Krause: Here’s hoping a good guy goes out a winner

This is going to sound crazy, but I’m torn Sunday ? torn between the regional loyalty of wanting the Patriots to win; and the local pride of knowing an actual NFL coach personally, and knowing that despite all the trouble he’s encountered this year, he’s a decent guy who deserves better.I know, you’re saying. Dick Jauron is a grown man. He has enough money to last him the rest of his life, and neither he nor his family will ever go hungry. And you’d be right, especially knowing how meticulous he is.But there are only 32 National Football League coaches and one of them grew up and played sports in Swampscott. So while the national media speculate about Jauron’s job, and practically predict the date the axe will fall, I hold out hope that he’ll meet a kinder, gentler fate.I understand that it might not matter what the Bills do against the Patriots Sunday. If the win, and finish at 8-8, it might not be enough. Not after getting off to a 4-0 start and making everyone in Buffalo and beyond think that the Bills had a shot at dethroning the Tom Brady-less Patriots and winning the AFC East.Things haven’t always gone Jauron’s way. Quarterback Trent Edwards got hurt, and JP Losman played in that fateful game against the Jets ? and lost the game all by himself.Naturally, as is his custom, Jauron took the heat for Losman’s egregious fumble just before the two-minute warning that cost the Bills an upset (and, at the time, could have helped the Patriots tremendously). He’s a stand up guy, and he stood up. Those who know him understand that’s just how he is.Owner Ralph Wilson says he’s still on the fence, which is really not what you want to hear in situations such as these. You don’t want your owner on the fence. You want him to do what Jerry Jones just did in Dallas, and reaffirm his faith in Wade Phillips, who is a member-in-good-standing of the recycling club.Even the complete vote of confidence isn’t necessarily a guarantee. You’ve heard of the kiss of death? The complete vote of confidence has been known to have the same effect.So in that sense, if you hear your owner say “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” you’d better start packing.It’s also fair to say that even if Jauron doesn’t make it in Buffalo, he’ll work somewhere. He’s a pretty popular guy around the league, and Bill Belichick, in particular, can’t say enough good things about him. So much so that you wonder whether he’d find a spot for Jauron in Foxborough if nothing else came along for him.Still, if he is to go out, I’d like to see him go out on a high note. He deserves that. He actually took a team that was pretty wretched four years ago and led it at least to respectability. He just couldn’t make the leap from respectability to excellence.I know exactly what’s at stake. The Patriots won’t make the playoffs if they don’t win in Buffalo tomorrow. And all that kvetching about the Jets lying down like dogs will go for naught if the Bills win.Is it heretical to suggest that the Patriots have had more than their share of success in this decade? That they’re too flawed a team to do much of anything in the playoffs anyway? And that it wouldn’t be a terrible thing if a good guy got to restore a little bit of his dignity on his way out the door?I hope not. It’ s a win-win situation for a Lynn-area fan. Either the Patriots win and the Jets turn me into a liar by beating Miami (and the Patriots go to the playoffs), or we get to see the local guy go out a winner.Steve Krause is sports editor of The Item