lumm0x

What have you proved with this:
The guy says over and iover in this article how a successful preseason produces a more playoff qualifying teams, how they statistically achieve over .500 records, and how it equates into a \"slightly above average\" regaular season percentage over the last 6 years.
Damn, I\'d hate to have statistics that promote optimistic expectations such as a historical record that if we do well in preseason we will likely be 9-7 if we are like the average of teams. Do us both a favor Billy, find out what the average regular season record is over the last 6 years for teams that finished 0-4 or 1-3 in the preseason is. I would be amazed if it happens to be below .500 wouldn\'t you. When you\'re dealing with a 16 game schedule.....1 game win/lose is very important. While historical statistics can be swayed to support both sides of any arguement, they are only weakly related to the question at hand. As you once so boldly pronouced to BucNup, last year means nothing. Why then, go back and use our last year\'s statistics to predict what we\'ll do this year? The only eveidence we have to work with in \"this year\" is the preseason, so by your arguement, it is the only evidence we are allowed to use to base our arguements on.
So I ask you this, based on the preseason EVIDENCE only, what factual items can you use to support that we have the possibility of improving our defense this year in statistical ranking? And I will give you that we a factually stopwatch faster than we were last year, thus, allowing our players the \"opportunity\" to make plays.

BillyCarpenter1

LummOx,

I let you be your own judge about what preseason means. There\'s nothing wrong with you beleiveing that they are an indication of a teams success in the regular season. At least- that\'s what I think you\'re trying to tell me?

I have watched football over the years and am of the opionion that they don\'t mean much. But to each is own.

You seem to have this habit of bring up things I\'ve posted in the past and that\'s fine, and I guess I will have to put them in context everytime. Like the comment to BucNup, about how last year means nothing.

BucNup( a Buc fan) comes here talking garbage about OUR team and I said many things to him to counter his trash talking. For the Record- I do beleive there are things from previous seasons that can be taken into account and some things that can\'t.

lumm0x

Well for the record on my end:
I hate the preseason. I despise it. It is simply in my mind an opportunity for the players you want to be there in game 1 to get injured, before you play a game where the final score actually means something. I do think that an individual who is not a definite starter has the obligation to impress in preseason. I do not worry about preseason record and only brought that up to stir the pot. I could care less if we are 0-4. The time I get concerned during a preseason is when starters get hurt, when back-ups come in and \"individually\" have miserable showings. Like Curtis Keaton. Did this give you any optimism if Deuce needs a breather in the regular season. Preseason is the time to find this stuff out and address it, which Haslett is doing. I worry when some of our defensive starters and back-ups individually have trouble doing the simple things in a game. It just makes me worried about our defense for the first 1/4 of the season, and frankly those are four games we need to be in. I don\'t like hearing the defensive coordinator make comments in a preseason alluding to the possibility that it will take time to get everyone on page and we should be ready come week 6 to showcase the defense he has planned for us. I don\'t like a coaching staff to appear confused at what is taking place.

BillyCarpenter1

I hear ya LummOx, and I agree with you. I have my doubts and concerns just like the rest of you. I do not agree with the gloom and doom theory of some members and I\'m not including you in that list. You have been pretty reasonable in your assessment of the team.

Even though I don\'t agree with the doomsayers when they start telling me they KNOW the defense is going to suck- I do agree with some of their concerns. I just have to give it more time to paint the full picture and here\'s why.

Rick Venturi- He did nothing last year to gain anyone\'s confidence that\'s for sure. How much blame goes to Venturi for the disappointing defense- I don\'t know!! I do know we didn\'t have very much talent on defense last year-so I give him the benifit of the doubt for last year. Now, along comes preseason and we look worse than last year. How much is Venturi\'s fault? I don\'t know!! I do know I learned a long time ago to not pay much attention to preseason games. So, he get\'s the benefit of the doubt for preseson.

Come the first game against Seattle if our defense doesn\'t show me something I will be bashing right along with the rest of ya!!! And probably more so.