Greg Bedard : Post game chat Dallas/GB 11/28/07

Q: Mark of St. Charles - Who was responsible for all the deep throws into double coverage? McCarthy calling the plays, or Brett being impatient and making bad reads?

A: Greg Bedard - Let's get this going. I think we're all a little grumpy. This place is a dump and I can't wait to leave it. That's on Favre. He has a ton of options on every play and he kept throwing the one place everybody in the stadium knew he shouldn't be throwing. I know he was under a ton of pressure, but that was lousy.

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Q: Tom of Brookfield - You did a study of Farve's accuracy over his career and discovered he wasn't very accurate. Go back and review objectively his performances in "big games" and you will find tonights performance is the norm. The Super Bowl victory was one of his worst.

A: Greg Bedard - Interesting.
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Q: Curt of St. John - I'll get mine in early! What the hell is the definition of forward progress stopped?? Harris wasn't even trying to tackle him he was trying to take the ball.....so who stopped his progress??? Me thinks bad call!!

A: Greg Bedard - The officiating crew was terrible. I hadn't even heard of the referee. Where'd they get him, the CFL?
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Q: Paul of Viroqua, WI - Don't you think if fans think Colledge allowed Farve to get hurt on purpose they should boo him mercilessly but if he simply wasn't up to the task at hand we should wish him well on the team he plays for next year?

A: Greg Bedard - You think Colledge would purposely try to hurt Brett Favre? What's your blood alcohol level?
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Q: Steven W. Schaub of Phoenix, AZ - Why do you think the packers completely abandoned their normal game plan in the first half??? Far to many long bombs??? Very poor play selection.

A: Greg Bedard - It wasn't play selection or playcalling. Brett Favre decides where to throw the ball on each play. It's on him.
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Q: JV of NYC - What were the GBP offensive line changes at the start of the 3rd qtr? Seemed like they did pretty well on the first drive and score. Still want you to get Gumble terminated. I wish I were somewhere where I could get TMJ. I'm not paying the NFL another cent.

A: Greg Bedard - Colledge got benched - mercifully - during the second quarter. Coston went in at right guard and Spitz moved to the left side. The line wasn't much better. This group just doesn't do a good job against big, strong and physical fronts. They all got manhandled at times.
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Q: Kevin of Chicago - Greg...At the risk of sounding like captain obvious, hats off to the packers coaching staff for making in game adjustments with Colledge and Bush. Can you shed some light on why MM went away with what has worked both offensively and defensively in the 1st half?

A: Greg Bedard - I don't think they did anything differently on offense. Favre just threw it in places he hadn't this year. Defensively, I was afraid of this. One of the running traits of Jim Bates and his protege Bob Sanders is that the bigger the game, the tighter they get calling their defenses. And we saw that tonight. Not as much man-to-man, not many blitzes. Very tight. But it was good that the coaches realized that Colledge and Bush were both playing terrible and got them out of there quickly. Not many coaches would do that.
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Q: wookie of tucson - to me the defense game plan of zone defense was a mistake. what's your take?

A: Greg Bedard - They didn't play as much zone as you guys think. Or at least that's what we were told.
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Q: Wis Dom of Colorado Springs, CO - How much did the NFL lose by not allowing ESPN or Fox or CBS to carry the game live? TO me, that is why the NFL is doomed. Poor folks are losing interest in the NFL and focusing on college ball for good reasons.

A: Greg Bedard - Uh...the NFL has an absurd TV contract and they didn't lose anything on that game. And the NFL isn't being overtaken by college football. Not even close. Will never happen.
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Q: JP of Orlando - Greg, I like 80% of the nation had to settle for radio coverage...Several times like a broken record I heard "pass or TD completion" over Al Harris...If he's the man, then he NEEDs to be the Man in games like this!

A: Greg Bedard - I thought Harris got a little over hyped coming into this game. He's been, for sure. But Woodson has totally outplayed him.
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Q: greg of waldo - Does Woodson being out mean no one in the secondary plays? Stay on the bus! Pretty much a joke!

A: Greg Bedard - Yeah, the secondary was pretty much a joke in the first half. Between Nick Collins being back for the first time in three games and Woodson being out, they were out of sorts in the first half.
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Q: Nate of Mason City,Ia - The GB pass defense is no match for the Cowboy offense- why not take a chance and blitz rather than sit back and give a young qb all day to pick you apart time after time with no answer to him?

A: Greg Bedard - Um, I've got to ask this question. And I might ask it a few times. Did anybody out there see that the Packers almost beat the Cowboys in Dallas without Favre, without Woodson and KGB, with a secondary that was patchwork, and Aaron Rodgers playing most of the game? Is there anybody out there that came out of this game thinking, if the Cowboys think that was our best shot, they'll be sorely mistaken in January? Anybody?
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Q: Tommer of Humble, TX - Greg, as I write this question with 7:00 left in the fourth, win or lose, it's good to know that Aaron Rodgers is a competent QB who can fill in for Favre in a pinch and after he retires. He showed quite a bit of poise and nerve backing up a legend in such a hyped up venue.

A: Greg Bedard - Good post by Tommer.
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Q: RJ of Racine - Can we just cut Atari Bigby now and save my new flat screen from flying out my front window?

A: Greg Bedard - That bad, huh? I don't know. I didn't think it was that bad. Things are relative in the secondary. Everybody feeds off each other. When somebody's weak (Collins, Bush), everybody's weak. I interrupt this chat to say that I have to head back to the hotel, but I will pick this up when I get back there. Come back at 12:30-12:45. I'll be back. I promise.
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Q: Terry of Chicago - Greg, When he is healthy again, Rouse starts for Bigby doesn't he? Bigby is brutal in coverage and now commits penalties like they are going out of style.

A: Greg Bedard - OK, I'm back. Let's do this for another 45 minutes or so. I haven't seen Rouse play the free safety position in practice yet. Might take a little work.
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Q: Terry of Chicago - Greg, In your opinion, does a healthy KGB, Woodson and Rouse change the outcome tonight? I would add Favre, but Rodgers played as well as Favre probably could have.

A: Greg Bedard - OK, I'm back. Thanks for your patience. Let's do another 45 minutes or so. I think this whole game was just a mess after the Thanksgiving Day game. Yes, the Cowboys had to do it also, but both of the games were at home in front of their fans. When you're fatigued, that makes a difference. I don't think many will agree with me, but I think if this game was even played on Sunday that the Packers win. They just laid a big egg and still didn't show badly. They're definitely better than that.
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Q: Mat Steinberg of Sartell, MN - How long will A. Bigby be allowed to be sloppy and undisciplined in critical situations? What are the alternatives?

A: Greg Bedard - Something needs to be done about that. It appears that every time things become a little unglued, Bigby loses his focus big time. From what I've seen of him, even in the locker room, he's a little immature. Not a trait I'd want in one of my safeties.
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Q: Pete of Albuquerque - Hard fought game. I thought the Packers showed a lot of grit and Rodgers was impressive given the kind of pressure he was under. Can the Packers solve their weaknesses in the secondary if they face the Cowboys again? How much difference would Woodson have made?

A: Greg Bedard - I think Woodson would have made a huge difference. I don't know if Harris has a lot of friends in broadcasting or what, but was it just me or did everybody talk about him the past couple weeks like he was Sam Madison in his prime? Harris is good and all, but he's not nearly as good as Woodson. I think we saw that tonight. I still think Bush is a problem and having a confused Collins back there didn't help. I'll keep saying this, no matter what Lionel Washington tries to tell me: Bush has a bunch of trouble playing the ball. Just not very good. That comes with time, but it's a fact.
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Q: Dan Consie of Bakersfield, CA - Greg, The two guys I thought we could count on in this game, #4 and #31, really let this team down in my layman's opinion. It seemed that Favre just couldn't seem to recognize where the blitz was coming from and/or where to go with the ball. Would you agree?

A: Greg Bedard - Yeah, good call by you, Dan. Favre actually said in his press conference that he doesn't remember letting a free blitzer -- which is his responsibility -- get a hit like that on him (the play where he got hurt). That really struck me as odd. Why was he not as sharp mentally in this game? Very strange.
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Q: Paul of Viroqua, WI - You do realize my Colledge comments were meant to defuse any animosity towards the poor guy, don't you? The guy hasn't played his position well at all this year and this game really highlighted his inability to block and open holes.

A: Greg Bedard - Maybe I just didn't get it. It's hard to get tone in chats. But I think you guys know what I've thought of Colledge from about the time I got here: his technique is just really poor and gets worse the more under fire he comes. I tried to ask Daryn what the problem was. His response? "I ain't got nothing to say." So there you go.
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Q: Brad R. of La Crosse - Greg, Everyone is going to blame Jarrett Bush for giving up completions far to frequently in this game, but I believe the real fault for the poor pass defense was two factors. A lack of a pass rush without blitzing and what appeared to be very poor safety play. Where has Cullen Jenkins gone and do you think Rouse will be starting after returning from injury?

A: Greg Bedard - Yeah, Cullen Jenkins was pretty much a non-factor. It was like he wasn't even there. I know he was going against a pretty good player in Flozell Adams, but you've got to do something. I didn't get to key in on Aaron Kampman much, but I would assume that they doubled him. It's up to somebody else to bring pressure once in a while. The Rouse-Collins situation will be very interesting. I don't know what's going to happen.
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Q: Adam of Watertown - Hi Greg, I think the biggest play of the game was when The Cowboys converted on 3rd and 19. The Packers had closed to 24 - 21 and had all the momentum. Getting a 1st down right there saved the game for the Cowboys. What do you think.

A: Greg Bedard - That and the ridiculous 42-yard pass interference penalty on Tramon Williams. Anybody could see that the receiver slowed down there. Well, I guess not everybody.
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Q: Dan Consie of Bakersfield, CA - Greg, Did McCarthy outsmart himself with the early gameplan? It seemed like simplifying the plan after A-Rod came in really got things moving again.

A: Greg Bedard - McCarthy said they didn't change anything. I guess McCarthy said taking shots deep were part of the gameplan, but I think he meant smart shots deep. What Favre was doing, was not smart.
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Q: Biff of Rhinelander - Well, the JS writers were certainly derelict in their duties this week. Why didn't someone tell us that Ahmad Carroll was going to suit up tonight?

A: Greg Bedard - (Giggling to myself).
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Q: Brian of Happy Valley - Love your chats, Greg, and I don't like the long questions, so I'll keep it simple. Do you think KGB and Woodson would've made a big enough difference to win the game? Thanks!

A: Greg Bedard - Thanks. It's not just KGB and Woodson. I just think the whole past 11 days has been rough. I'd like to see both teams on full rest with most of their starting lineups in tact. Name the place. I don't care if it's Texas Stadium. The Cowboys can be beaten in that dump.
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Q: Ted of Mequon - Who was the Packers' emergency QB tonight -- Martin? Is Woodson the third QB when he's active? Thanks.

A: Greg Bedard - A good question that I was asking myself during the game. It will certainly be asked this week. Would't be surprised if the Packers sign another QB.
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Q: Tuttle of Mars, MA - The main reason for the loss was simple: Officiating. Is there any reason to believe it will be any different if GB plays at DAL again?

A: Greg Bedard - Come on, you're not really going to pin that game on the officials -- as bad as they might have been -- are you? You guys are better than that.
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Q: Owen of Grand Rapids - For all the comments you'll get on the officiating and the promise that Rodgers showed, the big concern was how physically whipped the Packers DL and OL were. No pass rush at all. Favre was hit almost every time he threw. The first INT was on a play where Colledge was manhandled. Is there any hope for improvement in line play if the teams meet again in January.

A: Greg Bedard - You would hope so. But Owen is absolutely right. That game was one by the Cowboys in the line play. They just whupped the Packers up front on a consistent basis.
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Q: Brad Codere of Lake Linden, MI - Thanks for your time Greg. So where does this young team go from here? Big downer with heads hanging low or feeling OK about themselves for fighting back with Brett out and knowing they may have another shot with a healthier team next time? Also, will we see much more of Colledge? He can't keep his shouldlers square for love or money!

A: Greg Bedard - These Packers have shown an inate ability to rebound. Look at that demoralizing Chicago loss. They have 10 days until the next game. They'll rebound fine. I'd hate to be the Oakland Raiders, that's for sure.
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Q: Ben Newton of Dallas, Texas - Did you get a chance to check out the Marcus Spears Foundation booth...It is amazing what is happening with that foundation...??? Did you get my previous message about that.....

A: Greg Bedard - I didn't get a chance. It was a pretty busy night. But it's a great thing they are doing there. I did get your messages. Sent you an email last night, I think.
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Q: Matt of Madison - Am I a homer, or did Dallas not demonstrate that it is the dominant force in the NFC?

A: Greg Bedard - Somewhere there's a joke to be made between NFC and dominant force, but I'm a little too punchy to make it right now.
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Q: Ben Newton of Dallas, Texas - Would this game have been any different had Brett Favre stayed healthy...I think Rodgers held up well...???

A: Greg Bedard - I think this was the Favre 4-5 interception game we've all been waiting for. It just got cut short after two and a 8.9 rating. Yeah, you read that right. 8.9. That's Rex Grossman territory.
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Q: Jesse of Atlanta - Greg, Did Jarrett Bush get yanked in the second half? And what do you do about Bigby's stupid penalties? Two face masks penalities? Isn't it time to go with Rouse & Collins at the safety spots?

A: Greg Bedard - Yes, Bush got benched. But get this. You'll enjoy this. I asked Bob Sanders why Bush was benched and he told me -- with a straight face -- that that was the plan coming in. Like the defensive line, they wanted to rotate defensive backs in. Are you freaking kidding me? Bob, if that was true, how come Bush didn't rotate back in? Why didn't Will Blackmon? Gimme a break.
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Q: PJ Fuller of OKC, OK - I know that you'll get plenty of Jarret Bush bashers tonight, and rightfully so, but Darryn Colledge knew all week he'd be starting, knew the gameplan. He has no excuse. He got his tail kicked. How far down the depth chart does he go?

A: Greg Bedard - We shall see. We shall see.
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Q: Mike of Wonder Lake, IL - Well, I'm not an angry fan after that game. The Packers showed a lot of heart just staying in the game. They were just a ref's call here or there from winning it, despite missing key players. But I think we learned two things from this game. #1: Aaron Rodgers is a viable option for the future. #2: Ted Thompson needs to address the secondary early and often during the upcoming offseason. Your thoughts?

A: Greg Bedard - Yeah, they need to spend a little money there. But for all you "We must sign Corey Williams at any cost" people, would you take better talent in the secondary over Williams? Might come to that. That's what I mean about how this isn't fantasy football. You can't just pay guys and not have any ramifications. And speaking of that, where was Williams tonight?
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Q: Mike A of Oakdale, MN - There was plenty of blame to go around in this game, but don't you think the kick coverage was absoultely terrible tonight?

A: Greg Bedard - Not good.
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Q: John of Iowa City, IA - Greg, do you have any idea why the NFL does not employ referees full-time like the NBA? They've really gotta get their calls straightened out...perhaps training during the week would help. Some of the refs should definitely go back to their day jobs.

A: Greg Bedard - Well, NBA officials work like 60 games a year. NFL officials work like 18 days out of the year. That always gets brought up by fans. Ain't going to change anyime soon. Who's going to pay them, the owners? The union? Please.
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Q: Gabe of Durham - In retrospect, do you think it was the right mental approach to treat this as "just another regular season game"? The Packers had so much to play for, and by losing, assured that if they are lucky enough to make it to the title game, it will be in the one stadium in which they cannot win. Don't you think that the team did not give this game the proper level of urgency?

A: Greg Bedard - It's one game. If you can't win one lousy game on the road -- and the Packers have shown, at full health, they can win anywhere -- then you don't deserve to go to the Super Bowl. Home field is a crock. The first round bye is the thing that's important. It was one game in November. No need to treat this like it was the NFC championship game. It wasn't. That will be played on Jan. 20. Not Nov. 29.
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Q: Chris of Madison - We lost. So what! We're 10-2. We competed with the best team in the NFC without our second (or first depending on how you look at it) best corner, without one of our best pass rushers and for most of the game, without our best quarterback. Anyone that doesn't see the positives in this game is blind. If we get our team healthy and play within ourselves I feel we can use this game as a catalyst to push for the last quarter of the season. Dallas was lucky to play us in our current state, and won't fare so well when we play them in the playoffs. Your thoughts?

A: Greg Bedard - I'll just nod along for now, provided I see the Packers bounce back well against Oakland. Something about the secondary isn't sitting right with me. They need to get that straightened out.
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Q: Packerpaul of Wall,NJ - Do you think McCarthy should have challenged the spot on the Grant run just before the Crosby 52 yard FG ?

A: Greg Bedard - He couldn't. He was out of challenges. Why the officials let McCarthy challenge the Owens catch/Harris INT is beyond me. They said forward progress was stopped. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
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Q: Matt O'Malley of Washington D.C. - When will the Packer organization finally realize that Bigby and Bush both need to be cut outright? They are the worst DBs in all of football...including college, high school and even jr. high school. They are both pathetic. Bigby was already cut by two teams including Miami. WE HAVE A DB THAT WAS CUT BY THE WORST TEAM IN FOOTBALL? How pathetic is this front office?

A: Greg Bedard - Duuuuuuuuuude. Somebody needs to have a drink and relax a little. Yikes.
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Q: Jablomi of Haywood, WI - HAY GREEG! HAS NE1 ASKED U ABT FAVRE YET? LOLZ! Sorry, I just had to do it. Can you post an unofficial count on how many questions you've received tonight about his injury status?

A: Greg Bedard - Actually, not too many. Definitely more injury questions last week. Favre thinks he'll be fine. Very similar to the injury he had last year. Just got hit in the wrong spot. Should be fine in a couple of days after the swelling goes down.
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Q: John of Seattle, WA - Greg - in terms of the defensive calls, don't you think you're underestimating the loss of Woodson and how that would limit your ability to blitz?

A: Greg Bedard - I don't know, I don't think so. We all know that Bob Sanders doesn't blitz much even when Woodson is out there. So....
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Q: Grandma Jan of Sun City. AZ - Saw your post on the positive spin (players hurt, Rogers looking capable, etc), and I admit that I tried thinking that way at first, but the bottom line is that the OL got beat up and the DL didn't fair much better. Right before the '95 playoff upset of SF, Holmgren reminded the players that football is not a game of schemes and trick plays -- it's all about being physically dominant. Tonight the GBP looked dominated. Lots of positives to take away, for sure, but Dallas is better (for now).

A: Greg Bedard - Grandma, they were better tonight (or last night now) but I don't think that would be the case every night. Thinking back now, the Packers' line did nice jobs in spurts. I don't know, I just got a weird vibe from the Packers from the get go, that for some reason they were really off in this game. Was it because of playing in Dallas? I don't know. With the injuries and the flux in the back end, it just seemed like the team never got its bearings until it was too late.
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Q: CY of Lewisville, TX - Hi Greg, I was at the game tonight (and I think I got out of there quicker than you did) and the guy that really impressed me was Greg Jennings. He was leaving people grasping for air. He was really impressive. What would you say is his ceiling? Thanks for coming back to the chat! Craig

A: Greg Bedard - His ceiling is as high as his hamstrings will let him go. It's like he floats on the field with the ball in his hands.
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Q: Sega Bigby of Playstationville - Greg, I did not think my brother Atari played too terribly, except for the stupid facemasks. He covered the best tight-end and best WR in the NFL as well as could be expected. They were just bigger than he was. Of course, I did not concentrate on him so I could have missed a lot.

A: Greg Bedard - (Laughing my butt off). That's the best post we've had in a while.
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Q: Arsenio of Los Angeles - I asked Joe Philbin if Favre was taken out because he was hurt and he said no. It was the plan to rotate quarterbacks.

A: Greg Bedard - That's pretty good too.
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Q: tim of baraboo - why wont you answer any of the questions i sent you greg?

A: Greg Bedard - Don't know, but they probably fall into two categories: 1) it's been asked and answered or 2) way too long of a question/commentary. I've warned you guys, gotta keep it short and sweet.
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Q: David Weingarten of Woodland Hills - Does an elbow and shoulder injury like Farve got tonight potentially affect his play for the remainder of the season?

A: Greg Bedard - I don't think so. Favre didn't seem concerned. Sorry, everybody, we're going to have to cut it off here. I've got to get to be...Ah, who am I kidding? I've got to be out the door at 4:30 a.m. for my flight back. Looks like tomorrow is going to be another rough one. Sorry the chat was so disjointed tonight. I promise a much better one after the Oakland game. Thanks for hanging. See you around the blog.