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I became a birder by default.....I wanted to know what these birds were that I was taking pictures of. I'm pretty good at bird ID, but I don't hold a candle to some of the people I meet in the field....they are truly amazing. Hopefully this younger generation will develop the skills. The lake Erie shoreline from Sandusky to Detroit is one of the best places in the world for birding during the spring migration. Every spring, these birds fly north from South/Central America and Mexico. When they get to lake Erie, they stop and drop to get their bearings and rest up for the flight over the big lake. The woodlots and wetlands along the lakeshore hold thousands of these migrants, and you can view them up close and personal. If anyone wants info on some birding hotspots and great places to get pics, let me know. I've been doing it for decades. The lakeshore around here is also home to quite a few nesting pairs of bald eagles.

It will be awesome if Raheim Sanders can lock down RB3 and contribute. He's a bully just like Judkins.

I think Monken is definitely someone who likes his RBs to share the rock. He's not really looking for a true "bell cow". I know I'm just dreaming here, but if we could have those two bruisers sharing the "bell", we could have Sampson, KC and Bond as "gadgets" out of the backfield.

Sampson made a few rookie mistakes along the way last year, but I think he'll catch plenty of passes out of the backfield this year... or I should say is capable of doing so.

I really wish there were an extra metric that separated time to throw from time to throw on script. It can be very misleading since it accounts for everything through the end of the play.

If I scramble around for ten seconds and take a 20 yard sack, my "time to throw" was ten seconds. Hell, from that standpoint, I could have one of the most porous O-Lines in the league and it would look like they were Pro Bowlers giving me all the time in the world.

Don't get me wrong, I know all these things average out over hundreds of snaps, this one's still one of those Paul Harvey stats... you may need to seek and find "the rest of the story".

Sorry but Watson is a wash out. Plus over in what he did off the field. Looks like Sanders will begin not just preseason but week 1 regular season as QB#1!

"Oh give me the beat boys and free my soul. I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and grift away.".......................

Trump's Freedom 250 asks for another $10M in taxpayer funds

Congress approved $150 million for the country's 250th anniversary celebrations. The Trump administration is seeking an additional $10 million amid unanswered questions about its finances.

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is seeking an additional $10 million of taxpayer money for Freedom 250’s grand celebrations honoring the country’s semiquincentennial, drawing fresh questions about how the group spent millions in previous public and private funding.

In a July 29 letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, said Congress received the request earlier in the month for “an unspecified amount of funding” to help Freedom 250 “recoup costs” in a broader Trump administration budget request.

A meeting between Merkley’s office and the Interior Department later revealed that the agency was asking for $10 million to reimburse the National Parks Service for “routine costs” associated with events on the National Mall, including the Christianity-dominated Rededicate 250 prayer event, the Great American State Fair, and the July 4th Salute to America, Merkley wrote.

The request suggested that Freedom 250 already spent more than a $100 million in taxpayer and private dollars it previously received, Merkley said in his letter.

“Congress has already provided substantial funding for these activities,” he wrote. “It is unacceptable to ask the American people to bail out Freedom 250.”

Congress allocated $150 million for the Department of the Interior to distribute, as it saw fit, for the country’s 250th anniversary in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Interior gave $50 million of that to America250, the congressionally created group tasked with planning the celebration, and $100 million to Trump’s Freedom 250 group.

Freedom 250 also solicited donations from private corporations, including Exxon Mobil, Mastercard, Deloitte, and Palantir. Those efforts came under scrutiny this year after Democrats questioned whether the administration was offering preferential policy treatment in exchange for contributions.

America250 declined to comment on whether it had received all of the $50 million. "We have received a portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act funds to date, and remain in conversations with Congress for our funding requests," the organization said in an emailed statement. As of February, America250 said it had only received $25 million of the funds.

In an email to USA TODAY, the Interior Department said the request for additional funds reflects expenditures related to an “elevated security posture” at events after the security breach at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April and other high-profile threats.

Public disclosures of Freedom 250's finances, the amount raised in private donations and how it spent that money will not be available until after the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

The Trump administration created Freedom 250 as a subsidiary of the National Parks Foundation, a congressionally-chartered nonprofit. The structure of the organization allows it to bypass traditional, immediate disclosure laws federal agencies must abide by.

Freedom 250 has spent at least $10 million retrofitting tractor-trailer trucks into mobile history exhibits that have been accused of presenting an inaccurate, Christian-focused depiction of the country’s past. It also paid Event Strategies Inc., the group that planned President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, rally, hundreds of thousands of dollars to plan 250 events.

Members of Congress, including Merkley, have asked the Department of Interior on multiple occassions for information about how Freedom 250 spent the $100 million in taxpayer funding, private donor information, and costs incurred related to 250 events.

As of July 30, Interior has not yet publicly responded to those requests.

When reached for comment about the funding request, Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said "Democrats are trying to make America's 250th birthday about partisan politics."

"Their divisive rhetoric forced Freedom 250 to increase security at these events, but we won't let them stop us from honoring our country's milestone," she said. "This is just another attempt to divide us, and it won't work."

Freedom 250 has two more events left before the end of the year: the Patriot Games, a nationwide high school athletic competition on Aug. 9-11 at Spire Academy in Ohio, and an IndyCar race around the National Mall on Aug. 22-23.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usa250/2026/07/30/freedom-250-10-funding-request/91107162007/

New poll shows two-thirds of Americans say war with Iran has not been worthwhile

A new AP-NORC poll finds only 33% of U.S. adults say the Iran conflict is worthwhile, as Trump's approval rating falls to 33% — a level tied to Biden's peak inflation low.

Only 33% of U.S. adults say the conflict in Iran is worthwhile, while President Donald Trump's handling of the war sits at 33% in the same survey.

A new AP-NORC poll shows about two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran has not been worthwhile, as Americans grow increasingly frustrated with the conflict.

Trump's approval rating sits at 33% in the same poll — slightly below where it stood at this point in his first term.

About 23% of Americans say they want the U.S. to continue military action in Iran.

The poll found that 40% believe it is important the U.S. should prevent Iran from threatening Israel.

The poll was taken just days after four American troops were killed while stationed in the region.

That approval rating mirrors what President Joe Biden experienced at peak inflation during his administration, a period that carried significant political consequences for Biden.

Trump is hoping to hold on to at least one chamber of Congress, with the U.S. Senate considered the most likely scenario for Republicans to retain. The new numbers present a challenge for that effort.

For vulnerable Republicans in key districts, the poll numbers signal potential political risk heading into the next election cycle.

https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news...ay-war-with-iran-has-not-been-worthwhile

I think the metrics he will have to meet depend heavily on the results you are looking for. Certainly if one is looking for Sanders as the answer at the QB to the point they think the Browns won't need to draft a QB in the first round of the 2027 draft he has one helluva mountain to climb.

If you're looking for Sanders to be better than watson to win the starting position those metrics are drastically reduced.

It's still a pretty steep hill but not quite a mountain.

Nick Chubb played for the Browns from 2018-2024. During that time the Browns made the playoffs twice. Once in 2020 and the other time in 2023. I realize that he had that terrible injury in 2024 but that still means they made the playoffs in 2 out of 6 seasons with a healthy Chubb. I certainly have my reservations that Q will be the next Nick Chubb. I'm sure Q will add some wrinkles but if the QB position isn't playing well it will limit just how effective the running game will be. When Chubb was here their opponents worked to stop the run and forced the Browns to try and beat them with the passing game. They couldn't do that on any regular basis.

I expect that same strategy will be employed at the beginning of this season as well. We had a really good OL then. We have a revamped OL now. The key difference could be the upgrade at the WR position they invested in. Time will only tell in that department. We can only hope that's the difference that nets results. If they have to commit more resources to the secondary that should help open up the running game.

j/c:

It would be fair to say that Sanders must improve everything, as there's no particular area in which Sanders truly excelled last season.

Since 2010, there have been 70 rookie quarterbacks with at least 150 pass attempts. Sanders is 68th in interception rate, 64th in EPA per dropback and 62nd in first down/touchdown rate. He somehow leads all those rookies in time to throw (3.4 seconds, a preposterous figure) despite being 67th in air yards to the sticks. Usually longer dropbacks lead to deeper throws -- not so with Sanders.

Of course, Sanders was a fifth-round rookie and the second of two QBs taken by the Browns in 2025. The earlier-drafted Dillon Gabriel didn't fare much better. He was just above Sanders in EPA per dropback but was worse in success rate and first down/touchdown rate. Sanders was more likely to create a positive play and more likely to produce an explosive reception (6.7% to Gabriel's 4.7%).

These numbers might not be useful, as we're dealing with mighty small samples. Sanders had only 253 dropbacks on the season. He attempted 212 passes, of which 17 gained 20 or more yards. Three of those were screens; a fourth was a touch pass that became a reverse. Similarly, Sanders threw 10 picks on those 212 attempts, but there were a tipped ball and a hit on the throw in there. Every quarterback benefits from a big YAC play, and every quarterback suffers an unlucky pick. But Sanders' rate stats are noisier because of his limited action.

Still, we can't throw the numbers in the bin. Even for a Day 3 rookie on a bad team, Sanders' production doesn't give us much reason for faith moving forward. Nor does his film. Sanders is willing to air the ball out downfield, but his arm regularly fails him on challenging throws, and the additional loft he has to put on the ball saps his accuracy and lets defenders get back into plays.

Here, Sanders has a Cover 0 look from the Bengals. Speedy rookie receiver Isaiah Bond is on the outside against Jalen Davis, a backup corner who typically plays in the slot. This is a juicy look, and Sanders identifies it correctly. But this ball hangs in the air even as Bond easily stacks Davis. It should land on Bond's outside shoulder, against the sideline. Instead, it falls so far inside that Bond can't get to it.

If Sanders is to succeed at the NFL level, he needs this throw in his bag: the quick-release vertical ball against one-on-one coverage. It will be hard for him to create explosive plays otherwise. He doesn't have special play-extension ability as he's a below-average mover for the position without elite size to shrug off contact. He doesn't have the special arm talent necessary to drive the ball late into downfield windows, either.

But Sanders does have quality feel on the scramble drill and an admirable willingness to give his receivers a shot. At the college level, it made him a gamer. At the NFL level, it's getting him into trouble. Sanders' tendency to hold on to the ball leads to not just his 3.4-second time to throw but also his 9.1% sack rate, 37th among 43 quarterbacks last season. That, coupled with a 4.0% interception rate, means a Sanders dropback has a 13% chance to end in disaster. One of every eight dropbacks is a catastrophe.

The maturation needed from Sanders is accordingly one of calibration. He cannot get away with the improvisation he did at the college ranks. His minus-1.21 EPA per dropback on extended plays (four or more seconds) was second worst among quarterbacks. The ball needs to come out faster so Sanders is attempting more throws within his arm's acceptable range and protecting himself from his greater demons. If he prioritizes quicker decisions and an acceptance of the checkdown, then scrambling opportunities will come to him naturally and he'll be more likely to showcase that nice knack he has for finding space on the move.

This calibration must happen fast. Sanders is not guaranteed to win the starting job out of Browns camp, but he is likely to see time given Deshaun Watson's poor play and questionable health. Still, the Browns are not heavily invested in Sanders. His presence will not prevent them from using an early first-round pick on a new quarterback of the future in the loaded 2027 draft. If Sanders wants to plant a flag on the Browns' QB1 role, he must quickly show he can play within himself in the NFL.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...ore-qbs-ward-dart-shough-sanders#sanders

The time to throw (almost 3.5 seconds) while the bad rankings among all of those rookies was surprising.

What will be the impact of Judkins?

We only saw a little of him and that was without camp.

It would make sense that Monken would want to be able to run the ball.

That changes the way a defense plays an offense. We were a different team when Nick was rolling.

The OL has been remade. Q is ready to go.

Q could make a difference.

I don't disagree with any of this.

My contention is, the DW we have seen was a ZERO motivation player. He could care less whether he was on IR, whether he was in the building or the sideline for that matter. (Anyone remember the backlash he got when he showed up to the game and sat with friends in a luxury box? He was back on the sidelines for the next home game). He hasn't cared about his career for a little over 4 years, since the ink was wet on his contract. NOW, he cares because that contract ends after this season and he has an opportunity to sign another one.

I agree with you, that his skills have diminished due to injuries and flat out lethargy. However, the mental side of the game is the part I think can be turned on and off and has been in the off position since he left Houston (maybe longer than that). Now he can work the mental side of the game and with a little rust shake, get some of that back.

Is it enough to over take Sanders? If it is, then we need to hunker down and find the best possible QB candidate at the best spot available using the draft capital we have amassed. If not, then he loses millions on his next contract, will most likely have to sign a prove it deal and pray there isn't another young guy that he can't beat out at his next stop. If Sanders wins, we all win because we should be able to measure Sanders growth, as well as find traits that Monken believes can or cannot elevate him to a franchise QB. If the traits aren't there, but he plays, that should also tell us that we need to invest heavily in the 2027 draft on QB.

A lot should come out of this training camp.

The only thing that could muddy this up for the front office is, Watson does show a lot higher ceiling than Sanders AND he plays at an All Pro level. Then, they are still in the conundrum of draft a QB high using even more draft capital or they have to evaluate Sanders from a practice stand point and make the decision based on that. I think this is worst case scenario.

Oh, I'm sure your on the money when it comes to future cap space being there with Myles contract gone. However, they will need to start thinking about Verse contract in the coming future.. I think he is signed through 2027 if I remember correctly. I've been looking at a lot of contracts the last couple of days. Even though Myles is the best defensive player in the league, Verse contract will probably rival his current contract since it is 2 years into the future.

But, yeah, I agree, Garrett's money being gone after 2027 definitely helps signing extensions now through 2029. I think Myles contract was actually good through 2031 money?! So, all 2028-2031 will be cleared after the 2027 season.

Shell profits double as oil prices rise due to Iran war

Shell's profits for the second quarter of the year have more than doubled after the Iran war pushed up oil prices.

The oil giant posted profits of $9.84bn (£7.37bn) for the April-to-June period, up from $4.26bn at the same point last year.

The price of crude has risen since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran due to major disruption to global supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Strait of Hormuz.

But energy prices have also seen sharp swings during the conflict, which has boosted Shell's trading business.

Shell chief executive Wael Sawan said the company's "operational performance enabled very strong results during another quarter of severe disruption in global energy markets".

Together with its profits of $6.92bn for the first three months of the year it means Shell has seen a 70% surge in first-half earnings.

Shell and other energy giants such as BP and Norway's Equinor have seen bumper profits this year, partly down to trading on oil price swings.

Before the conflict began, the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, was around $73 a barrel.

Since then, it has peaked above $120 but also fallen back below $100 as speculation has swirled over when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.

These big movements in the oil price can widen the gap between buying and selling prices which typically enables traders to make bigger profits.

However, the conflict in the Middle East has also affected some of Shell's operations.

Its LNG production in Qatar has been shut down since early March because of the conflict, and its Pearl gas-to-liquids facility in Qatar suffered "extensive damage" when it was hit by a missile attack in March. The company has said repairs could take about a year.

Overall gas production fell to 631,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day for the April to June period, from 909,000 barrels per day in the first quarter, the firm said.

Total oil and gas production in the first half of the year fell 16% compared with the first half of 2025, although Shell did point to new oil production in Brazil and the Gulf of America.

"The standout contribution came from Shell's trading operation, which once again demonstrated the value of its integrated business model, supported by healthy refining and chemicals performance and robust production growth in Brazil," said Maurizio Carulli, global energy analyst at Quilter Cheviot.

"[Shell] remains a steady ship in an industry where conditions can change rapidly."

However, environmental campaigners reacted with anger to the latest results.

"With extreme heatwaves and wildfires hitting the UK and ravaging Europe, it's outrageous that Shell is making huge profits while continuing to fuel the climate crisis," said Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Danny Gross.

"These profits have been built on an energy crisis that's left households across the country struggling with high energy bills at home and expensive fuel at the pumps. This underlines the urgent need to end our dependence on costly oil and gas."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpq8n45r5e8o

The U.S. government is providing the fossil fuel industry with an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually in explicit petroleum subsidies, though comprehensive estimates including all direct handouts, public land discounts, and state-level incentives push that figure up to $34.8 billion per year.

https://oilchange.org/news/us-fossil-fuel-subsidies/

At the same time USAID stopped feeding starving children around the globe.

It's never been about spending money. It's always been about what they decide to spend the money on.

I remember seeing a video of how golden eagles are raised in Mongolia.

They are captured as chicks and raised like falcons to hunt.

The video showed a golden eagle swooping down on a wolf and killing it.

I was shocked.

You see a bird like that and you would not want that bird landing on your neck. Lights out.

DW has been paid.

He will continue to be paid.

I don't question his motivation. I think he is motivated. He wants to play well.

He cannot get back to what he once was. IMO that guy is gone.

The guy we have seen is who he is.

I can't say with any certainty why it turned out the way it did. From my own personal perspective I'm just not big on believing in coincidences. The question for me becomes a simple one, did trading Garrett open up future cap space to make these extensions easier? It would seem that clearing future cap space opens up the ability to spend future cap space. But as I stated, I can't say that with any degree of certainty.

The thing that Berry has going for him is the amount of cash ownership allows him to play with. THAT is the single biggest advantage he has over other GMs. Every time he converts money to bonuses, the owner group must cover that in cash escrow. Teams like the Bengals don't put up cash in escrow, they go off of actual contracts.

The "Can Kicking" is less impactful for the simple reason the cap is rising by $16m-30m per year. So taking a 4-year contract and restructuring it 2-3 times, gives that contract close to $60M in inflation to cover it. Until the trend ends, he will be able to continue to manipulate it because Haslem gives him the escrow to do it.

It's not rocket science, but not all GMs have the tools to do what Berry has done and he does it to perfection.


I think that was just timing with training camp starting. Many teams use training camp to sign extensions.

I think these go together...

First question that needs answered, Does Watson even still have the qualities to succeed? If not, PPE.. you might be living in a time machine. DW had a couple of good years in Houston, but he has not had a single good day as a Brown. So to say his worst day is better than SS is pretty short sided. It's definitely based on the past.

Now, to Pit's point, I agree with him. Money is a motivational part of his DNA. IF he still has it, the next contract will motivate him enough to bring it back with a vengeance for that 2027 contract he will be looking for.

That is what preseason is here for.. does he still have the tools to succeed. We should know pretty fast. It isn't that he needs to learn it, he just needs to be able to access it. If he can't, he needs to hit the bench or be the #3 emergency QB. The money is spent, it doesn't do anything for Cleveland past 2026, so every other option needs to be used if he doesn't look like the franchise guy they traded for VERY EARLY in the preseason.


I see him being relegated to the bench and signing with the Panthers in the off season on a one year prove it deal.

And none of these contact extensions happened until Myles was traded either.

Via Google AI:

Deshaun Watson is universally positioned as the betting favorite to take the first snap for the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, leading across major sportsbooks and decentralized prediction markets alike. Because standard sportsbooks list these specialized training camp battles under fluctuating "special props" packages, the broader betting ecosystem mirrors the primary consensus lines set by Las Vegas oddsmakers (-215 to -196) and regulatory prediction boards (61% to 85%).

The current market consensus for Deshaun Watson to be named the Week 1 starter breaks down across 10 platforms:

Traditional Sportsbooks & Sports Betting Sites:
DraftKings Sportsbook: -215 (68.3% implied probability)
FanDuel Sportsbook: -196 (66.2% implied probability)
BetMGM: -210 (67.7% implied probability)
Caesars Sportsbook: -205 (67.2% implied probability)
Bet365: -200 (66.7% implied probability)
Fanatics Sportsbook: -195 (66.1% implied probability)
Bovada (Offshore): -220 (68.8% implied probability)
BetOnline (Offshore): -215 (68.3% implied probability)

Regulatory & Decentralized Prediction Markets
Kalshi: 85% (Contracts trading heavily in Watson's favor as camp opens)
Polymarket: 61% (Priced lower due to lighter trading volume and independent hedging)

I'm so excited to see Bond's progress this year. Honestly, he's up there with Garrett, Ward and Josh Gordon as the players that simply popped from the jump. Passed my eye test in the first game I saw him play. I'll say it again - his upside borders on superstar.


Here's the skinny from Gemini:

Give me the lowdown on Isaiah Bond’s training camp metrics.

Isaiah Bond’s 2026 training camp metrics are highlighted by a massive physical transformation, as he gained 15 pounds of pure muscle in the offseason to completely change his player profile. After playing his rookie year as a skinny 175-pound vertical threat, he reported to camp at a sturdier 190 pounds.
Coaches and beat reporters are tracking several key performance metrics and on-field developments:


## Physical and Speed Metrics

* Weight-Adjusted Speed: Despite jumping from 175 to 190 pounds, tracking data shows he has fully maintained his elite 4.39 speed.
* Jersey Change: He officially swapped his rookie No. 16 for No. 0 to match his new, bulked-up frame.


## Offseason Tracking and Volume Metrics

* Target Dominance: According to ESPN's team trackers, no Cleveland wideout was targeted more than Bond during spring workouts and mandatory minicamp.
* Contested Catches: His tracking metrics in tight coverage have spiked sharply. Browns wide receivers coach Christian Jones noted that Bond is no longer being pushed off his spot and is physically dominating defensive backs.


## Offensive Scheme Integration

* Route Tree Expansion: Rather than just running vertical go-routes, his training camp reps have heavily featured slants, digs, curls, and comebacks.
* Pre-Snap Motion: Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is utilizing Bond's speed in jet motions and fake handoffs to freeze backfield defenders.


## Current Depth Chart Status

* Roster Logjam: (what a terrible problem, eh?) Despite Cleveland drafting rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston inside the top 40, Bond's training camp performance has him entrenched as a lock for the 53-man roster, currently working to cement the WR4 role.
* Quarterback Reps: On Day 1 of full camp, Bond was heavily integrated into 11-on-11 work, taking reps and securing catches from Deshaun Watson as Watson duels rookie Shedeur Sanders for the starting job.

FFS - this idea that some fans want to continue to believe in that Berry is some sort of Cap Savant that can see and do things that others can't is a complete myth. Along with the idea that the salary cap doesn't matter and making mistakes like Watson can be manipulated around not to matter ....

Yes the mistakes can be manipulated around but every contract and every contract manipulation means the finite amount of cap space is used up on a non-contributing resource .... or maybe the player (let's use Watson as an Example) then Watson MIGHT contribute but not at the level that his salary allocation SHOULD achieve.

So no - we aren't suddenly going to have a 49 man roster because we can't afford a full squad - but the quality of that squad, the ability to sign high quality free agents and the ability to resign players we want to keep is all impacted. Period.

Yeah, that's it. These signings don't effect this year or even next year for the most part. They don't kick in until part of the mess created is gone. watson being the biggest one. Anything can happen now because the albatross that Berry inflicted around the neck of this team will soon be departing and these contracts are all built around that departure.

The Browns have been financially strapped as well as restricted in building the team through the draft by one of the worse failed experiments in the NFL. No amount of BS to the contrary can change that.

Watson will have to sandbag it for it to be close. Watson's bad day is superior to Sanders' good day.... and I hate to say that because I hate Watson being here more than I hate that we drafted Sanders.


As for Gabriel, he has plenty enough arm, he just isn't that prototypical Allen or Vick flick-the-wrist-and-it-goes-60-yds kind of arm. He is every bit comparable to Baker, and that is plenty good enough with a quality supporting cast and competent offense.

I don't know that he will be a "different QB". Much like you and many others I don't see him turning things around at this point and you covered the reasons why pretty well.

Yet at the same time I won't underestimate what a huge motivating factor that money creates. Injuries at this point considering his past few seasons looms large.

But he has been sitting back collecting checks on a guaranteed contract with no financial motivation to push himself. He didn't want to be here to start with.

At his age I could see him believing he could still get one last decent contract in the NFL if he preforms well. If not he would get a fraction of the money as strictly a back-up signing.

That is a huge motivating factor for him to consider. I believe that's all that could possibly motivate him. I mean after all, that's the only reason he came here in the first place. He crossed Cleveland off his list before they backed up the Brinks truck. In watson I don't see a player who loves or is dedicated to the game. For him it's all about the Benjamins. And all of those Benjamins are depending on his play this year.

I don't believe any player performs well without the motivation to do so. I'm not trying to say he will play well. I'm not saying that will magically cause him to turn things around. I'm saying that of anything can, it's the money.