I have a pretty good feeling about the team so far, even though it is
extremely early in the season.  As such, I have decided to focus on
this season only and ignore bad press about the past.  The positional
competition should result in a very good lineup on offense and
defense.  I am a little concerned about special teams (I don't know why)
but am confident the coach will have the team ready to go on day one.
There are still no teams in the Eastern division that can match up
against the Patriots, so winning the division is a lock, IMO. Once into
the playoffs, it will be time to prove that the Patriots are still the
team to beat and are the class of the league.  New good press usually
overcomes old bad press.

I wish I could watch Ray "Bubba" Ventrone going through those drills.
I think he probably has the athleticism to pull it off.  He did some
damage in NFL Europe.  Supposedly, he has good hands and agility.  You
need those to play DB, his regular position.

----- Original Message -----

From: Mike Benson

To: patriotzip@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:11 PM

Subject: Re: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game

Do you honestly think the price would go down, Randy? --- On Wed, 5/28/08, RandyZ. Pierce <alaric02@sprynet.com> wrote: From: RandyZ. Pierce <alaric02@sprynet.com> Subject: Re: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game To: patriotzip@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 1:08 AM I think this is even a little more cynical than my present viewpoint.  Season tickets are simply face value times the number of games.  There is no discount for the season package and in fact we pay full price for the pre-season games which are a mandated part of that season ticket package.  If they were to reduce the pre-season games I do in fact believe we'd save a bit of money.  I suspect if they remove any games they would attempt to add regular season games and honestly that's a trade I'd make in a second.   I did hear the real concern about whether more games would cause more wear and tear on the players.  As the main players get considerably less time in pre-season, that's certainly a factor.  In my ideal world we'd just drop two pre-season games and keep the season as it is.   Go Pats! Zip   ----- Original Message ----- From: Mike Benson To: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 12:08 PM Subject: RE: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game I'd love to see it scaled back to 2 pre-season games. Of course, this would mean one less preseason home game for season ticket holders. And, of course, the price of season tickets would go down, right? Wrong. That's why it won't happen. But even if it does, you can be sure they'll find a way to keep the price of season tickets the same. Or even raise them. They always find a new way to screw us. --- On Sat, 5/24/08, George <patswingr@yahoo. com> wrote: From: George <patswingr@yahoo. com> Subject: RE: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game To: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com Date: Saturday, May 24, 2008, 2:12 AM ***** Most, if not all, of the comments I've read from coaches on this have been in favor of reducing pre-season games. I'm almost certain that BB said that they don't need 4 games to evaluate talent effectively; and that the risk of injury outweighs any value gained from playing 3 or 4 "full contact" games.   ***** Based upon that, I believe that 2 pre-season games would be enough for the coaches. They learn much more than most of us fans can understand from their structured practices and scrimmages.   George    From: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com [mailto:patriotzip@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Don Diamant Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 9:52 PM To: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com Subject: RE: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game They could go back to team scrimmages to evaluate talent like they used to do. Don From: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com [mailto: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com ] On Behalf Of kevin M Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 9:27 AM To: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com Subject: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game One thing is certain: something has to get done before the 2010 season. I can't believe the owners and players, and the NFLPA, would allow this to go unfinished until it results in a lock out. Nobody wants that. Are two preseason games, combined with training camp, enough to evaluate rookie talent and prepare the starters? What if they expand training camp? How about adding another bye week if 2 games are added? It certainly isn't going to stay the same. The CBA is dead.

A couple notables from Mike Reiss, regarding today's session.

Matthew Slater lined up at both WR and S, as expected.
Not expected was Ray Ventrone spent all his snaps at WR.
Free agent safety Tank Williams spent part of the day at ILB.

Looks like we're actively building versatility into this years team (as
usual).

fdb

----- Original Message -----

From: Mike Benson

To: patriotzip@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 12:08 PM

Subject: RE: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game

I'd love to see it scaled back to 2 pre-season games. Of course, this would mean one less preseason home game for season ticket holders. And, of course, the price of season tickets would go down, right? Wrong. That's why it won't happen. But even if it does, you can be sure they'll find a way to keep the price of season tickets the same. Or even raise them. They always find a new way to screw us. --- On Sat, 5/24/08, George <patswingr@yahoo.com> wrote: From: George <patswingr@yahoo.com> Subject: RE: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game To: patriotzip@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, May 24, 2008, 2:12 AM ***** Most, if not all, of the comments I've read from coaches on this have been in favor of reducing pre-season games. I'm almost certain that BB said that they don't need 4 games to evaluate talent effectively; and that the risk of injury outweighs any value gained from playing 3 or 4 "full contact" games.   ***** Based upon that, I believe that 2 pre-season games would be enough for the coaches. They learn much more than most of us fans can understand from their structured practices and scrimmages.   George    From: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com [mailto:patriotzip@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Don Diamant Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 9:52 PM To: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com Subject: RE: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game They could go back to team scrimmages to evaluate talent like they used to do. Don From: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com [mailto: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com ] On Behalf Of kevin M Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 9:27 AM To: patriotzip@yahoogro ups.com Subject: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game One thing is certain: something has to get done before the 2010 season. I can't believe the owners and players, and the NFLPA, would allow this to go unfinished until it results in a lock out. Nobody wants that. Are two preseason games, combined with training camp, enough to evaluate rookie talent and prepare the starters? What if they expand training camp? How about adding another bye week if 2 games are added? It certainly isn't going to stay the same. The CBA is dead.

George 

George 

I guess we agree to disagree on this one, Don. I just did a little
checking. In the last 6 years (2002-2007), there have been 10 teams
in the playoffs with regular season records of 9-7 or worse,
including three who were 8-8. My contention is that adding two more
teams would increase this number, and also make it quite likely that
a sub-500 team would qualify. I think that is bad for the league, and
makes a mockery of the playoffs.

If a 7-9 team qualified, and got hot, and won those 4 road games over
a couple teams of 12-4 or better (thus ending the playoffs at 11-9),
does that render the regular season meaningless? One might argue that
that would never happen. In which case, why are they there? Either
they have a chance, or they don't. If they don't, they shouldn't be
there. What would happen in a few more years, when they arbitrarily
decide to go to 16 teams? Could a 6-10 team qualify?

Others would certainly feel it gives opportunity to more teams (maybe
false hope), and makes more money for the teams and the league. All
that is true. I just oppose it on principle, as I stated above. The
only reason would be to rake in more bucks, under the guise
of "giving more teams a chance". Just call me an old stick-in-the-
mud. ;o)

fdb

--- In patriotzip@yahoogroups.com, "Don Diamant" <jeepndd@...> wrote:
>
> I understand this argument but the reality is winning teams are
excluded in
> the playoffs.  Sure in an incredibly weak division it's a possible
scenario
> that a loosing team might make the playoffs but that would be
rare.  But
> what if a team with a loosing record did make it into the
playoffs?  The
> scenario could only be if they had a lot of injuries early in the
season and
> lost games they would have won, then they would have to win four
games on
> the road.  I think if a team had that happen they would deserve to
be the
> champions.  I don't think expanding the playoffs would detract from
the
> game, I think it would add to it.
>
>
>
> Don
>
>
>
>   _____
>
> From: patriotzip@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:patriotzip@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Frank
> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 8:07 AM
> To: patriotzip@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [patriotzip] Re: Add A Game
>
>
>
> Nothing old school about it, George. You're simply being logical.
> That's exactly my gripe with expanded playoffs. Teams should earn a
> berth in the post-season. If you lose more games than you win in
the
> regular season, you have not earned the opportunity to compete for
the
> championship. You think the legitimacy of some SB winners is
questioned
> now, just wait until the first 7-9 team wins it. Will anyone take
them
> seriously?
>
> Heck, why not just start with a field of 32 then, and get it over
> with. ;o)
>
> fdb
>

One thing is certain: something has to get done before the 2010 season.
I can't believe the owners and players, and the NFLPA, would allow this
to go unfinished until it results in a lock out.  Nobody wants that.
Are two preseason games, combined with training camp, enough to
evaluate rookie talent and prepare the starters?  What if they expand
training camp?  How about adding another bye week if 2 games are
added?  It certainly isn't going to stay the same.  The CBA is dead.

Thanks to Mike Reiss, for the link. Note the second name on the list of
those immortalized.

http://tinyurl.com/6easbj

fdb

--- In patriotzip@yahoogroups.com, "George" <patswingr@...> wrote:
>
> Aside from that, I am "old school" on
> the point that playoffs should be reserved for only the teams who
excelled
> during the regular season. We already have .500 teams making it. It
would,
> IMO, be a joke to have teams with losing records in the playoffs. But,
> again, money talks for the owners.
>
>
> George

Nothing old school about it, George. You're simply being logical.
That's exactly my gripe with expanded playoffs. Teams should earn a
berth in the post-season. If you lose more games than you win in the
regular season, you have not earned the opportunity to compete for the
championship. You think the legitimacy of some SB winners is questioned
now, just wait until the first 7-9 team wins it. Will anyone take them
seriously?

Heck, why not just start with a field of 32 then, and get it over
with. ;o)

fdb

George 

George 

I don't agree with a 17 game schedule. It's only fair to have equal
numbers of home and away games for each team. I could see 18 games, and
a two game pre-season. But I don't know if that would give coaches
enough information to make intelligent cut-downs. You could ease the
physical stress on the players by giving each team two bye weeks. Of
course, that would mean a 20 week season, but it would start 2 weeks
earlier.

What I don't agree with, is the proposal from last year, to increase
the number of teams qualifying for the playoffs from 12, to 14 or 16. I
haven't heard that presented yet this year.

fdb

The NFL, the owners, and the NFLPA are considering shortening the
preseason by one game and increasing the regular season by the same.
This would add revenue and make the game more interesting to the fans.
Commissioner Goodell thinks that injury concerns could possibly be
dealt with by expanding the roster limit.  I definitely would like to
see this happen. One problem, though, is the unbalance created in home
and away schedules.  I believe that can be solved in one of two ways;
they could swap every other year, playing an extra home game one year
and an extra away game the next. Or, they could add two games to the
regular season.  Think about that!  Any time we get more football is
good, especially Patriots football!

I see that Ray "Bubba" Ventrone worked out as a WR during passing camp.
I wish I could have seen that!  I know the guy has versatility, but he
will never be the receiver that Vrable is! lol

Thanks for those updates guys.  Not much information to be found on
Jones, except the usual stats and such.  I can't recall ever seeing him
play.  He played at Virginia Tech, so I may have seen him during those
days if he played against a team I like to watch.  It isn't jogging any
memories.  But if BB invited him to Gillette for an interview, he must
have something worth getting.  Due to his injury, maybe he would be
less expensive.  BB has a way of taking players off the scrap heap and
resurrecting their careers.

George