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Ponderous thoughts I was pondering while watching the mile markers go by on Interstate 495 for a "local" game:

I just had to laugh Tuesday morning when I read the story in which a State Police spokesman said he thought the traffic situation leading to Gillette Stadium this past Sunday "went well."

He obviously was not trying to drive in it.

I expect the spokesmen for the state cops and for the Patriots' organization to lie to us. That's their job. Clearly, the Kraft organization does not want to tell the world that the 5-mile-and-more backups to I-495 in Wrentham is what you'll be able to expect for the rest of recorded time because of the Patriot Place development, because that might negatively affect the bottom line - and not just on game Sundays, either.

You know how it is when something gets a negative rap, The effects spread like a fungus, and people start looking at their catalogs and computer screens instead of making a drive to a place that has the reputation of being a mob scene, deserved or otherwise. But the fact remains that every single reporter covering the Patriots who came from the direction of Providence on Sunday entered the press box cursing the traffic - and no, reporters get no more special privileges (other than a parking pass) than anyone else driving to a game.

Those who came from as far as 495 said traffic was backed up some distance leading to the U.S. 1 exit, then the stop-and-go conditions existed the whole length of Route 1 - getting especially bad as people struggled to figure out if they were in the proper lanes for the Bass Pro Shops or for the football parking lots, then tried to weave through the scores of stationary cars to get to their proper lanes.

For many, it took an hour and a half or more to move from 495 to the stadium exits. If that "went well," maybe you'd also like to try pounding nails into your hand because it might be less painful than, say, abdominal surgery without anesthesia.

There had been some improvement in the traffic flow since the first night game of the season, but according to those to whom I spoke, it backtracked badly for the Eagles' game. And in general, traffic is now a lot slower on the northbound approach on Route 1 than it was in the first four years of Gillette Stadium's existence.

From personal experience, I found that stop-and-go backup didn't begin in recent years until well after the Lafayette House, closer to the Red Fox or Outlaw BBQ, because the traffic pattern and multiple entrances worked.

Now, with Patriot Place in place and most fan parking relocated across the street - and with no pedestrian flyover to eliminate that additional dangerous situation - going to a Patriots' game has regressed to the bad old days of Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium.

Now, I have to admit, for the first time in the past five years and well beyond that, I did not take my usual northbound route to the stadium because I did not want to spend more than an hour in my car, wasting gas and cursing out those who'd be cutting me off every eighth of a mile or so. I found an alternate route that, while longer than my usual trek, was actually more efficient, at least by a few minutes.

But I'm sorry, I'm not going to tell you how I did it. I'm selfish enough that you'll have to figure it out by yourselves

Seriously, global warming has my approval if all future Thanksgiving Day football games can be conducted in 65-degree weather. Could there have been any better reason to go to a game this year, even if you didn't have a rooting interest?

I almost wish I could take back the "blueprint" reference in my game story from Sunday night now that I've learned that it was John Madden's recurring theme in the NBC broadcast. It got trite in a hurry because of that. Besides, I've come to believe that the Eagles' blitzing tactics only served to confirm what people already knew, that lots of pressure would rattle Tom Brady. But he now has Wes Welker to compensate, and the result was a three-point win. Some blueprint, huh?

Local football fans can rest assured that they will be able to see the Patriots' game against the Giants on Dec. 29, scheduled for viewing on the NFL Network, even if they chose not to pay Comcast even more for the privilege of getting that channel. Boston's WCVB-TV (Ch. 5) will be the local outlet. However, there will not be a Providence-based outlet for Rhode Islanders who don't get Channel 5 as part of their basic cable

By the way, WSBK-TV (Ch. 38) has blocked out from 3:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Saturday for coverage of three of the MIAA high school football Super Bowls from Gillette Stadium, in case you don't want to brave the Route 1 traffic - which, admittedly, will be a lot less of a problem.

I'm told parking at the stadium for the high school games will be free. More details, including the order of the games, will be available later today

Someone tried on Monday to pump Bill Belichick for his perspective on staying undefeated Sunday night, without success. I can guarantee the out-of-town writers right now that he'll take the same tack even after Super Bowl XLII is finished. "We're 0-0 right now," he'll say

And just as we think it's time to take a break, basketball begins almost immediately with the Feehan girls cranking it up on Dec. 6 with a game at Fairhaven, and the Seekonk boys following the next night at home against Johnston, R.I. No rest for the weary

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com