Some unrelated thoughts as I contemplate my place in the PatsFans posting universe:
1. Ever since the Pats lost the Super Bowl to the Giants, I haven't posted very much. I would have reached 2000 posts a long time ago, and returning now I notice a different mix of posters on this board than when I used to "live" here.
I'm still not over that game, or the Colts AFCC loss the year before, and I think I've figured out that it will take another championship to heal me. I never expected four or five dry years like we're in now. Had we beaten the Giants, we actually could have still matched the Steelers' 4 in 6 years WITHOUT COUNTING 2001!
2. I noticed someone just computed the Predict the Score results for Week 17 of 2008, and a bit of the final season's results. I meant to get this done myself, as I had been the one to take on this clean-up role in both of the previous two seasons, but a combination of being way busy and still mourning the Super Bowl loss has kept me from it.
3. I've put my finger on a pattern that has been hinted at elsewhere, but I haven't heard summarized in this way: Never draft the steroids freak. That one rule explains so many situations: Gholston to the NYJ, Benjamin Watson (a rare strongest-and-fastest-TE-in-the-draft combination) --- the list could be made very long. The combine monsters often go bust for a reason, and don't make the "injury-prone" excuse! Guess why they're easily injured! I worry that Adalius Thomas is part of this discussion, and Seymour, and it might be a reason not to be disappointed if we don't end up with Peppers.
4. The value of acquiring a major player and/or a franchised player in a trade is lower than most people think. For example, if you trade away a 1st round pick FOR THE RIGHT TO PAY BIG BUCKS TO SOMEONE ELSE, you have given away a great value (the right to underpay a very good player for 5 years or so) for a neutral value (the right to pay fair market value to someone, using up a bunch of cap space).
5. We've had a couple lukewarm drafts in a row, and that makes it hard to stay at the top. In 2007 the trades were great, but I'm talking about our ability to evaluate college talent, not pro talent. 7 of the 9 we drafted are not on the team, and Richardson is no earth shaker, so that leaves Meriweather. For 2008 we don't know the whole story yet, of course. The Mayo pick was obviously great (which a #10 BETTER be!), Wheatley is ?, Crable is ?, O'Connell is ?. This makes me worry that all our 2nd rounders next week could take a couple years to do us any good (if they're still here then). We also should have had that second Round One pick in 2008, which still haunts me as we try to get younger on defense.
6. Please nobody send a great WR to the Giants or they'll be a favorite again. Let's not give the Eagles one either, OK? One championship team from Pennsylvania is enough (those masters of sneaking through in weak years, the Steelers.)
7. I got tickets for the wife and me and 4 kids (all Pats fans aged 5-10 who've never been to a game and have been wanting to) to see preseason Game #3 at the Redskins. It's the only way to afford that many NFL tickets, and hopefully that's the game where the starters play a lot. So life is good despite all my pessimistic observations above. (And remember, pessimism is an important forum contribution!)
1. Ever since the Pats lost the Super Bowl to the Giants, I haven't posted very much. I would have reached 2000 posts a long time ago, and returning now I notice a different mix of posters on this board than when I used to "live" here.
I'm still not over that game, or the Colts AFCC loss the year before, and I think I've figured out that it will take another championship to heal me. I never expected four or five dry years like we're in now. Had we beaten the Giants, we actually could have still matched the Steelers' 4 in 6 years WITHOUT COUNTING 2001!
2. I noticed someone just computed the Predict the Score results for Week 17 of 2008, and a bit of the final season's results. I meant to get this done myself, as I had been the one to take on this clean-up role in both of the previous two seasons, but a combination of being way busy and still mourning the Super Bowl loss has kept me from it.
3. I've put my finger on a pattern that has been hinted at elsewhere, but I haven't heard summarized in this way: Never draft the steroids freak. That one rule explains so many situations: Gholston to the NYJ, Benjamin Watson (a rare strongest-and-fastest-TE-in-the-draft combination) --- the list could be made very long. The combine monsters often go bust for a reason, and don't make the "injury-prone" excuse! Guess why they're easily injured! I worry that Adalius Thomas is part of this discussion, and Seymour, and it might be a reason not to be disappointed if we don't end up with Peppers.
4. The value of acquiring a major player and/or a franchised player in a trade is lower than most people think. For example, if you trade away a 1st round pick FOR THE RIGHT TO PAY BIG BUCKS TO SOMEONE ELSE, you have given away a great value (the right to underpay a very good player for 5 years or so) for a neutral value (the right to pay fair market value to someone, using up a bunch of cap space).
5. We've had a couple lukewarm drafts in a row, and that makes it hard to stay at the top. In 2007 the trades were great, but I'm talking about our ability to evaluate college talent, not pro talent. 7 of the 9 we drafted are not on the team, and Richardson is no earth shaker, so that leaves Meriweather. For 2008 we don't know the whole story yet, of course. The Mayo pick was obviously great (which a #10 BETTER be!), Wheatley is ?, Crable is ?, O'Connell is ?. This makes me worry that all our 2nd rounders next week could take a couple years to do us any good (if they're still here then). We also should have had that second Round One pick in 2008, which still haunts me as we try to get younger on defense.
6. Please nobody send a great WR to the Giants or they'll be a favorite again. Let's not give the Eagles one either, OK? One championship team from Pennsylvania is enough (those masters of sneaking through in weak years, the Steelers.)
7. I got tickets for the wife and me and 4 kids (all Pats fans aged 5-10 who've never been to a game and have been wanting to) to see preseason Game #3 at the Redskins. It's the only way to afford that many NFL tickets, and hopefully that's the game where the starters play a lot. So life is good despite all my pessimistic observations above. (And remember, pessimism is an important forum contribution!)
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