Rubes

I'm betting that Mularkey learned his lesson in the season finale. We'll see.

The thing about the Patriots that is both impressive and infuriating is that they are an incredibly disciplined team. You can see it on offense and defense. On offense, the things that always gets me is how they manage to convert third downs, no matter what the distance. They always seem to have at least one receiver open, and it appears to be a combination of good strategy, good route running, and good decision-making by the QB. On defense, they always seem to know where to be. Defenders constantly are in position to make the play, and they rarely miss. That seems to be a combination of good strategy, good study, and very disciplined play. It's impressive, but it sucks. I hate them.

Didn't you already post this 15 minutes earlier?

All that and 16 fumbles this season to boot!

Centers is listed as a New England Patriot for 2003, so the answer would be yes. He didn't get a lot of play time, though. He actually had more rushing attempts than receptions, which is pretty unusual for him.

Man, folks around here are getting cranky...

I'm ready to see Henry leave as much as anyone, but calling him "brittle bones" is a bit unfair. Anytime a linebacker, or anyone as big as a football player for that matter (kickers and punters aside), puts their full weight in the middle of your lower leg, it will snap. Just ask Terrell Owens, not exactly someone I would label "brittle bones". His injury isn't exactly like some others...ones where ligaments are stretched or shoulders popped out or backs are strained, whatever. Physics happens and legs break. Nothing you can do about it, and nothing about a guy's past history will change how easily it will break.

Is this movie available on DVD? I only own two DVDs, but this is one I'd pony up for.

For those interested in this debate (particularly Scott and Chris), there was a very interesting article posted yesterday on Motley Fool, located here. This guy was pretty hard on Apple, particularly from a financial aspect. Too harsh, I though, but then again I'm just another Apple homer. What was really interesting is that he posted this article before yesterday's earnings report came out. Want to see a journalist eat crow? Check out his commentary from today. One of the most interesting snippets: Talk about a 24-hour turnaround...

This really comes down to one thing: when the coaching staff believes he is ready to play, he will play. The benefit (if you want to call it that) of having Bledsoe on the team is that they don't have to play the guy next year if they don't believe he is ready. They will make that decision just fine without our help. The way I look at it, however, next year may be a very good opportunity to start him, assuming he's mentally ready for it. We have a strong defense which is returning mostly intact. We have an offensive line that began to play well together, and they are returning mostly intact. And we also have two emerging stars on offense, including a running back who appears to be very capable of handling the load of a run-first offense. Given all of that, while the pressure on JP to succeed will be great (as it will be whenever he is given the green light to start), next season he should have a strong supporting cast around him to help take some of that pressure off of him. It was a similar situation that helped Ben Roth succeed. It was also a very different situation that made Leaf, Harrington, et al, look more lost.

I'll let y'all know what the Shuffle is like when mine arrives....

Touché...although I was referring to his avatar....

My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.

Might try this one at HBO.com... I only watched a few episodes...I liked it, very well written and acted, nicely done, but I just didn't get into it like some of their other stuff. Wife loves it, though, as do a lot of folks. I would recommend giving it a try, although it's well into the story at this point.

I'm still trying to figure out if this is supposed to mean you're for or against starting JP next year.

Our local weatherman here in SLC is one of the best I've ever seen, and I've lived a lot of places. He's really good. I enjoy watching the weather when he's on.

Vandy doesn't do kickoffs?

Every GM loves cheap players, at least if they are producing at a cheap price. I don't think Donohoe is cheap, however. I just think he won't necessarily break the bank for a player he doesn't think is worth it. Is Jonas worth it? I don't know the answer to that. We'll find out. IMO, I would love to have Jonas back as long as our cap isn't destroyed in the process, and we can still afford to find some quality guys in FA. With no #1 pick this year, we may be able to do that.

That was so painful to watch I couldn't get through it. I had to stop it.

Good God, I'm being compared to ICE? Now I've heard everything.

I do agree completely with this. If we had made the playoffs this year, I would have been ecstatic just to have been there after all this time. Would we win the Super Bowl this year? No way. So why is it different for next year? Because we have a young, talented QB getting paid millions just sitting on the bench. Do we want to rush him in and possibly hurt his development? Not at all, but that's the kind of judgement I'll leave to the coaching staff. If Drew starts next year because JP isn't ready yet (in their minds), I can live with that. Will we win the Super Bowl? Nope. But if JP is even close to being ready, why put off his development another year? If we could, possibly, win the Super Bowl with JP somewhere down the line, why not get started down that road sooner rather than later, particularly if we don't think we can win the Super Bowl with our current QB? Mind you, I don't know if we can win the SB with JP or not. I'd sure like to find that out. I do have the opinion, however, that we won't win the SB with Drew. If we have a quality defense right now, and an offensive line that's improving right now, and some emerging stars on offense right now, then if JP is even close to being ready why not put all those pieces together right now?

I have no idea what the best move is. Ideally, we would keep Jonas, but I don't know if we will be able to do that. If Jonas leaves, I think we will see Teague move to LT and we will go after a C in free agency. Then we'll let Tucker start at LG and probably draft another one with our 2nd pick. That would seem to be the cheapest way to go without losing too much.

I've read your comments the past few days on this topic, FFS, and I get what you're saying. I agree with you, in that I have faith in this staff to decide when and if JP is ready. But the reality, as I see it, is this: Can we win the Super Bowl with Drew at the helm next year? My opinion is no. Could we make the playoffs next year with Drew? I think there's a good chance of it. Some of this depends on what happens this offseason at other positions, but if we assume we start off next year where we left off this year, I think we'll have a good shot at a wild card. So the next question is: Is that good enough? That's a tough one. The way I see it, in my opinion, not quite. If the future is JP (and it is), and we are not likely to win the Super Bowl next year with Drew at the helm, then what are we doing? I think it's quite possible that we take a step backward with JP in his first year. It's impossible to tell. But that's what I have faith in the coaching staff to decide. This may be an ideal time to have JP start the learning process, with a strong defense returning mostly intact, an offensive line that is finally getting their act together and is returning mostly intact, and two emerging stars on offense that should only get better next year. You could use that same argument to say that the time is right to have Drew return next season as the starter, to show what he is ultimately capable of with an improving team around him. I just don't think he can take us to the promised land, and that's what it's all about after all, isn't it?

It's in reference to this... ...from this.

...will ask to be put on the kickoff coverage team this week?