The Avenger

What about for the Bills (and Bengals) fans who aren't in the area? I'm seeing the same thing - my Tivo guide does not show the game being rebroadcast AT ALL. I'm tuning in at 1, but I'll be ticked if I never get to see this game after the NFL Network hyped that they were carrying ALL preseason games?

Don't forget that under FISA you could actually do the tapping first and then get it cleared with a warrant afterwards if time was really of the essence, but I guess when Bush claims wartime powers he doesn't feel he needs to clear anything or do the paperwork...

I'd defintely keep Ronnie Brown - a young workhorse RB - it's a no-brainer. I'd also keep Eli - he's also very young and showed some good things last year - with another year of maturity he could be very good. After these 2 things get a bit murkier, but I'd say your options should be Lee Evans (a young #1 WR on an offense that could be pretty anemic), Willie Parker (also young and did good things last year but not sure how many carries he'll get per game) and Kevin Jones (young but took a big step backwards last year - can he rebound?). Gonzales, Dillon and Horn could post decent numbers this year, but are definitely on the downside. Dillion is particularly risky because the rookie RB NE took in the second round looks good so far - they'll want to get him some carries. In a keeper league I think you have to drop those guys.

I know how hard it is to schedule a draft (it's like herding cats), but 7pm on a Monday is bad for me as I have a standing conference call with a client in Australia at that time. Any way we could move it to 7:30 or a weekend? Not sure what would work best for people and if it's only me who can't do a Monday at 7pm then I'll have to suck it up and figure out what to do.

Who are you talking about?

I'll admit it - I was a bit happy to see that pick. I don't think I'm a bad fan and I don't think it means that I like to root against my favorite team. What it means is that things are so messed up and pathetic I don't trust the organization to do the right thing and decide once and for all whether JP is the guy or whether we have to start all over again. Face it - the good of the team was sacrificed for the good of the coaching staff and a few more wins last season when they lost their nerve to let JP play and paniced (thankfully Cincy let Palmer play a full season instead of canning him after 8 pretty shaky games). What did the decision to go with Holcomb get us? Nothing - we didn't make the playoffs, TD (and Mularkey, by extension) lost their jobs, and we found ourselves with a draft pick a few worse that where we would have been without a couple more wins. Sad to say, but at this point what would make me happy isn't winning 10 games, isn't even finishing at .500. It would be being patient enough to understand where we are in terms of QB and watching a guy become a solid QB (best case) or show he doesn't have it (worst case). The fans knew what had to be done last season, but the organization refused to do the right thing in a an attempt to win some meaningless games and minimize fan discontent - it had just the opposite effect on me and I want that to change this year.

Here's how to tell what you are getting when you order in New England: Milkshake - milk and some sort of syrup whipped up and frothed. Frappe - This is milk, syrup and ice cream - what most people think of a milkshake.

I'm not sure that the Bills have the luxury of not getting a veteran in in JP doesn't materilaize. Sure you could draft a kid next year, but how long after that will he be a solid starter in the league even if he isn't a bust, has the skills and develops? When you're pushing being out of the playoffs for a decade there is precious little time to allow a new kid to develop. Seriously - can you wait another 3-4 years to be a good team again?

You can't tag the blocked punt on Moorman - when someone up front lets a defender come through untouched there's not much the punter can do.

Not sure what this league is like - is it common to intentionally walk to win games, or is it supposed to be one of those leagues where everyone is supposed to play? Big difference in my mind. Assuming that intentional walks are seen from time to time, I don't have a problem when a coach decides to walk the other team's best hitter in a championship game. There is no problem if the coach makes that call willing to walk the best hitter in order to pitch to anyone else (even the second best hitter) and if he doesn't know that the next batter is a cancer kid. The coach is really in a loose-loose situation - if he walks the kid people say he's picking on a cancer kid, if he pitches to the best hitter and his kids loose the game his kids and their parents blast him. The only way I think that walking the best hitter is the wrong decision is if this is the type of league where it's not really about the competition and everyone plays and/or the coach knew the next batter was a cancer kid.

I personally don't think fascism is the right term - fascism denotes a central system of power lead by a dictator with belligerent nationalist overtones. What makes the extremeist different is that they are not advocating a dictatorship or a nation state - they want to promote religion. If there was a central muslim state and Allah was a tangible person, then they'd be advocating fascism. They claim to be fighting for Allah and the Muslim world - both of which are defined by religion. The more accurate term is theocracy - they want a system ruled by religion (i.e.- the Taliban).

No, but a justification for a unilateral preemptive strike against a nation that does not yet have nuclear weapons - that sounds pretty good.

Sounds so damn familiar, just can't place it...hmmm...oh yeah, "the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" Not saying it's not true, but past history has shown that sometimes you have to question the validity of such things, particularly when they fit nicely into how you'd like things to play out...

If you aren't crazy about flying today and you're willing to fly later, why not go to the airport and get bumped and pick up a voucher towards a future ticket? If there have been cancellations they will be looking for people to give up their seats and will be giving out decent compensation because they are so overbooked. Just a thought. My college roommate lived across the country and when he would go home for a break at peak traveling times he would always budget extra time to get home so that he could get bumped and pick up free flights for the future - worked like a charm. One Christmas he got bumped 3 times and picked up 3 round trip tickets.

I Tivo'ed it last night - hope to get a chance to see it this evening. Upcoming episodes are a guy who decides to give New Age therapies a try for 30 days, a pro-choice woman who works at a women's clinic who goes to live with a family of pro-lifers, and Morgan Spurlock going to jail for 30 days (including 72 hours in solitary) - good stuff!

I've been watching - I love that show - one of the best on TV. I saw all of season 1 and was very impressed and I've really enjoyed the 2 this season - can't wait to see what else they have (it looks like Morgan Spurlock will do 30 days in jail). Funny - I think the subject matter of the 2 episodes this season (illegal immigration and outsourcing) are almost the same - people from other parts of the world willing to work for a fraction of what Americans need to make a decent living just because their situations are so bad. The only difference is WHERE the work is done - if they come to the work in the U.S. its illegal, but if the work comes to them in India its legal. The net net is the same - Americans are losing jobs and the value of work is declining. First it was manufacturing jobs that left, now its service and technology jobs - what's next? What's left?

That's it? A crumby commercial?

Don't you see? - it's happened already - He is injured! How can you look square into the end of days and not see it?

Teddy Bruschi's wrist will keep him out of the entire preseason - evidently when He laid hands on himself He did not heal. Looks like He is targeting a reurn for week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. Be prepared to hear nothing about the Bills or even the game in the days leading up to and through the game - it will be all Bruschi, all the time. Just think about the month they have to put together all the story packages on how Teddy is lord and savior and how this is 'Comeback II - He is Risen'. Bruschi Fest 2006 - come for the miracles, stay for the a$$ kissing, then go home and vomit...

Yeah - I brought this up last week when the list of rule changes was announced, but the article said it was on free kicks (after a safety, or going for a FG upon fielding a punt), but we decided that those were pretty rare circumstances and wouldn't have much impact. Sounds like it DOES cover onsides kicks and that's a shame because now there's almost no way to get the ball back after scoring - it was low percentage to begin with - now it's even harder.

Actully, Teddy already has a food/beverage deal - his body and blood are served every Sunday at communion services in churches throughout New England.

Hadn't read the forums on the site since last week - last time I checked there was nothing new - guess its come back to life. Any thoughts on draft date/time? I can't do 8/16 or 8/27 but other than that I should be free.

I was just about to ask the very same questions - when is the draft, and what do we do with dead teams? Problem with dead teams is what to do with the keepers - do new oners get stuck with the same players that are on the dead teams, or do we have some sort of special draft for them? Also, what's the fee for this year and how do we get it to you?

Its been my experience that in leagues with points awarded for receptions Westbrook is a top scorer year after year, but he's a bit under the radar because he doesn't rush for 100+ week in and week out (and most fantasy sources don't have him ranked highly because they assume a more conventional scoring system). The key to winning is understanding your scoring system, not picking someone who's projected to do well in another system.

If you only get 3 points for 100 yards rushing/receiving but 2 points per 3 receptions it sounds like you're going to need to get a guy who catches losts of balls. There would be a huge premium on guys that catch the ball out of the backfield - a guy who catches 6 balls is going to get you as many points as a guy who catches 0 but runs fo 125. Forget who's going to put up the rushing stats - I'd say your choice is a guy who will getting passes out of the backfield.