JoeF

They replayed a file interview with the Director of Emergency Services for Lafayette Parish last night on CNN. He was great. They computer modeled this exact scenario (probably worse as it turns out) last year with FEMA and all the state and local agencies and officials... They had him via phone live after the interview and he said that the thing that surprised him about this preparation is how many folks actually evacuated--it exceeded all their best case planning. He said he was thankful for that because it would make immediate clean up and public health issues less of a concern. I left the interview with the feeling of "I want that guy in charge" when the sh-- hits the fan...

Both of those mentions are just bone chilling... I still remember vividly the aerial video footage and stills from South Miami and Homestead after Andrew...it looked like a 30 mile wide F-5 tornado touched down...and stayed down....

It went further west into the Gulf than they suspected--the market is so skittish anything will raise prices. Steve--I am less worried about gas prices--since you are going to save me a bunch of money on my car insurance.... (sorry if I offended anyone with a lame attempt at humor on a serious subject)... Taken from an AP story: Katrina will be only the fourth category 5 storm to hit the United States. The last was 1992's Hurricane Andrew, which leveled parts of South Florida, killed 43 people and caused $31 billion in damage. The other two were the 1935 Labor Day hurricane that hit the Florida Keys and killed 600 people and Hurricane Camille, which devastated the Mississippi coast in 1969, killing 256. _________________________________________________________________ Lots of people using the Superdome as an evacuation site. Thoughts and prayers to all those who can't or won't get out of the way. Lots of help will be needed in the clean up. I'll put in a plug for your local food bank or Catholic charities or yes even the Red Cross who will all be called into action and are already providing needed resources. Blood will be in short supply as well--for those of you in the same geography--if you are due to give a pint--now may be a good time to do it.

Silent thread for the person who believed this deserved a separate thread... I stand by my thought that a header would not be enough reward for this....only indentured servitude and no complaints for a season of 11 hour Football Sundays.

Not every team is the Bears though J...and we looked good rushing the first two pre-season games. We ran well agains the Colts 27 carries 123 yards--7 rushing first downs; and the Pack 158 yards - 37 carries, 11 rushing first downs and in the scrimmage versus the Pack..so I was a little surprised by futility against a good D. We learned last year if you can't step up against good defenses (Pats, Steelers) you go nowhere...I think the answers are on the team..and MM has two weeks to find them...

Its hard for JP to assume that role right now. There's too many other leaders (Fletcher, Spikes, Milloy, Vincent, Moulds, Adams) but there is a chance for him to take the offense by the short hairs between now and the end of the season and I think he will. He will be in a vets face on the sideline by about week 5 or 6--I think either Bennie Anderson or Mike Williams-- for a mistake and it will flow from there... There are going to be so many "The maturation of JP Losman" events this year that it will be really fun to watch...plus he is really frightening and exciting when the ball is in his hands and he is improvising...get out the nitro glycerine pills baby--this year is going to be a wild one...

What the !@#$ are you talking about??? This is my !@#$ing team and don't you forgot it.... I am the straw that stirs this drink--the scooper that picks up this poop--the knife that spreads this peanut butter...shut the hell up... Love, Dougie ... Drew... Kelly had the same attitude--but guess what--he backed it up...

Six hours???--a header is not nearly enough--you're talking indentured servitude kind of stuff and a season worth of no complaints about 11 hours of football on Sundays....

Six hours--five of it for shoes.....I certainly hope there was some sort of incentive compensation......God Bless You....

If you figure out how to add value in the process of women's shoe shopping--would you please let me know. It always seems very much a no win when I participate at any level --i.e. with a 6 year old, or an 11 year old or a 42 year old....

Middle ground here folks.... First, JP is like Billy Madison, he got through a couple of elementary school defenses (Packers and Colts) in pretty good shape. Led us to 5 scores in 6 drives, but he is still learning. The Bears with a healthy Urlacher and that wonderful DL are High School level--they have speed, size, edge rushers, Nathan Vasher who is one of the rising stars at CB in the league and a playmaker in Charles Tillman--we won't see too many defenses like that this year. Not surprised he struggled last night. He wasn't sharp in his decision making but the pocket time was shorter and the receivers a little better covered. A great learning experience in the preseason. Two things to note--still no turnovers by the QB (INTs or fumbles) and I counted at least 4 plays last night where Drew would have been sacked and JP made a positive play out of it (2 of them were one yard gains--but what the hell). On the downside, the 20 yard sack was a really, really bad play--like the safety the week before that was wiped by the penalty--he's done the same thing twice--hopefully he will learn. We did get beat alot on the line last night--even when they had 8 in the box and we had 8 blocking on third and shorts. We should not get beat with our line and with Shelton. We need to find some answers for this because we have to be able to run even against good front 7's in order to allow JP the time he needs to learn. This is not just preseason--its worrisome--we got our ass kicked on the majority of 3rd and shorts (not that we had that many). The D and special teams are simply spectacular -- they are already at championship level.... So yep its the preseason and I think that applies to JP's development but the run game needs attention and the preseason excuse doesn't really hold a lot of water with me--we just need to get better--whether its personnel changes or guys like Bennie Anderson showing up.

Williams back in the game and commits a penalty

Burris just reported that he is back on the sideline in full gear but will probably not go back in...if it was an achillies tear he wouldn't be on the sideline....Burris said he was walking gingerly...

Glad you are okay dib--sorry about the dish. At least this one missed my mom and brother in Stuart/Jensen Beach--they had two eyes pass overhead last year...

Butler overpaid both Ruben and Fina on their last contracts there is little doubt. Ruben made mental mistakes throughout his career that all-pro veterans shouldn't make--still he was an opinion leader on the team. This just is another piece of evidence that Williams never won the team over--he hired assistants out of desparation and kinship rather than competency; he treated players like kids the first training camp (bullhorns at 6 AM, other bull sh--); and he was Mr. Cliche with the media. Hopefully when he takes over the Redskins from Gibbs he will have learned a lot. Contrast that to what we have today..Mularkey is just as disciplined and dedicated as Williams but he has also: 1) Surrounded himself with a great staff--including Jerry Gray who even though he was a Williams guy seems to be adding to his reputation under Mularkey 2) Seemingly has the respect of the players--just by being honest and upfront and relying on them to perform or face the consequences. 3) Is now the clear leader of the franchise...TD is stepping back, Mularkey in this camp has assumed the "face of the franchise" role. It may not translate into wins on the field--but it is apparent we are better off now from a coaching and team unity perspective than we were under Greggggggggg

I almost forgot that we are going to see Ruben Brown as an opponent tonight. The Chicago Sun Times article linked on the home page has this gem of a paragraph: Look beyond that, though, and you find that a slow burn caused by a strained three-year relationship with coach Gregg Williams, as well as difficulties with two assistants, greased the skids. Brown was held out of the final game of 2003 by Williams for reportedly showing up late for a meeting and going over a table after offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. The two previous seasons, Brown didn't approve of offensive line coach Ronnie Vinklarek, a longtime Williams crony. Ruben is the player version on Buddy Ryan...that is awesome!!! I would have paid big money to see that scrap--with Gilbride ending up comatose on the floor...smug bastard that he was/still is.

I can't bear to read the Andre Davis thread. I was wondering why a trade not involving the Bills got so much attention. I thought for a second that Andre Davis changed the world. God bless him. Give me a QB that can lead a team to 3 super bowl victories in 4 years...I don't care if he can throw a deep ball. We lost four in row, they won 3 of 4. It's fact...let our good buddies Hollywood, T-Bone (for those times when the Pats are his team and he is over his self aggrandizing theatrical TBD exits), etc...crow a little...they deserve it...we have the same amount or more numbskulls who will be doing the same thing on Pats boards when we win 3 of 4. That is if the Pats had a board like TBD--which their collective IQ's won't allow them to produce...thank God we have SDS aka Jimmy Neutron...

Drew Bledsoe is a Texan now... Aussie seems like a really nice person..... So no not much... a .333 winning percentage on the road since franchise reinstatement is okay but not terrifying...

Is your refrigerator running? Do you have Prince Albert in a can? Is Mike Hunt there? Can you page him for me?

.....and where else can you get a torso workout like that. Look, he had briani for lunch....

I honestly think it was becoming a blonde....had nothing to do with Belichek

I'm melting....... or Humpty terrorist sat on wall, humpty terrorist had a great fall, all the coalition's horses and all the coalition's men, couldn't put humpty terrorist back together again...

I asked, but Coach Mularkey wouldn't tell me the nature of your malady. I am thinking about writing a LAM column on the subject to display my utter disdain. At the risk of becoming overemotional...let me just say I hope that you are blessed with a steady handed surgeon, good pain killers, successful surgery and quick recovery... Coach McNally may need you on the line before this is over...can you catch??? TE is getting awful thin.

Baked????--explain this concept to me please........fried, deep fried, deep deep fried and pork rinds is all I understand as now an adopted son of the Old North State...

Tie for 6.....when chicken fried steak is the state dish--not a surprise...present company excluded of course..