UConn James

What gets me more are those people saying TD should trade back into the first, then trade down and stockpile picks. Pardon my English, but... HUH?!!? If trading down were so easy, everyone would do it, especially this year. Not to mention that there would be no net gain other than wasted time. 2+1-2 still equals 1. But I guess by doing something, anything, there would be headlines. Why don't people who only know the cliches of draft-day activity just wait until camp starts before opening their mouths? Abe Lincoln had some good advice on remaining silent, don't you know.

Unless the NFL has added several teams, that's a low 2nd. I don't get the logic of this scenario. Then again, it was conjured by armchair NFL pundits. There's lots of them these days. TD will get something tangible for Travis, not merely moving up a few spots in a craptacular draft. If not, expect to see #20 back in red, white, two shades of blue, and silver.

Yeah, we want the straight dope. Edwards at times seemed like a spring chicken, and other times he was genuine and showed a lot of tact. What I've heard from the backroom is that he knew he didn't have a chance for pres. but was gunning hard for the VP slot so he'd be a shoo-in down the road. I didn't like that about him. Kerry should've picked a stronger VP, but then again, Kerry should've had a solid spinal column.

Saint Malachy(?) who has very accurately predicted the line of popes in the 12th century, wrote that the next would be "the pope of olives" or something along that line. Perhaps he saw Ratzinger as a de facto continuation of JPII's papacy. B/c that's what it is.

I predict that w/in 10 years, Bill Clinton will be a Republican. Mostly b/c of the "making the world a better place" happy horsesh-- only w/o the sky blue helmets along w/ the snafu that is NAFTA. The Clintons are no friends to the Democratic Party.

I must've been jumping to conclusions.

Check the voting stats re: the black vote. There was the start of something in '04. I can only say it would be a good thing to have Jesse Jackson be less of a voice in the Dem Party. I choose to think a little more optimistically about the racial thing. As for Hillary, it's hard to say if she'll run. If she does, I don't think she gets it. Lots of history there, and not much of it is good for her. In NYC she's safe, going national I wouldn't bet on her. Lots of discussion centers around running a current Dem governor, for the same reason as is being discussed in the thread.

A subdued anger might have been good in the election. It might have given everybody a sign that Kerry actually had a pulse, at times. Everybody's view comes from their perspective. From the other side of the hill, the Republicans are the party of "we oppose anything the Democrats support." Fresh faces aren't bad. We need a lot of them in D.C.

That looks like white smoke to me.

Reid comes across as an ass to me. I don't know how he and Pelosi got into leadership roles, just like you wonder about DeLay, Lott, etc. The thing that killed Kerry was he did not stand up forcefully enough to the "flip-flopper" attack. Something where he raised his voice, and quote from the 2000 debates about "No nationbuilding" etc. Make it clear that *ahem* other people have changed their minds as well.... *ahem* We never saw that on the evening news, b/c it wasn't being said. Kerry was also weak on this issue b/c the parties are in the middle of a SERIOUS policy swap re: playing World Cop, which I agreed w/ the Repubs before about not getting involved in other people's crap and taking care of our own business and I agree w/ the Dems now about not getting involved in other people's crap and taking care of our own business. I want someone like Schweitzer who'll say what we all want to say: "I'd personally put OBL's head on a stick." Kerry refused to attack on this point (which, let's be honest, it was the point in the election) b/c of his voting record and past statements. I'm looking for a much better slate in '08 with people who aren't afraid of a fight.

I doubt it. Kerry sucked at communicating, tried to be all things to all people, and he wasn't in a postion/didn't want to attack Bush on his weaknesses. Those things go to the core. Would it be wise for them to run a governor, just because executive --> executive? The track record for congressmen becoming president hasn't been very good. That, and they ran a just-left-of-center guy in Gore that alienated the "base", and then a just-right-of-Teddy-Kennedy guy in Kerry that alienated the centrists. Do they actually try for a middle-of-the-spectrum guy or gal this time 'round? Trouble was that Iowa picks someone like Kerry b/c they make the Ethanol Pledge and the party and media made him the nominee. It'd be a lot nicer if they did the primaries more clustered than they do. I just hope the Dem candidates in '08 will be honest and able to talk to people about their ideas. It will be a better campaign b/w the two parties b/c one of them won't have to explain how he would do each specific thing different than the current guy. My short list includes Wes Clark, Bill Richardson, and Barak Obama tho it's probably too soon.

Here's a guy that the more I read about 'im, the more I like 'im. Life of the Party: Brian Schweitzer

Sounds exactly like what the Bills need so they can keep McGee in a Tupperware container. The spectre of Jeff Burris really haunts this place....

I'd say the only way he gets those numbers is if there are injuries and b/c his contract year motivates him similar to Peerless. But likewise, I wouldn't pony up for a guy who could only be bothered to show up when it came down to fattening his wallet.

Maybe he means that he doesn't have an outbreak currently.

That's the same argument I hold to. Saddling the worst team in the league with the first pick every year doesn't help them get better, it just effs up their cap for the next seven years. Makes no sense to pay $18M when you could spend $5M at the #15-20 spot and have the exact same chance of getting a player who'll be a bust. We're seeing an in-between example w/ MW. Yes, his play is getting better but at $9M cap number this year, he could well be playing for another team by the time he hits his peak.

Nine million potential viewers in NYC. And if you don't think there's pressure from TPTB in the NFL to push the Jests ad nauseum so as to ensure the West Side stadium gets built....

Horatio Sanz(?) is a terrible comedic actor. I think they keep him on just to have a fat man that reminds everyone of Chris Farley, who was kept on because he reminded everyone of Jon Belushi. Sanz just flubs every line, and then starts on a giggle-fest. It used to be something unique when the cast would laugh during the skit when something would go wrong (ie, Christopher Walken's moustache kept falling off in "The Continental"). The current cast, minus Tina Fey sometimes, is crap. Tom Brady's Flalafel City????? Well, at least he was wearing a dress (or was it a serape?) so he can be the object of derision. The skits I saw were just bad.

They're saying 2nd or early 3rd for Orlovsky. He's got the size, strength and football smarts (kind of like JP in this regard---he went to college more to play and study football than learn about astrophysics), just that UConn isn't a behemoth football school yet. I'd be very surprised if he dropped to the 5th.

Agree about the others, but I think you're WAY wrong about Orlovsky. This from someone who watched games and quite a few practices. What you don't read about him in those draft guides is him working out on Sundays before the season esp. on footwork w/ cones and rope ladders in the FieldHouse and Memorial Stadium. He's more of a pocket-QB but unlike Drew he is aware of and can step up to avoid the rush.

You've acknowledged that you no longer live in Kooba Norte. That's good. Now change your avatar.

Aaron Schoebel is laughing all the way to the bank. But I don't expect he'll be around for his entire contract, unless he ponies up more than 8.5 coverage sacks per year. If Kelsay doesn't develop fast (I think he will) or even if he does, I'd expect TD to draft a DE early in next year's draft. AS's signing seemed much more like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dike than a long-term solution. This is a valid criticism of TD's management style. I can't say as I disagree with it. You can't kill your cap w/ a few players and have gaping holes of mediocrity/has-beens everywhere else.

To start at a reason why, instead of blaming everyone, I'd look at society as a whole rather than the sum of the parts. Try reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. Social epidemics are created by small events, resulting in a the collection of numerous discrete occurances of similar pattern. Resorting to violence as an acceptable answer to a problem has become an epidemic in this country. Where did it begin? Who knows. Waco? Columbine? 9/11? Likely, something earlier that was the 'tipping point.' A short interview w/ the author

It'd be something to see if one of them tried airing a game that had no announcers, just the sounds from the stadium and some graphics to show what down it is, etc. "Don’t speak unless you think you can improve the silence." --- Adolph Rupp, the legendary U. Kentucky coach, hitting the nail on the head.

Didn't say that JS single-handedly brought down Crossfire. They did it to themselves over a long time. I don't even know who else was on it, and I don't want/need to. And you're wrong about the youth vote. Just like all of the people who don't bother to sift through the facts after the Insta-Pundits tell them something.