Random Thoughts (August 7, 2008)

The Patriots open their preseason schedule tonight at Gillette Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens. The first preseason game is not the night to expect much from the likes of Tom Brady and Randy Moss but there are a few things I will be looking to see. Among them:

• How is the progress of first round pick Jerod Mayo coming along?
• Are any of the young backup quarterbacks capable of playing at all should, God forbid, Brady get hurt?
• The play of the reconstructed secondary. For all the talk about Mayo, he gets to play next to veterans Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas so his mistakes can be covered up to a small extent. If cornerbacks Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster and Terrence Wheatley suffer, they will be exploited.
• The development of receiver Chad Jackson. Year 3 will be the last chance for Chad if he doesn't begin to produce.

It might be pretty much meaningless but at least the NFL is back...

Sticking with the NFL, Brett Favre was traded to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick last night.

This is great. After the tearful retirement (which Packer coach Mike McCarthy tried to talk him out of in March), Favre decided he wanted back in with Green Bay. To the credit of the Packers, they told him they were moving on with Aaron Rodgers. Favre has held the team hostage with his "comeback" and finally, after hearing from McCarthy that his only chance in Green Bay was to compete for his old job and that the team would not trade him, as he wished, to division rival Minnesota, Favre accepted the move to the Jets.

I am looking forward to the Patriots defense beating Favre into submission two times this year...

After six games, it seems like this Jason Bay can play. So he's no Manny (.600 BA/3 HR/7 RBI/1.736 OPS with the Dodgers), which no one actually expected him to be, but he is playing very good defense and is swinging a very good bat (.423/1/6/1.192). When the bright lights of October begin to shine, Bay will still have to prove himself but so far, so very good...

The Celtics open the 2008-09 season at the Garden on October 28 in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Enjoy the banner raising and ring ceremony LeBron, you won't be having your own any time soon in Ohio...

There is no enjoyment at all in listening to Joe Castiglione and Dale Arnold call Red Sox games on the radio. They almost equal Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo as the worst announcing team in Boston. It is so sad that the worst two crews are calling the most amount of games...

When Jacoby Ellsbury hurt his wrist making a diving catch earlier in the season, I had no idea that it would hurt his production as much as it has. I hate making excuses for injuries but it's impossible to ignore the trouble Ellsbury is having with the wrist when he struggles to hit fastballs left over the heart of the plate.

He has swung the bat great the last two nights so maybe things are about to turn for the better...

Lost in the Jets acquisition of Favre is the future of Chad Pennington. The veteran QB is likely to be released today. Rumors have him landing in Minnesota as insurance for Tavaris Jackson.

I know it's doubtful but I would love to see the Pats swoop in and land Pennington. It would give the Pats a proven veteran to serve as Brady's backup and it would add more intrigue to the New England-New York rivalry...

Enjoy LaMont Jordan tonight...