5 weeks down, 47 to go.

[Patjew]

The countdown continues...

Randy Moss was signed this week! That is outstanding and gives me tremendous hope for next year. Also very happy about my man Kareem Abdul Jabar Gaffney coming back. The O should be sick again next year, especially with Morris coming back. Should be alot of fun.

There's still alot of work to do in assembling the team, especially on D, but for some reason I'm feeling more confident than in any previous offseason. I mean, it's strange but I just feel like I know that they're going to win it all next year, and even I can't jinx it. But what do I know.

Seeing some of the big names floating around out there, like Takeo Spikes and Jason Taylor, is pretty exciting. Not saying they're best for the Pats or that they'll play for them, but it's fun to think about the possibilities.

It was nice that the spygate crap quieted down this week.

I'd much much much prefer to see Troy with the Pats for one more year instead of the Browns or anyone else. I love the guy.

Yesterday I was going to tell my wife that I would take her to Tampa if/when the Pats make the SB, but then she pissed me off so I said forget it.

On a personal note, my family and I are moving this week to mainland China. We'll be living in Suzhou, a small town of 6 million people that's a 2 hour drive west of Shanghai. I'm sure it's going to be an interesting experience. In a way, Suzhou is more like Rhode Island than Hong Kong is because it's not as congested and we'll actually have a house. But in many other ways... it's still China. I'm sure it will be a very interesting couple of years up there. I'm happy to leave Hong Kong. It's a fun place that is great to visit, but it is an exhausting place to live in.

Looking forward to some more signing and rumors this week.

 

[lapatsfan]

A small town of 6 million people??? I suppose that is small in a country with a population of more than 1 billion.

 

[Bertil]

You're gonna make yourself crazy with this weekly countdown.

 

[Patjew]

A small town of 6 million people??? I suppose that is small in a country with a population of more than 1 billion.

That's the crazy thing. I mean, China has places that most Americans have never heard of, like Suzhou or Guangzhou, with over 6 million people in them. Harbin has more than 9 million people and even I don't know where that is. There are over 200 cities in China with a population over one million! These would be huge populations in the US, but here they're nothing special.

 

[Patjew]

You're gonna make yourself crazy with this weekly countdown.

You could be right. I'll like writing down my thoughts, but this may be stupid. So far it's been fun for me.

 

[Rossmci90]

That's the crazy thing. I mean, China has places that most Americans have never heard of, like Suzhou or Guangzhou, with over 6 million people in them. Harbin has more than 9 million people and even I don't know where that is. There are over 200 cities in China with a population over one million! These would be huge populations in the US, but here they're nothing special.

Even crazier to me, in England we only have one city above 1 million.

 

[DarrylS]

Not sure that the great state of RI even has 1 million people.. and I ***** about congestion..

 

[Patjew]

Not sure that the great state of RI even has 1 million people.. and I ***** about congestion..

To put things into perspective for you, Hong Kong is half the size of Rhode Island... and has 7 million people.

 

[DarrylS]

To put things into perspective for you, Hong Kong is half the size of Rhode Island... and has 7 million people.

That's a lot of sewage treatment issues..

 

[BritPat]

Even crazier to me, in England we only have one city above 1 million.

No we don't. Birmingham has over a million inhabitants, and if you take into account metropolitan areas, so do Manchester and Glasgow. Don't forget, Britain isn't exactly a big place, it could just about fit inside Texas, yet our population density is higher than China, India, and the US, which are the 3 most populated countries in the world.

 

[Rossmci90]

No we don't. Birmingham has over a million inhabitants, and if you take into account metropolitan areas, so do Manchester and Glasgow. Don't forget, Britain isn't exactly a big place, it could just about fit inside Texas, yet our population density is higher than China, India, and the US, which are the 3 most populated countries in the world.

I don't take metropolitan areas into account, Glasgow's in Scotland, and last I heard Birmingham has 700,000 inhabitants.

Yes our country is very crowded, but mostly with large towns surrounding cities.

 

[Patjew]

No we don't. Birmingham has over a million inhabitants, and if you take into account metropolitan areas, so do Manchester and Glasgow. Don't forget, Britain isn't exactly a big place, it could just about fit inside Texas, yet our population density is higher than China, India, and the US, which are the 3 most populated countries in the world.

India is much more densely populated than the UK. You're right about China and the US. But China is deceiving, b/c there are areas with relatively few people and then many other areas with population densities far greater than anything you'd ever see in the UK, Europe or the US (parts of Shanghai are 2.5X as crowded as NYC).

UK is about 50th of the densely populated countries list.

 

[lapatsfan]

Look at it this way..... 5 weeks down, approximately 22 weeks to go until the season starts.

 

[Patjew]

Look at it this way..... 5 weeks down, approximately 22 weeks to go until the season starts.

That's more palatable.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I like hearing this stuff, PJ. It helps me to put the season in perspective. I feel your pain!

Good luck to you and your family. You're right -- I'd never heard of Suzhou. I had heard of Harbin, though. There was a wonderful documentary on China back in the 1980s called "Heart of the Dragon" (UK Channel 4, back when they did things that weren't soft porn or reality TV, with PBS) which showed daily life in China. A lot was shot in Harbin and made me very curious about it.

And now to football.

I'm not enjoying this off season, because it brings home to me that I really don't agree with the way that the Pats build their teams. I think that they wait far too long to sign players to long term deals; I think that they should reserve slots on the roster for developmental players; and, if they're really not going to have openings for rookies on the team, why on earth don't they package their lower-round picks rather than choose players for the Jets?

You have to be happy that Randy and Jab are back -- but the defense remains a worry. Law, Haggans and Seau would be good moves, although not exactly an improvement on last year.

But, hey! The Patriots have got so much else going for them and, as a fan, I can say that they don't owe me one little thing. I've had everything I could have wished for with the first two Superbowls.

 

[PittPatriot]

...I'm happy to leave Hong Kong. It's a fun place that is great to visit, but it is an exhausting place to live in.

Looking forward to some more signing and rumors this week.

PatJew,
I can't imagine how 'adaptable' a person has to be to live in such a foreign land. I am totally intrigued by what life must be like over there. Best wishes on the move!
I am happy to have the Tar Heels to keep me entertained until the Draft and the Red Sox to carry me into football season.

 

[italian pat patriot]

so in Italy we have only 2 'big' cities: Rome and Milan

ps for You and Yr Family: good luck Patjew

 

[Patjew]

PatJew,
I can't imagine how 'adaptable' a person has to be to live in such a foreign land. I am totally intrigued by what life must be like over there. Best wishes on the move!
I am happy to have the Tar Heels to keep me entertained until the Draft and the Red Sox to carry me into football season.

Thank you! I do consider myself pretty adaptable. It may be my one good trait. Thankfully my kids seems to deal well with it too.

I was happy to see that UNC won yesterday. I hate Duke with a passion.

 

[Patjew]

I like hearing this stuff, PJ. It helps me to put the season in perspective. I feel your pain!

Good luck to you and your family. You're right -- I'd never heard of Suzhou. I had heard of Harbin, though. There was a wonderful documentary on China back in the 1980s called "Heart of the Dragon" (UK Channel 4, back when they did things that weren't soft porn or reality TV, with PBS) which showed daily life in China. A lot was shot in Harbin and made me very curious about it.

And now to football.

I'm not enjoying this off season, because it brings home to me that I really don't agree with the way that the Pats build their teams. I think that they wait far too long to sign players to long term deals; I think that they should reserve slots on the roster for developmental players; and, if they're really not going to have openings for rookies on the team, why on earth don't they package their lower-round picks rather than choose players for the Jets?

You have to be happy that Randy and Jab are back -- but the defense remains a worry. Law, Haggans and Seau would be good moves, although not exactly an improvement on last year.

But, hey! The Patriots have got so much else going for them and, as a fan, I can say that they don't owe me one little thing. I've had everything I could have wished for with the first two Superbowls.

Thanks Mike, appreciate it. Actually, Suzhou is very nice (for China). "The Venice of Asia". Kind of.


Regarding the way the Pats build their team, don't they sometimes proactively lock up key players with long-term deals, like Seymour, Brady (obviously), Wilfork and/or Warren?

I don't think the D has to be better than last year's. I'd like to see it stay about as good and get younger at the same time.

 

[Patjew]

so in Italy we have only 2 'big' cities: Rome and Milan

ps for You and Yr Family: good luck Patjew

Thank you.

Florence and Venice may not be big, but they're great cities.