Those were times when the team still competed and fans had passion for the game. It's sad to say, though, that I have no recollection of the Pirates playing in the playoffs.

Yes, I've seen the FSN Spotlight on the Jim Leyland-led Buccos. And I know about the rivalry against the Atlanta Braves. I've seen the slide at home, and I understand how good those teams were.

Nevertheless, I was too young to know what was happening.

I hear my father talk about the Pirates in the 1970's, and how the city was completely wrapped up in the playoffs every October.

Now he vehemently argues that the franchise shouldn't even be called the Pirates any more. He says, "The players had pride. The ownership had morals. These guys don't deserve to wear the jerseys that Mazeroski, Clemente and Stargell once wore."

I have to agree.

This franchise is going to set a record for consecutive losing seasons. It has turned off an entire generation to Pirates baseball.

I'm sick to death of watching the team give up five runs in the first inning, and once they record the third out...the fans clap!?

And the fact that those who wore green shirts last year got booed as they walked out of the game is a testament to how stupid we as Pirates fans are.

I'm now hearing fans say we would be crazy to not trade Jason Bay and Xavier Nady at the trade deadline. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

They say we need to build around our new prospects and draft picks.

Not long ago, I believe the idea was to build around Jason Bay when we traded Brian Giles.

Weren't we planning on building our pitching staff around Zach Duke?

Ten years ago, weren't we supposed to build around Jose Guillen?

It is pointless to list the players that the Pirates once had that went on to different teams and performed well. The point is, the ownership doesn't get it done.

I think it is important to keep the outfield in tact. The Pirates have the most productive outfield in Major League Baseball. That is something to build around.

We also have a rather solid shortstop/second base duo. So why not keep the lineup that is scoring a ton of runs and focus on the real issue: pitching.

The Pirates are a smaller market team, but they have more money than they are spending. Honestly, the Nuttings are genius's because they have an amazing ballpark, and stupidly fans flock to the gates without realizing they are contributing to the problem.

Regardless, Nady and Bay will likely be moved and we will all go back to square one. The rebuilding process will continue over and over again. The reason teams like Florida and Arizona have been successful is because they rebuild the right way.

The Pirates don't know how to do this. And once Alvarez (the Pirates #1 pick in this year's draft) makes it in the league, he will become too expensive and get traded away just as Aramis Ramirez was.

Almost all Pittsburghers have only one favorite football team, the Steelers, and one favorite hockey team, the Penguins. Isn't it interesting most baseball fans in this town have a second team for baseball? Isn't it interesting to see so many Cubs and Cardinals fans at PNC Park?

You don't have to look far to understand why. Look to the front office.

Whenever a high-profile player joins a new team through the Draft or free agency, they normally will try to keep the same number that they've been known by throughout their career. Generally, if another player on the new team already wears that number, the two strike some sort of monetary deal for the transfer. But twice this offseason a new Panther found his number being worn by another, and twice that number was given back freely.

When Mushin Muhammed returned to the team after spending three years in Chicago, his career number of 87 was on the jersey of tight end Jeff King. So when Moose gave King a call about the number, I'm sure he was surprised to learn that the third-year player was completely willing to give up the number, no strings attached. King will wear 47 now instead.

Throughout rookie minicamp, first-round pick Jonathan Stewart took the number 29 after wearing 28 his entire career at Oregon. But once again, when Stewart asked the man wearing his old number, reserve safety Quinton Teal, it was given to him without cost. Teal simply switched with him and is now wearing 29 with Stewart owning his comfortable 28.

These types of happenings may not be breaking news or huge headline material, but i love to hear things like this because it just means that there will be great chemistry in the locker room between the new guys and those returning. And strong player chemistry is one major ingredient of any championship team.

Okay, no idea what they're thinking now. I defended (or tried to) the first 4 picks. But how am I supposed to defend this? They pass on DeMario Pressley, who the Saints traded up for and took 2 picks later. They pass on other DTs too. Hell, they even pass on the available QBs (like Erik Ainge) & FBs (Owen Schmitt & Peyton Hillis). To add a TE!


Now, it's not like the team needs a TE. They took Dante Rosario last year, and he impressed. They took Jeff King a couple years back, and he looked good last year too. So why add another TE? Especially with needs along the D-Line? And O-Line depth? Hell, even a WR? And FB? And maybe QB?


What is Hurfox thinking?


Inside the Panthers on Barnidge, taking Connor, Connor's shock at being a Panther, the lack of quality DT options (which I agree with), more on Otah, and Hurney on Connor.


Oh, and that last link has this quote from Fox...

When someone asked about the Panthers' need of defensive linemen at that point, coach John Fox said, "The D-line there was pretty much like safety last year. It's sometimes just the way it falls."

In case he can't tell, the DT's have been falling. Jump on one. Dre Moore fell to the 4th... to Tampa Bay. Pressley went to the Saints in the 5th. These DTs are all going to NFC South teams... just not the Panthers.


Four more picks remain... a 6th-rounder & 3 7th-rounder. Let's see what Hurfox can pull off.

Smitty of course returns as the playmaker of the receiving corps and go-to guy, but we all know about that. On the opposite side of the field however, likely starter D.J. Hackett will look to prove that he can stay healthy for a full season and demostrate his ability to the NFL. Hackett has loads of upside, but has missed 15 games with injuries over the past three seasons. While on the field, he brings natural hands, good routes, and surprising speed to the table. Carolina signed Hackett to a 2 year/$3.5 million deal, an extreme case of a low-risk/high-reward player. Likely to be behind Hackett and Smith is an old face in Mushin Muhammad. Moose signed a two-year deal to return to his original team, and should continue to be a devastating blocker at the receiver position. Moose also will be a guy to look for going over the middle and should help the Panthers move the chains more effectively.

Fourth on the depth chart is disappointing 2007 second-round pick Dwayne Jarret, who will look to establish himself as a threat if someone above him gets injured. Jarret appears to be on thin ice with the Panthers personnel, as he reportedly did not make an effort to learn the offense last season, and was arrested while driving under the influence not long ago. Fellow second-year man Ryne Robinson will probably be the last wideout to make the team, and also will serve as the primary return man.

At tight end, third-year pro Jeff King should continue to develop, making great strides last year to the tune of 16 starts, 46 receptions for 406 yards, and two touchdowns. He looks to be a solid starter. Dante Rosario, who showed great athleticism and the ability to stretch the middle of the field late last season, will be his backup. Look for the Panthers to take a blocking tight end somewhere in the last rounds of the draft.

Upgrading the wide receiver position with Moose and D.J. Hackett was huge, and the Panthers have two young tight ends who could combine to be a formidable tandem. I give the Panthers recievers a B+, mainly due to injury concerns.

Second up, why Chelmsford City (who've just been promoted to the Blue Square South) should be careful what they wish for.

Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth

Mike Santos ist in Telephone aus dem Rennen gegangen.

Der Grund von Hugh Neffs Aufgabe wurde korrigiert, es soll Probleme mit der Handler Crew gegeben haben, so dass der Skagway Musher gezwungen war das Rennen vorzeitig zu beenden.

Von Ramy Brooks wird berichtet, dass er vor den Checkpoints rastet, dann erst sich anmeldet um im Anschluss direkt weiterzufahren. Bekannte Rennstrategien.

Der Sieger des All Alaska Sweepstakes wird zwischen 18 und 21 Uhr in Nome erwartet. Die von John Johnson 1910 aufgestellte Rekordzeit wird damit mit hoechster Wahrscheinlichkeit unterboten werden. Angeblich wird nun die Startzeit-Differenz im Ziel verrechnet. Es ist also theoretisch moeglich, dass der erste der sie Zielline ueberfahert nicht der Gewinner ist.

Well, free agency has come, and for the most part, gone. All the big name players have been signed/traded, meaning most of the impact players are gone. The Panthers did add a couple of guys, but this off-season is more about who's gone. But with there still being holes on the team, and with the draft quickly approaching, it's time too look at the roster now, and where there are still needs. We'll start with the offense.


Quarterback: Jake Delhomme, Matt Moore, Brett Basanez
Provided that the 2 guys return from their injuries, the team seems set with Delhomme, Moore and Basanez. I'm fine with that trio. If the team wants to add anyone, I'd go for a project later in the draft (unless someone like John David Booty or Chad Henne or Erik Ainge fall to their 5th round pick). With the retirement of Vinny T and the release of David Carr (finally!), the team is down to 3 undrafted guys. We all know about Delhomme, and the fact that he was injured last year. Moore looked good in limited action. Basanez has been around for a while, and if he's healthy he'll be a fine 3rd-string QB.
Add:If one of the 3 falls to the 5th, or if the team wants to take a project like Dennis Dixon or Kevin O'Connell late. Otherwise the team is set.


Runningback: DeAngelo Williams, LaBrandon Toefield, Nick Goings, Alex Haynes, Decori Birmingham
D-Will finally becomes the starter, with the release of DeShaun Foster. He's been biding his time, and has looked impressive enough in limited time to have many fans calling for him to start. Of course, that never happened as the team continued to be loyal to Foster. Now the team is down to D-Will as the starter. Of course, the team has also stated that they'd like to go back to the power-game of before. I'm not sure if D-Will does that well... he's better running outside, not through the tackles. I don't feel that recent signee LaBrandon Toefield is that guy either. Nick Goings is nearing the end. Alex Haynes seems to have impressed the coaches; not sure if he's seen any time though. Decori Birmingham is probably just a camp body. I still think the team needs to add a back... I was hoping for Jonathan Stewart earlier, but with his injury (plus me trying some mocks taking him first and coming away unimpressed with the way the holes are filled), I'm starting to lean more towards taking a back in the 3rd-5th round area.
Add: I like Matt Forte, though Tashard Choice or Jacob Hester would be nice additions too. Maybe a look at Ryan Torain later if none of those guys fall?


Fullback: Brad Hoover, Troy Fleming
Hoover was resigned to a 3-year deal this off-season, all but guaranteeing that he's locked in at that position. That makes it seem like Fleming probably won't make the team... though you can never be sure. As long as Hoover proves a capable blocker for whoever is in the backfield, I'm fine with him. No reason to draft a FB if you plan on keeping both guys around, otherwise maybe you add one to groom behind Hoover.
Add: If you take Hester, you can groom him to be a FB while letting him play some RB too. Owen Schmitt and Peyton Hillis are the best FBs available in the draft, but not worth it with the Hoover contract. Maybe a look at Jed Collins in the 7th or as an UDFA?


Wide Receiver: Steve Smith, DJ Hackett, Muhsin Muhammed, Dwayne Jarrett, Ryne Robinson, Dominique Thompson, Jason Carter, Chris Hannon, Travis Taylor, Josh Davis
The signing of Hackett gives the team a solid core that's 5-deep, provided that Jarrett improves from his rookie season (it'd be hard for him not too). Robinson can also double as a returner. As long as Hackett stays healthy (scary to say that as a Panthers fan), the trio of Smith, Hackett & Muhammed will be amazing (given that the o-line is solid in pass blocking, which is no guarantee). Jarrett & Robinson are young, but they have the talent/potential to be good. No reason to draft someone now, unless you're certain that Jarrett will amount to nothing. The other 5 seem like likely camp bodies... one of them might stick, but nothing is guaranteed.
Add: No one. We're set here.


Tight-end: Dante Rosario, Jeff King
If the team wants a top-of-the-line (one of the best in the NFL) tight-end, they have a way to go. If not, they seem set. King looked good last year, and Rosario impressed late in his rookie season.
Add: No one.


Offensive line: Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton, Ryan Kalil, Keydrick Vincent, Jeremy Bridges, Geoff Hangartner, Frank Omiyale, Evan Mathis, Reuben Riley
This position has received an overhaul so far this off-season. Jeff Hartwig and Mike Wahle are both gone, to Pittsburgh and Seattle respectively. Kalil, a rookie behind Hartwig last year, is the new starting C. Gross was franchised, he'll man one of the OT spots (he's better on the right). Wharton resigned for a ton of money, he'll either man the LT or LG spot. Vincent is a FA acquisition, he'll battle for the starting RG spot. Bridges, Hangartner, Omiyale, Mathis & Riley are all depth... Hangartner behind Kalil, Omiyale & Bridges at either tackle spot, Riley at either guard spot and Mathis about anywhere. Of course, nothing is set in stone. Possible OT formations (from the left side to the right)...

Gross, Wharton, Kalil, Vincent, rookie
Wharton, rookie, Kalil, Vincent, Gross
Bridges, Wharton, Kalil, Vincent, Gross
rookie, Wharton, Kalil, Vincent, Gross

Vincent will probably be battling with Mathis/Bridges(?)/Hangartner to start at the RG spot. I'm not sure if John Fox will want a rookie protecting Delhomme's back-side. I really doubt Bridges will be starting. In other words, scenario 1 & scenario 2 above are the most likely scenarios.
Add: If the team wants to add an OT, Ryan Clady (who they seem to like a lot) could be there, or he could go top 5. Chris Williams could be there, or he could go #12 to Denver. Sam Baker will be there late in the first if the team trades down. Jeff Otah will be there late first most likely... I recently saw a mock with him going #5. Gosder Cherilus (who the team is looking at) might be there in the 2nd... they might have to trade up though. If they want to go OG early, Branden Albert is available if they trade down to mid/late-1st. And there are viable starting OGs later in the draft too. But if you want a starting OT for day 1 next year, that's a first round pick.

That's a quick look at the offense so far. Up next will be a look at the defensive side of things, where there appear to be more holes to fill.

Based on previous years, race officials are projecting that the first musher will reach Nome around 4am tomorrow morning. That's a little too early for me, but you can be sure the first thing I do tomorrow morning is check online to see who made it to Nome first.

The rest of the top 10 is largely up for grabs as well, as places 3 through 9 are all within 2 hours of each other.

If he really wanted to, I think King could have passed Mackey a few days ago and kept the lead all the way to Nome. But at this point in the race, it's largely about strategy and the psychology of the mushers. I think King has just been holding back these past few days, not pushing his dogs any harder than he needs to keep up with Mackey. I predict that sometime today, King will make his move, overcome Mackey's team, and be the first musher into Nome, most likely sometime early Wednesday morning.

Whether Mackey or King is the first to reach Nome, it will have been a historic race. If Mackey wins, he will have won the back-to-back Yukon Quest and Iditarod sled dog races 2 years in a row. For King, a win this year would tie him with Rick Swenson, the Iditarod's only five-time winner.

Either way, it's been one of the most exciting races in years. Could we have a near-repeat of Dick Mackey's 1 second victory over Rick Swenson in 1978? I'm looking forward to seeing how this final day of the Iditarod plays out.

Photo from the Anchorage Daily News

This appears to have been a good year to try out this test program, as the past few days of the race have been tight between Mackey and King, and it appears that it will continue that way all the way to Nome. Even though the offical Iditarod website has provided excellent race coverage so far this year, you only get to see when the mushers have come and gone from a checkpoint, so there is no way to see all the dynamics of what is really happening out on the trail.

Until this year, that is. With Iditarod Live Tracking, I can see that Jeff King is currently about a mile behind Lance Mackey on their way towards Koyuk. I can also see that King's team is running at 6mph to Mackey's 5mph.

In contrast, currently on Iditarod.com, the most recent update I can see is that King left Shaktoolik 39 minutes after Mackey at 6:36 this morning.

In an increasingly on-demand world, we need this kind of interactivity to keep us interested. Hopefully this new use of technology will help bring more fans to the sport of dog mushing.

It almost seems as though King is just waiting to make his final move. He clearly has the faster team at this point, with 16 dogs to Mackey's 14. This is the point in the race where a musher's strategy really becomes important. Each of these mushers' ability to know just when (and for how long) to give their dogs a break, so they can get the maximum performance out of them, will likely be what decides this race.

At this point, Mackey has a real fight ahead of him. He's going to have to keep pushing his team as hard as he can, all the way to Nome. While in Unalakleet, Mackey was keenly aware of the situation:

"I've got to keep him guessing. It's hard to outrun a team of that caliber. So if it comes down to a foot race, I'm lazy. But come and get me."

King still has his work cut out for him in this final stretch, but with a full team, he certainly seems to have an edge over Mackey. We'll soon find out, as the front runners are expected to cross the finish line in Nome by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

Photo from the Anchorage Daily News

Unfortunately for King, he was too busy sleeping when he passed Mackey's team:

To tell you the truth, I was sound asleep...I just barely saw one of (Mackey's) dogs.

Even though Mackey was the first to leave Unalakleet, King still has a full team of 16 dogs, and with the trails more hard-packed farther north, mushers are moving faster. It likely won't take long for King to catch back up to Mackey (King is averaging almost 9 mpg, while Mackey's team is just over 5).

Photo from the Anchorage Daily News

Lance Mackey is still at the head of the Iditarod pack, but Jeff King has been closing in fast. At the checkpoint of Kaltag, Lance Mackey stayed only 7 minutes, with Jeff King hot on his tail, only an hour behind.

With a full team of dogs, it seems likely that King will be able to pass Mackey in the home stretch, upsetting his hopes of a 4-peat.

Photo from the Anchorage Daily News

Defending Iditarod champion Lance Mackey pulled back into the lead today by being the first musher into Ruby, about 2 1/2 hours ahead of 2nd place Jeff King. As the first musher to arrive at the Yukon River, Mackey was treated to a 6 course meal this morning at the Ruby checkpoint.

Even while Mackey was enjoying his victory feast, he was humble as usual:

I'm first here by some kind of luck, because my team isn't 100 percent.

All of the lead mushers have taken their mandatory 24 layover at this point, but their 8 hour layovers are yet to come, so there is still plenty of time for someone to mix things up in this race.

Photo from the Anchorage Daily News

1. Aquel homínido que descubrió cómo producir fuego fue un genio.

Evidentemente, el profesor no esta hablando de ningún homínido presente en su contexto físico ni tiene en mente uno en particular. El profesor está diciendo sobre quienquiera que haya sido el homínido que descubrió cómo producir fuego que fue un genio. Esto aparentemente va en contra de la explicación de la Teoría de la Referencia Directa, según la cual la contribución del demostrativo complejo ‘aquel homínido que descubrió cómo producir fuego’ a la proposición expresada por (1) es el individuo mismo que descubrió cómo producir fuego. Esta limitación de la Teoría de la Referencia Directa sería aún más obvia si, basados en (1), aseveramos la siguiente oración verdadera:

2. El profesor cree que aquel homínido que descubrió cómo producir fuego fue un genio.

Supongamos que en la realidad (o mejor dicho, en el mundo actual) el homínido que descubrió cómo producir fuego fue Homey. Si la Teoría de la Referencia Directa fuese correcta, (2) le estaría atribuyendo al profesor la creencia de que Homey fue un genio. No obstante, esta atribución es falsa: el profesor no tiene la menor idea acerca de quién fue exactamente el homínido que descubrió cómo producir fuego. Luego de discutir éste y muchos otros ejemplos, así como ofrecer abundante evidencia sintáctica, King concluye que la explicación que hace la Teoría de la Referencia Directa de los demostrativos complejos es errónea. Su tesis principal es que términos tales como ‘ese’ o ‘aquel’ en los demostrativos complejos son cuantificadores a la par de ‘para todo’ (cuantificador universal) o ‘existe’ (cuantificador existencial). Detalles aparte, el análisis de términos tales como ‘ese’ o ‘aquel’ en los demostrativos complejos que King propone es el siguiente:

(DC) ___ y ___ están únicamente ___ en un objeto x y x es ___.

Por ejemplo, supongamos que Sandra dice, señalando a un libro en particular (llamémoslo ‘β’): ‘Aquel libro es malo’. Supongamos que ella pronuncia estas palabras en el mundo w y en el tiempo t. De acuerdo con (DC), la proposición que Sandra está expresando es (DC*):

(DC*) La propiedad de ser libro y la propiedad de ser idéntico a β están únicamente simultáneamente instanciadas en w, t en un objeto x y x es una instancia de la propiedad de ser malo.

Nótese que la proposición (DC*) incluye el mundo posible w. Esta inclusión de un mundo posible en la proposición es muy problemática. La razón es la siguiente: dado que las creencias de Sandra en w, t sobre β no son esenciales para la existencia de Sandra en w, t, (3) es verdadera:

3. Sandra pudo haber creído que aquel libro [señalando a β] es bueno.

De acuerdo con el análisis que propone King, una de las interpretaciones (presumiblemente, la más adecuada) de (3) es (3*):

(3*) Posiblemente [[Sandra cree que [aquel libro: x][x es bueno]]

La proposición expresada por (3*) es verdadera en w si y sólo si hay otro mundo w* tal que en w* Sandra cree que aquel libro es bueno. Sin embargo, si el análisis de ‘aquel libro es bueno’ es idéntico a (DC*) excepto por la última parte (reemplazar ‘una instancia de la propiedad de ser malo’ por ‘una instancia de la propiedad de ser bueno’), (3*) será verdadera sólo si en w* Sandra tiene creencias sobre w. No obstante, nada en nuestro ejemplo sugiere que en w* Sandra tenga creencias sobre w. Por lo tanto, la propuesta de King tiene la indeseable consecuencia de que nuestra atribución de creencias a habitantes de otros mundos posibles sobre objetos que también existen en el mundo actual implica atribuirles creencias no sólo sobre dichos objetos, sino también sobre el mundo actual. Este resultado claramente socaba una parte importante de la propuesta central de Complex Demonstratives.

Here are some guys to take a look at on the waiver wire this week:

Quarterbacks

• Kurt Warner, Cardinals: This is a no-brainer. Warner has been the best passer on the Cards so far this season, and now that Matt Leinart is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks with a broken collarbone Warner should put up solid fantasy numbers. He becomes and instant fantasy starter for most teams and could save a season.
• Jason Campbell, Redskins: Campbell looks like a guy who is improving every week. He should be a good bye-week filler for just about any fantasy team right now.

Runningbacks

• Earnest Graham, Buccaneers: If he has not been scooped already, his value is even higher today after Michael Pittman's ankle/leg injury yesterday. Grab him if you need some depth at RB.
• Handcuffs (Kenton Keith, Selvin Young, Brian Leonard, etc.): The injury bug is going around the NFL and hitting the RB position hard. Make sure you handcuff your best RBs from here on out.

Wide Receivers

• Bryant Johnson, Cardinals: With starter Anquan Boldin ailing, somebody other than Larry Fitzgerald needs to catch passes. Johnson has done well in the past filling in for injured starters, so he should see his share of looks.
• Lance Moore, Saints: In a deep league, Moore is worth a look. Devery Henderson, though he topped 100 yards this week, is losing his starter job faster than he can drop passes, and Moore looks to be the beneficiary.

Tight Ends

• Greg Olsen, Bears: He still is not the starting tight end in Chicago, but the Bears tipped their hand a little last night as to how they plan to use Olsen going forward. He lined up at wide receiver several times against the Packers and saw a number of looks from Brian Griese. Right now, he is a good bye week filler at tight end, with potential to be an every-week starter if the Bears continue to utilize him in the passing game.
• Jeff King, Panthers: King is a decent bye-week filler if you are desperate for a tight end.

Defenses

• Washington Redskins: The 'Skins D held the Detroit offense to three points. That is pretty solid. This could be a good unit to use in certain weeks with good matchups.
• Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks play the turnover-friendly New Orleans Saints next weekend at home. If this unit is unowned in your league, now is the time to grab them off the wire.

Video composite of 9/11 Heroes across the nation & world.
[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8954608144743555469]

DEMAND ANSWERS NOW
ACCOUNTABILITY & IMPEACHMENT ARE NEVER OFF THE TABLE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HTp9QwFLI