1) Turn on Madden '10 and play until the Colts are 14-0. Then, in the third quarter of the Jets game, keep the starters in and run up the score on those punks.

2) Write a nice email or letter to Curtis Painter to assure him that the state of Indiana does not hate him in particular, and give him your best wishes going forward.

3) Start to compile that dreaded list of New Year's Resolutions. Make decisions that you will never truly keep, like changing your drinking habits to something a little more healthy for your aging body. Perhaps Diet Sunkist.

4) Contact Deion Sanders and tell him you were glad to see him in such high spirits on Sunday night after so many weeks of gloominess. Remind him that such elation is good for his health and advise him to keep it up. While you are doing so perhaps you could patronize his self-glorification over correctly picking the Jets to win.

5) Pre-order yourself a shirt that says something like, "Our 18-1 is better than your 18-1!" Start planning a trip out east to wear it with effect.

Perhaps following this list of suggestions will prove to be therapeutic. Go Colts!

I thought I'd throw out some observations since the roster cuts and before the season.

1. I thought it was funny after some of the debating on who do they keep, Hart or Ball, that the Colts did neither and went with Chad Simpson. Most people thought they'd cut Simpson and possibly keep both of the others, but apparantly his return contributions on ST gave him the edge. After watching him return, go figure.

2. Glad to see they at least gave Mike Hart a spot on the practice squad. With his injury and many good players to keep or cut, it says something about their hopes for him to get him to the practice squad when there were, well, other guys who could've been placed there. Now I just hope that some other team doesn't snag him from there. Who knows, though, we may still need to cut him to mak room for someone else off of waivers. I'm just glad that he has been thus valued so far.

3. We have a lot of LBers, huh? Seven at this point. And eleven DBs, which I always think we could use more of those.

4.I think the biggest initial shock in the roster cuts was Marcus Howard. Grady would've been the bigger shock, but they have five DTs still on the roster, plus two more at DE who have played DT for the team, leaving them with seven options. Grady was odd man out, and Foster's fullback time, which I also observed at training camp, gave him even more of an edge. But releasing Howard with only four DEs left, and half of them being less known for pass rushing from that position, well that shocked some.


5. I guess the Sorgi/Painter debate has a verdict. Like with others on the roster or practice squad, one could still be cut. However, it appears so far that the Colts are valuing Painter like they have no other QB in a while. I think this is wise, not for this season, but perhaps for next and beyond.

6. We have more TEs than WRs on the roster, if you count Justin Snow. Interesting. Four seems like a small number for that position, but there is still three more on the PS.

7. Best wishes to Marcus Howard, Lance Ball and some of our other beloved former Colts as they join Rhodes and Harrison in looking for a new team. I hope they find one and do well, so long as it isn't for a rival of ours. Except for Marvin, who I hope retires as a Colt soon.

Go Colts!!!

[UPDATE] Please rec with wonderful FanPost. --bbs

My family went to training camp Friday. It's an annual tradition for us now. We had a great time. I did not take notes, as I was too busy taking everything in. That means I will most likely remember things in the morning that I will wish I had recalled when making this fanpost.There was a morning practice and an afternoon practice. Here are some observations from the day.

* Absentees and Limited Participants - I never saw Marlin Jackson or Bob Sanders. Vinatieri was there in shorts, helping out the kickers and punters. Donald Brown participated in the morning practice, but he dressed down and sat out the afternoon. So did Ugoh and Hayden. I’m forgetting others, I’m sure.

* Injuries - During the afternoon practice, Mike Hart had an ankle injury while blocking a linebacker in a set of pass rushing and pass protection drills. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, but he came back in for a couple plays a little later. Then, toward the end of practice, he was on the sidelines with ice wrapped around his ankle. By the time we left, though, it was off and his shoes was back on.

Jim Sorgi may be seriously injured. While running a stretch play, he had to really stretch to get the ball to an aggressive Chad Simpson, and he went down hard after making the handoff. He came up in obvious pain and grabbing the back of his thigh. He had to be carted back inside, which can’t be a good thing. Unless your name is Curtis Painter.

* Quarterback - Peyton Manning had his share of bad throws, but he made a plethora of great ones. I think he’s shaking off a bit of rust, and he is beginning to look superb as usual. Painter was hard to judge. Early on he didn’t impress at all, but in late in the afternoon practice he threw some great passes while under pressure in scrimmage. There were a couple long passes that were special, one in particular to Tamme. Painter also threw two TD passes in a goal line offense and through tight coverage. However, he ended the day with an interception to Hagler, who returned it the distance. Still very promising. Painter is only a rookie, but I could see him replacing Jim Sorgi, particularly if Sorgi’s injury is serious.

* Running Back - In the morning walkthrough, Addai and Brown shared the first team load. However, as Donald Brown sat out the afternoon session, Addai led away. Hart, Ball and Simpson played mostly with the second team offense. Hart was great before his injury. Ball seemed to outperform Simpson, though Simpson had a couple great TD runs in goal line drills. If Hart stays healthy, I think that Simpson will be the halfback without a home.

I have to say that Joseph Addai looked great today. He had some great runs and moves, he caught very well, and his pass blocking was impressive. Addai stood out on this day.

This was interesting. They used Eric Foster at fullback. Quite a bit. He made some nice blocks, and he even caught two TD passes from Manning. That would be fun during the season, wouldn’t it?

* Wide Receiver - In reception drills and with no one covering, the receivers caught well, with only Garcon dropping an easy catch. Hall looked a little out of sync in these. During scrimmage plays and while covered by Db’s, Garcon dropped another that he should’ve caught for six. Wayne and Gonzalez seemed pretty well covered when they were in. TE’s were snagging the most catches. Roy Hall had a couple nice catches, including a TD. That guy is a physical specimen. I was impressed with Taj Smith most of the day, but by the end Roy Hall had me believing. If we hold five receivers, I suspect Hall and Smith will fight for the last spot, with Garcon making the team. I think Hall has the edge, but I like them both.

Reggie Wayne provided some great moments. He would interact with the crowd (as would Collie). Manning threw a perfect pass to Wayne through excellent, tight coverage by Jennings, but Wayne let it go right through his hands. Reggie was very upset with himself. Later he was being covered by Jerraud Powers. Powers made a great play on a nice pass from Manning, knocking the ball away from Wayne. Two plays later, Manning came back to Reggie in the end zone. Powers still had great coverage, but Reggie made a super grab for six. It was a fun contest to watch.

Austin Collie is impressive. The guy has amazing hands and runs great routes. I believe he will surprise and be productive in his first year, at least for a rookie slot receiver. He seems plenty confident as well.

* Offensive Line - There seems to be little debate at the starting positions. Ugoh, Lilja, Saturday, Pollak and Diem. In the afternoon, Ugoh dressed down and sat out of practice, though nothing appeared to be wrong. Federkeil and Hilliard filled his void. This unit has me a little worried. Either the defense is dominating, or they are still struggling. The first team was okay. They had their moments both ways. The depth was unimpressive, however. Pray for health, I suppose.

* Tight End - Clark and Tamme clearly stood above the pack. Robinson and Santi were out there, but didn’t do anything that was notable. Petrowski had a nice TD grab. Manning kept targeting Clark, who pulled in some great catches. They had a couple TD’s together. Tamme made some great long receptions and tough grabs from both Manning and Painter. I’m telling you, Dallas Clark and Jacob Tamme looked really good.

* Defensive Line - This was a hard unit for me to observe, as they gave a lot of different looks. They used five linemen a lot. Also, the ends lined up with more space from the tackles than usual, in my opinion. Once I was confused because from where I stood it looked like Moala was playing LE, but after several plays I could see Mathis down there on the end as a fifth lineman and spaced apart from the rest a bit. I liked the whole defensive effort. Other than a couple short TD punches by Simpson, their goal line coverage was great, especially against the pass. The DL put solid pressure on the QB throughout practice.

I saw a lot of Ed Johnson. They also used Grady quite a bit. Foster, Taylor, Moala and some other guys rotated, but I noticed Johnson on the field the most. Grady made some nice plays behind the line, and I remember one from Foster as well. Curtis Johnson was in a lot at end. Brock and Mathis rotated in and out, with Brock rarely at DT. Dawson played End, not Tackle. I saw little of Howard or Freeney it seemed.

* Linebacker - The clear starting unit was Session, Brackett and Wheeler. Senn subbed in a lot. Didn’t notice much from Keiaho. Hagler had an interception return for a touchdown on the last play of the day. He looked pretty solid throughout.

* Defensive Back - Jackson was not there, and Hayden sat out during the competitive practice. When Jennings was in, he was always on the number one receiver. He covered well it seemed. Hughes looked pretty good to me. He spent some time covering the big boys, and he did his job. Rushing at one point concerned me. I think he is behind some of the others. I don’t know if Coe will hold a spot on the roster, as Rushing holds some more value in ST at least. The safeties were fine. I liked Bullitt especially. No Sanders there.

Powers was the most impressive of the corners on the day. He would fl to the ball. He made some great plays against Wayne, as I mentioned earlier. There were several times when he caught my attention. He perhaps could be our best man coverage corner in time. Not that we use man coverage much, but still.

* Special Teams - I like Ray Rychleski. That guy is enthused. He is loud, excited and motivating. Don’t take me wrong, he’s no Russ Purnell... McAfee has a leg! At first, he didn’t stand out from Masthay, but as the day went on, he was far more consistent, he punted deeper and his kicks had more hangtime. He was better under pressure. He also had some long field goal kicks, like over fifty yards. While Andrus seemed very solid if Viniateri can’t go, McAfee could do it all himself, it seemed.

Here’s one funny thing about Pat McAfee. During the morning walkthrough, the fans were getting bored it seemed. McAfee was throwing passes on the sidelines with the other special teams and staff, and for fun he began to aim for a helmet that was upside down on the ground. He nailed it early, and the fans began to cheer. He kept trying and came close, but he never hit it again. After a while, the guy on that end moved the helmet after he threw to help him "hit"it. Everyone laughed, and McAfee just turned away and watched the scrimmage as if he was offended. A couple other times he laughed with some fans. He seems like a fun guy.

* Other Impressions - I think the defense looks deeper than the offense. The defense played a bit better all around, although Manning and company fared well enough. However, when the second teams were in, the defense dominated for the most part. If we get injured anywhere, I think we have more depth to step up on defense. I worry about the offensive line. Perhaps it will be fine. I hope so.

I noticed some guys stayed out on the field longer than the rest so they could work on things. Hayden, Taj Smith, Collie, Manning and a couple others I’m forgetting. Manning is a workhorse. He stayed on the field longer than most, and he conducted interviews with different people. Long after everyone else had gone indoors, he stayed and gave autographs. He was out there an hour longer than most everyone else after both practices.

Some people are jerks. They would almost trample the kids to get to Manning. My son sat in front of the rope during afternoon practice and next to a kid in a wheelchair. Afterwards, when Peyton came to sign autographs, they were nearly trampled. By adults. The security kept warning that Manning wouldn’t stay if they pushed and crowded, yet some adults kept on until Manning backed away and signed elsewhere. My son was disappointed, but he stayed there, and when the mob went to Manning’s new spot and trampled some more, Peyton came back and signed my son’s football. Throughout the time, security had to keep intervening with crazed fans. And it wasn’t the children, let me tell you.

Justin Snow impressed me. He came straight over to the handicapped young man and signed his stuff. He told sternly everyone else to wait afterwards, and he knelt beside the wheelchair and talked to the family at length. He asked them questions, showed understanding, and seemed to genuinely care. Curtis Painter also came over later just for this family.

My son received autographs from Peyton, Coach Jim Caldwell, Justin Snow and Curtis Painter. We conversed with each of them except for Manning, who was preoccupied with trying to survive.

There are a group of women there who are scarily obsessed with Dalles Clark. They have a ton of pictures of and with him. They had a gallery of photos of his gluteus maximus. They were taking more photos of him, preparing to get him to sign some previous ones, and speaking of him constantly the entire afternoon practice. They looked normal enough, but looks can be deceiving.

* Conclusion - I could go on and on, but this is already a book =p It’s a great time for my family every year, and I highly recommend the experience to anyone. Oh, and if you come, bring your own Sharpie. Or seven dollars to buy one.

The Detroit Lions select.....

Well, let me explain my decision first. The possible choices are QB Matt Stafford, OT Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe, LB Aaron Curry, or DT BJ Raji. There are other scenarios that are worth consideration, like trading out of the number one pick. A strong possibility is a three way trade with Cleveland and Denver that will send Quinn and the number five pick to Denver, the number one pick to Cleveland, and Cutler and the number twelve pick to Detroit. Or some variation that gets Cutler to Detroit and sends away the number one pick.

Anyhow, I believe there is a very likely scenario that Detroit will not pick first. They are doing very interesting things publicly that make me suspect they are trying to spook someone below them to trade up and secure their guy. That may or may not work, but I still suspect that somehow Detroit will not pick first in actuality.

There are drawbacks to every possible first choice. Matt Stafford is the top choice in the weakest class of QBs in a while. They drafted Drew Stanton 43rd overall in '07, and I think they would be better off building other areas this season while trying out 2nd rounder Stanton, then drafting QB next year if he doesn't work out.

Next, OT is a big need and a good possibility. However, the Lions pick again at #20, and this is a deep class at this position. There is much debate over who is the top player at this position. Rather than gambling on that choice, the wise thing would be to draft the top guy later in the opening round. There will be a good option there.

Now to Curry. He is the best defensive player in the draft, and he is the most popular choice of the Lions fanbase. That should make him a slam dunk, but I only hesitate because they traded for Julian Peterson already. Along with Sims, this would give them three outstanding LBs, and there are other needs. 

Raji. This seems like a slight reach. However, the struggling defense could use a great DT. Additionally, the Lions traded away Cory Redding in the trade for Peterson, so there is a great need there. But is Raji a number one overall?

Crabtree will never happen on the heels of the Millen era. This brings me to the conclusion that the Lions desperately need out of this slot. I believe that a Cutler deal is an excellent scenario for them.

So what do I choose? Well if I am forced to choose at number one, I am going with my favorite player at the top of the draft.......

AARON CURRY

The fans who follow them closely want this as well, and some draft experts agree. I just think that Stafford is too expensive for the risk. Give Stanton a whirl for a year. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Big Ten Network has a new show that made its debut on March 13 and will continue on Mondays from March 23rd and on. It's called The Big Ten Quad and I saw a portion of it. One of the guests was Mike Hart. It was interesting to hear Eddie George, who hosts the show, comment on how smart of a person Mike Hart is, as well as how well Hart would  make cuts on a sloppy field and such.

Anyhow, as they talked (there were four former Big Ten players including George in the discussion) about various things, Hart spoke about attitude in the locker room. He said that on every team you have your complainers, guys who think that they should play more, or guys who disagree with the coaches. He said that there were guys like that in Michigan and on the Colts, as well as every team in sports.

Hart went on to say that he watches those guys and clusters of guys who complain, as he was a team captain in Michigan and a rookie last year in the NFL. He said that he always looks at how those types of guys work on the practice field. I am summarizing all of this, as it has been three days since I watched it, but Hart made it clear that he learned a lot about attitude from noticing the players who complain in the locker room but don't study extra film or practice extra hard to get better. His point seemed to be that a player ought to quit being negative and work harder at proving he is worth more by improving through extra preparation.

This just reinforces what I have said about Mike Hart all along. This is a tremendous person who slid in the draft because of speed, and he has the heart and head to be a great contributor to this team. I love how he runs. He had the greatest two yard gain I have ever seen last season. Most of you remember that big third down conversion. Even the play that he was seriously injured on was great. Preseason and regular season, every time he touched the ball was special. He was great for the Wolverines (whom I hate) and I believe he will be big for the Colts in the years to come. Next season he might be the buzz around these parts. We will see.

You can see parts of the show at their web site, which I already linked. Go Colts!

Does anybody on here know why Clark is so expensive this year? According to ColtsCap, he is a 13.9 million hit this season. From 3 mil last year to 6+ mil in years to come, that nearly 14 mil this year is glaring.

This has probably been explained before, and I probably read and forgot it, but I do not recall why it is so high this one year. Or is that site wrong? Or am I the only person even concerned about it? Or have I already exceeded my 75 minimum words?

I wanted to wait a few days to post this. As a Colts fan I know all too well about that feeling after playoff disappointment. This season our hopes were tempered, but the Colts have let a top seed season end too early. It takes awhile, likely longer than this, to move forward. I am not sure I am over the '05 Pittsburgh loss entirely still, tbh.

Anyway, I want to congratulate Titans land on a great year. You won the AFC South. You had an early season QB transition, yet didn't miss a beat. Your team plays great defense. You even outplayed the Ravens in almost every way in the playoff game. There is so much parity in the NFL today that the goal is to just get in the playoffs and anything can happen.

I am not one of these that subscribes to the school of thought that there is only one successful team each year. While the ultimate goal and prize is the Lombardi, to say that thirty-one of thirty-two teams had unsuccessful seasons is ludicrous. I know that thirty-one teams end the season feeling disappointed, but that does not mean their team was not a successful team in a tough league.

I say there are twelve successful teams each year. They are called playoff contenders. Above that, the divisional championship is a higher standard of success and a greater achievement in a successful season. Congratulaions to the Tennessee Titans for not only reaching the playoffs, but for winning their division and for having the best record in the AFC Conference.

You earned the top conference spot by beating very good playoff teams. You beat the Colts, Steelers and Ravens in the AFC alone to get that top spot. Your team is extremely well coached and will be a force to be reckoned with as long as Jeff Fisher is leading the charge. 

I realize that for many this is little consolation at this time, but it will be. I believe that before long, and even now for some, you will look back and appreciate the great success that your team experienced during a year in which it was extra exciting to be Tennessee Titans fan.

Enjoy the offseason, and I look forward to a great rivalry next year again!

I'm sure my thoughts are sentiments that have already been echoed, but I wanted to post them.

I think it is a tragedy to finish the season 11-5 and not make the playoffs. As a Colts fan I feel the same way about traveling to the West Coast as a 12-4 team to play an 8-8 team. But missing the postseason at 11-5 just seems wrong.

I think your team has had an amazing season. Coach Belichick gained some respect in my eyes as a coach this season. He is easy to hate as a rival team, but I have always considered him the most important individual on the team. This year concreted that in my mind. What he accomplished despite the injuries is remarkable, and it may have been his greatest coaching performance ever this season.

This season the Pats reminded me of the year Brady first started. Truthfully, had you made the playoffs, a super bowl run would seem like a strong possibility. I would not want the Colts to have to march into Foxboro and play the Patriots!

Anyhow, it has been an admirable season, and I am truly sorry about the postseason. It doesn't seem right.

As Christmas quickly approaches, I hope that this will help you stay out of the doghouse this year.

Oh, and you're welcome!

(I tried to make this  a fanshot with video, but I am still figuring these things out.)

Go Colts! Go Colts!Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts!Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts!Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts!Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts! Go Colts!

I am in the championship in two different leagues. Both are ten team leagues, and I have had the highest points so far in both leagues. Some of my players have tough matchups this week. We play 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs/TEs, 1 DF, 1 K. Here's my roster.

QB - Aaron Rodgers, Jason Campbell

RB - Adrian Peterson, Thomas Jones, DeAngelo Williams, Chester Taylor

WR/TE - Andre Johnson, Steve Smith (CAR), Roddy White, Marvin Harrison, Devin Hester

Team DF - Bears, Panthers

K - Joe Nedney, Jason Hanson

My biggest concern is Tomas Jones or DeAngelo Williams (as I'm going to start Peterson). I am also a little uncertain about the Bears over the Panthers. Any advice?

I meant to get over here sooner this week, but you know how that goes...

Congratulations on clinching the South. Your team is very solid this season. Fisher is one of the greatest coaches in the NFL. The Titans earned it big time.

It has been a long time since we (Colts fans) haven't claimed that prize, and everyone in the media thought that the Jags would be the ones to wrest it from us. Congratulations again.

I don't know where our respective teams will be in record when we meet on week 17, but here's to healthy rosters (for the sake of the playoffs) and some great football that week and through the playoffs!

I have been off the site for a week or so, and thought I'd post some thoughts in one spot here.

1. The Colts need Bob Sanders down the stretch. I think our regression in run defense this week proved that. It is reminiscent of '06, in that the Zombie is proving to be the man in his abscence as well as in his presence. Bullitt, whom I like a lot, is showing a knack for the big play that everyone will see on sportscenter wih his picks. However, watching the game a second time left me believing he misses the routine assignments enough to counter the enthusiasm. He is a very good player, and one that I hope we will keep around for quality depth. But he isn't Bob.

2. I heard the debate last week on tv about who is better, Sanders or Polamalu. I would go with Polamalu for this season. He came on strong a couple of years back, but injuries have hampered his playing time and effectiveness the past couple seasons. Meanwhile the Brains Eater had one of his healthiest seasons last year and rightfully earned DPOY. This year, durability has been more on Polamalu's side than Bob's, and Troy is playing like a beast. In every facet. I think health will always be a key factor in their year by year comparisons.

3. Fun thought. Having Sanders and Polamalu both playing safety for the Colts.

4. I see we have some new posters around here while I have been out. That is normal, as this blog is a growing success story with excellent leadership. I must say, though, that we keep getting that occasional newbie that seems suspiciously like a troll in sheep's clothing....

5. Peytonsthebest, I forgot not to wear my #18 jersey the past couple of games (I did take it off late in the Steelers game though, but I wore it the entire Texans game). And we won still, so I guess our experiment (and my failure to properly execute) proves that I am not the x-factor. My wardrobe does not have the power of luck after all, I guess. This means that it is entirely on you to keep the vibes going right. The team is counting on you, now that we know where the secret lies. Please don't let us down. If we win the super bowl, everyone at Stampede Blue will have to pitch together to get you a certificate to the restaurant of your choice. I'm certain that I speak for everyone here when I say that. The question is, where is the place to go there in California?

6. Thanksgiving Day. Potentially a game between a team without a loss versus a team without a win. Very boring.

7. The  primetime games have been very good contests the past few weeks, with the exception of the presidential bowl on November 3rd. Even SF and ARI was a thriller. I wonder if this Thursday we will see the trend continue...

He was released by the Packers this weekend. I was wondering if anyone thought that he might be a good veteran player for Indy. Or are we so deep that there is no one worth dropping for him? He was solid for the Pack for a long time, but lost his job to Cullen Jenkins. My understanding is that he is a pass rusher type DE. Just curious if he intrigued anyone here or not.

I guess we won't be spewing any more of the crap that the Titans are overrated. We can still say they have beat another losing team, though. Us. But they have won every game they have played, and they should be able to walk away with this division.

I am not ripping the Colts here. I dislike the bandwagon crowd in general. But it's time for everyone to give the Titans the credit they deserve. Some words will be eaten tonight. They are a good team. Will they win the super bowl? Who knows. It's a long season. But a four game lead in the South is impressive at this point. Honestly.

And I guess Lendale White wasn't so horrible in his statement either. We are mediocre right now, though I believe that we can turn it around still. I do believe that a combination of injuries, Peyton's recovery, and little timing adjustments are alot of the problem. But we are, as of right now, average. Average with great potential upside.

I am just trying to say that it's time Tennessee received the credit they have been due for being a solid team with one of the greatest coaches in the league. I think very highly of Coach Fisher. This is a first class organization.

Now, let's get back on track, Colts! I believe we can.

First time to a college football game other than several Ferris State University games when I lived near Big Rapids, MI. I hope Purdue will beat Central Michigan today. My son and I are going, and we are excited. This is the closest team to where we live (Northwest Indiana), but we would like to see a Hoosiers game one day. We cheer for both IU and Purdue. Anyhow, we're very excited. Catch y'all this evening!

Does anyone here know when and how often the roster is updated for download online? Like for example, Brady's injury? Ed Johnson and Eric Foster? I don't play online, but would love to have an updated roster to work with for my franchise.

(Aargh! Not enough words yet! Okay, question. If you were up to your neck in a barrell of puke, and someone was going to throw a bucket of snot at your head, WOULD YOU DUCK?)

We attended the morning session already, and we will be heading back for the afternoon practice soon. If anyone from Stampede Blue is there later and reads this first, look me up. My wife and three children are with me, along with two close friends. Some observations include:

We saw Clint Session lay out Joseph Addai in a rotating drill of pass rushing/blocking. Everyone made noise about it. Addai stepped aside and took off his helmet. Then when Session was due up again, he cut in front of the other back to get another crack at #55. Pretty cool to see. And Session looks good.

Marlin Jackson must be part zombie, like Bob. He hits hard. Alot. After a receiver got the best of him in a blocking drill, I thought he was going to start a fistfight. Later in practice, he laid out Garcon (hard) after a short completion. And there were others as well.

I don't think Sam Giguere is faring well. He was getting alot of correction from coaches on some blocking drills and made to do them over and over. No one else received that kind of scrutiny. Also, he had a couple of hiccups in cone drills that were commented on by the coaches. With so much depth there, I think he is working uphill big time. He has missed time, and there isn't long left for him to overwhelm anyone with his performance. We'll see.

The lack of K2 involvement leads me to believe our suspicions. He is on his way out. Mike Hart is going to be a good addition.

The QB play is underwhelming. Gray threw a bad one that was tipped where it shouldn't have been in the first place, then intercepted. Sorgi can throw beyond ten yards. Like, twelve or so... The most important realization is that we need Manning.

Coach Dungy is the best. When everyone was dismissed, the players hurried away except for a few who stayed for drills. Roy Hall and Dungy came over to sign autographs and meet fans. Everyone swamped Dungy, and he took all the time they wanted; signed everything, posed for pictures with every asker, and answered every question. This was the way he was also when I met him last month in Indy. A total class act. Hall was nice, too. I told him we believed he would be great this year, and he was grateful. The fan booth included Condren, Giordano and Bullitt (who jokingly convinced my six year old daughter that Giordano didn't want to sign her purse like the others did - funny moment). My son got Jeff Saturday's sig as well as a couple of others that I don't remember right now.

Watch out for Howard  Mudd. He drives like a maniac. I'm just sayin'.

I'll report back later about this afternoon.

I have been away for over a week on business, and I've been catching up on football talk. A couple of observations about this site.

1. It is becoming more of an interesting place than ever before to browse. It's nice to see good posts and info about your team.

2. It seems to be more populated. Not long ago, it felt like no man's land.

3. You are big homers like we are. That's how it is suppose to be. Of course you have plenty of reason to be optimistic. Your team is already great, and you have had a solid offseason. I would like to think the Colts also have good reason to be optimistic. I eagerly anticipate our  matchup.

4. I think you are a good representation of Pats fans. You are the kind of site that can make others be more fond of your team and its success. I enjoy reading and blogging here.

Enjoy the offseason. These next few months always get me primed and impatient for the start of the regular season. It gets so bad that I even look forward to the preseason games. There ought to be a ten step progam for addicts like me, but I doubt I'd allow it to reform me.

We both have a bye week earlier than I prefer. Hopefully we won't need it later. Here's to a great season.....

Congratulations on your picks, especially this one at this point. I hear the term "shutdown corner" associated with this guy. A solid day one of your draft.

I think you knew you'd get a good player in round one, and a young linebacker was certainly in order. I just feel like that second pick was the one to be impressed by.

I'm looking forward to our matchup this November. Enjoy the rest of the draft.

I'm sorry. That's all I have. I just enjoy looking at it. I wanted to see it posted somewhere on the front page. I'll move on soon. Really.

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After taking the league by surprise several years ago with unbelievable defense and an amazing knack for video surveillance, what has happened to the Patriots as of late? I mean when it counts, in the postseason. Brady has looked rather pedestrian in his postseason success as of late, if you want to hold him to the standard of the best according to his own fan base. Look at the past three years.

1. Brady falls to Denver in a game that featured him throwing an interception at the goal line, gift wrapped to Champ Bailey. Season over.
2. Brady bows to the Colts. One last drive, ended by a perfect pass to a wide open Marlin Jackson. Thanks, Tom. Season over.
3. Brady concedes to Peyton's little brother. Needing only a field goal with thirty seconds and all three timeouts, Brady typifies his performance by underthrowing Randy Moss, who ran a perfect deep route. That one should have been the ball game. As it stands, Eli is the one who shows greatness under pressure, sending Tommy boy home. Game over.

I just wanted to drop by and say I'm proud of our division this year and excited about its future. There isn't a bad team among us. I predicted the Texans would make the playoffs on this site at the start of the season, and I'm still proud of that prediction. Injuries were brutal for you all year (Andre Johnson's injury hurt my fantasy team, as well). Otherwise, I'd have been right.

Anyhow, thanks for letting me post here many times, and for your cordial interaction. I'm looking forward to plenty more this coming year.

I just wanted to stop by and say I'm glad that both of our teams contributed with excellence in making our division the best division in the NFL. You have an excellent team in the works there. Your defense is particularly amazing. I thought VY played admirably last week after losing his two starting receivers at the worst possible time, not to mention playing through personal injury.

The Titans have an excellent head coach, and I expect we'll see you contending for a long time. Thanks for letting me post here throughout the regular season, and for being so cordial and communicative. I look forward to more in the upcoming months.

With a 6-2 record thus far as a division, the AFC South is looking good. So far, our only losses came against other teams within our division.

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