“A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference.” - Thomas Jefferson.

In light of what the gubmint is trying to do to us I would say that no truer words have ever been spoken. We need something between us and our gubmint right now. Just what are they doing at 1:08 AM? Are they behind closed doors stealing freedom? On Glenn Beck today Chris Baker, the guest host, said they are not legislating they are ruling-out of spite.

This health care BS is an obamanation. They think they are making it “unrepealable” and “unamendable” but what they forget, or probably don’t even know, is that would be unConstitutional. I really think it’s about time for some indictments here. They are trying to bind future congress’. Our Founding Fathers revolted over much less than this.

At any rate this is not over. Everyone I hear is calling for e-mails and phone calls to the criminals in congress. Jam them up and be sure to hit their satellite offices as well. I completely agree. Too many people are saying that nobody answers their e-mails and the people don’t listen to their calls. So what. Keep doing it. As long as they keep shoving this down our throats keep shoving your views down their throats. Who works for who anyway?

Another day of the innocent abroad: this afternoon I went to Pahurat, not to get myself a gun or a sari, but to check the proofs of Chart Korbjitti’s latest in English: Carrion floating by (Ma Nao Loi Narm), a short nouveau-roman novel, and An Ordinary Story (and others less so), a collection of his best short stories, fourteen in all, including the novella An Ordinary Story (Rueang Thammada). The books will be on sale in a week or two. Merry Xmas.

I had come by taxi and we had joked about how Bangkok roads were chockablock with traffic and crowds on a Saturday afternoon, even though most citizens were supposed to have fled upcountry for the weekend. Normal, the driver answered: all upcountry people are here now, to enjoy the Celebrations of the King’s Birthday (there were upper cases in his voice). It sure looked like it.

On the way back, the one-way thoroughfare didn’t seem to have a single empty taxi. So I jumped a minibus going to Sanam Luang, or so it said up front. It took me a mile or so of very congested roads to realise that we were going away from the Royal Esplanade into the Deep South, mostly unknown territory to me. When we reached Bang Rak, finding my bearings again, I got out of the by-then packed minibus and, smoking at leisure, walked half a mile or so toward the river, took time to visit the toilet of the Oriental Hotel and then took an express boat, standing room only, back to the Pin Klao bridge, where I decided to walk again the rest of the way in order to purchase milk and bread at the corner 7-eleven and further down the street northeastern fare for dinner.

Perfect weather, excellent dinner. And somehow Four Reigns has progressed tonight to page 1111.

By the way, since I started with publishing news, let me end with publishing news. In my tale of that other Saturday escapade for a wedding party in Nonthaburi, I forgot to mention that Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit had told me that they had just finished translating … Khun Chang Khun Phaen, that enormous monument of classical Thai literature, and that their version would be out this month. I will make sure of getting a copy or five (to give away). Make sure you do, too, before it’s sold out.

Well-known analysts Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker have a piece in the Far Eastern Economic Review (posted 4 December 2009: “Thaksin’s Cambodian Gambit”) this month. In the article, Pasuk and Baker try to place Thaksin Shinawatra’s Cambodia visit into its Thai political context. In PPT’s view, the article is a bit confusing because it lumps a bunch of recent events into a longer-term analysis of political futures while avoiding the role of the monarchy and its politics. That said, Thailand’s politics remains a quagmire.

As a footnote, this is the final issue of the Far Eastern Economic Review, which has been appearing for 63 years. It has been a great source of information and debate through those years.

PPT highlight some interesting selections related to Thaksin’s appointment as adviser to the Cambodian government, his visit to Cambodia and the fall-out in Thailand.

Strikingly, the reactions to Mr. Thaksin’s Cambodian gambit among the press and political commentators were painted in a palette of only black and white. The anti-Thaksin camp howled that he was guilty of treason for assisting an enemy country, and also guilty of lèse majesté for remarks about the royal succession in an interview with The Times. Thaksin boosters portrayed the visit to Cambodia as a brilliant maneuver by the fugitive former prime minister to regain prominence. In reality, these events are shrouded in murky shades of grey. But few want to see it that way.

The Yellow Shirts lost support … and lost momentum…. [There was] speculation that establishment patrons had decided the movement had outlived its usefulness…. Mr. Thaksin’s Cambodian trip has revived the Yellow movement’s fortunes….

The simple slogans of the rallies—”Defend the Monarchy” [PAD] or “Defend Democracy” [red shirts]—are façades beneath which lie more complex and murky issues.Mr. Thaksin’s motivations seem to be an intricate blend of politics, face and money. He continues to command widespread mass support, and claims to feel a responsibility toward this following. Being ousted by a military coup and demonized by right-wing extremists have cast him as a hero of popular democracy, whether he deserves that cachet or not….

The authors then claim the “rhythms of [Thaksin's] recent actions from exile are tied to the fate of his family assets.” They postulate that “the Cambodia gambit and the showdown rallies arose exactly as the Supreme Court moved toward judgment on this case.” Exactly as the court moved towards is a curious construction for that would make almost any action related to the court verdict. Indeed, the authors admit that a verdict is unlikely before January.

However, they do point to something else going on: deal-making behind the scenes and jockeying for position. As they noted, Thaksin representatives are “rumored to be in contact with powerful figures to negotiate a compromise.” They say little more but might have also speculated about press discussion of an attempt to get the U.S. involved in negotiating a deal.

The author’s claims that the Cambodian deal might have boosted the Democrat Party and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would now seem to be a little too rash a judgment as the polls have dipped back against the government and Abhisit, while the opposition seems to be regaining ground with some  fancy footwork in Cambodia.

While the Democrats promise clean government and Mr. Abhisit talks about reform, human rights and similar topics, the government has reverted to a familiar model of military influence and business intrigue…. The party is freighted with a history of aligning itself with military, monarchy and bureaucracy, and being unresponsive to popular demands. Even now, the media campaigns showcasing their achievements come across as a patronizing…. Sustaining nationalist-inspired support by prolonging the diplomatic spat with Cambodia will be difficult, damaging and dangerous.

They conclude by looking at what is likely to be a long drawn-out struggle:

The social realities underlying political division are more complex than often portrayed. The gap between rich and poor is much wider in Thailand than in countries of comparable economic achievement, and Mr. Thaksin made the poor feel that politics might result in betterment for them. But the division is not a simple issue of poor against rich. Resentment at the great inequalities of power are also a factor. Mr. Thaksin and the Red Shirts draw support not only from the poor but from many businessmen who resent bureaucratic power and corruption, a rising provincial middle class which resents the excessive domination of Bangkok and pro-democracy activists who oppose the resurgent power of the military and the strident conservatism of the Yellows.

Nov. 18, 2009-Worcester Polytechnic Institute juniors Chad Caisse, Ben Johnson, Seanna Reilly, Dora Fiske, Chris Baker, and Carlos Donado, (from left) prepare their final presentation, to be delivered Dec. 17th on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The students comprise the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's oil remediation and oil prevention (best practices) teams, which are working closely with Rep. McGovern to clean up oil contamination in Ecuador. 30,000 indigenous people have sued Chevron, the owner of Texaco, for pollutants seeping into soil and groundwater from Ecuadorian oil pits Texaco built in 1964. The court case has been ongoing for 13 years. The WPI students hope juniors next year will continue their project.

Juniors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts combine brainpower to clean up oil pollution in Ecuador. In 1965, Texaco, now Chevron, tapped oil reserves in Ecuador. The company built oil pits, long since abandoned, which have been leaking pollutants into the groundwater for the past half century or so. 30,000 indigenous Ecuadorians have sued Chevron over the pollution but the case has continued unresolved for 13 years. Jessica Leving wrote the story and I shot the photos, in today’s Worcester Telegram and Gazette.

Nov. 18, 2009-Chad Caisse, junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute majoring in mechanical engineering demonstrates the flow of pollutants into groundwater from old Texaco oils pits in Ecuador, to his colleagues Chris Baker (left) WPI junior majoring in civil engineering and Ben Johnson (right), a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. The three comprise the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's oil remediation team, which is working to clean up oil contamination in Ecuador. 30,000 indigenous people have sued Chevron, the owner of Texaco, for oil pollution in Ecaudor. The case has been ongoing for 13 years.

Nov. 18, 2009-Worcester Polytechnic Institute juniors Chad Caisse, Seanna Reilly, Ben Johnson, Dora Fiske, Chris Baker, and Carlos Donado, (from left) prepare their final presentation, to be delivered Dec. 17th on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The students comprise the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's oil remediation and oil prevention (best practices) teams, which are working closely with Rep. McGovern to clean up oil contamination in Ecuador. 30,000 indigenous people have sued Chevron, the owner of Texaco, for pollutants seeping into soil and groundwater from Ecuadorian oil pits Texaco built in 1964. The court case has been ongoing for 13 years. The WPI students hope juniors next year will continue their project.

At Table D I find myself happily paired up with old friend Chiranand Phitpricha, Seksan’s former wife, and that well-known couple of sociologists, Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit, to my money the best decipherers of Thai lore and palinodes at work in this land. Sitting arrangements are such that I mostly talk with Jit, whom I haven’t seen in years but helped not so long ago all the same with some translation of French documents for her belated thesis or whatever it was.

Chiranand Phitpricha (pronounced ‘jeeranan phitpreecha’) is rated as one of the best living poets of Thailand on the strength of a rash of truly moving poems when she was a city and jungle girl who spitted out cleansing sulphur, but hasn’t written another poem in donkey’s years. The epoch isn’t conducive to it, see. And she has plenty of other pastimes, animating a photograph-for-sale club, subbing movies, even – not to entirely write off old times – being an advisor to the Nan Democrat municipality. And tomorrow she’s off to Varanasi for a week with her load of work still unfinished…

Since her divorce a few years ago, she has turned into a radiant woman in her late fifties, as if rejuvenated in regained spinsterhood, while ex-husband Seksan, mined with diabetes and anyway for many years anxious about no longer being the alpha-male he used to be (it’s so transparent in the short stories of his I just translated), seems to have willed himself into old age.

Before we leave, two former Manager pals come over to chat with me.

Peter Dupont – sorry: Du Pont, as he insists on calling himself but I know better – used to be my right-hand man at the magazine and I was grooming him to take more responsibilities until his defection left me in a lurch and I gave the venture up. He’s now working for some USAID-funded NGO here. ‘Manager was pretty good, don’t you think,’ says he. ‘Too bad it didn’t last,’ say I.

Then dark-browed, pot-bellied, neatly clad Ross Blaufard of currently Thailand Tatler (sic) comes over with his iridescent Thai lady-love who once wrote an article for me about cigarettes and I told her that wasn’t the way I spelt the word (Touché! Funny how sand grains still grate from one century to the next) to tell me the same tale of love lost and found again decades later, Mem and Nick-wise, and maybe they’ll tie the knot in the next few months if Ross’s science-fiction movie script pans out and he gets loaded, but with the fracas coming out of the loudspeakers I call the conversation short. Let’s keep in touch, Ross, my good man…

Oh gosh, what’s with these couples?

Jit gives me a lift in her 4×4 to the entrance to her street, where I’ll take a taxi to reach home. She has drunk quite a lot of the claret and champagne (I, for lack of pastis, have stuck to plain water) so drives slowly. To my straight question about her separation with Sek’ she answers straight, without anger or protest or malice, but a hint of rueful amusement, and I think to myself, ‘This is a classy woman’.

The taxi driver is a middle-aged chap who pines for Thaksin, but in a thoughtful way. ‘I reckon sixty percent of the people want him back,’ he ventures. We have a guarded conversation about political and economic matters as we drive past palace-skirting avenues studded with garlands of light bulbs over every tree – a week from now is His Majesty’s birthday. ‘Wouldn’t you say this is a waste?’ he queries. ‘Sure, but nice to the eye,’ I answer mildly. And so it goes until we get to my door while I reflect on the outing that was.

Human relations are a mysterious thing. Let’s rejoice when they work out, but let’s not try to read too much into them, or feel alarmed when they flounder: tomorrow is another day, another decade even. Of course I was flattered with the kind words Prof Keyes, Chris Baker, Jit, Nick and Mem, even Peter and Ross piled up on me, but those were par for the course and as many soothing dewdrops on a bear’s back. For once I was happy altogether to have gone out and been sociable but it was with relief that I poured myself a pastis and turned my computer on.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at several different positions (I can’t yet promise all) to identify the best players wearing each jersey number at each position. If this goes as planned, we’ll then compile a list of the best player wearing each jersey number in the league.

If you have quibbles, or want to add someone I forgot, leave a comment and we’ll update this post. And please have patience – this is a big job.

We started this project with wide receivers in this post. Now we move to tight ends. In general, tight ends wear numbers between 80 and 89, but several also wear numbers in the 40s.

40 – Jim Kleinsasser, Vikings – It’s hard to tell whether Kleinsasser is a true tight end or more of a fullback/H-back, but he plays on the line enough to earn the nod here. Kleinsasser doesn’t get the ball much, but he remains a solid blocker deep into a solid career.

41 – Spencer Havner, Packers – OK, so Havner is the only tight end wearing 41. But we have to give a few props to a player who was playing linebacker until about three or four weeks ago and now suddenly has three touchdowns in the past two games.

44 – Dallas Clark, Colts – Clark is probably the best receiving tight end in the league at the moment. He’s not just reliable – he’s explosive down the middle of the field. He’s emerged as the complement to Reggie Wayne in the Colts’ prolific passing game, and Clark is just now hitting his prime.

45 – Leonard Pope, Chiefs – The former Cardinals starter landed in K.C. this year with a new jersey number. Pope has never played up to his immense physical gifts, but he is still a threat simply because of his size and speed.

46 – Daniel Fells, Rams – Fells is the only tight end wearing 46, but like Havner he has three touchdowns on the season. Of course, one came on a fake field goal, and the other two came from Kyle Boller in one game on the same play call, but three is three. Other notable 46: Delanie Walker, 49ers

47 – Chris Cooley, Redskins – Cooley is hurt at the moment, but he has proven to be a terrific pass catcher in Washington in recent years despite playing with subpar quarterbacks throughout his tenure. He’s also a serviceable blocker and a fan favorite because of his outsized personality. He’s one of the few home-grown players who has really paid off for the Redskins. Other notable 47s: Jeff King, Panthers, Billy Bajema, Rams; Travis Beckum, Giants; Gijon Robinson, Colts

80 – Bo Scaife, Titans – Scaife is the Titans’ most important receiver because he has great size and provides a great interior target. Tennessee recognized his value when it tagged Scaife as its franchise player this past offseason. That’s enough reason to give Scaife the nod at 80 over Zach Miller of the Raiders, who’s a great young receiver. Other notable 80: Derek Schouman, Bills

81 – Owen Daniels, Texans – Before he suffered a season-ending knee injury last week, Daniels was the most productive tight end in the league. That marked the third straight season he was one of the league’s most dangerous targets. That’s enough to earn him honors for this number over Minnesota’s Visanthe Shiancoe, who has blossomed as a receiving threat the last two seasons. Other notable 81s: Dustin Keller, Jets; Joey Haynos, Dolphins

82 – Jason Witten, Cowboys – Witten isn’t having his most sterling of seasons, but he has long been one of the league’s two or three elite receiving threats from the tight end position. He may be the receiver Cowboys opponents need to concentrate on stopping most. He’s an All-Pro level tight end, which puts him above young studs Kellen Winslow of the Buccaneers and Greg Olsen of the Bears at this number. Other notable 82s: Alex Smith, Eagles; L.J. Smith, Ravens

83 – Heath Miller, Steelers - Miller is a tall target who can really catch the ball, and that makes him a great mid-field target in a Pittsburgh offense where ball control is still important. Miller is also having a bit of a bounce-back year numbers-wise, which makes it even easier to give him the nod at 83 over the declining Alge Crumpler of Tennessee. Other notable 83: Jeff Dugan, Vikings

84 – Benjamin Watson, Patriots – The Patriots have never seemed completely satisfied with Watson, a former first-round pick, at tight end, but Watson continues to put up good touchdown numbers. He also has the longest touchdown reception in Patriots playoff history, a 63-yarder against Jacksonville in the 2005 season. So he gets the nod over Randy McMichael of the Rams, who has had some decent seasons, and rookie first-rounder Brandon Pettigrew of the Lions. Other notable 84: Robert Royal, Browns

85 – Antonio Gates, Chargers – Gates, who didn’t play football but basketball in college, has been one of the preeminent receiving tight ends in the league over the past decade or so. Injuries have slowed him a step or two, but he’s still really good. One day, Vernon Davis of the 49ers will claim this number, but that won’t happen until Gates retires. Other notable 85: David Thomas, Saints

86 – Todd Heap, Ravens – Heap is another tight end having a renaissance year this season, reminding all of us how good of a receiver he has been in his career. Like Heath Miller, his size is his biggest asset as a receiver. Other notable 86s: Donald Lee, Packers; Fred Davis, Redskins; Daniel Coats, Bengals; Chris Baker, Patriots

87 – Brent Celek, Eagles – Celek had a good game or two before this season, but he has seized his opportunity this season and established himself as a better-than-average receiver at tight end already. He brings an explosiveness to the position that the Eagles never got from L.J. Smith. Other notable 87: Kellen Davis, Bears

88 – Tony Gonzalez, Falcons – T-Gon is another of the classic tight ends of this era, and like Gates he had a basketball background. Gonzalez is still a prolific receiver, and his veteran presence has made the Falcons’ offense much more dangerous. He’s clearly the choice here over Jeremy Shockey of New Orleans and many others. Other notable 88s: JerMichael Finley, Packers; Tony Scheffler, Broncos; Dante Rosario, Panthers; J.P. Foschi, Bengals; Desmond Clark, Bears

89 – Daniel Graham, Broncos- This is a close call between Graham, who’s known more for his blocking than for his receiving, and young tight ends like Kevin Boss of the Giants, John Carlson of Seattle, and Marcedes Lewis of the Jaguars. We’ll give Graham the nod based on the longevity of his career and his blocking prowess. Other notable 89s: Will Heller, Lions; Sean Ryan, Chiefs; Matt Spaeth, Steelers; Ben Patrick, Cardinals; Shawn Nelson, Bills

I was listening to Chris Baker ably filling in for Glenn Beck this morning. He was interviewing Congressman Ted Poe of the second district of Texas. Congressman Poe has a long history serving as a Judge before taking his present office, so I was interested in his comments about how little thought was put into the constitutionality of the health care bill passed by the House over the weekend.

I heard other comments this morning on an earlier program about the portions of the new bill that will use the Internal Revenue Code to force purchase of health insurance. I thought this was too outrageous to believe, so I looked it up.  For example, see section 422 of H.R. 3962.  It is the first time in history that the United States Government has endeavored to force Americans to buy a product.

So, that got me to thinking about the protection racket. An enforcer tells a business owner that he needs to buy “protection” to “insure” something bad doesn’t happen. If the business owner doesn’t go along, well… something bad may happen.

How about prosecution and jail? Is that bad? The IRS is not constrained to due process. Would it be bad if enforcement was done under the authority of the IRS? It’s ironic isn’t it? The tax code has often been used as leverage in battling racketeering. Now, I guess it will be the other way around. The tax code is to be used as an aid.

I’m sorry. Some of you are going to have to explain to me how this “healthcare” situation is different that the type of conspiracy and racketeering that the Attorney General has usually been known to prosecute.

I think Congressman Ted Poe is right on the mark about the dubious Constitutionality of H.R. 3962. But I wonder if those who voted for it in the House shouldn’t be liable for conspiracy and racketeering charges.  Again, if my logic is flawed, explain it to me.

So, after starting Season 6 with no expectations, we’ve closed in on a playoff spot, and are looking to ride a 4 game winning streak into Montreal. We’re hoping to win out in our last 6, but we really just want to get into the playoffs and have that shot to win the Thundercup. It’s been a long season, with some unexpected stops in play, but for the most part, this has been fun. I don’t think anybody really counted on us to be competitive, but we’ve been able to grind out wins and stay in games. I’d say it was a rough start, but it’s been an amazing turnaround. I didn’t think we were capable of a winning streak, let alone a 4 game streak.

So far this season, there’s been a bunch of changes in terms of player personnel. Elias took over as coach early on, and really injected some life into this team. I’ve been in constant contact with him, trying out new strategies and lines, as well as trying to drum up ideas for getting the team active. It’s been great to see that we’ve been able to turn this team around and make it formidable once again. The two of us were also dubbed assistant captains of the team, which was a surprise early into the season, but ultimately is an honor as we march towards the playoffs. Chris Baird also took over as captain this season, after stepping down as coach.We made a big switch in net late in the season. We started out with a rotation, with Karding starting the season opener, and Vincent starting the game after. Chad kept us in games, and seemed to be on the end of our bad defensive efforts, while Eric racked up the wins and starting stealing a few games for us. As Chad seemed to disappear on us, Elias and I felt obligated to reward Eric’s participation this season by naming him the starter. We’ve been on a roll ever since, and Eric seems to have shaken the critics who were unimpressed by last season’s inconsistent play.

Then there’s the defense. We started out with a crew that was touted as the worst in the league. Elias certainly stepped up both as the coach with his tactics, as well as a player, immediately playing big minutes for us in key situations. We got contributions from Chris Baker, and we’ve also had a great contribution in the form of our third jerseys from Dave Rutka. The rest of the corps have been inactive, so we’ve shifted a couple guys to the blueline for the time being. We figured that Ducaine would be a great fit, given his physical game. He’s provided us with hits and solid defensive play so far, and has been rewarded with more ice time given his increased participation. We also moved Matt Fennell back to the blueline, but as more of a two-way threat. We have him playing some power play minutes as well as we try to find ice time for those active guys on the squad. We’ve had to make these changes on the fly, and miraculously, they’ve paid off big time. We can’t be happier as a group.

We haven’t been great offensively this year. The inactivity bug hit this team hard last year, and it shows this year. Our big name players haven’t scored at the clip that many are used to. We’re happy to have guys like Baird and Ayaz in the locker room, and we’re hoping that with some generous re-ratings and customization, we can get them back to the level of production we’re used to. Of course, Joe has been dominant to the point where we’re double-shifting him now. We’re at the point where we’ve run out of active forwards and are relying on our most dominant players to win us games, which is surprisingly working.

I think that next year, given the activity we’ve generated this season, we’re going to be more formidable offensively. I certainly haven’t made a big offensive impact, but I’m hoping that next year will be a breakout season, and that I can embrace the assistant captain’s role I’ve been given. We’ve had a lot of support from Dave Iusi this year, and while his stats don’t reflect it, he’s been a big part of the team this year. We’re hoping he sees a rating boost reflective of his activity and commitment this season. In addition, we’ve also had input from Mike McSparron this season, and we’re also hoping to make him a bigger part of the offense going forward. We’re going to place a big emphasis on customization and building roles for players in this offseason.

Finally, we’ve been somewhat inactive still this year, but no team is perfect. Outstanding circumstances have kept some players out of the loop and off the scoresheet, but we’re hoping a run to the playoffs brings everyone together and sparks the activity bug. It’s been a pleasure to play for this organization, and hopefully this is just the start of a long, illustrious career in the black and green for myself, as well as the start of some playoff success for the Aliens.

Please see www.chrisbakerpr.com

A snapshot of the bench and players in the new sweaters.

The Roswell Aliens continue to uphold the tradition of dressing snazzy, as they released a new jersey into the BHL world tuesday night. The debut of these new sweaters was highly anticipated after designs were leaked on the internet in the offseason. The new sweaters are a lime green with the road logo adorning the shoulders, and a new secondary logo gracing the chest. The numbers are the same as the home/road set, in black, with a white trim. The pants are solid black, and the socks follow a classic striping pattern to match the jerseys. The club’s last offering for an alternate did not sell as well, and the team hopes that this return to green will both spark sales and interest in the team once again. The jerseys were designed by David Rutka, with the help of GM Joe Iusi.

Chris Baker and Ayaz Karim emerge from the tunnel wearing the new thirds.

The jerseys were debuted in a loss, but the reception was warm inside the arena, and from the rest of the players in the BHL. Coach Elias Frechette was pleased:

“When our team skates out on the ice in our third jerseys it’s like a magnificent green light show that blinds the opponent with shock and awe to the amazing color and detail put into them. As coach they are great for the team to wear as we get off to a good start with them on, the opponent bows down to their greatness and doesn’t realize the game has started until we are putting them into the boards and putting shots on their net.”

Assistant captain Anthony Rossi was also a supporter of the new jerseys:

“The new threads are a great addition to the team. Even if we don’t reach the playoffs this season, we’ve still got something to be proud of this season. I didn’t think a lime green jersey would work, but the guys upstairs really pulled it off. I’m glad that they’re getting positive reviews, since nothing else we do seems to garner praise. These are great, and it’s a real honor to be wearing one right now.”

The sweaters will be worn for the next few games, before the Aliens leave on a short toad trip. With only a few home games left, make sure you rush to the team store to grab one for the playoff run!

Credit to Chris Walters of the New England Brewers for the images.

Now playing:  Sid.Meier’s.Pirates-PC
Now Listening : Pink Panther’s Penthouse Party
Now watching:  House MD.

Hola estimados lectores, no se si se han preguntado si la musica que acualmente escuchamos es producto de nuevas ideas o es simplemente reciclaje (Salven al planeta reciclen!!!!!!)  Por que lo digo ? …..  Hace unos ayeres la campaña promocional de Volkswagen ( Como quiero a mi Jetta ! jejeje) promocionaba su nuevo Golf con este comercial :

Pero … resulto ser un homenaje del  grupo Mint Royale a Gene Kelly.  Mint Royale, es un grupo de música Big Beat de Manchester, Inglaterra.  El grupo originalmente fue formado por Neil Claxton y Chris Baker, pero este ultimo abandono la agrupacion y Claxton continuo bajo el nombre de Mint Royale.

La banda original comenzó en 1997, se especializaron en remixes y comenzaron a ser conocidos a partir de su mix de “Tequila”, de Terrorvisión.

Fueron apoyados por el guru del Dance británico Norman Cook, más conocido como Fatboy Slim que incluía piezas en su trabajo, esto creo una confusión, ya que los dos tenían estilos muy similares y algunas personas pensaron que Mint Royale era un seudónimo de Norman Cook.

El primer álbum “On the Ropes” salio a finales de 1999, a pesar de que no fue un éxito algunas de sus canciones alcanzaron cierta fama gracias a que se usaron algunas de las canciones en series de televisión, películas y algunos programas.

El segundo álbum “Dancehall Places” se lanza en el 2002 para después comenzar una gira de shows en directo por el Reino Unido. Volvieron de la gira en Abril del 2004 comenzando a escribir el tercer álbum, que después de ciertos problemas con el fundador de la banda original Chris Baker que retraso el trabajo, lograron terminarlo y publicarlo en enero del 2005 con el titulo “See You In The Morning “; en el 2005 crearon “Waiting in the Rain” un remix de la famosa canción Singin’ in the Rain o Cantando bajo la lluvia que se usó para el comercial del Volkswagen Golf GTI. Alcanzo el puesto #20 en las listas de Reino Unido y en  el 2007 sacan el álbum “Pop is…”.

Si tienen la oportunidad de consegir su discografia se los recomiendo ampliamente les dejo el video de la rola Blue Song que se desprende del album Pop is .

We’ve used Football Relativity for many things this summer, from comparing quarterbacks to comparing rumors to comparing free-agent moves to comparing nicknames. But now it is time to use this Football Relativity pool for what it was originally created – comparing teams to each other.

This is our preseason Football Relativity poll. 10 is the level of the best team or teams; 1 is the level of the worst team or teams. Teams that are on the same level are listed alphabetically, so the order on each level is not a ranking per se. We have no limit on the number of teams on any level, and in the future we may even leave a level empty to show a gap between teams. And this comparison does not attempt to predict record; schedules and other issues could leave teams with worse records on levels above teams with better records. We’ll make division predictions once this post has settled in our minds a bit.

Without further ado, here is the preseason version of Football Relativity. It’s long, but all that means is that your team is covered closely, no matter who your team is. Enjoy.

10 – New England Patriots – The Patriots aren’t a perfect team, but they have enough ability across the board to compare favorably with anybody in the league. The return of QB Tom Brady is obviously a key, and as a welcome-back present the franchise gave its franchise quarterback some grizzled but productive vets – RB Fred Taylor, WR Joey Galloway, and TE Chris Baker. Those pieces should keep the offense potent, and the offensive line remains solid if unspectacular. The questions for New England are on defense, where Bill Belichick’s schemes are normally extremely dangerous. But New England’s core defensively has gotten kind of old, and the reinforcements have been spottier than you would expect. The premium players are NT Vince Wilfork and DE Ty Warren, who are perfect 3-4 guys, and ‘08 rookie Jerod Mayo, who brings a playmaking ability at inside ‘backer that the Patriots hadn’t had in recent years. In the secondary, the Pats need vets Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs to step up at corner, or else a rookie like Darius Butler needs to step up. But with youngsters like Butler, Patrick Chung, and Brandon Meriweather in the secondary, the Pats have the physical ability, and you have to believe Belichick and his staff can coach them up. As long as Brady stays healthy, this is going to be an elite team.

10 (con’t) – Pittsburgh Steelers – The defending Super Bowl champs look like they’re loaded for bear again in ‘09. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t the smoothest quarterback around, but he always shows up in the end. He has vets Hines Ward and Heath Miller as well as emerging youngsters Santonio Holmes (the Super Bowl hero) and Limas Sweed to throw to, which makes for a potent passing game. The running game should be better this year with Rashard Mendenhall back from injury to help Willie Parker carry the run game load. Melwede Moore gives some injury assurance there. Pittsburgh’s offensive line was pretty maligned last year, but it’s serviceable, and the Steelers drafted a couple of guys who could raise the level of athleticism in that unit. Defensively, the Steelers are loaded. They know how to draft guys who can play their system, and it shows. They’re 6 deep on the defensive line and at linebacker, with playmakers like James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, and the emerging Lawrence Timmons there to wreak havoc. Plus, safeties Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark can do the same. The cornerback position isn’t beautiful, but with enough pressure they can hold steady. Don’t forget that Pittsburgh played the ultimate murderer’s row on its schedule last year – the Steelers catch more of a break this year and may be able to coast a little more late in the season. Regardless, this is a team under Mike Tomlin that can contend again if it keeps its fire.

9 – New York Giants – The Giants are loaded on defense and in the running game, and that’s going to be enough to keep them at the top of the pack in the NFC this season. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, running behind an often unsung but rarely outplayed offensive line, will keep the offense moving down the field. QB Eli Manning makes enough throws to keep the team moving, and while he doesn’t have a No. 1 receiver, he has a variety of talented options that should allow him to spread the ball around the field. This team, like the early Patriots Super Bowl teams, may not have a 90-catch receiver but should have three or four or even five with 40 catches or more. That’s difficult for defenses to stop in its own right. On defense, the Giants have reloaded their defensive line by adding Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard and getting Osi Umenyiora back from injury. Those guys, plus Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, give the Giants the best D-line in the league. Those linemen create havoc and make enough plays on their own to keep the rest of the defense humming along, but the Giants also have underrated back-seven guys like LB Antonio Pierce and emerging CB Aaron Ross and S Kenny Phillips. This is a deep team at the key DL and RB spots, and that should help the Giants stay at the top of the pack even when injuries come. They’re the class of the NFC as the season opens.

9 (con’t) – Tennessee Titans – The Titans aren’t a flashy team, but they’re always tough, and that toughness will serve them well again this season. The toughness is reflected in the run game, which stars Chris Johnson and a slimmer LenDale White, but depends on a terrific offensive line led by Michael Roos, who one informal poll (via movethesticks) recently listed as one of the top three linemen in the entire league. The passing game isn’t wonderful, but QB Kerry Collins doesn’t make a lot of mistakes at this point in his career, and the addition of Nate Washington should add a little more pop to the air attack. Defensively, the Titans lose stud DT Albert Haynesworth but still have a four-deep rotation with guys who can make plays. LB Keith Bulluck and CB Cortland Finnegan remain among the league’s elite at their positions as well. The reason the Titans are so good is that they have found and then developed gems like Finnegan (a seventh-round pick) and OT David Stewart (a fourth-round pick). That depth will be tested as the Titans try to replace Haynesworth, but the sense here is that they’ll be able to get enough production at DT to remain a terrific team.

8 – Atlanta Falcons – The team that is making the leap into the upper echelons in the NFL this year is the Falcons, who will build on last year’s surprise to continue moving forward. QB Matt Ryan showed last year that he has the ability and the moxie to be an effective and sometimes even elite-looking quarterback despite his young age. Now, he has all-time great TE Tony Gonzalez as a target, joining top-tier WR Roddy White. Plus, the run game features Michael Turner, a terrific running back, and change-of-pace threat Jerious Norwood. The offensive line played OK last year, and if it can match that level of performance, the offense will once again be dangerous. Defensively, the Falcons rely heavily on DE John Abraham, a pass-rushing demon who had to be spotted last year to keep him healthy. Still, though, he played every game and was a threat throughout. He’s a game-changer who must stay healthy for Atlanta to threaten. Rookie Peria Jerry should help bring a second threat to the front four. The back seven doesn’t have a lot of playmakers, although LB Curtis Lofton could continue to emerge. But this is still a solid defense. The Falcons should follow up last year’s playoff performance with a division title this year, which is an accomplishment in a tough grouping like the NFC South. And a Super Bowl berth, while a bit of a stretch, is within the realm of possibility.

8 (con’t) – Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles would have been a level 9 team had they not had two major injuries as camp opened. While MLB Stewart Bradley and TE Cornelius Ingram weren’t cornerstones, they were potential contributors whose losses sting. Still, the Eagles are a dangerous team. QB Donovan McNabb has more weapons than he’s ever had, from star ‘08 rookie DeSean Jackson to veteran Brian Westbrook to rookies LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. If Michael Vick finds a role, all the better for Philly. The biggest question on offense is how the offensive line will fare with two new tackles now that Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas are gone. Still, though, a solid offensive line has traditionally been Andy Reid’s speciality. On defense, the Eagles should maintain their attacking style even after the death of long-time coordinator Jim Johnson. DE Trent Cole and DT Mike Patterson are not well known, but they make some plays. The stars are CBs Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, and Sheldon Brown, who provide the ability for the Eagles to blitz. The Eagles aren’t quite of the same caliber as the Giants, but they’re a good team that should make the playoffs. And once they get to the postseason, they have the potential to make a run.

8 (con’t) – San Diego Chargers – The Chargers once again have one of the most talented rosters in the league – the question is how often they will play to that talent. Last year, the Chargers only reached an elite level at the end of the season and in the playoff opener, a win over the Colts. But the talent is undoubtedly there. QB Philip Rivers is emerging as a big-time quarterback, and the leadership qualities he has show over the last season and a half are the kind that a championship-level team needs. He has stalwart TE Antonio Gates and burgeoning star WR Vincent Jackson among many targets. Of course, he also has a solid running game with LaDanian Tomlinson, who appears to be healthy once again, and Darren Sproles, a quick-twitch mighty mite who is able to set off the pyrotechnics at any time. Tomlinson isn’t what he was three or four years ago, but spelling him with Sproles will keep the Chargers moving on the ground. The offensive line isn’t great, but it’s good enough to keep Rivers upright and to open holes for the runners. On defense, the Chargers blossomed once Ron Rivera became defensive coordinator and let the dogs out on the blitz. The return of Shawne Merriman from injury and the addition of Larry English in the first round of the draft gives the Chargers much more pass-rushing pop than they had last season, and that pressure should help CB Antonio Cromartie rebound and continue his development into an elite corner. NT Jamal Williams remains the key to the run defense, and he’s as strong at the point of attack as anyone in the league. The Chargers have the tools; the question is consistency. But if they find that consistency, they’re a big-time Super Bowl threat.

7 – Arizona Cardinals – The Super Bowl loser hangover has been well documented over the years, and often these runners-up finish well out of the playoffs. That could happen to the Cardinals, but on paper this team is good enough to win the NFC West again to get into the postseason. The biggest questions are attitude and coaching, because both coordinators, Todd Haley and Clancy Pendergast, are gone.  The offense remains dangerous with QB Kurt Warner and stud WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The addition of rookie RB Beanie Wells will help bring a little more balance to the offense as well, and with Russ Grimm as the run-game coordinator, the ground game could become a bit more featured. The offensive line is good enough to keep the offense running smoothly. While the Cardinals’ offensive power gets a lot of attention, the defense is full of playmakers too. DT Darnell Dockett is a disruptive force, and Arizona hopes and believes that DE Calais Campbell will be the same kind of force this season. At linebacker, Karlos Dansby is a terrific player, and in the secondary S Adrian Wilson is among the best in the league. Even more, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie can join the ranks of top-flight playmakers this year after a strong rookie campaign. This is a talented team, especially on defense. The question is whether Arizona can play up to its potential as it finally did in the NFC playoffs last year. The hunch here is that Ken Whisenhunt is a strong enough coach to keep the Cardinals playing reasonably well.

7 (con’t) – Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens aren’t the flashiest team, but they are a tough, physical team that is a pain to play and a tough out. In that way, they fit the personality of coach John Harbaugh. It all starts on defense, where the Ravens have several truly blue-chip players. DE Haloti Ngata is among the league’s best front-line players; Terrell Suggs is one of the best pass rushers; Ray Lewis is still a huge presence at middle linebacker; and Ed Reed is the class of the league at safety. It’s remarkable that they have such premiere players at each level of the defense, and that starpower shows game after game. Offensively, the Ravens have a smashmouth offensive line, although the tradeout of Matt Birk for Jason Brown at center is a bit of a downgrade. The running game is dangerous with Le’Ron McClain, Ray Rice, and vet Willis McGahee. The question is the passing game with second-year QB Joe Flacco. Flacco’s targets feature veterans Derrick Mason and Todd Heap, both of whom have been so banged up that they’ve lost their explosiveness, and youngsters like Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams who have talent and show flashes but aren’t consistent. Unless Flacco takes a sizable leap forward this year, the passing game will end up being what holds the Ravens back from being a division winner and major Super Bowl contender. Still, this is a team no one wants to play.

7 (con’t) – Green Bay Packers – Last year, the Packers had a great offense and an abysmal defense. That’s why they’re moving from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 plan. That kind of transition normally takes a couple of years to make fully because the personnel a team needs in the front 7 to make the switch takes a while to accumulate. But the Packers have done a better job than most teams of piling up that talent to make the switch more quickly. Rookie DE B.J. Raji and OLB Clay Matthews fit the scheme well, as well as holdovers NT Ryan Pickett and LB Nick Barnett. The questions are DE turned OLB Aaron Kampman, who must prove he can generate pass rush from a two-point stance, and LB A.J. Hawk, who hasn’t really lived up to his top-5 draft position yet. But the front seven is in good shape with the potential to be in great shape, which measn the team can take a big step forward. The secondary features veteran CBs Charles Woodson and Al Harris, who played OK last year but must pick it up for the defense to truly shine. On offense, the Packers do shine, thanks to the rapid development of Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has the luxury of throwing to a deep WR corps led by Greg Jennings and veteran Donald Driver, and RB Ryan Grant is good enough to keep defenses from pinning their ears back on the rush. The offensive line is not outstanding, but it did well enough for Rodgers last year. All in all, this is a talented team that could usurp the Vikings in the NFC Central after last year’s 6-10 debacle.

7 (con’t) – Minnesota Vikings – All the news in the offseason for the Vikings has been about Brett Favre, which is understandable but ironic because Favre is probably the weak link for the Vikings team. The question is whether the weak link will break and kill the entire chain. Favre fell apart at the end of last year, and his penchant for turnovers won’t overcome the biggest problem that Tarvaris Jackson had last year. Favre is just as likely to throw the killer pick as Jackson, and he’s more likely to break down because he can’t escape like Jackson can. Jackson is a promising prospect who is now lost to the Vikings emotionally, and that’s a killer. So Favre must play well, or else the Vikings have set themselves back 3-5 years. Brad Childress is all in with Favre, and that’s not a position I would like to be in. The move is a shame, because the Vikes are loaded everywhere else on the field. On offense, RB Adrian Peterson is probably the league’s best, and Chester Taylor is a wonderful complement. WR Bernard Berrian had a fine year as a deep threat in his first year in Minny, and Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe are decent targets as well. Even better, the offensive line is full of road-graders like Steve Hutchinson, still the best guard in the league, Bryant McKinnie, and rookie Phil Loadholt. Defensively, the Vikes star DE Jared Allen, who can play the run well and generate pass rush, and space-filling DTs Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. Kevin is the more likely Williams to get penetration and blow up plays. LBs E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway are improving as players, and Minnesota has one of the better unsung corners in Antoine Winfield. This is a deep, talented team that would reach the 8 level with Jackson as the starting QB and could be a 9 with a top-8 quarterback. But Favre will cost the Vikings a game or two, and that will be enough to let the Packers or perhaps the Bears sneak past them in the standings. That means their all-in move will end up going bust.

6 – Carolina Panthers – For most of the regular season last year, the Panthers were a level-9 team and one of the best four squads in the league. But they melted down in a home playoff game vs. Arizona, in large part because Jake Delhomme turned the ball over five times. But the Panthers didn’t make many upgrades in the offseason because their salary cap was strapped by Julius Peppers’ franchise tag. The Panthers kept Peppers, at least for one more year, which means they’re all-in with him kind of like the Vikings are with Brett Favre. The gamble has a better chance of paying off in Carolina, because Peppers is still a Pro Bowl-level player. He bounced back from an absentee ’07 season with 14.5 sacks last year, and his pass-rush ability is what gives a solid defense claws. The Panthers lost space-eating DT Maake Kemeoatu to a training-camp injury, which could inhibit Damione Lewis’ underrated ability to get in the backfield. That could also make it harder for MLB Jon Beason to roam and make plays. Still, the Panthers have front-7 playmakers, and the secondary is strong with CBs Chris Gamble (coming off a sterling season) and Richard Marshall. The Panthers’ offense is a running-game clinic. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are the beneficiaries, but the real credit goes to a monstrous offensive line starring OTs Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah, OG Travelle Wharton, and C Ryan Kalil. There aren’t a lot of weak links in that group. The passing game runs hot and cold because Delhomme does, but it can also fling it to Steve Smith and hope for the best because Smith makes so many plays. This is a star-studded team that could be held back by Delhomme, but if he plays OK they’ll be a playoff contender. Atlanta is the NFC South favorite, but the Panthers remain a threat.

6 (con’t) – Dallas Cowboys- It’s unusual that the Cowboys have been overshadowed this offseason, although they created that shadow with Jerry Jones’ massive video board. Regardless, this is a team that hasn’t gotten much attention, but it still has much of the talent that Bill Parcells accumulated while he was there. That shows most on defense, where OLB DeMarcus Ware, perhaps the best pass-rusher in the league, and emerging NT Jay Ratliff lead a quality front seven. It would help if OLB Anthony Spencer, like Ware a former first-round pick, steps up to take some pressure off of Ware, who had 20 sacks last year. The secondary has had problems, although CB Terence Newman is a good player. The questions for the Cowboys are on offense. Now that Terrell Owens is gone, Dallas needs Roy Williams to emerge as a big-time receiver. The trade Dallas made for Williams paid for him at that level, and if he doesn’t deliver, the passing game will be a struggle for QB Tony Romo. But if Williams does step up, he and TE Jason Witten can be a dynamic receiving duo. The running game has capable legs in Marion Barber and second-year men Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. But the offensive line, which is huge and aging, needs to return to its form of a couple of years ago. This means you, Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis. The Cowboys have talent and can be a playoff team once again, but there are a lot of ifs that have to come through for that to happen, especially in the loaded NFC East.

6 (con’t) – Indianapolis Colts - No team has been more consistent this decade than the Indianapolis Colts. They’ve won 12 games in each of the last six seasons, earning one Lombardi trophy in the process. But it’s a pipe dream to think that this team will continue its impressive 12-win streak in 2009. In fact, we’re making the outlandish prediction that the Colts won’t even win 10 games this year. Among the reasons why: The loss of head coach Tony Dungy will hurt, in part because Jim Caldwell isn’t good enough to keep the Colts’ stampede going. He’s a failed college coach, and we’ve researched and determined that this kind of hire very rarely works for NFL teams. Marvin Harrison is gone, and while he was declining, his absence, combined with the offseason turmoil surrounding coordinator Tom Moore and OL coach Howard Mudd, means that the offense won’t be quite the machine that it has traditionally been. QB Peyton Manning was good enough to overcome that last year, when he willed the Colts to 12 wins after a rough start, but it’s hard to see him overcoming even more obstacles with a similar level of success this year. The bigger problems are on defense, where S Bob Sanders is hurt (again) and where the new head coach canned coordinator Ron Meeks in an effort to get a more aggressive defense. That approach doesn’t fit the personnel well, which means that that Colts could be even more vulnerable on defense than they have been in recent years. Indy is still a winning team, but they’re not as good as the Titans in their division, and they’ll face challenges from the Texans and Jaguars as well. This season will mark the end of an era for the Colts.

6 (con’t) – Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins catapulted from 1-15 to 11-5 last year, and now the test is to see if they can stay at that level of performance. Given the talent on the roster, that seems unlikely. Miami is full of good but not great players, and they must play at or over the heads again next year if Miami is to make the playoffs again. Chad Pennington is the perfect quarterback for Miami’s style of play, because he makes the right decision and then executes well. He doesn’t have name targets, although Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess have shown talent. It would really help if the Dolphins got some big plays out of former first-round pick Ted Ginn Jr., who has great speed but inconsistent production. The running game features Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, and we may eventually see Pat White running out of the Wildcat offense Miami sprung on the league last year. Miami sought to get bigger and better on the offensive line, signing Jake Grove to play center to join huge tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey. On defense, the Dolphins created a pass rush thanks to Joey Porter’s renaissance year at outside ‘backer. It’s hard to see vets like Porter and NT Jason Ferguson as top NFL players for much longer, but they were standouts last year. Instead, the Dolphins will need youngsters like DE Philip Merling, safeties Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson, and rookie CB Vontae Davis to infuse the defense with impact in order to stay at the same level. It’s only reasonable to expect a step back from the Dolphins last year, but this team is well-coached enough by Tony Sparano and his staff and well-managed enough by Parcells to make that half step and still stay in playoff contention.

6 (con’t) – New Orleans Saints – It is the best of times, it is the worst of times in New Orleans. (Sorry that’s a Dickens reference and not a New Orleans reference; I’ll try to do better.) Sean Payton’s offense is outstanding, led by QB Drew Brees, who is making his case to join Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in the group of the best signal-callers in the league right now. Brees nearly broke Dan Marino’s record for passing yards last year, and he should be lethal again this year. He has a deep stable of targets led by Marques Colston outside and Reggie Bush and Lance Moore inside, and there are enough other options that Brees always has an open guy to throw to. The running game lost stalwart Deuce McAllister but still has Pierre Thomas, who is a rising star, as the main back with Bush as a change-of-pace threat. The line is solid, although OLT Jammal Brown needs to bounce back from his training-camp injury to keep things moving at full effectiveness. While the offense is a galaxy of stars, the defense too often looks like a Confederacy of Dunces. (There’s your Nola literary reference!) The defense was gashed over and over again last year, and that’s what forced the Saints into last place in the competitive NFC South. New coordinator Gregg Williams is known for his attacking style (he’s from the Jeff Fisher/Buddy Ryan school of defense), but does he have the pieces? The defensive line has talent in Will Smith and Charles Grant, but they don’t produce nearly often enough. The return of second-year DT Sedrick Ellis from injury should help. At linebacker, Jonathan Vilma must prove that he’s more than just a tackler, and in the secondary the Saints hope the additions of CBs Jabari Greer (free agency) and Malcolm Jenkins (first round) help stabilize what has been a subpar unit. The offense is good enough that even a slight swing up in defensive performance could make the Saints the sixth worst-to-first team in the NFC South in the last nine years, but counting on this collection to deliver is risky. So for now, we’ll count the Saints among the fringe playoff contenders who have a reasonable hope to go 9-7.

5 – Chicago Bears – In Chicago, it’s all Jay Cutler, all the time, because the Bears are so psyched about having a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback for the first time since the Super Bowl Shuffle. Cutler has a great arm and a prickly personality, but he definitely is an upgrade for the Bears. The question is who he’s going to throw the ball to, and the answer should be tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen, who had  54 catches and five touchdowns last year, is the most potent of the Bears’ solid cadre of supplemental receivers. RB Matt Forte, who’s great carrying the ball, is also a big threat as a receiver, and TE Desmond Clark is solid both blocking and receiving. But Cutler doesn’t have great outside receivers. Devin Hester is dangerous when he gets his hands on the ball, but he’s not a natural receiver. Earl Bennett, Cutler’s college teammate at Vanderbilt, didn’t have a single catch in his rookie season. So Cutler will have to spread the ball around instead of relying on studs like Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal as he did in Denver. The Bears’ offensive line is OK blocking for Forte and the run game, but changes at tackle mean an aging Orlando Pace and an unproven Chris Williams (like Cutler a first-rounder from Vandy) will have to deliver time for Cutler to throw. On defense, the Bears have a great reputation based on great history, but there are questions. DT Tommie Harris, the disruptive engine that makes everything go, is battling knee injuries and probably won’t be 100 percent at all this year. The question becomes whether he can make plays in his current state. DE Alex Brown is a good pass rusher, but other options like Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson can help him. At linebacker, Brian Urlacher’s performance is slipping from its peak, but not so rapidly that he can’t be an asset. Lance Briggs is probably the bigger playmaker in that unit. The real questions the Bears face on defense are in the secondary, where CB Nathan Vasher has really slipped and CB Charles Tillman is hurt. If the Bears don’t find stability there, Cutler will have to be a shootout machine even more than he was in Denver last year. The Bears went 9-7 last year, which was probably an overachievement, but even with Cutler they’ll need to answer a lot of questions to have a winning record again. A .500 mark seems more likely.

5 (con’t) – Cincinnati Bengals – It’s the same old story for the Bengals this year. Yes, they have talent. But they also have character problems. Usually, the character problems win. But there were signs of life for Cincy at the end of last year, as the Bungles started 0-8 but finished 4-3-1. The biggest sign of life now is the return of QB Carson Palmer, who is still an upper-echelon guy in the NFL. When he went out last year with a shoulder injury, the Bengals fell apart because backup Ryan Fitzpatrick just wasn’t good enough. Now Palmer is healthy, and he’s aiming for holdovers Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry and newcomers Laveranues Coles and TE Chase Coffman. That’s a strong group despite the loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, especially if Henry (usually a troublemaker) is as focused and determined as he appeared to be in the preseason. The Bengals’ running game should be better with a full season from Cedric Benson, who found a good fit in Cincy after busting out in Chicago. The offensive line is a pretty tough unit, but there are questions, especially since rookie ORT Andre Smith held out so long. Defensively, the Bengals made progress last year. Domata Peko is an underrated defensive tackle, and the linebacker corps is getting younger and better with second-year man Keith Rivers and rookie Rey Maualuga. The Bengals also have promising corners in Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall, and they brought in S Roy Williams from Dallas, who can still be a big hitter as long as they don’t ask him to do much in pass coverage. There’s talent here,  and head coach Marvin Lewis had won at least seven games every year until last season. That decline can be largely attributed to Palmer’s absence, and that makes a return to respectability possible. The playoffs are still a long shot, because it’s hard to imagine Cincy passing Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but a .500 record is a goal that can be reached.

5 (con’t) – Houston Texans – The Texans, in some quarters, are a trendy pick to make the jump. It’s easy to see why that pick is trendy. The offense is loaded with playmakers, starting with WR Andre Johnson, who can make an argument for being the best receiver in the league. He’s not alone, though, because WR Kevin Walter, TE Owen Daniels, and RB Steve Slaton are all dangerous when they get the ball in their hands, and they all get the ball in their hands often. The triggerman is Matt Schaub, who is an above-average quarterback when he stays healthy. That just hasn’t happened often enough, as Schaub has missed five games in each of the past two seasons. His backup, likely Rex Grossman, is a Jekyll-and-Hyde performer who won’t match Schaub’s productivity often enough. It would help if the Texans’ offensive line continued to develop, because that unit is still a question mark. On defense, Houston has spent a ton of high picks with mixed results. Former No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams has turned into an elite defensive end, and he could surpass his 12-sack total from last year if free-agent signee Antonio Smith can draw some coverage. But DT Amobi Okoye followed up a good rookie season with a so-so sophomore one, and fellow former first-rounder Travis Johnson was so disappointing he was dealt to San Diego. Still, there’s some havoc-wreaking potential up front. At linebacker, rookie Brian Cushing could provide playmaking ability to supplement what tackle-machine MLB DeMeco Ryans can do. In the secondary, Houston has an unsung corner in Fred Bennett and a hyped corner in Dunta Robinson, whose feast or famine tendencies could be even more pronounced after he held out the entire preseason. There’s a lot of flashy talent on this team, but they haven’t been able to put it together to get past 8-8 in their franchise history. The guess here is that something – a Schaub injury or something else – will come up to keep them from jumping that hurdle again in ‘09.

5 (con’t) – Jacksonville Jaguars – Usually a contender, the Jaguars fell apart last year, in large part because of widespread offensive line issues. So it makes sense that Jacksonville made offensive line priority No. 1 in the offseason by signing longtime Eagles OT Tra Thomas and then drafting Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton in the first two rounds. There’s now a lot more depth on that unit, which should translate to more offensive production. David Garrard is a solid quarterback, though he’s yet to show that he can stand out from the rest of the NFL pack at that position. And RB Maurice Jones-Drew is a pinball-shaped dynamo who has produced both as a runner and a receiver. It will be interesting to see if Jones-Drew can maintain his big-play potential now that he’s more of a featured back instead of a complement to the departed Fred Taylor. Along with remaking the offensive line, the Jags also redid their entire WR corps, with Torry Holt coming over to provide veteran wile and production and youngsters like Mike Sims-Walker, Jarrett Dillard, and Mike Thomas to fill out the unit. It would help if TE Marcedes Lewis continues to develop and if Troy Williamson finally lives up to the potential he showed as a first-round pick back in Minnesota. On defense, the Jags lost some of their identity by letting Marcus Stroud go to Buffalo in ‘08. Stroud’s former running mate, John Henderson, has shown inconsistent production and a spotty work ethic that keeps him from being an impact player. Young DEs Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves didn’t make a splash as rookies, and the Jaguars need them to take two or three steps up this year to make the front seven scary. At least Jacksonville has a top-flight corner in Rashean Mathis, who is probably the best corner you’ve never heard of. S Reggie Nelson is a playmaker too. While the Jags can’t possibly have the injury issues they had last year, there are still too many questions in too many places to consider them a real threat to contend with Tennessee or even Indy and Houston in the south. Given the strength of their division, Jack Del Rio’s crew is in a battle just to avoid being in last place again. They may win a few rounds of that fight, but they’re not getting past the .500 mark.

5 (con’t) – San Francisco 49ers – Last year, the 49ers started 2-7, changed head coaches by installing Mike Singletary, and then surged to a 5-2 finish. Singletary knows what kind of team he wants – a smashmouth, run-first unit on offense and an attacking crew on defense. The question for this team isn’t style but personnel. Shaun Hill is effective at quarterback, but he’s not a standout. The receivers, led by vet Isaac Bruce and holdover Josh Morgan, are nothing special. TE Vernon Davis, though he showed signs of getting it at the end of last season, still hasn’t come close to living up to his top-10 draft status. And Frank Gore, a solid runner, is sometimes too injury prone to last. Still, given the talent on offense, a run game featuring Gore and perhaps rookie Glen Coffee is the best approach, and Singletary wants to play that style, so at least that’s a fit. The offensive line has no monster talents, but it will be tough and physical, which is a start. On defense, the Niners really have only one standout – MLB Patrick Willis, who can make plays sideline to sideline and will make virtually every tackle in between. It remains to be seen, though, if this defense can move from being tough to being dangerous on the pass rush. Former first-round pick Manny Lawson is the most likely candidate to lead such a transition, but that’s far from a sure thing. The Niners suffered a big loss when CB Walt Harris suffered a season-ending injury in minicamps, but Nate Clements is still an above-average corner, and vet Dre Bly could help. The 49ers have attitude and hope, but the talent level isn’t there for a major run. If the NFC West is won at 9-7 again, the 49ers could be in the picture, but if Arizona steps forward, San Fran doesn’t have long enough legs to keep up. A .500 record is a far more likely outcome.

4 – Buffalo Bills – The Bills, perhaps sensing that they were irrelevant, signed Terrell Owens in the offseason to a one-year deal. As a one-year gamble, it makes sense, but if you believe that T.O. is enough to put the Bills over the top, you’re fooling yourself. While the Bills have some good players, there are far too many holes for this team to contend against a powerhouse like New England or even a solid squad like Miami. Owens and Lee Evans make a dynamic receiver duo, and Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish provide great depth at the position. But Trent Edwards has yet to show that he’s a big-time quarterback who can get the ball to all those targets, and even if he’s capable the offensive line is just too young (starting rookie OGs Eric Wood and Andy Levitre) to provide consistent protection. The run game with Marshawn Lynch is OK, or maybe even a little above average, but Lynch must sit out the first three games of the season. The fact that the Bills canned coordinator Turk Schonert just before the season shows that they still haven’t settled on what they want their offensive identity to be. On defense, the Bills need DEs Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay to live up to the pass-rush potential they’ve shown at times but not consistently. Rookie Aaron Maybin can be part of the solution there, but he’s not big enough to be play a heavy load of snaps. LB Paul Pozluszny is a quality player, but he’s not going to provide juice at that position. One thing the Bills do have is good corners in Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin. If the D can get pass rush pressure, those corners can take advantage, and they’re extremely dangerous on returns. The Bills are a weird team in that they have good pieces on some levels and very few pieces on others, and that’s going to lead to inconsistency that will ultimately doom their playoff hopes – or even their dreams of a .500 record.

4 (con’t) – New York Jets - New head coach Rex Ryan isn’t afraid of the spotlight. He’s challenging opposing players, making bold proclamations, and basically just making himself known. Unlike most new head coaches, he also takes over a team that at 9-7 was competitive last year. But it remains to be seen whether the Jets can match even that moderate level of success with a rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez. The Jets’ offense will have to rely on the running game, led by the dependable Thomas Jones and the explosive Leon Washington, to carry them. The fact that the offensive line, led by C Nick Mangold and veteran OG Alan Faneca, is of high quality will help. But the Jets really don’t have a lot of receiving threats to help Sanchez – only TE Dustin Keller is a true big-play threat, and only WR Jerricho Cotchery is of starting caliber on the outside. The offense will need the defense to keep them in games. Ryan brought ILB Bart Scott over from Baltimore with him to make sure his scheme and, as importantly, his personality translated to his new setting. He and fellow ILB David Harris make a terrific twosome inside. But the Jets don’t have the pass-rushing studs that Ryan enjoyed with the Ravens. Calvin Pace, who had a solid season last year, will miss the first four games because of suspension, and ‘08 first-rounder Vernon Gholston was a ghost as a rookie. NT Kris Jenkins is a massive mound of man in the middle, but he wore down and lost effectiveness as the season wore on. The Jets need to do a better job of giving him breaks, but they don’t really have the depth to be able to do so. In the secondary, the Jets have a playmaker in S Kerry Rhodes and a shutdown corner in Darrelle Revis. There are a lot of good pieces on this team, especially on defense, but the lack of an outside pass rush or an outside passing game will ultimately prove fatal. Ryan should be able to get 6 wins or so easily, but the next three needed for playoff consideration will be beyond the Jets’ reach.

4 (con’t) – Seattle Seahawks - At one point, I had the Seahawks slated to bounce back from last year’s 4-12 debacle and win the NFC West. But the signs in training camp haven’t been good, and the offensive line has been hit by injuries significant enough to make a rebound far more improbable. New head coach Jim Mora gets QB Matt Hasselbeck back to begin the season which is good; without Hasselbeck, the Seahawks aren’t going anywhere. But with him, their version of the West Coast offense can be potent enough. Last year, the Seahawks went through so many wide receivers that the offense never had a chance to develop rhythm or thrive. By adding reliable WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Seahawks got a No. 1 receiver who can take the pressure off their complementary players. The best of those complements is TE John Carlson, who was a pleasant surprise as a rookie. Seattle’s running game won’t scare anyone with vets Julius Jones and Edgerrin James, but at least both players can catch the ball out of the backfield. Up front, both OLT Walter Jones and C Chris Spencer suffered training-camp injury setbacks that will sideline them to begin the season. That’s a huge problem that could really inhibit the offense early. Defensively, the Seahawks have a solid pass-rusher in Patrick Kearney, but he doesn’t have much help up front. Free-agent Colin Cole was a nice addition, but he can’t make up for the departure of Rocky Bernard. The Seahawks have invested heavily at linebacker with first-rounder Aaron Curry, Leroy Hill, and Lofa Tatupu, and while that group is good vs. the pass and the run, they’re going to have to force some turnovers and get some sacks for this defense to work. Losing CB Marcus Trufant for at least the first six games of the season is another injury issue for the Seahawks to overcome. At his best, he’s a premium cover corner, but injuries kept him from being at his best last year as well as this one. In a best-case scenario, you could see Seattle making a playoff run, but injuries have already taken that scenario off the table. Instead, the likely scenario is a third-place finish in the NFC West.

4 (con’t) – Washington Redskins - In a tough division, the Redskins are falling behind. Offensively, QB Jason Campbell just hasn’t progressed enough to be the franchise’s standard-bearer. He will finally get to play a second season under the same offensive coordinator this year, but the Redskins have so little faith in him that his leash is incredibly short. He doesn’t exactly have wonderful targets to help him. Santana Moss is a good but not great receiver, and Chris Cooley is just a hair below Pro Bowl level at tight end. Young receivers like Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas would help, but they’re not emerging at this point. The run game is strong with Clinton Portis, but he’s one of those backs with so many carries in his back pocket that you wonder how much longer it will be until he begins to slip. The offensive line is already slipping, with players like OLT Chris Samuels beginning to show their age. Defensively, the Redskins need pass rush. Rookie Brian Orakpo is the most likely person to provide that rush outside, and high-dollar DT Albert Haynesworth can do the same inside. If they both become playmakers, then the Redskins D will have sharper teeth than in years past. MLB London Fletcher is still an effective clean-up ‘backer, and safeties LaRon Landry and Chris Horton are a young duo that is an asset as well. Plus, CB DeAngelo Hall played well after his complete failure of a tenure in Oakland, and Carlos Rogers has come around too. There are a lot of nice pieces in place in Washington, but many of the ones on offense are getting old just as the pieces on defense are coming on. If the planets align, it’ll work, even in a tough division. But the odds of the planets aligning are just too slim to count on much – in large part because Planet Campbell is so far in outer orbit that he won’t come around quickly enough.

3 – Cleveland Browns - The Dawg Pound had better hope new coach Eric Mangini knows what he’s doing, because his “reclamation” project looks more like razing the foundation. Kellen Winslow is gone, WR Braylon Edwards and DE Corey Williams are rumored to be next, and Mangini seems to believe that keeping his starting quarterback a secret is a good idea. Whether it’s Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn starts,  he’s going to wish he had better targets. Edwards is talented but inconsistent catching the ball, and aside from Josh Cribbs there’s little big-play ability. Jamal Lewis is a workhorse running back who is becoming more of a plowhorse by the carry, but at least rookie James Davis shows promise. The Browns do have a building block in OLT Joe Thomas, and they dealt out of a top-5 draft position to take C Alex Mack, who could develop into a solid guy too. Of course, Mangini will have to start Mack for that to happen, but the Mangenius is too smart for that. On defense, Shaun Rogers is one of the top 3-4 nose tackles in the league, but Williams struggled to move from a 4-3 tackle to a 3-4 end. Former first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley has shown pass-rush potential from the OLB spot in the past, but last year he disappointed. One player who didn’t disappoint was ILB D’Qwell Jackson, who established himself as a tackling machine. In the secondary, Mangini is counting on Abram Elam, who came over in the draft-day dealing but who never could establish himself as a full-time starter with the Jets. The Browns have a few premium players, but not enough, and Mangini’s insistence on having things his way will lead to a step back before it leads to any steps forward.

3 (con’t) – Kansas City Chiefs – There are teams that are bad, and there are teams that are bad with a plan. The Chiefs are bad, but they have a plan that should pay off – just not this year. New GM Scott Pioli and new coach Todd Haley brought in QB Matt Cassel to run the offense going forward, and if Cassel can approach the ability he showed in New England last year, that will be a good move. Cassel has one stud receiver in Dwayne Bowe, and Mark Bradley showed his potential more frequently last year than he had in the past. Vet Bobby Engram provides stability to help the offense keep moving in the short term. The run game still revolves around Larry Johnson, who actually had decent stats when he played last year. He’s still an above-average NFL back. Haley knows what he wants his offense to look like, so much so that he canned coordinator Chan Gailey just before the system to make sure that the offense is structured his way. The Chiefs are still looking for OL help and depth, but they do have a cornerstone in OLT Branden Albert. On defense, the Chiefs are moving to a 3-4, and we can expect them to go through the normal growing pains. First-rounder Tyson Jackson must settle in as a keystone defensive end, like Richard Seymour used to be, in order to make the front line work. Glenn Dorsey, a top-5 pick two years ago, doesn’t really fit this system, and so he might end up being moved for cents on the dollar. The Chiefs brought in Mike Vrabel from New England to help make the transition and hopefully to help OLB Tamba Hali, the team’s best pass rusher, adjust to the new system. Hali and Jackson are the key pieces up front; their fates will largely determine the fate of the defense. The Chiefs don’t have enough premium players to compete — only Bowe, Albert, Hali, and maybe Jackson and Cassel fit that bill – but they should be better this year. And if Pioli and Haley can upgrade the talent level going into next year, this team could start to take a leap.

3 (con’t) – St. Louis Rams – When I first started the preview process, I pegged the Rams as the worst team in the league. But the more I thought and prepared, the more I realized that there is hope in St. Louis. That hope is mostly because Steve Spagnuolo comes to a team that has some defensive building blocks in place. DE Chris Long had just four sacks in his rookie season, but he should become a solid run-stopping defensive end with pass rush potential. (Think of Justin Smith or Philip Daniels at their best.) Rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis steps into the middle to provide stability and solid tackling, and that should free OLB Will Witherspoon to roam and make more plays like he used to in Carolina. And the secondary has unknown but quality players in CB Ron Bartell and S O.J. Atogwe. This is a defense on the rise. The problem is offensively, where neither QB Marc Bulger nor RB Steven Jackson has been able to stay healthy enough to produce. While Jackson is a good bet to bounce back, it’s likely Bulger’s best days are over. What won’t help Bulger is the fact that his best receivers are an over-the-hill TE Randy McMichael and under-the-hill WRs Donnie Avery and Laurent Robinson. Avery needs to emerge as a true No. 1 guy for the Rams offense to click, and while he has the potential to do so, it may still be a year early for that. What will help Bulger, who has been battered as much as any NFL quarterback in recent years, is the addition of rookie OT Jason Smith. The Rams are starting Smith on the right side but need to move him to the left tackle spot ASAP instead of trying to salvage former first-rounder Alex Barron who has proven he can’t do that job. The Rams will be better than last year’s 2-win team, but ultimately Bulger will cost them the chance to leap ahead into playoff contention. Still, five or six wins would show Rams fans that the hope they want really is there.

2 – Denver Broncos – Josh McDaniels is a good offensive mind, but so far he’s shown he doesn’t have the skills to be a head coach. He doesn’t deal with his players well, and he doesn’t seem to have the willingness and/or the ability to adjust his precious “system” to the realities of his roster. So Jay Cutler is gone and Brandon Marshall is very unhappy, leaving the Broncos without their two most impactful players from ‘08. Without that impact, there’s little hope in Denver this year. Cutler’s replacement, Kyle Orton, is a competent NFL quarterback, but he has yet to show that he’s better than that. He has one terrific slot-type receiver in Eddie Royal (think Wes Welker from the scheme McDaniels coordinated in New England), and if Marshall is willing to play, he’ll be a great asset outside. The depth at receiver is spotty, although TE Tony Scheffler (who was in McDaniels’ doghouse early) is a really good weapon in the passing game. Denver’s running game will revolve mainly around rookie Knowshon Moreno, who has loads of potential. Denver does have a strong offensive line, with OLT Ryan Clady back after a sterline rookie season. ORG Chris Kuper and ORT Ryan Harris are quite good as well. So there is hope on offense, even with the passing game changes. The problems are on defense, where the Broncos are trying to install a 3-4 scheme that they don’t yet have the personnel for. Rookie Robert Ayers fits into the OLB role on one side, and free-agent Ronald Fields fits as a nose tackle. But the other main contributors from last year – Elvis Dumervil and D.J. Williams – have to prove they can fit this scheme. And unless they can, the defense will be average at best. Denver also reworked the secondary around Champ Bailey, signing veteran safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill and CB Andre Goodman. There’s just been too much upheaval in Denver this year for me to feel good about what the Broncos are doing, and this team could easily bottom out this year. McDaniels’ people skills, not his football skills, will be tested severely, and we’ll have to see how he responds to a test it appears he didn’t expect when he took the job.

2 (con’t) – Detroit Lions – After an 0-16 debacle, the Lions are trying to remake everything. I believe they’ve gotten the right guy at the helm to do it. Jim Schwartz is a tough yet progressive coach who assimilates as much info as he can to make a decision. That’s a crucial quality as the Lions turn over a huge percentage of their roster. QB Matthew Stafford will start out of the gate as a rookie, and while he will struggle, he has a big arm and a bigger security blanket in all-league receiver Calvin Johnson. The Lions have worked on acquiring receiver depth this offseason to help Stafford, and they drafted rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew as well to help the cause. The running game features Kevin Smith, who had an OK season as a rookie and who still has the potential to flourish in better surroundings. Detroit’s offensive line still needs work; the good players are old, and the young players aren’t good yet. That’s not a good combo. Defensively, the Lions added vets like LBs Julian Peterson and Larry Foote and CBs Anthony Henry and Philip Buchanon to help stabilize a unit that was awful last year. None of those guys (except for maybe Peterson) can still be a good playmaker, but they won’t blow assignments like the Lions did so often last year. Rookies FS Louis Delmas and DT Sammie Hill will start and try to start a youth movement. Detroit still has a long way to go, but they’ll be better this year and a little more competitive. Even a three- or four-win season would be a step in the right direction, and more wins than that could be cause for celebration. Don’t count on celebration, but this ship is finally pointed in the right direction.

1 – Oakland Raiders – The Raiders’ dysfunction has been evident all offseason. To wit: the last-second trade for DE Richard Seymour; signing guys like Jeff Garcia and Terdell Sands and then cutting them before the season; and of course the reputed game of Tom Cable’s Punchout in a coaches meeting. (We’re not saying Cable punched a guy; we’re saying some people said he did.)  Hey, at least they didn’t fire their offensive coordinator during training camp. (Oh wait; they don’t really have one.) You can say a lot about the way the Raiders are run off the field, but let’s look at what Oakland has on the field. They do have a great stable of running backs with Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush. They do have a young quarterback in JaMarcus Russell who still has promise that he could grow into. They do have an underrated young tight end in Zach Miller. They do have the best cornerback in the league in Nnamdi Asomugha. They have a terrific young linebacker in Kirk Morrison. So there are pieces in place. But the Raiders don’t have proven wide receivers, especially with Chaz Schilens sidelined as the season starts. They don’t have a great offensive line, which mitigates the impact of the running game and makes Russell’s development difficult. The Raiders don’t have an impactful front four on defense, unless Seymour and Greg Ellis find a fountain of youth. They don’t have great depth anywhere. This roster has a few nice pieces, but there’s simply not enough quality in enough places for them to compete regularly. That’s poor front-office planning. So while the Raiders may jump up and win a game or two you don’t expect them to during the year, they’re going to be among the most hopeless teams out there on a week-to-week basis.

1 (con’t) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – It’s a bad year to be a pirate in the NFL, because the Raiders and the Buccaneers begin the season on the lowermost level of our comparison. The Bucs unloaded stalwarts like Derrick Brooks, Kevin Carter, Warrick Dunn, and Ike Hilliard, instituting a new era under new head coach Raheem Morris. The beginning of the era is going to be very bumpy. Byron Leftwich is the starter at quarterback, but his slow delivery is going to get him, a receiver, the offensive line, or all three killed. He’s simply not good enough, but he’s a good guy who can be a place-holder until Josh Freeman is ready midseason. The running game features a returning Cadillac Williams (is he healthy?), import Derrick Ward, and holdover Earnest Graham. Leftwich is throwing to Antonio Bryant, who had a breakout year last year in his return from utter NFL obscurity, and new tight end Kellen Winslow. These are guys who have been good but who aren’t dependable in the least. The offensive line is OK but not great, although OLT Donald Penn is a prospect to watch. The fact that offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodinski was jettisoned just before the season isn’t a good sign that all these pieces are coming together on offense. On defense is where the Bucs’ makeover is going to take time. The only front seven guy who is a building block for sure is MLB Barrett Ruud, although DE Gaines Adams has shown potential. In the secondary, safety Tanard Jackson is suspended for the first four games, but he and Aqib Talib are supposed to be the guys who take over a unit that has been Ronde Barber’s for years. The Bucs simply haven’t replaced the talent they got rid of in the offseason, which means that they’re going to struggle this year. The fact that Leftwich just isn’t good enough will make those struggles more pronounced, to the point that the Bucs could be the worst team in the league. Morris may be the guy for the future, but his beginning right now isn’t going to be pretty.

Rossi's goal and the new thirds were the only bright sports the the Aliens in a 5-1 loss Tuesday night.

Tuesday night saw the Roswell Aliens take on the Minnesota Warbirds at the Area 51 Center, sporting their new green alternates for the first time this season. The new threads were designed by Aliens defenseman David Rutka with help from GM Joe Iusi. They finally made their long awaited, and heralded debut tonight. The team lost the game 5-1 however, a bitter ending to a game that took a while to complete due to issues between the two teams not being able to get the game done, in part due to travel issues. Minnesota had 5 different players score on the night, with goals coming from Sawyer Withers, Matt Mahoney, Jamie Shimbashi, Adam Stevens and Chris Bell. Chris Hie and Priscilla Williams had assists, and Pat Albanese had a pair of them on the night. Anthony Rossi scored Roswell’s only goal on the night, assisted by Joe Iusi. Eric Vincent took the loss, giving up 5 goals on 48 shots, with Chad Karding coming in at the very end of the game in relief. Trevor Pullin stopped 25 of 26 shots for the win. The crowd was energized as soon as the players came out of the tunnel sporting the new threads. The noise would affect the Warbirds’ play early on, as Chris Coogan would be sent off for tripping only 30 seconds in. Ayaz Karim would get a chance early with Pullin flopping in the crease, but fired the shot wide of the net. The physical play would be evident in this game, with a multitude of penalties, and a big hit by Elias Frechette on  Coogan right out of the box. Kristian Marosi would follow Coogan into the box for the same offense, but Roswell would waste their second powerplay opportunity. Back at full strength, the Warbirds would score their first, as Adam Stevens came in uncontested, and unassisted, and put one past Karding for the 1-0 lead. Roswell would get it back, as Rossi would tip Joe Iusi’s shot into the net midway through the first to tie it. Rossi would quickly follow that up with another chance, but the shot hit the tip of Pullin’s stick and went harmlessly wide.  Troy Mueller would take a hit from Ryan Sassaman into the Warbird bench, and then would leave the game after a big hip check from Scott Edmonds, which was not received well at the Area 51 Center.  The Aliens would head into the locker room with the game tied at 1.

Warbirds captain Miika Kemppinen would take a high sticking minor only 17 seconds into the second, giving the Aliens a powerplay to start the period. Joe Iusi would come in on a breakaway, but Pullin again turned the chance wide. The Aliens had hard luck on the breakaway tonight, as they were stopped numerous times. Chris Bell would score 5 minutes in off of a pass from Pat Albanese to make it 2-1 Minnesota. Eric Vincent would then have to turn away Chris Coogan from point blank, and would also shut the door on a 2-on-0 chance for the Warbirds. The Aliens then got into penalty trouble late in the second, seeing consecutive minors by Robichaud and Boutilier. The high-ranked Aliens PK was again on task tonight, as both minors ended without any damage being done. Down 2-1, the Aliens would head into the locker room with 20 minutes to stage a comeback.

The Aliens would get some life early on in the third, as Greg Ezell would go to the box, giving the Aliens yet another powerplay in the game. T-Jay Harris would have the best chance, but Pullin was again up to the task, blockering the shot aside. With the momentum draining, veteran Matt Mahoney would walk right around defenseman Chris Baker to put the puck in the net and make it 3-1. With the Aliens pushing forward each chance they got, Jamie Shimbashi would take a loose puck on a rush and slap one into the net to make it 4-1 and put the game out of reach. Sawyer Withers would add one late to chase Vincent, giving Karding a couple of extra minutes of playing time. A disappointing 5-1 loss in the return of green game, but wins are becoming hard to capture in the league. A full 60 minute effort seems like a daunting task for the team to put together, and it will be interesting to see what changes the coaching staff has in place after the last two disappointing losses.

Game Notes: Roswell was dominated in the faceoff circle, 42-17, and was also badly outshot, 49-26. The powerplay went 0/5 and skewered the ice time for the team, leading to fatigue from the big names in the third. Mueller’s injury is not considered serious, and he should be available for the next game. Rossi’s goal was his first point in 8 games. Adam Stevens looks like one of the most dominant players in the league this season, as he amasses 9 shots by himself on the night. The third jerseys will return to action in the next game against Montreal at the Area 51 Center.

Image Credit to Chris Walters of the New England Brewers.

View the recap at The Breakaway.

The Malaysian Insider (22 August 2009: “Thaksin petition puts elite in a quandary”) comments on the “royla pardon” petition and “the elite.”

Calling the petition “unprecedented,”  it is claimed that the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship action has thrown the “country’s establishment in a quandary. But the quandary is partly of its own making.”

The “establishment” has many legal and other reasons for wanting to prevent the petition and for fearing an unlikely pardon. One of these is said to be that “pardons are granted on humanitarian grounds or to people who have been jailed for lese majeste … — a law that many among Thailand’s elite find embarrassing.”

PPT wonders about this. If many in the “elite” find the law “embarrassing,” they seem to have no embarrassment about using it against political opponents. As the article rightly points out, it is the central reason for rejecting the petition/pardon; in other words, Thaksin’s challenge to the monarchy.

Thaksin’s challenge was to a “cultural norm by refusing to go quietly. In accusing Privy Councillors — especially elder statesman General Prem Tinsulanonda — of plotting his downfall, he broke a longstanding taboo against criticism of the august inner circle.” Against Thaksin’s denials, “the elite suspect he is a republican intent on overthrowing the monarchy, an institution virtually synonymous with Thailand’s identity.”

But the monarchy’s position in the ongoing political conflict is partly a result of decisions made by the “the august inner circle.” For example, from the “beginnings of the movement against Thaksin in late 2005, the monarchy has undeniably been at the centre of the political conflict. The latest book [a second edition] by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit, titled Thaksin, details how the army’s top brass in 2007 talked openly of the need to ‘win the grassroots back for the King’.”

PPT would add that the People’s Alliance for Democracymade the monarchy central to its anti-Thaksin politics from the beginning. And we should also point out that the creation of Thailand’s identity has been intimately bound to the monarchy is a royalist manufacture, and recommends Michael Connors at Sovereign Myth.

The Malaysian Insider also makes the mistake of considering that the monarchy is above politics when writing of the legalities of the petition and pardon, but PPT thinks that this is meant to refer to perception and propaganda rather than reality. In any case, as the article points out, “the legal process is not at issue here. What is at issue is the symbolism of the petition.” And it is here that the “ruling establishment had played into the hands of the red-shirted United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) by over-reacting.” Indeed, “Red shirts and their sympathisers — not all of whom necessarily like Thaksin – are delighted that the petition has placed the establishment on the defensive. If it were to reject the petition, it will be seen as ignoring the wishes of over three million Thais.”

The article states that the “large number of those who signed the petition indicates that there is a new political awareness among the masses. They have been awakened by the turmoil of the last three years.” The final comment is: “How the elite deal with this latest move in the high-stakes chess game over the future of Thailand will indicate if they remain in step with a county that is in rapid transition.” PPT agrees.

T-Jay Harris scored twice, but the Aliens couldn't hang on Thursday night, falling 4-3 in overtime in Berlin.

The Aliens were hard luck losers Thursday night, only seconds away from a win in Berlin, only to put the puck in their own net and subsequently lose in overtime to the Guards by the score of 4 to 3.  Andrew Walker earned the win, making 26 stops, and Eric Vincent was the hard luck loser, turning away 40 shots total on the night. The Aliens were outshot badly on the night, but held a 3-1 lead after the second period. The barrage of Berlin shots finally paid off late in the game, as the Guards tied the game in the last two minutes, and put the game away with a quick one in overtime. Roswell took a few undisciplined penalties, including two by Anthony Rossi, but managed to only give up 1 goal on the man advantage, and got one back shorthanded. T-Jay Harris scored twice, and Chris Baird had a goal for the Aliens. Rutka, Baker, and Joe Iusi all had 1 assist in the contest. Brett Noiles, and Miren Makwana scored, and Philipp Marquardt got credit for the game tying goal, and scored the winner in overtime for the Guards. Makwana and Christoph Ludwig had assists, and Timon Knoblich had 3 helpers on the night. The teams would trade chances early in the first, but T-Jay Harris would strike about 2 minutes in, firing a quick wrister by the blocker of Andrew Walker for the 1-0 lead. The Aliens played solid defense in the first, blocking shots and keeping the puck in the Guards’ end. Hammarback would take a high-sticking penalty 8 minutes in to send Roswell on the first powerplay of the night.With the powerplay floundering, Makwana tries to take advantage of the momentum, firing a number of shots on Vincent. The powerplay went by uneventful, but the pressure remained in the Aliens’ end, eventually forcing Chris Baker into a tripping penalty with only 3 minutes left in the period. Makwana would find Noiles wide open in the slot, who would beat Vincent to tie the game going into the second period.

Berlin was the faster team early in the second, keeping the puck in the Aliens’ zone throughout the first seven minutes of the period. Vincent continued to keep the team in the game with save after save, but would find himself shorthanded again. Jeremy Ducaine would take an interference minor for an aggressive check in the defensive zone to send the Guards back on the powerplay. Roswell managed to tighten up the penalty kill, and strangle the Berlin attack to regain the momentum. It would pay off 2 minutes later, as Chris Baker sprung Baird into the zone with a nice feed. Baird’s initial shot was stopped, but the captain would not be denied, and would tap in the loose rebound in the crease to put Roswell back on top 2-1. With the momentum in full swing for the Aliens, Denna would take out Robichaud behind the Aliens’ net, sending the Aliens’ right back on the powerplay. Showing a strong ability to get shots on net, the Aliens would pepper Walker with shots, forcing a number of face-offs in the Berlin zone. Surprisingly, the Aliens would wind a number of them, a contrast to earlier in the season. Although dominating on the powerplay, the Aliens would fail to score, and would be shorthanded again as Rossi would go to the box for tripping. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the Aliens brought the up-tempo penalty kill again, and would cash in on it. Joe Iusi would walk right into the Guards’ zone, hitting a wide open Harris who would lift one over Walker’s glove to stretch the lead to 3-1. The rest of the penalty would go by uneventful, and the Aliens had the momentum going full steam into the third.

Instead of hitting the gas and looking to put the game away early, Roswell played defensive in the third, trying to keep the two-goal cushion rather than push forward for any more offense. It would show, as Berlin would push hard and test Vincent in the third heavily. The seasoned netminder would have to stand on his head to keep his team ahead, but the veteran was more than up to the task. The tactic seems to work for the Aliens until Rossi takes another tripping call with 4 minutes left. Vincent would stone the barrage from the Guards and kill off the penalty almost single-handed, but the Guards would strike with under 2 minutes to go. After taking a feed from Knoblich, Ludwig would one-time a pass right to Makwana. The initial shot was stopped, but perhaps Vincent’s only mistake of the night, a rebound in the crease, was tapped in to cut it to 3-2. The Roswell defense locks the fort down in the final 1:30, as Berlin pulls Walker for the extra attacker. It doesn’t make any difference, and the Guards come down to their last chance with under 10 seconds to go. After a battle in the corner, Craig Howlett fends off Marquardt, but fires a pass off of Vincent and into his own net. Marquardt would get credit, and the game headed to overtime. It only takes a minute for the Guards to win it, as Knoblich, who already had 2 helpers, takes a harmless shot from the wing. The rebound carems right out to Season 5 MVP Marquardt, who buried it for the win. After taking a dominating stance after two periods, for some reason the Aliens completely change their tone in the third period, and watch 3 unanswered goals float into their net for the loss. Perhaps the inexperienced defense has finally started to show, as the late stages in the third saw the tired defense beat late for 3 goals in the span of about 4 minutes. Perhaps Roswell was destined to lose, being outshot 27-7 in the third period, but the 40-minute effort isn’t going to be good enough to win games at this level.

Game Notes: Roswell took the edge in faceoffs, 24-21, and in hits, 24-19. After going the whole season without a penalty, Rossi took 2 tripping minors, and finished -1 on the night, the only player to finish a minus. Ducaine was the only player at +1. Harris played first line minutes, sparking the production that the Aliens enjoyed from him earlier in the season. Jon Eklund found himself  in the press box tonight in favor of Pete MacKellar. The Aliens continue the road swing, visiting Brisbane for a matchup with the Clippers.

Image Credit to Trevor Cardinal of the New England Brewers.

View the recap at The Breakaway.

]]> http://ryanonthepigskin.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/brady-looks-good-in-return-to-field/ Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:12:39 +0000 Ryan Gaydos http://ryanonthepigskin.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/brady-looks-good-in-return-to-field/

PHILADELPHIA — Tom Brady’s return against the Philadelphia Eagles was overshadowed by a bigger comeback.

In a surprise move, Michael Vick is back from his NFL exile and coming to Philly.

Brady threw two touchdown passes in his first game since he tore ligaments in his left knee in Week 1 last season, leading the New England Patriots to a 27-25 victory over the Eagles in their preseason opener Thursday night.

Vick stole the headlines from Brady with news that the recently reinstated quarterback had signed with the Eagles. A league source told NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora that the team gave Vick a one-year, $1.6 million contract with a team option exceeding $5 million for a second year.

Brady said he wasn’t surprised to see Vick back in the league.

"No, he’s a good player," he said.

Vick was convicted in August 2007 of conspiracy and running a dogfighting operation, and he served 18 of a 23-month sentence in federal prison. The former Atlanta Falcons star also was indefinitely suspended by the NFL. He played his last NFL game on Dec. 31, 2006, against the Eagles.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said Vick deserved a second chance.

"You’re talking about one of the top quarterbacks in the league when he was playing," Reid said. "I talked to Michael, and he’s in a good place."

Brady, who used a protective brace, played his first game since the 2008 opener. He ran well in the pocket, showed no lingering effects of his surgically repaired left knee and threw two touchdown passes to tight end Chris Baker, one in the first quarter and another in the second.

Brady completed 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards with one interception.

"I need the work — we all need the work," Brady said. "You can’t duplicate this on the practice field."

Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, sat out the entire preseason last year because of an unspecified foot injury, and then he was knocked out for the season in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady had started 128 consecutive games before going down with the knee injury.

The 2007 NFL MVP completed his first pass and threw an incompletion in his first series. Brady handed off on his first play before tossing a 6-yard pass to Wes Welker out of a shotgun formation. On third-and-4, Brady’s pass for Joey Galloway was broken up.

Brady came out firing on New England’s second possession. He connected with Randy Moss over the middle for 13 yards, then threw a perfect deep ball to Moss down the right sideline. Former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel was called for pass interference on the play, resulting in a 46-yard gain to the Eagles’ 18.

Four plays later, Brady found Baker open for a 4-yard TD strike.

"I thought he was sharp," Baker said of Brady. "He went out there and moved us up and down the field and put some points on the board."

Brady’s lone mistake came in the first quarter when he had a pass intercepted by cornerback Sheldon Brown. Brady slammed his helmet in disgust as he took his seat on the bench after the play.

Julian Edelman, a converted quarterback, returned a punt 75 yards for a score that gave the Patriots a 14-3 lead. Brady then sent the Patriots into halftime with a 21-6 lead when he connected with Baker on a 9-yard touchdown pass.

Brady got his wish to play in the preseason after missing all of last year’s games. He had hinted this summer that skipping the games during the 2008 preseason might have left him open to the injury that knocked him out for the season.

Brady kept busy during his injury timeout. Brady rehabilitated his knee, married supermodel Gisele Bundchen and even guest-starred this week on the HBO show "Entourage."

Brady can add a win, beating Donovan McNabb and the Eagles just like he did in Super Bowl XXXIX to end the 2004 season.

"There’s no place I’d rather be," Brady said. "This is the place where I probably have the most fun and enjoy it the most. A preseason game doesn’t have quite the feel of a regular-season game, but to be out there on the field with my teammates and celebrate after a win, and the bus ride home … those are the things you probably enjoy the most."

McNabb knows all about playing with a controversial teammate, surviving 1½ tumultuous seasons with wide receiver Terrell Owens. McNabb now will deal with Vick, who brings more baggage than just disrupting team chemistry with controversial comments and gripes about his contract.

McNabb was out of the game when Eldra Buckley scored rushing and receiving touchdowns in the third quarter for the Eagles, cutting the Patriots’ lead to 24-22 at the end of the quarter. With 57 seconds left in the game, David Akers missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt that could have won it for the Eagles.

By the end, the only thing the fans were buzzing about was the news that Vick was coming to Philly.

McNabb has led the Eagles to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl appearance in the last eight years — beating Vick and the Falcons in the 2004 title game.

First action in a year. 10-15, 100 yds, 2 TD's

I know I know.  It’s preseason.  But I’d be lying if I’m not geeked right now watching Tom Terrific thread needles to blocking Tight End Chris Baker.  It’s almost scary when I take a step back and realize how goddamn good he is.  Scary because of how devastated I will be when he hangs up his perfect cleats.

-CB

PS- JULIAN EDELMAN IS NOT SLOW

McSparron continues to produce, but the Aliens continue to slide, losing 8-5 Monday night.

The Aliens took another hard loss Monday night, giving up 8 goals in a loss to Minnesota at the Frank Barron Pavilion. After springing out to an early lead, the Aliens had a rough time holding onto it, squandering the lead twice on the night. The team was badly outshot on the night, and only won 11 faceoffs on the night. Warbirds backup Trevor Pullin got the start, stopping 16 shots for the win. Chad Karding was pulled after allowing the 4th goal, already having stopped 18 shots. Eric Vincent was thrown into the fire, and took the loss after giving up 4 more goals on 33 shots. Michael McSparron continued his reinvigorated play, scoring twice. Jeremy Ducaine and rookie John Boutilier both had nice games with a goal and an assist apiece, with Boutilier’s coming on the powerplay. Jon Eklund also chipped in with a pair of assists as well. Chris Baird also scored, and Dmitri Monastyrenko, Matt Fennell, David Iusi and Craig Howlett all found the scoresheet with an assist apiece. Minnesota had 8 different goalscorers on the night. The trio of Scott Edmonds, Kenneth Lehtinen and Adam Stevens all scored and added two assists apiece. Matt Mahoney, Ryan Sassaman, Miika Kemppinen and rookie Priscilla Williams all scored as well, with Williams getting the first of her BHL career. Chris Coogan and Chris Hie had two assists apiece, and Zac Abrams, Pat Albanese, Eric Baily, Patrick Ng and Chris Bell all registered an assist.

For once, the play starts off tame, but John Boutilier would end that with a hooking call a shade under three minutes in. The Aliens would only have to kill half of the penalty, as Patrick Ng would take a cross checking minor to end the Minnesota powerplay. During the ensuing 4-on-4, Jon Eklund would fire from the point, which Pullin would stop, only to have McSparron waiting on the doorstep to smash in the rebound. Not content with their lead, the Aliens strike almost a minute later, with Chris Baird picking off a pass in the offensive zone, roofing it over Pullin for the 2-0 lead only 5 minutes in. Right off the faceoff, Mahoney gets called for interference, and Roswell goes back to the powerplay. The second powerplay unit comes through with the goal as Boutilier atones for his early minor and buries a nice feed from Ducaine to make it 3-0 with over 10 minutes remaining in the first. The Warbirds begin their assault in the second half of the first, as Mahoney cashes in on a rebound from Albanese to cut the deficit to 2. As the period winds down, the Aliens seem to be content with the 3-1 lead, but the Warbirds have a different idea. Stevens scores with under 2 minutes left off of a screened shot to make it 3-2. Off of the next draw, Sassaman fires a laser from the red line that inexplicably beats Karding to tie it going into the second.

After losing the lead late in the first, the Aliens come out refreshed in the second, and it only takes them three minutes to score, as Ducaine finishes a nice passing play from Eklund and David Iusi only 3 minutes in. The Aliens take the 4-3 lead, but 3 minutes later, Williams restores the tie, deking out Karding after taking a nice feed from Hie. After letting in the 4th of the night, Karding is pulled in favor of Vincent, but the momentum is still in the Warbirds’ favor. Later in the second, Lehtinen takes a harmless shot, but Vincent coughs up a huge rebound, which Edmonds snipes in to give Minnesota the 5-4 lead with 5 minutes remaning in the second. Roswell doesn’t muster many more chances in the second, as the Warbirds continue to outshoot them on the night. The Aliens escape only trailing by one heading into the third.

Again, the locker room speech seems to have an effect on the Aliens, as they come out firing in the third. McSparron scores again, on a screened shot. Fennell gets not only the assist, but also provides the screen to tie the game up at 5. That would be the high point of the night for the Aliens. Only a minute later, Sawyer Withers would score off of Zac Abrams’ feed to put the Warbirds ahead for good. 15 seconds later, Lehtinen seals the deal with another goal to put the game out of reach for the Aliens. While continuing to be outshot, Roswell manages to kill off an Eric Robichaud penalty, but Kemppinen adds an insurance marker with 5 minutes remaining. The Warbirds end up winning after firing 55 shots total at the Roswell net, an unacceptable total as admitted by their coach. After priding themselves on a quick start, and a high-tempo offense that generates shots, Roswell has been left in the dust as of late, getting badly outshot, and collapsing in the third to give away wins. It will be interesting to see how coach Frechette responds to this loss, as a 5 goal effort usually isn’t something to scoff at.

Game Notes: The Aliens won only 19% of the faceoffs tonight. Roswell outhit the Warbirds, 37 to 19, with Chris Baker, Robichaud and forward Jason Hodgson all registering 4 hits apiece. Boutilier led the way with 4 shots on goal, but was also the lone -3 on the night. Frechette led the Aliens with 6 hits. Jon Eklund was the only player in the plus category on the night, finishing +1. Monastyrenko and Eklund both registered their first point of the season in the game. All of Minnesota’s skaters registered over 11 minutes of icetime. Only Greg Ezell, Jamie Shimbashi and Kristian Marosi failed to register a point for the Warbirds. Roswell looks to rebound against the Guards in Berlin next.

Image Credit to Edward Eldred of the Montreal Cavaliers.

View the recap at The Breakaway.

]]> http://jaylizotte.com/2009/08/07/meet-the-patriots-part-4/ Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:51:34 +0000 Jay http://jaylizotte.com/2009/08/07/meet-the-patriots-part-4/

So we’ve finished three of the four skill positions on offense and today we get to know the tight ends. Really? A whole column on these suck bags? Yup.

There are really only a handful of great tight ends in the league, Witten in Dallas, Gonzalez in Atlanta, Gates in San Diego and Todd Heap from Baltimore. I’m sure I may be missing a few in that handful, but really the Pats don’t have an impact guy at tight end. Although at one time they thought they did.

Ben Watson (84) – Remember that playoff game in Denver when he ran all the way down the field and caught Champ Baily?

We thought that he was one of the fastest guys on the roster and with speed like that coming off the tight end position, the Pats offense was unstoppable. Well, we soon learned that he has hands like Featherstone in Necessary Roughness. So many end zone drops and an inability to consistently block makes him another guy the Pats will let walk after this season without even tendering an offer. Like Daniel Graham.

Chris Baker (87) – The former Jet is brought in to push Ben Watson for the #1 spot. In his 7 sevens with the Jets he caught more passes against the Patriots that any other player. I’m hoping the fact that he’s off a crappy team and moved to the NFL elite with the best quarterback in the league throwing him passes, he’ll flourish and be the TE for years to come for the Pats (signed through 2013).

Alex Smith (80) – Wearing #80 on the Pats after Troy Brown is kind of a big deal, I think. Well, Smith was brought in from Tampa Bay this offseason. Smith is a decent tight end from everything I’ve read but isn’t a Gonzales or Heap. Maybe he blossoms having a real quarterback throwing to him. We’ll see. His style is very similar to Thomas, but Thomas’s inability to stay healthy has me ranking Smith higher on the chart.

David Thomas (86) – The late great Wendy’s founder would probably be as effective on the field and he’s dead. Thomas has yet to complete a full season as he’s injured every year. In fact last year when he played in 15 of 16 games, he still managed only 9 catches for 93 yards. That’s more than a third of his career totals in one season. Without a true fullback on the roster, look for Thomas in the backfield as a fullback. That’s really all he’s good for is being an extra tackle or a blocking back. That’s if he doesn’t get cut.

Just like the wideouts, there’s a significant drop off from there with Tyson DeVree (85). He’s been cut by the Patriots three separate times. Look for a fourth after this camp (if they don’t cut Thomas) as the Pats aren’t likely to carry five tight ends on the roster.

Monday we’ll hit the O-Line and Tuesday the D-Line (including newly acquired Derrick Burgess).