Leftovers before the Thanksgiving holiday:

* Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson isn’t the only one asking “Why So Serious?”

I was thinking the same thing about all the controversy surrounding Bristol Palin this season on “Dancing with the Stars.”

It is a silly competition that is part performance and part popularity contest. It gets ridiculously large ratings for a even more ridiculous small prize called The Mirror Ball, with the viewership enhanced because all the performers are feel-good stories.

Jennifer Grey (see above with father Joel Grey) and partner Derek Hough deservedly won the ABC title Wednesday night several minutes after the real drama ended when Sarah Palin’s daughter was deservedly eliminated first in the three-way finals. Kyle Massey was second.

It was the right outcome, even if it counting the votes is more complicated than what is going in the 60th Senate Seat race here.

The judges had Palin third, but the show didn’t make it easy to determine if  that meant Palin was a goner. If the producers explained the rules better, the suspense would be reduced.

Now that Grey has won, TV viewers can move on to the next popularity contest — “American Idol” next month.

* Was I the only Bills fan Sunday who wished the accident that sent Channel 4 viewers the end of the New York Jets game with Houston for several seconds had continued rather than being forced to watch the final two minutes of garbage time of the Bills win?

The Jets game was more interesting at that point.

By the way, the switch was a CBS network mistake. CBS did switch back to the Jets game in time to see the winning touchdown with 10 seconds left.

* “Saturday Night Live” had one of its best filmed pieces of the year on its Thanksgiving show in satirizing the TSA pat-down controversy. I had the humiliating airport experience last week and the guy doing it was just as embarrassed as I was. Before anyone says they feel it is necessary, they should have to experience it.

* Inquiring minds want to know: Why is NBC’s “Chase” getting another shot despite terrible ratings? It is a Jerry Bruckheimer show and the producer of all the “CSIs” had the power to get an order for 22 episodes.

* The Bills remain the area’s top TV draw by far, getting a 29.1 rating on Channel 4 for the comeback win over Cincinnati despite losing many viewers at halftime when the Bills were down by 17 points. The rating for this Sunday’s Pittsburgh game should be in the 30s and remaining televised games should stay there when the weather turns colder.

* Finally, CBS reports that Lily Aldridge will be a guest on its Sunday pre-game show. She might not be that well-known to football fans. She’s a Victoria’s Secret Model, who will be there to pick the games and promote the annual holiday underwear show that CBS carries at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

pergament@msn.com