually true — is also shrouded in mystery. Would he miss the start of next season? Half of the season? The entire year? What would that mean to the futures of Brady and Matt Cassel?

No one knows, and don’t expect the Pats to tell us. You would have better luck getting war plans out of the Pentagon. But this has become the story of this Patriots’ offseason, maybe as big an offseason story as there is in football.

•Look up “baseball mercenary” in the dictionary, and there’s Manny’s picture.

•All four underdogs are favored in the NFL playoffs this weekend.

•There’s no truth to the rumor that Christmas around here would have been better, but Santa downsized.

•Or that if Armageddon comes to Rhode Island, it will come in the form of a snowstorm.

•Line of the Week comes from the New York Daily News on the firing of Eric Mangini: “Can-Gini.”

•Line of the Week II is an all-time favorite from Kurt Vonnegut, who once said your whole life is like junior high school. And he didn’t live long enough to see adults on Facebook.

•The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a one-trick pony that goes on way too long, even if parts of it work.

•Did you see where former Celtics player Ricky Davis has been suspended for five games for violating the NBA’s drug policy? File under “Dog Bites Man.”

•And that the Browns supposedly have an interest in Mangini? What’s the matter, Rich Kotite’s not available?

•Former Brown receiver Paul Raymond was just signed to the Giants’ practice squad, which reunites him on the Giants with former Brown teammate Zak DeOssie.

•If my 401(k) account gets any lower, I’m going to end up owing it money.

•There’s no truth to the rumor that St. John’s broke two rims in The Dunk in its morning shoot-around before it played the Friars.

•Or that if Caroline Kennedy gets the Senate seat, Neil Diamond sings the song at the induction ceremony.

•If you put dysfunction in shoulder pads, it would be the Cowboys.

•Just when you thought the University of Miami’s colors were orange and green, they came out the other day against St. John’s wearing black uniforms with orange trim. Go figure.

•The New York Times is trying to sell its 17.5 percent interest in the Red Sox.

•On his Working On A Dream, Springsteen seems be channeling his inner Roy Orbison.

•Nothing is better for a coach out of work than to be on network TV shows. Bill Cowher is the latest example.

•The Celtics need another big guy before they need Starbury.

•Once Mangini appeared in the Sopranos, it was only a matter of time before he got whacked, right?

•The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, will keep you reading.

•St. John’s has only three New York City kids on its roster.

•Was there a reason why Brady rarely seemed to be around when the Pats were playing, or was it just a priority thing?

•Hendricken basketball player Tom Stacom is the son of former Friar great Kevin Stacom.

•You know the culture is phasing you out, Bunky, when you look at a list of the top songs of the year and you don’t know any of them.

•The irony is that Rick Pitino had better shooters on his first PC team than he does now with a Louisville team that’s supposed to be a Final Four team.

•And UConn is another highly ranked team that wouldn’t win too many H-O-R-S-E games.

•Wars have been won quicker than the Red Sox are dealing with the Jason Varitek situation.

•Could the Lions have won the Rose Bowl?

•Valkyrie is good, not great, for the simple reason we all know the ending going in.

• Speaking of quizzes, last week’s question about which Celtic was in a movie should have said current Celtic, as several people e-mailed in to say that Bob Cousy was in Blue Chips and Chuck Connors, the ol’ Rifleman himself, was in several movies.

•R.I.P. Claiborne Pell, whose Pell Grants are a wonderful legacy.

•And Jim Cavanaugh, too, who taught baseball and life to an entire generation of kids in Edgewood.

•The bowl games are like politicians — the fewer there are the better it is.

•There haven’t been too many stories in the NFL this year any better than Matt Ryan, the former Boston College star, now the rookie quarterback for the surprising Falcons.

•One word to Brett Favre: enough.

•And one word for all of us on the start of this new year: help.

breynold@projo.com