dc.

Every negative thing said about a player... every thing reported out of a camp or on radio... it's not ALL hype. Yeah, there is plenty of hype out there. But no one has been ASKING for reasons to hate Willis. Willis has a reputation in this league. He had it long before he came to Baltimore. He doesn't like to work over the off-season. He doesn't keep himself in shape. He skips camps, he skips training... he shows up out of shape and lazy. Every year. That's not hype. That's how it is. So when a player who has that reputation, says he doesn't want to come to camp because he's injured... you can bet there is speculation about it being a bit uncertain. Willis gets hurt so often and breaks down so often because he doesn't keep himself in the same kind of shape other guys do. And for him to go ahead and blame Harbaugh for working him too hard or the other coaches... it's childish. (Almost forgot): Read the part where Schmuck blasts him for not showing up to voluntary camps. This isn't being reported by every last news source and talked out the wazoo (yet). This is Schmuck. And Schmuck, despite the name, I actually respect. He's pretty level and pretty consistent in his critiques.

*Raises Hand* Listen, we've had this talk before. Lots of people say, "Things are going good... who cares?" I say, things are going good... you have to WORK to keep them that way. I'm happy to have Willis here and willing/able to run right now... but I want to know the players on my team and I want to know who's really a team player. Next season, or as early as next week, Willis is on my cut list.

9mil for one year... worth so much more beyond that though... And the no trade issue? I don't know that he can't be traded...

Really like the idea, Baltimorebeck. I'm not a big 'go out and see a player' kind of guy, so I am never up on where people are... but the thread's cool. Everyone, please do add to this... if you hear about an appearance, add it to the list!

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Pennington's arm has been pretty solid since the Dolphins played us. He's thrown for 3400 yards this season... and yes, mostly on shorter routes... but he is able to find and hit his targets downfield when he needs to. It's not my number one concern, but I'm not exactly thrilled about playing a team and QB that have won 9 of 10 since we last played them...

mmmm... against a hodgepoge of crappy receivers walker and ivy finally step up... now we'll only be screwed when he has to line up against someone like Ted Ginn Jr... oh wait... that's this week. We need Fabian back.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/sch...he_commish.html I actually like this because I think it is establishing a better relationship between the Ravens and the NFL. We don't always have to be hated. And that's not to say that there has ever been any real angst between Goodell or Tagliabue and Bisciotti or Modell... but it is nice to think that perhaps we are building relationships... That said... his comments on the replay in the Pitt game suck. Also, in the next post, his comments about an extended season suck too. I really think 16 games is perfect. Heavy on your division, mix on conference.

So... uh... LETS GO TO MIAMI!

I know a few folks like you, Spen. My dad included. He has a phone... kept in the car... voicemail even says "I don't know how to check my voicemail... so don't leave a message." I only got a phone when I went to college. 2 months into first semester at a school of 35k kids, I called my 'rents and said "this just isn't possible without a phone." It wasn't. When everyone else had a phone, it was impossible to schedule anything with anyone without a phone in the middle of campus. I'm not a phone guy like most... I use it as my primary line, but have no problems if I leave it home or wherever.

Bart won't be back. Sorry, he just won't. We have too much talent coming up behind him (and the others) and his play and his attitude are not quite fitting with Harbaugh right now.

Hey. It was a present. Not gonna turn it down. Plus, my other iPod was the original Gen 2... I got it in 2003! And it is pretty much dead. It was time for an upgrade. I am not overly impressed by too many technologies... but this thing blows me away. The ease of use and just intuitiveness of the entire design is just too cool. But, as you have probably figured out, it's the ability of the Touch to use wireless internet (not mobile internet, wireless from a router) that has me oohing and aahing. Who needs a laptop? I've got my desktop upstairs, but now I can check scores, email etc from the couch... and probably faster than my brother can on his laptop these days. And the video quality is ridiculous. (this was not typed on my ipod, by the by. lol)

Typing this from my new iPod Touch. Too much fun.

I loved ESPN's Madden Simulation... Jags 24, Ravens 21... with Garrard throwing for 280 and 3 TDs. I mean... impossible? No. But, Garrard is a game-stopper. Not a game-winner.

Well, plenty of owners say so... not many players... Then again, many owners that say so are assholes like Angelos. The owner of the Twins tried to write the Twins off as a business expense for his other business ventures... The owners of many clubs are not trying to compete... or they just don't care. Regardless, it's broken on both ends.

I think the Riddler is the most likely villain to come. I don't want them to create any villains. That goes too far. But there are certainly plenty of good villains that haven't been touched by the film series. Nolan has all but ruled out the Penguin, but I think he could be a great villain in the style of the old TV show (more of a mob boss with some weird habits/fetishes and laugh than the DeVito penguin).

Well, that's not entirely true. We should have more success at keeping our own guys. The Markakis deal has been slow this year in part because of the economic climate... the O's don't want overinvest when money is tight, so Markakis is waiting it out. If things turn up next year, he can still sign at home. Regardless, the SYSTEM does need some kind of fixing.

At this point, Ripken and Angelos aren't the problem. The O's could spend 150m a year.... they'd still be behind the Sox and Yanks in spending... perhaps behind the Jays too... and given the Rays farm right now, we'd still be fighting for 4th or 5th in the division. System is broke. When the Yanks can go 4 for 4 on the four biggest names available... it's unreal. They now have 4 or 5 players who will make 20m this year. That's 100m right there. That's more than 20-25 teams in the league. On FOUR players.

I didn't say their schedule wasn't easy... I said that preseason their schedule was lined up as the easiest for any Super Bowl team ever... but those rankings are all based on how teams did LAST year. This year, playing the West divisions was still cupcake. But they wound up with plenty more competition in-house.

Nobody wants to face the team we've already beaten up on in the first round, the Dolphins? I want Dolphins... Titans... Chargers/Broncos.... haha. Now, the first two are easy to accomplish. The third is much harder. Of Indy/Pitt... give me Pitt. Of Indy/Pitt/Chargers/Broncos... give me Chargers/Broncos.

Pats schedule isn't nearly as easy as it looked... remember, the Jets and Dolphins will end with winning records... last year that didn't happen. Just like the Steelers schedule isn't nearly as hard as it was projected/reported... (Pats 16-0 to 10-5, plus 5 losses ... Chargers 13-3 to 7-8, plus 5 losses). The Pats schedule was plenty hard, at least compared to what it was supposed to be.

I didn't mean physically impossible for it to snow. But at these temperatures, it is certainly harder for the atmosphere to maintain moisture and thereby produce snow. And, the snow it would/could produce, would be very different from the kind of snow you want ... it wouldn't be big, stick to the bottom, ski-on-it snow... it would be hardly a dusting that (in this area) would be gone in no time. Elsewhere it might form a basecoat for a bigger, badder, more awesome snow... but not here.

Actually, it's borderline too cold for serious snowfall. Well, it will be by tonight. 20 or below and the snow can't really come down...

I would again argue that it's not pessimism, it's realism. McGahee has asked for every last ounce of criticism he has gotten. And because of it, in the final moments, I want Le'Ron. I am glad to have Willis back there, especially with Ray Rice hurt now, and especially in the stretch run. But one good run in a game does not a superstar make. He finally runs straight through the line (not stuttering, not into his lineman's back) and he gains big yards? Surprise. Even the announcers were all over him last night before that run.

Sounds like Eric Byrnes.... Byrnes has been great since the O's dished him. Loved how he played, but his numbers were just too bad for us to invest in.

Angels are out. Of the original 'final four'... that leaves the Nats and O's. Nats have apparently offered more, if original reports are right, but the O's original offer is the only offer that's ever been confirmed by anyone. Sox still aren't entirely out, but they are still playing that game.