TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2002 -- I just got off the phone with Jon Keller of WLVI-TV. I was making my apologies for missing his big debate last night with the Democratic candidates for governor -- Treasurer Shannon O’Brien, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, former Watertown state senator Warren Tolman, and Senate President Tom Birmingham. I was with -- well maybe not with but at the same location as -- the Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his sons Matt and Tagg. We were among the 68,000 individuals to witness the official opening of Gillette Stadium, where the New England Patriots trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-14.

Given the expectations of low voter interest in the Democratic Primary, maybe Romney is onto something. Certainly the focus of the Boston-area last night was on watching a Patriots team of Super Bowl champions that nonetheless gets no respect from the national media or Las Vegas handicappers. The night’s first star was the magnificent stadium -- more good food offerings that a Boston fan can imagine, outstanding sight lines, even in the nosebleed seats where I sat (the Romneys nowhere to be spotted), and comfortable chairs. The pre-game festivities featured 40 minutes of pageantry complete with a tribute to Patriots past -- Steve Grogan, Stanley Morgan, Andre Tippett -- footage of the Super Bowl season, and a jaw-dropping laser show and fireworks display accompanied by Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy.’ (President George H.W. Bush performed the coin toss. He was identified as a Milton native, a Yale graduate, and a Kennebunkport resident -- not the usual Bush Family credentials during presidential campaigns when it’s Texas, Texas, and more Texas.)

By the time kickoff arrived, my buddy Jim pointed out " now we’ve got a football game to watch. " I’ll leave the sports commentary to others, but point one thing out: On the question of which team is better, maybe the Patriots can play the Steelers another 10 times and dominate them like they did last night and Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart might figure it out. (Maybe Willie McGinest can help him figure it out.)

Today’s Boston Herald fronts its paper with news of a new poll reportedly showing O’Brien and Reich tied at 28 percent. No offense to the Herald, but something’s not right with the paper’s polling. First, the Herald trotted a poll out two weeks ago showing that Reich had the best chance to beat Romney among Democrats. This poll was strange because rather than a traditional head-to-head it simply pitted each Democrat up against Romney -- a poll which means absolutely nothing in the context of a hotly contested governor’s race. Second, the Herald came out and endorsed Reich last week. And now the Herald poll showing the dead heat. I don’t have any evidence that there’s anything screwy with the Herald poll, but I don’t have any great confidence about its accuracy either.

One development that seems to be happening is that the undecided voters are breaking one of two ways -- Reich or Tolman. It’s not out of the question that the weeks of hammering O’Brien’s been taking both from her fellow Democrats, especially Birmingham), and Romney is taking a toll on the state treasurer. In fact, I’d expect that to be reflected in polls. The problem is given the way the Herald has packaged its recent poll stories and the fact that it doesn’t yet jibe with anybody else’s data. I’ll remain somewhat skeptical until I can see some other polling to reinforce the Herald’s finding.