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I am actually in the extreme minority in that I actually enjoy the NFL training camp and preseason process as currently set-up, with one caveat…this fourth pre-season game is completely useless. No way any coach with a pulse wants to risk injury to anyone of value this close to opening weekend, and they also are not going to put anything on tape of interest in terms of scheme. So, in particular, out of the four preseason games, this is the one that is pretty much useless.

At any rate, a few items of note as “please God don’t let my team take injuries” weekend approaches:

—Brett Favre is getting his eyes checked. Insert standard that’s-what-happens-as-you-age joke here. Except, well, it kinda does.

—Jay Cutler having difficulty getting in a comfort zone. That’s what happens when you fear that each time you drop back you are going to die.

—The 49ers have gone easy on Frank Gore this pre-season. Makes sense, he’s got an injury history, and his back-ups are ever on the edge of quitting their gig to seek G-d.

—Darelle Revis still holding out of the Jets circus. Vincent Jackson prepared to go to the mats in San Diego. But one flying under the national radar too much is Logan Mankins’ holdout of New England. Beast of a guard, the Pats really do need him.

It’s a deceptively easy fall to the Ryan Leaf/Akili Smith part of the quarterback dustbin.

And Leinart is apparently in the midst of said fall. Lost the locker room? Supposedly. Potentially being shopped? Yup. Maybe cut if a deal can’t be worked out? Apparently.

Yikes.

It’s not like I thought he was headed for a pro bowl, but, it was pretty wide open for him this camp in Arizona. Getting beat out by Derek Anderson? Well, not sure what else you need to know that your career is not exactly headed where you want it to. That said, I am uber-tired of watching JT O’Sullivan stumble around backing up Carson Palmer, and Leinart and Palmer are friends, so I sure wouldn’t mind Leinart ending up in Cincy to back-up Palmer if the meltdown finished in the desert. And the Bengals do specialize in reclamations…

And I don’t care.

In fact, I am actually kinda pumped about it, which surprises me.

At the bottom of it, is an appreciation that Mike Brown, who I have rightfully pilloried in this space in the last seven years, has finally gone “all in”. Right or wrong, I don’t have any doubt that the Bengals owner/GM is going for it in 2010. In my lifetime, which spans 30 full years, that is the first time I have ever felt that about my football team.

So, yeah, start the circus. And the complaining following games when either Owens or Johnson don’t get the ball enough. Start the inevitable sideline blow-up. I don’t care. Because I think there is plenty of on-field benefits to this that may make it all worth it. No more doubling Johnson without teams paying for it. Between Owens, 1st round TE Jermaine Gresham, and whatever Antonio Bryant has left in his knee, added to Johnson, along with rookie WR Jordan Shipley, they have an instant passing game again to match their running game and defense.

So, I am signed up. Why the fuck not? If it implodes, it implodes, but at least they are putting it out there for 2010.

Hey. Sorry for the extended absence. Looking back:

—I have not seen a “brand” go on such a disastrous updated rollout since New Coke. What in the name of G-d was Lebron James and whoever is advising him thinking this last two months? Or four years? Or however long he has been hellbent on turning heel?

The things that I find curious:

—He will never be THE GUY in Miami in terms of legacy, even if Miami wins the next five titles. In terms of NBA history and “the pantheon”, I can’t think of another up there who has appeared so cowardly. Cowardly in how he did the Cavaliers fans. If he really had decided months (or even years) ago to leave (and I think he did), fine, but don’t string Cleveland along like they have a chance. I don’t know that Cleveland could have gotten anyone else in there with the money that was not to be spent on James, but they at least deserved the chance to try. Cowardly in not going somewhere where he could be THE man. If not staying in Cleveland, then go to New York and make it happen. Embrace the expectations and the chance of failure and actually overcome that and be great. Before a fanbase that actually loves the game. Or, go to Miami, and play for fakes and frauds in the stands as second fiddle to Dwyane Wade. Yeah, I get that the weather is nice in the winter. That’s a reason old people move there to retire. I get there are hot and loose women to hump. But I am pretty damn sure that’s the case no matter where he goes. So, Miami. Eh. As underserving a fanbase for this as I can think of. Congrats.

—Speaking of hurting brands, what the fuck, ESPN? Not that we don’t know that you as a network is into self-abuse, but, still. Damn. If there were a support group for networks, you would be in the room with NBC and CNN discussing amongst yourselves why you engage in cutting. To allow James and his ego to rent an hour for a self-aggrandizing infomercial and then offer up your own to pretend it is on the up and up in that bullshit display, well, even for you, it was breathtaking in its cynicism. And, Michael Wilbon? Shame on you. I don’t expect better from Stuart Scott, but you? Shameful.

—The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut? Really Lebron? Was the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs not available?

—Yes, I am offended by Omar Infante’s selection to the NL All-Star team. More than I should be. Charlie Manuel is a strange man.

—The NFL Sunday Ticket commercial with Troy Barkman makes me laugh.

—Lost in the Lebron shenanigans, that shrewd deal by the Knicks sending David Lee to Golden State for Anthony Randolph. Randolph in Dantoni’s system? Yes please.

—Did I “Vote Votto”? Well, yeah.

With an able assist from Peter King, enabler for hype, we got this from King’s MMQB yesterday as he quotes the Bears’ new offensive coordinator:

“I never let hearsay and gossip determine what I think of a player, and I haven’t with Jay,” he said after the Bears’ Saturday practice. “What I’ve seen in him so far is he has no flaws. None. He’s got no ego. I’m sure I’ve not met anyone as intelligent as him at quarterback. He’s been a great leader. He can make all the throws. His recognition of the defense at the snap of the ball is freaky, incredible. He sees things the way Kurt used to see them. He came to me with a completely open mind about this offense, and every day when I come to work, he’s ready to learn. It tickles me. He’s bought in so completely.”

Well great. All is fixed with Cutler. On to the winning!

Oh, and Chicago is the latest city to be a rumored destination in-theory-maybe-just-ask-him for Terrell Owens. Where he would join a wide receiver group that Martz claims is the best on the team.

The dead zone for NFL news is upon us all.

—The Packers’ Jermichael Finley is the best TE in football. Just ask him. He may not be wrong.

—Congrats, Lions fans. Peter King had you at 24th in what appeared to be his peyote-fueled Power Rankings on Monday. That was the spot he had the Saints in last year at this time.

—2010 is the last year on Joseph Addai’s contract with the Colts. And, likely, the end of his disappointing tenure with the Colts.

—Darrelle Revis thinks $20 million a year sounds swell. That’s what the Jets get for letting him get the nickname “Revis Island” get hung on him. Good luck in those negotiations. He’s pretty damn near worth it.

…that’s mostly because he is not coaching my team. Because, if he was, I would love for my coach to have said this in response to some questions over frustration from fans with regard to personal seat license fees for the new stadium:

“I’ll be honest with you. I’m there to whip somebody’s —,” he told the Daily News Thursday. “So it doesn’t matter who’s there, who’s not there, whatever. I would love to have our stadium full and the fans going crazy and supporting us. That’s what you want. I feel it. We felt the energy from those fans.”

Will it be disappointing if the Jets are not playing in front of a packed house? “I don’t care,” Ryan said. “I’m going out there to whip somebody’s —. Home. Away. That’s my job. I don’t know the finances, people’s issues or whatever. I just know that we’re going to be a team that you’ll want to watch and you’ll want to come out. I’m going to say this: Our team over any team in the league – I would think you’d want to watch our team.”

Jackass. But only because I am not a Jets fan.

Feels like a late April Fools joke, but it apparently is not. Per Adam Schefter on ESPN, McNabb will be working for Daniel Snyder next year. Quick thoughts:

—Stunning to see a talent like McNabb traded inside the division. The reported return is Washington’s second round pick this year.

—With all those running back options (Willie Parker, Larry Johnson, Clinton Portis) and the young receiving corp, Washington has a chance to be decent offensively next season.

—Props to the Eagles for not being the abject vaginas the Packers were when cutting ties with a franchise the great. They want to go with Kolb? Fine and dandy, but have the stones to not try and bury McNabb. And they didn’t. Impressive.

—980 in DC should be entertaining as hell tomorrow. Mr. Tony at 10:00 am and the 4:00 pm show with Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin just crossed over into must listen.

Denver, according to Jay Glazer via twitter. For Peyton Hillis and two conditional picks. Which makes it official that the Jake Delhomme era really is upon Browns fans.

Weird.

If you guessed piling bags of money into his own private armored truck and logging the directions to Julius Peppers’ house, you’d probably not be too far off. According to Don Banks, that’s the likeliest landing place for the best of a reduced free agent class. Knock us over with not surprise.

For the rest of Don Banks’ guesses, head here to si.com for a good read. His hunches? Karlos Dansby to the Giants, Darren Sproles to the Washington Snyders, and the Ravens trying to fix their receiving corp with Kevin Walter and Terrell Owens among other guesses.