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Welcome to the Donkey Show.

Do you realize that NFL Training camps open in Less than 2 weeks?

Patriots QB Tom Brady, left, and much of last year’s receiving corps. (Jim Davis / Globe Staff)

STRENGTH
The top of the depth chart. A 1-2 punch of Randy Moss and Wes Welker is tough to stop on many levels, and also opens opportunities for the third receiver in three-wide packages.

WEAKNESS
After Moss, Welker and Jabar Gaffney, there is some uncertainty.

TOP QUESTIONS
Can Chad Jackson step into the role vacated by Donte’ Stallworth? Can Randy Moss (98 catches, 23 TDs) and Wes Welker (112 catches) duplicate their remarkable 2007 seasons? Will Kelley Washington emerge as more than a special teamer?

INSTANT ANALYSIS
The Patriots were in three-wide or four-wide packages on 67 percent of their offensive snaps in 2007, a reflection of how they wanted their playmaking receivers on the field. Donte’ Stallworth played in 60 percent of the team’s offensive snaps last season — most often as the Z receiver on the tight-end side — and that role is up for grabs. Chad Jackson, a second-round draft choice in 2006, has a golden chance to assume those responsibilities, with Jabar Gaffney and Kelley Washington also options. Gaffney is valuable in that he plays all the receiver spots. Although his official position is receiver, Sam Aiken was signed as a free agent more for his special teams skills, so he could be a sixth addition to the roster (the team kept five receivers out of camp last year). Fifth-round pick Matthew Slater, who is a return man with the ability to play safety and receiver, could also factor into the mix. C.J. Jones and Robert Ortiz are longer shots.

FUTURE
After re-signing with the Patriots for one year this offseason, Jabar Gaffney is lone player atop the depth chart with a contract that expires after the 2008 season. Chad Jackson (2009), Kelley Washington (2009), Randy Moss (2010), Wes Welker (2011) all have multiple years left.

Here is a List Copied from NFL.com with every teams Opening Date.

Opening dates

Baltimore Ravens
Westminster, Md.
July 21 (rookies), July 23 (veterans) More information

Buffalo Bills
Pittsford, N.Y.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

Cincinnati Bengals
Georgetown, Ky.
July 27 (rookies and veterans) More information

Cleveland Browns
Berea, Ohio
July 22 (rookies and veterans)

Denver Broncos
Englewood, Colo.
July 24 (rookies and veterans)

Houston Texans
Houston
July 25 (rookies and veterans) More information

Indianapolis Colts
Terre Haute, Ind.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville
July 25 (rookies and veterans) More information

Kansas City Chiefs
River Falls, Wis.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

Miami Dolphins
Davie, Fla.
July 25 (rookies and veterans) More information

New England Patriots
Foxboro, Mass.
July 21 (rookies), July 23 (veterans) Full schedule

New York Jets
Hempstead, N.Y.
July 16 (rookies), July 23 (veterans) More information

Oakland Raiders
Napa Valley, Calif.
July 24 (rookies and veterans)

Pittsburgh Steelers
Latrobe, Pa.
July 27 (rookies and veterans) More information

San Diego Chargers
San Diego
July 20 (rookies), July 24 (veterans) More information

Tennessee Titans
Nashville, Tenn.
July 25 (rookies and veterans)

NFC

Team
Location
Opening dates

Arizona Cardinals
Flagstaff, Ariz.
July 23 (rookies and veterans) More information

Atlanta Falcons
Flowery Branch, Ga.
July 25 (rookies and veterans) More information

Carolina Panthers
Spartanburg, S.C.
July 25 (rookies and veterans) More information

Chicago Bears
Bourbonnais, Ill.
July 22 (rookies and veterans) More information

Dallas Cowboys
Oxnard, Calif.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

Detroit Lions
Allen Park, Mich.
July 23 (rookies and veterans)

Green Bay Packers
Green Bay, Wis.
July 27 (rookies and veterans) More information

Minnesota Vikings
Mankato, Minn.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

New Orleans Saints
Jackson, Miss./Metairie, La.
July 23 (rookies and veterans) More information

New York Giants
Albany, N.Y.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

Philadelphia Eagles
Bethlehem, Pa.
July 21 (rookies), July 24 (veterans) More information

San Francisco 49ers
Santa Clara, Calif.
July 24 (rookies and veterans) More information

Seattle Seahawks
Kirkland, Wash.
July 22 (rookies), July 24 (veterans)

St. Louis Rams
Mequon, Wis.
July 24 (rookies and veterans)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
July 25 (rookies and veterans)

Washington Redskins
Ashburn, Va.
July 19 (rookies and veterans) More information

Tags: camps, england, football, New, New England, nfl, Patriots, Pats, training, Training Camp

The NFL just sent out the following announcement regarding the Patriots-Giants game:

The NFL has arranged with broadcast television partners CBS and NBC for an unprecedented three-way national simulcast of the NFL Network telecast of Saturday night’s New England Patriots at New York Giants game when the Patriots will try to become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in a regular season, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today.

“We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans,” Commissioner Goodell said. “What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever.”

CBS and NBC will carry the NFL Network feed of the game with Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsowrth in the broadcast booth. The game also will be televised by WCVB-ABC (Channel 5) in Boston, WMUR-ABC in Manchester, New Hampshire (Channel 9) and WWOR (Channel 9) in New York. The telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET with kickoff set at 8:15 p.m. ET.

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since Super Bowl I in 1967 when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League. CBS was the network partner of the NFL at that time and NBC televised the AFL. In that first Super Bowl – in which the NFL Green Bay Packers beat the AFL Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 15, 1967 – Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford called the game for CBS while Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman broadcast the game on NBC.

Against the 10-5 playoff-bound Giants, the 15-0 Patriots on Saturday night will seek to become the first NFL team to complete an unbeaten regular season since the Miami Dolphins went 14-0 in 1972. The Dolphins proceeded to win three more games, including Super Bowl VII, to finish 17-0 for the only perfect season in NFL history. The NFL regular season was expanded to 16 games in 1978.

The Patriots also are aiming for their record 19th consecutive regular-season victory dating back to the 2006 season. With six points, they also will become the highest scoring team in one NFL season, breaking the Minnesota Vikings’ total of 556 in 1998. Individually, quarterback Tom Brady (48) is in position to break Peyton Manning’s NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season (49 in 2004) and wide receiver Randy Moss (21) will set a new league mark if he catches two touchdown passes to surpass Jerry Rice’s 22 in 1987.

NFL Network is currently available on 240 cable systems, including Cox, plus satellite television providers DirecTV and Dish Network, and the telephone company TV services of AT&T U-VERSE and Verizon FiOS. But a few of the largest cable companies have refused to carry NFL Network on their most broadly distributed and affordable packages.

“NFL Network is a programming service of great interest to fans and should be broadly distributed by the cable industry,” said NFL Network President and CEO Steve Bornstein. “The only channel devoted 24/7 to America’s favorite sport is not programming that should be relegated to a poorly promoted, pay-extra sports tier that takes advantage of our fans’ passion for the NFL. A few of the biggest cable operators have refused to negotiate. We call on them to do what’s right for their consumers and negotiate agreements for NFL Network that make sense for everybody.”

I am still amazed it took the NFL this long to cave and show this game to everyone.
Since up until this afternoon if you didn’t get the NFL network you were fucked.

That Meant both my Brothers, one who lives in LA and one in Burlington Vermont, would be missing this Historic Game. It’s Not like the Patriots are going to lose so everyone should be watching.

Don’t forget about the Last Mookie of the Year. 10p.m. eastern on FULL TILT POKER.

Drop the Hammer

Tags: ABC, AFL Kansas City Chiefs, America, American Football League, AT&T, Boston, Bryant Gumbel, cable systems, CBS, Cox, Cris Collinsowrth, Curt Gowdy, Frank Gifford, Jack Whitaker, Jerry Rice, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Louisiana, Manchester, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, NBC, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, New Hampshire, New York, New York Giants, nfl, NFL Green Bay Packers, Paul Christman, pence, Peyton Manning, Randy Moss, Ray Scott, Roger Goodell, satellite television, satellite television providers, sports tier, Steve Bornstein, Super Bowl VII, Tom Brady, Verizon