Ennjay

Above all, the show never identifies who Mandy works for.

So I turn to my wife and I say, "they've been chasing this guy [Marwan] for 21 hours and now that they've got him they have two agents walk him out to an SUV alone. How stupid is that?" And no sooner do I finish saying that than . . .

Don't overlook the overall weakness of the NFC. I expect some dropoff in Green Bay and I don't think St. Louis and Seattle improved from last year -- and those were all playoff teams. Even if the Vikings are better (and that's still a good question, since Moss scored so much for them and affected how defenses played them in ways that won't happen in '05), there's plenty of room to rise in the NFC. A 9-7 record is likely a playoff lock, and 8-8 did it last year.

A close relative of mine recently went through complete reconstructive knee surgery (= more than Everett), and the story we got from two different doctors is this: The ACL has enough muscle sheathing around it, and other ligaments around it, that the affected leg can be reconditioned to perform the same functions it had before -- meaning an athlete can recover prior speed with enough rehabbing (and I guess dedication). If there's more ligament damage (like tearing the MCL, which happened in our family case) it's less likely because you have that much less of the additional support for the newly reconstructed ACL. That's why there was so much skepticism about McGahee. As I understand it, Everett's only injury was to the ACL. It takes time to get full flexibility and strength back, but it can be done. At least that's what I understand. Hines Ward tore his ACL a few years ago, and he seems to be doing OK.

Has anyone ever bought a ticket to watch somebody coach?

. . . and maybe for the first time ever a comic scene on 24: Chloe offering to be there for Jack. I didn't know Kiefer Sutherland could make an expression like that.

Agreed. That's why Palmer's strategy was actually realistic. Everyone knew what "really" happened and the Chinese would know the stakes (= Marwan's nuke is on the loose somewhere). You're absolutely right the Chinese would want a payback but both sides would look for a plausible face story to sell to the public. What I found really beyond the pale (pail?) was CTU completely dropping its pants for Chang. There's such a thing as cooperation, but this guy was getting classified information that a few hours ago Chloe wouldn't share with Edgar.

This is going to be a run-first team, with Willis dialed up for maybe 1,500 yards. I expect at least one reverse a game, and maybe more. It's tempting to give one to Parrish but the Bills may not want to expose him to the punishment if the o-line can't be depended on to spring him. They've already used flea-flickers and reverses back to the QB with Bledsoe, but I can see a few more with JP because they can expect him to salvage something with his legs if the play as called breaks down or nobody's open. I also expect more safety-valve type throws to backs and TE's (whoever plays TE) for two reasons: (1) they're a good idea for a novice QB, and (2) Bledsoe just didn't like to throw them whereas I don't see JP overruling his coaches on this. I believe he's being programmed to throw safety-valves. I'd like to see more screen passes but you should really have a mobile line for that, and I don't know if the Bills' o-line is up to it.

I notice nobody brought up Gary Marangi. He was supposed to replace Ferguson in his prime during the OJ years and he looked terrific until he actually got into games and started playing.

I had already left town when the Bills moved him to Detroit with nobody left to play the position. I never knew why he had to go. Does anyone else remember? Was he too expensive?

I find it a little disturbing that the only two shows I go out of my way to watch -- House and 24 -- are on Fox. If you start an "Official House" thread I'm sure you'll get a lot of whining about how unrealistic the show is (like on the 24 thread), but it's smart and entertaining. And like you say, House gets some great dialogue.

Did you see him on ESPN Bowling Night? I couldn't believe how he was whipping the ball and in short sleeves he looked pretty chiseled. Bowling has nothing to do with football, but the sheer muscle he showed was impressive.

Yeah, but not until after he yells at her. There's a real subtle Chloe/Jack thing going on (asexually so far, but hey it IS 3 a.m.). Since Chloe's now a cold-blooded killer ("I didn't feel anything . . ."), how 'bout she offs Audrey just for being annoying?

I keep thinking it's a Jason Peters opportunity, although the Bills keep pushing him to tackle. I guess that's a safer place for the playbook challenged. Everett projected as a homerun threat, but what the Bills really need now is a reliable safety valve-type receiver for JP when the play breaks down. In other words, a big guy with hands. That's why I think of Peters.

I was assuming for the sake of the question that TH would not be cut or traded. And I'm pretty sure Travis won't he franchised.

Thanks for the detailed reply. To change the question slightly: I expected the Bills were entitled to comp picks down the road for losing Jennings and Pat Williams. Do I understand correctly from this thread that comp, if any, will be based on how they perform for their new teams in 2005 and be awarded for the 2006 draft? And that the performance of anyone the Bills sign this year will be balanced against what Jennings and Williams do? Suppose the Bills sign A-Train and Willis, Henry, and Losman all get hurt, so A-Train and Couch start. Suppose they put up pretty good numbers. Would that mean the Bills may get no comp for a pair of lineman that don't really produce statistics, if that's how the Committee sees it?

I know that if a team loses a free agent without signing an equal or better (more expensive?) one it can get a compensatory draft pick at the end of a round. Henry was a second-round pick, but I don't think comp picks are ever any better than the end of the third round (if even). If Henry stays on the roster all year and then signs elsewhere as a free agent, would the Bills get a compensatory draft pick for him (assuming they don't sign a better FA next off-season?) Assuming they did, how good could it be? I expect it wouldn't be that good of a pick (for example, a pick at the end of the third round is really just a headstart on the fourth round, so I would think of it as fourth-round quality). But I'm wondering if TD already has a minimum return for TH even if he never moves him to another team. (This assumes away all the problems of keeping TH around while his trade value diminishes and his attitude gets worse.) Does anyone know how this would work?

Thanks. As I recall, wasn't #24 Booker Edgerson? (I know that's not his picture, I'm just spotting the contemporary number.)

I doubt McNally had much say about the Giants personnel. Accorsi blew up that team and seldom treated OL as a priority.

I've been saying for four years now that I'd at least like to see somebody yawn. I also think we should be seeing paper coffee cups someplace. Maybe the lack of coffee cups explains the lack of bathrooms. BTW, if you watched the last episode of the first year you saw a bathroom scene. That's where Nina offed Terry (Jack's wife).

Yes, a lot of logic is taking it on the chin in this show. But I love the action and the tension, and I think the writers are making an effort to be more "honest" (I didn't say logical) as this year winds down. If you remember the Wayne/Sherry subplots from last year you know what I mean. Ever notice how whenever trained, professional CTU agents get sent out as bodyguards or escorts, which looks like exactly what they should be good at, they get blown up right away? Chloe's detachment last night; the squad that couldn't get MaryLu the mole (or whatever her name was) through the parking lot about six hours ago. Best Jack moment of the year so far: "This will help you with the pain."

'Course F'n Lonnie had a problem with hip fluidity. I understand Everett's hips are pretty fluid.

Tight end with speed out of a Florida school. Could add some weight. Somebody tell me to stop thinking about Lonnie Johnson.

Since the Bills play the Packers in August, I expect the sportswriters to bring this up and force a comparison of game performances -- which won't prove anything.

I've been trying to work the concept of hip fluidity (as mentioned in the Ezekiel scouting reports) into my regular conversations all day, as I'm sure everyone else has. I've had limited success. Anybody doing any better?