This space won’t be going off grid

You already know the Lakers are playing the Celtics on Sunday and the Ducks are currently sweeping through Canada and the Kings probably will be swept in Colorado and Chicago this weekend. Today’s column is a football-only zone, beginning with the game everybody must see -- and will be able to see, thanks to some angry football fans who work in Washington . . .

New England Patriots at New York Giants (Saturday, 5:15 p.m., Channel 2 and Channel 4 and NFL Network): The Redskins beating the Giants in Giants Stadium on Dec. 16 was big, but it was mere prelude to the hit Washington put on the NFL’s New York offices this week.

Before Wednesday, the Patriots’ pursuit of perfection (to quote ESPN’s omnipresent on-screen graphic) was going to be seen only by the select few who have access to the league’s own NFL Network. Or, anybody up for the old-school tradition of trudging out to a sports bar and mingling with humans for three hours, rather than e-mailing or texting them?

In SoCal, the cry went up: “For 16 weeks, the networks shove Giants telecasts down our throats. Finally, there’s a Giants game we want to see -- and we can’t see it!”

That changed when the NFL, flinching in the face of congressional heat, announced that the Patriots’ bid to go 16-0 would be seen on free over-the-air TV -- on CBS as well as NBC. That enabled NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to deliver the sanctimonious statement, “We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans.”

Translation: We have taken this extraordinary step because members of Congress have suggested that the offensive line in charge of protecting the NFL’s antitrust exemption might be thinking about taking a few plays off.

So on Saturday, anybody in America can tune in to CBS or NBC and see the NFL Network’s live feed of the Patriots-Giants action. That will mean listening to Bryant Gumbel calling the play by play. Sorry, America. Can’t have everything.

If Bryant Gumbel is an absolute deal-breaker for you, here’s another viewing option for Saturday evening. . . .

Alamo Bowl, Penn State versus Texas A&M; (Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN): The last time the NFL offered a live national simulcast was January 1967, the first Super Bowl, which was broadcast by CBS and NBC -- with each network using its own announcers.

Ah, competition! Creative tension! Freedom of choice!

Those were the days, remembers Joe Paterno, who had just turned 40 when Super Bowl I was played.

WTMBG (Way Too Many Bowl Games) Season continues, and here is a leading example of that. . . .

Texas Bowl, Houston versus Texas Christian (today, 5 p.m., NFL Network): Outraged Houston and TCU fans without access to NFL Network want to know why Congress is dragging its feet on this one.

Answer to the question: Whatever happened to Boston College? . . .

Champs Sports Bowl, Boston College versus Michigan State (today, 2 p.m., ESPN): From No. 2 in the nation to the No. 2 bowl game to be played in Orlando, Fla., in the next five days, that’s what happened.

College football pays tribute to the quaint, long-bygone notion of “NFL parity” (remember that one?) . . .

Independence Bowl, Alabama versus Colorado (Sunday, 5 p.m., ESPN): Both teams are 6-6. The Independence From Quality Football Bowl.

America celebrates its hallowed pursuit of life, liberty, dependable car care and a good bag of smoked almonds . . .

Liberty Bowl, Central Florida versus Mississippi State (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., ESPN) and Meineke Bowl, Connecticut versus Wake Forest (Saturday, 10 a.m., ESPN) and Emerald Bowl, Maryland versus Oregon State (today, 5:30 p.m., ESPN): All this talk about Independence and Liberty bowls got me thinking. Nobody around here seems to miss the Freedom Bowl.

Saturday football marathon on Fox Soccer Channel! . . .

Chelsea versus Newcastle (Saturday, 7 a.m., FSC) and Everton versus Arsenal (Saturday, 9 a.m., FSC) and Birmingham City versus Fulham (Saturday, 11:30 a.m., delayed, FSC) and Portsmouth versus Middlesbrough (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., FSC): Eight and a half hours of English football! Four games featuring four of the top seven teams in English football! And no mention at all of the BCS!

Old rivalry, rekindled . . .

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Channel 11): Left out of the CBS-NBC-NFL Network Patriots-Giants share-a-thon, Fox gets what will probably be a better game -- Washington (8-7) trying to defeat Dallas (13-2) to make the playoffs. If that happens, it will mark the first time the Cowboys and the Redskins have reached the playoffs during the same season since 1999.

Old rivalry, dwindled . . .

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Channel 2): The Chargers (10-5) and the Raiders (4-11) haven’t reached the playoffs during the same season since the strike year of 1982.

Punt . . .

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears (Sunday, 10 a.m., Channel 11): Time capsule unearthed at Soldier Field reveals shocking finding. Eleven months ago, these teams played for the NFC championship!

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christine.daniels@latimes.com