It's funny because I remember back when it was outrageously high at 1.50, I was wanting it to go back down to 1.00.

Then a few years later when it was at 2.00, I was thinking that I'd be thrilled if it just leveled off at 1.50.

Now that it sat at 3.00 for so long, we're excited about the possibilities of 2.00 gas.


That's how they **** you.  This whole thing is probably just designed to make a ton of money at 3.00 then keep making twice as much money as 8 years ago when it goes 'down' to 2.00 - and we'll be thrilled about it.

I bought the X-Wing, but I'm not touching the rest of these unless they're on clearance - and not the 10% off kind of clearance, more like the 75% off kind of clearance.

I wonder if they'll close the stingray petting pool at Sea World now. 

My understanding is that all those rays are de-stingered in some fashion.  There would have been hundreds of incidents there by now if they weren't.

I saw $2.43 yesterday.  Knock off another .75 or 1.00 then leave it that way and  I'll be happy.

I haven't seen a hint of Endor in weeks now.  So I'm still sitting at 4.

Okay.....

QB:  McNabb vs. Hasselbeck, you cannot say your's is "an edge".  McNabb with Stallworth and Westbrook could easily regain his super bowl form from the year before last that made him a first round pick last season.  You can flip a coin here between him and Hasselbeck.

McNabb throwing ot Stallworth is going to bring him back to Superbowl form???  Stallworth is entering his fifth year, and while he's good - he's never had 1000 yard season and he's never scored more than 8 TD's in a year.  The Eagles are on the downswing, and if the SAINTS of all teams were ready to get rid of the guy, he's not going to be their savior.  Westbrook has been dinged up in the preseason too with a foot injury.  If the Eagles are going to have a good passing attack - Reggie Brown is going to be the guy, not Stallworth.  Also, Hasslebeck lost Jurevicious but added Burleson, and got Darrel Jackson back.  The Seahawks should pass all over teams this year. 


WR:  Larry Fitzgerald and Marvin Harrison and his 34 year old wheels is not "an edge" over Terrell Owens and Torry Holt.  You did not pass on Torry Holt to get Larry Fitzgerald, quite the opposite.  I took Holt, and then you took your 2 WR's.  Not the other way around.

If you look at my post, I didn't say I passed on Holt.  I just said I passed on T.O. twice.  You're right that my predictions of gloom and doom for T.O. don't apply to week one, but in the course of the season... watch out.  Harrison and his 34 year old wheels have had 7 straight seasons of at least 1,100 yards and 10 TD's (1,144 and 12 last year), and there is absolutely nothing to suggest that it's going to be any different this year.  Even without Edgerrin James the Colts look like they're ready to roll on offense.  Larry Fritzgerald is a freak and the Cardinals offense should be even better than before with Edge and Warner/Leinart instead of Josh (or was it Cade) McNown throwing the ball the whole year.  Even with that McNown throwing the ball, he still managed 1400 yards and 10 TD's last season while the Cardinals finished 8th overall in offense.  I should add that I valued Fitzgerald over Holt - largely because of Holt's sternum problem.  It sounded like the kind of thing that might nag him all year long - yes, he'll probably be fine.


RB:  Tomlinson and Dillon/Green is better than LJ who lost Roaf and can only run to one side now and Jamal Lewis and his broken hip.  Lewis is worthless without Mike Anderson on your roster, if I remember correctly he did very well for Ryan's team last year.  If I had the first overall pick of this draft, and not the fourth, I'd still have taken LaDainian Tomlinson.

The loss of Roaf is a concern, as is the loss of Hutchinson in Seattle (Alexander), but I passed on LT because of the fact that they decided to go with Phillip Rivers over Drew Brees.  As good as LT is, I think that comparatively the entire Chargers offense is going to sputter until the kid gets used to being a starter in real games.  LT will still get his points, but maybe not as many as last year.


TE: Wash.  Heap vs. Watson, we'll see.

I'll pretty much agree here.  I'm banking on Heap having his best season ever since it will be the first year in his career having a real QB throw to him... in the past he's been an exceptional tight end with Dilfer, Anthony Wright, and Kyle Boller thowing to him.  For this to work I need McNair to stay healthy.


K and DEF:  whatever. 

Don't be so quick to dismiss those two.  Neil Rackers was my best player last year (pathetic) and I don't come in fifth without him.  There were games where he'd kick 5 or 6 field goals or two 50 yarders and it was the only way I won.  Through 4 quarters of first-team defense in the preseason, the Bucs starters have allowed 3 points, and recorded 10 sacks.  Last year while they were down on Sacks (fantasy type stats) they allowed the fewest points in the league, and they look to be much better this year (I follow them closely, that's not just a preseason observation).  Additionally in the last Panthers game John Kasay kicked 5 field goals in a 15-13 win.  Obviously this won't happen every week but I think he'll kick a lot of them this year and I expect the Bucs defense to be dominant.


But yeah, injuries and stars who disappoint is not even a factor here, could happen to any team.  I don't think my guys or your guys are more likely to get hurt than the other's.  Except Jamal Lewis, I don't even know what you're thinking with that one.

Here's what I was thinking about Jamal Lewis.  I was thinking that after picking him in the first round last year, I was happy to get him in the fifth round this year.   I was thinking that he couldn't possibly be as bad as he was last year where he ran for 950 or so yards and 3 TD's.  I was thinking about a rosy piece I'd seen on ESPN with Brian Billick saying that he was feeling great with all of the jail stuff and the struggles of last year behind him and that he'd just gotten a new contract and a fresh start in Baltimore and that they really expected him to return to his 2000-yard form this year and that he'd been looking great in Camp.  Then googled him (through their news section) and found that his hip is okay and that they were just resting him the final preseason game (which he could have played in) to make sure that he was 100% by the start of the season.  Then I thought about how he's only 27 years old, 2 years younger than Green, and how Green is coming off of major major surgery, so I gambled.  I am worried about him for week one though, because the Bucs rushing defense figures to be very stout.  So I still may sit him for this week - haven't decided yet.

Anyways, that's pretty much my draft logic - it certainly doesn't mean it will all shake out this way, but I did devise a strategy for the draft that (as I said, with the exception of Jamal Lewis) tried to take into account injuries, and who a player was surrounded by before I picked them.

That's all fine and good, but look at this team here and now, and tell me you're optimistic about your chances.

Absolutely.  While I definitely think you had one of the top 3 or 4 drafts out of the 12, I think mine was better.    I like your team a lot, but I think I have the edge at every position save RB - because Jamal Lewis is a big question mark for me.

If you go back and look at the draft, a lot of the guys you have, are guys I directly passed on.  Sure I might end up being wrong, but I can certainly look at your team and the matchup and be very optimistic about my chances - because I left McNabb on the board when I took Hasselbeck.  I left Owens on the board when I took Fitzgerald, and again when I took Harrison.  I left Tomlinson on the board when I took Larry Johnson, I left Ben Watson on the board when I took Todd Heap..   Same thing with Ahman Green (the one that I think I'll end up regretting) and Baltimore's defense. 

For the most part I have the team I was hoping to get entering the draft, I valued my guys above the guys that you ended up with.  Of course I have no idea how it will turn out because it's possible to lose to a better team or to have your players going up against better defenses on a given week or to have injuries kill you (you certainly can appreciate that given your Baseball fiasco) or to have guys disappoint like Lewis and Moss did for me last year (my #1 and #2 picks) but at the moment I'm thrilled and I really really like my chances at this point in the season to have a very good team.