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Japan, island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western North Pacific Ocean. Nearly the entire land area is taken up by the country's four main islands; from north to south these are Hokkaido (Hokkaidō), Honshu (Honshū), Shikoku, and Kyushu (Kyūshū). Honshu is the largest of the four, followed in size by Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. In addition, there are numerous smaller islands, the major groups of which are the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands (including the island of Okinawa) to the south and west of Kyushu and the Izu, Bonin (Ogasawara), and Volcano (Kazan) islands to the south and east of central Honshu. The national capital, Tokyo (Tōkyō), in east-central Honshu, is one of the world's most populous cities.
The Japanese landscape is rugged, with more than four-fifths of the land surface consisting of mountains. There are many active and dormant volcanoes, including Mount Fuji (Fuji-san), which, at an elevation of 12,388 feet (3,776 metres), is Japan's highest mountain. Abundant precipitation and the generally mild temperatures throughout most of the country have produced a lush vegetation cover and, despite the mountainous terrain and generally poor soils, have made it possible to raise a variety of crops. Japan has a large and, to a great extent, ethnically homogeneous population, which is heavily concentrated in the low-lying areas along the Pacific coast of Honshu.
Complexity and contrast are the keynotes of life in Japan—a country possessing an intricate and ancient cultural tradition yet one that, since 1950, has emerged as one of the world's most economically and technologically advanced societies. Heavy emphasis is placed on education, and Japan is one of the world's most literate countries. Tension between old and new is apparent in all phases of Japanese life. A characteristic sensitivity to natural beauty and a concern with form and balance are evident in such cities as Kyōto and Nara, as well as in Japan's ubiquitous gardens. Even in the countryside, however, the impact of rapid Westernization is evident in many aspects of Japanese life. The agricultural regions are characterized by low population densities and well-ordered rice fields and fruit orchards, whereas the industrial and urbanized belt along the Pacific coast of Honshu is noted for its highly concentrated population, heavy industrialization, and environmental pollution.
Humans have occupied Japan for tens of thousands of years, but Japan's recorded history begins only in the 1st century bce, with mention in Chinese sources. Contact with China and Korea in the early centuries ce brought profound changes to Japan, including the Chinese writing system, Buddhism, and many artistic forms from the continent. The first steps at political unification of the country occurred in the late 4th and early 5th centuries ce under the Yamato court. A great civilization then developed first at Nara in the 8th century and then at Heian-kyō (now Kyōto) from the late 8th to the late 12th century. The seven centuries thereafter were a period of domination by military rulers culminating in near isolation from the outside world from the early 17th to the mid-19th century.
The reopening of the country ushered in contact with the West and a time of unprecedented change. Japan sought to become a modern industrialized nation and pursued the acquisition of a large overseas empire, initially in Korea and China. By late 1941 this latter policy caused direct confrontation with the United States and its allies and to defeat in World War II (1939–45). Since the war, however, Japan's spectacular economic growth—one of the greatest of any nation in that period—brought the country to the forefront of the world economy. It now is one of the world's foremost manufacturing countries and traders of goods and is a global financial leader.
Japan is bounded to the west by the Sea of Japan (East Sea), which separates it from the eastern shores of South and North Korea and southeastern Siberia (Russia); to the north by La Perouse (Sōya) Strait, separating it from Russian-held Sakhalin Island, and by the Sea of Okhotsk; to the northeast by the southern Kuril Islands (since World War II under Soviet and then Russian administration); to the east and south by the Pacific; and to the southwest by the East China Sea, which separates it from China. The island of Tsushima lies between northwestern Kyushu and southeastern South Korea and defines the Korea Strait on the Korean side and the Tsushima Strait on the Japanese side.
The mountainous character of the country is the outcome of orogenic (mountain-building) forces largely during Quaternary time (roughly, the past 2.6 million years), as evidenced by the frequent occurrence of violent earthquakes, volcanic activity, and signs of change in sea levels along the coast. There are no sizable structural plains and peneplains (large land areas leveled by erosion), features that usually occur in more stable regions of the Earth. The mountains are for the most part in a youthful stage of dissection in which steep slopes are incised by dense river-valley networks. Rivers are mostly torrential, and their valleys are accompanied by series of river terraces that are the result of movements in the Earth's crust, as well as climatic and sea-level changes in Holocene times (i.e., the past 11,700 years). Recent volcanoes are juxtaposed with old and highly dissected ones. The shores are characterized by elevated and depressed features such as headlands and bays, which display an incipient stage of development.
The mountains are divided into many small land blocks that are separated by lowlands or deep saddles; there is no long or continuous mountain range. These land blocks are the result of intense faulting (movement of adjacent rock masses along a fracture) and warping (bending of the Earth's crust); the former process is regarded as dominant. One consequence is that mountain blocks are often bounded by fault scarps and flexure slopes that descend in step formation to the adjacent lowlands.
Coalescing alluvial fans—cone-shaped deposits of alluvium that run together—are formed where rivers emerge from the mountains. When the rivers are large enough to extend their courses to the sea, low deltaic plains develop in front of the fans; this occurs most frequently where the rivers empty into shallow and sheltered bays, as in the deltas of Kantō (Kwanto), Nōbi, and Ōsaka. In most places, however, fan surfaces plunge directly into the sea and are separated by low, sandy beach ridges.
Dissected plains are common. Intense disturbances have caused many former alluvial fans, deltas, and sea bottoms to be substantially uplifted to form flat-topped uplands such as those found in the Kantō Plain. Frequently the uplands have been overlain with volcanic ash, as in the Kantō and Tokachi plains.
Geologic framework
Japan is one of the world's most geologically unstable areas. The country experiences some 1,000 tremors annually, most of them minor, though major quakes—as in Tokyo-Yokohama in 1923 and Kōbe in 1995—cause considerable loss of life and widespread destruction. Violent volcanic eruptions occur frequently, and at least 60 volcanoes have been active within historical time. Volcanoes born since 1900 include Shōwa Volcano on Hokkaido and Myōjin Rock off the Beyoneisu (or Bayonnaise) Rocks in the Pacific. Among the major eruptions since 1980 are those of Mounts O (1983) and Mihara (1986) in the Izu Islands and Mount Unzen (1991) in Kyushu. The country's abundant hot springs are mostly of volcanic origin. Many of the gigantic volcanoes are conical in shape (e.g., Mount Fuji), while others form steep lava domes (e.g., Mounts Dai and Unzen). Conspicuous shield volcanoes (broad, gently sloping volcanic cones) are rare, and extensive lava plateaus are lacking. One of the characteristics of the volcanic areas is the prevalence of calderas (large, circular, basin-shaped volcanic depressions), especially in the northeast and southwest, many of which are filled with water, such as Lakes Kutcharo, Towada, and Ashi.
The cause of this instability—indeed, the reason for Japan's existence—is the tectonic movement of several of the Earth's major crustal plates in the vicinity of the archipelago. Most important is the subduction (sinking) of the Pacific Plate (in the north) and the Philippine Plate (in the south) beneath the Eurasian Plate, upon which Japan lies. The movements of these plates have formed six mountain arcs off the northeastern coast of Asia: from northeast to southwest, the Chishima Range of the Kuril Islands; the Karafuto (Sakhalin) Mountain system of Hokkaido; the Northeast, Southwest, and Shichito-Mariana ranges of Honshu; and the Ryukyu Island formations.
The major physiographic regions
These mountain arcs, in turn, generally correspond to Japan's major physiographic regions: the four regions of Japan proper (Hondo)—Hokkaido, Northeastern (Tōhoku), Central (Chūbu), and Southwestern—and the Ryukyu and Bonin archipelagoes.
The Hokkaido Region was formed by the coalescence of the Chishima and Karafuto arcs. The backbone of the region is aligned north to south. The Chishima arc enters Hokkaido as three volcanic chains with elevations above 6,000 feet (1,800 metres); these are arranged in ladder formation and terminate in the heart of the region. Chief components of the mountain system are the Kitami Mountains in the north and the Hidaka Range in the south.
The Northeastern Region nearly coincides with the northeastern mountain arc and stretches from southwest Hokkaido to central Honshu. Several rows of mountains, lowlands, and volcanic zones are closely oriented to the general trend of the insular arc of this region, which is convex toward the Pacific Ocean. The Kitakami and Abukuma ranges on the east coast are somewhat oblique to the general trend; they are chiefly composed of older rocks, and plateaulike landforms survive in the centre. In the western zone the formations conform to the general trend and are composed of a basement complex overlain by thick accumulations of young rocks that have been subjected to mild folding. The Ōu Mountains, capped with towering volcanoes that form the main part of the East Japan Volcanic Belt, are separated from the coastal ranges by the Kitakami-Abukuma lowlands to the east and by a row of basins in the west.
The Central Region of central and western Honshu is dominated by the coalescence of the Northeast, Southwest, and Shichito-Mariana mountain arcs near Mount Fuji. The trend of the mountains, lowlands, and volcanic zones intersects the island almost at right angles. The most notable physical feature is the Fossa Magna, a great rift lowland that traverses the widest portion of Honshu from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific. It is partially occupied by mountains and volcanoes of the southern part of the East Japan Volcanic Belt. Intermontane basins are sandwiched between the lofty, partially glaciated central mountain knots of the Akaishi, Kiso, and Hida ranges (which together form the Japanese Alps) to the west and the Kantō Range to the east. The shallow structural basin of the Kantō Plain, which stretches to the east of the Kantō Range, is the most extensive lowland of Japan; the immense metropolis of Tokyo spreads out from its centre, covering a vast area of the plain.
The Southwestern Region—which includes western Honshu (Chūgoku), as well as Shikoku and northern Kyushu—generally coincides with the southwestern mountain arc, and the general trend of highlands and lowlands is roughly convex toward the Sea of Japan. The region is divided into the Inner Zone, formed by complex faulting, and the Outer Zone, formed by warping. The Inner Zone is chiefly composed of ancient granites, rocks of Paleozoic age (250 to 540 million years old), and geologically more recent volcanic rocks, which are arranged in complicated juxtaposition. The Outer Zone, consisting of the Akaishi, Kii, Shikoku, and Kyushu mountain groups, in contrast, is characterized by a regular zonal arrangement from north to south of crystalline schists and Paleozoic, Mesozoic (65 to 250 million years old), and Cenozoic (formed within the past 65 million years) formations. The outstanding surface features of the Inner Zone (centred on the Chūgoku Range) present a highly complex mosaic of numerous fault blocks, while those of the Outer Zone are continuous except where the sea straits separate them into the four independent groups. The Inland Sea (Seto-naikai) is the region where the greater amount of depression has resulted in the invasion of sea waters. The northern edge of the Inner Zone is studded with gigantic lava domes formed by Mount Dai, which, together with volcanic Mount Aso, bury a considerable part of the western extension of the Inland Sea in central Kyushu.
The Ryukyu Islands Region constitutes the main portion of the Ryukyu arc, which penetrates into Kyushu as the West Japan Volcanic Belt and terminates at Mount Aso. The influence of the arc is also seen in the trend of the many elongated islands off western Kyushu, including the Koshiki, Gotō, and Tsushima islands. The islands of the Izu-Ogasawara Region, to the east of the Ryukyu arc, consist of a number of volcanoes on the submarine ridge of the Izu-Marina arc and the Bonin Islands, which include Peel Island and Iwo Jima (Iō-tō).
Drainage and soils
The increasing demand for freshwater for use in paddy (wet-rice) cultivation and industry and for domestic consumption is a serious problem. Difficulties of supply lie in the paucity of natural water reservoirs, the swift runoff of the rivers, and the engineering difficulties of constructing large-scale dams in the rugged mountains.
Japan's rivers are generally short and swift-running and are supplied by small drainage basins. The most significant rivers are the Teshio and Ishikari rivers of Hokkaido; the Kitakami, Tone, Shinano, Kiso, and Tenryū rivers of Honshu; and the Chikugo River of Kyushu. Some of the rivers from the volcanic areas of northeastern Honshu are acidic and are useless for irrigation and other purposes.
Lake Biwa, the largest in Japan, covers 259 square miles (670 square km) of central Honshu. All other major lakes are in the northeast. Most of the coastal lakes, such as Lakes Kasumi and Hamana of Honshu, are drowned former valleys, the bay mouths of which have been dammed by sandbars. Inland lakes such as Biwa, Suwa, and Inawashiro of Honshu occupy tectonic depressions of geologically recent fault origin. Lakes of volcanic origin (e.g., Kutcharo of Hokkaido and Towada and Ashi of Honshu) outnumber all other types.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
education: JapanThe Japanese nation seems to have formed a unified ancient state in the 4th century
ce. Society at that time was composed of shizoku, or clans, each of which served the chōtei("the imperial court") with its…
education: JapanIn 1867 the Tokugawa (Edo) shogunate, a dynasty of military rulers established in 1603, was overthrown and the imperial authority of the Meiji dynasty was restored, leading to drastic reforms of the social system. This…
education: JapanBetween 1894 and 1905 Japan experienced two conflicts—the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars—that increased nationalistic feelings. Japan also experienced accelerated modernization and industrialization. In accord with the…
history of publishing: Early newspapers in JapanA long tradition of news publication existed in Japan in the form of
yomiuri("sell and read," as the papers were sold by reading them aloud) or kawara-ban("tile-block printing," the method of production). The kawara-banbroadsheets appeared continuously throughout the Tokugawa period (1603–1867),…
history of the motion picture: JapanAlthough more than half of Japan's theatres were destroyed by U.S. bombing during World War II, most of its studio facilities were left intact. Japan, therefore, continued to produce films in quantity during the Allied occupation (1945–52). Many traditional Japanese subjects were forbidden by…
More About Japan193 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- flag history
- legal profession
- United States occupation
agriculture, fishing, and hunting
- algae
- bow and arrow
- commercial fishing


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- Publish date:
- Updated on
- Year
- 1839
General Nelson Miles is born
Nelson Miles, one of the most successful but controversial officers in the Plains Indian Wars, is born on a farm in Massachusetts.
Unlike many of his future colleagues in the army officer corps, Miles was not born into a life of privilege. As a teen, Miles worked as a clerk, spending his few moments of leisure pursuing a disciplined program of self-improvement through lectures, night school, and reading. When a war between the states seemed imminent in 1860, he concentrated his efforts on studying military tactics. He joined the Union Army as soon as the conflict erupted, and his gift for making effective tactical use of terrain won him rapid advances in rank.
In 1869, Miles assumed command of the 5th Infantry at Fort Hays, Kansas, and began his career as an Indian fighter. Miles was a courageous and bold officer, with an outstanding ability to organize and supply a large army. He was also arrogant and pompous, and he shamelessly maneuvered to advance his own career at the expense of his fellow officers. He considered many of his colleagues incompetent fools—especially those who had graduated from West Point-and was equally disliked in return.
Following the disastrous defeat of Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn in late June 1876, Miles was given the task of running down the offending Sioux and Cheyenne Indians. Miles proved a highly effective opponent, craftily mixing threats of force with offers of good treatment if the hostile Indians agreed to surrender. Eventually, Miles succeeded in winning the surrender of thousands of Plains Indians.
Miles most celebrated victory came in 1886, when he secured the peaceful surrender of Geronimo and a small band of renegade Apache warriors. Although many other officers had played a role in encouraging Geronimo's surrender, Miles characteristically accepted full credit for winning the surrender of the last hostile Indian in the U.S. He was less eager to accept blame for the massacre of at least 200 Indians at Wounded Knee four years later. Although Miles was not at Wounded Knee and regarded the massacre as an unforgivable blunder, the soldiers who participated had been under his command.
After 1895, Miles left the West and was appointed to a variety of prestigious posts in Washington, D.C. He eventually achieved the rank of lieutenant general before retiring. When the United States entered World War I, he volunteered to resume active duty. The war department tactfully declined to give the 77-year-old retired warrior a position. He died on May 15, 1925, at the age of 85 and was buried with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery.


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UT to Consider Expanding Texas Memorial Stadium
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The athletics department at the University of Texas at Austin has begun a feasibility study on expansion of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The expansion would enclose the southern end of the stadium with a multilevel stand. Now, only a relatively small, bleacher-style stand and the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center sit in the stadium's southern end.
The stadium current seats just over 100,000.
A UT statement on Monday said the review will consider aspects such as financing and where parking and fan amenities displaced by the new Dell Medical School can be placed. The medical school is to be built just south of the stadium.
Any decision on whether to proceed with stadium improvements lies with the university administration and UT System regents.


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However, if there is a small amount of truth to every lie - as
the saying goes - there are some useful morsels of information
that fantasy owners can take from the very people who "lie"
to us in the media. Some of them get paid handsomely to analyze
trends, stats, etc for us, but with many of these "experts",
it is clear they are done for the day when their shift (or show)
is over. And unfortunately, many of these folks take the easy
way out and bow to the power of the popular opinion in the end
I want to let it be known my "Early
Observations" contributions over the past two weeks are
on the topics that I believe fantasy owners would want information
on, in other words, actual news from the reporters covering the
team since the offseason began. (The fact that it comes with my
opinions attached is just a bonus.) Most fantasy football veterans
are aware that about 75% of what comes out of a beat writer's
mouth - or computer, as it were - is either hyperbole, opinion
or both and it is usually questionable information at that. Thus,
think of me - for this week anyway - as a filter, a conduit that
can help each of you sort the fact from the fiction and allow
you to get another fantasy owner's take on the information that
has been presented to us over the last few months.
It takes everything I have not to give each of you a full team
"scoop", but as we move closer to PSA season, we will
get a chance to talk about defense soon enough. With this being
a fantasy column and many of you either well into your draft preparation
or about ready to start, it seemed like a good idea to stay on
the offensive side of the ball for now. Without further delay,
let's dive into the NFC.
Chris "Beanie" Wells: Will likely
enter the season as the starter.
RB Tim
Hightower has been running with the first-team for the majority
of camp due to the NFL rule that restricts players - like 2009
first-rounder Chris �Beanie� Wells - from taking part in team
activities until their school holds its graduation. While it is
extremely likely that Wells will enter the season as the starter,
Ohio State�s graduation date of June 13 caused the rookie to miss
14 days of voluntary workouts. Although running backs generally
experience the smoothest and quickest transition of any offensive
position to the NFL, a holdout of any kind by Wells could significantly
reduce the amount of impact he could have for a team that could
really use the power running he brings to the table. For what
it is worth, HC Ken Whisenhunt has stated that he will give Wells
an opportunity to return kickoffs, of course, Vikings HC Brad
Childress did the same thing with Adrian Peterson his rookie season,
so don't read or overreact too much to the probability of Wells
being used a lot on special teams.
From the "we shall see" department, the Cardinals believe
they may have found something in TE Dominique Byrd, who was out
of football last season after flopping badly with the Rams, mostly
because of a host of immaturity issues. Byrd apparently wised
up in his time away from the game, acknowledging this may be his
last chance in the NFL, and decided to spend his offseason working
out alongside Larry Fitzgerald. The former USC TE certainly has
the pass-catching talents to flourish in this offense - even if
only as a third-down target - but it is hard to see him stealing
enough catches away from Boldin, Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston
to be of much use to fantasy owners this season. In other words,
file Byrd's name under the "keep an eye on him" tab;
there is obviously no need to draft him.
It would be natural to expect a drop-off from TE Tony
Gonzalez at some point - considering his age (33) and the
fact he is entering his 13th season, his first season outside
of Kansas City. But here are some nuggets to consider before moving
forward with him. The positive: Gonzo's lowest season totals since
1999 - even with all the changes the Chiefs have undergone over
the years - are a 63-catch, 773-yard campaign in 2002. The negative:
OC Mike Mularkey has rarely ever had a productive fantasy TE.
The Steelers and Falcons (where he was the OC) and the Bills (where
he was the HC for two seasons) never saw their TEs grab more than
19 passes in a season with Mularkey calling the plays. In his
one season with Miami, he served as Randy McMichael's position
coach and promptly guided his pupil to the lowest production he
registered over his final three seasons with the Dolphins. The
repeated lack of production from his TEs throughout his coaching
career is rather shocking considering Mularkey himself is a former
TE, but fantasy owners shouldn�t be overly concerned about this
trend (it is not as if Gonzo will fall out of the top 10 at his
position). But for all those folks who expect another #1 finish
at the TE position from the ex-Chief, they may be a bit disappointed
at the end of the season.
It�s another NFL offseason, which means it is time for
the annual �Jerious Norwood will see more touches�
campaign. Unlike past seasons, there may be some truth to it this
time around. RB Michael Turner will remain the Falcons�
bellcow, but it makes sense the team would want to back off Turner�s
workload this season after running him 376 times last season -
an average of over 23/game. That is an incredibly high number
for any back, particularly one who posted just 228 regular-season
carries in his first four seasons combined with the Chargers.
Norwood makes for a fine complement to the bruising Turner and
has surprisingly recorded 131 touches in each of the past two
seasons. With a much tougher schedule in 2009, Norwood could work
his way past 150 touches for the first time in his career, so
long as he can continue to hold off Jason Snelling, another back
the Falcons want to get more touches for in 2009. As for Turner,
Fantasy owners should a fair dropoff in carries and production
as the history of 370+ carry backs is not all that inspiring.
Expect Turner to average about 18 carries per game this season
and, with his lack of involvement in the passing game, to be the
best bet of the first-round RBs to disappoint this season.
Don�t be surprised if WR Harry Douglas leaps into fantasy
consideration of some kind in 2009. Michael Jenkins had a fair
50-catch campaign last season, and will continue to be a steady
WR2 in the NFL but Douglas is more of a game-breaker. With the
number of top defenses the Falcons will face this season, QB Matt
Ryan may be hurried more than he was last year, meaning Douglas
could get a fair amount of work in the slot, that is, when Gonzalez
isn�t picking up the first down as Ryan�s hot read.
A good preseason is vital for Douglas, who could easily double
his totals from last season (23 catches, 320 yards) with a strong
showing in training camp.
Julius Peppers' absence commanded much of the attention in Panthers�
camp until he agreed to come into camp a couple of weeks ago.
With his solution looking better by the day, the focus should
really flip over to the line on the other side of the ball because
it could be the most pressing concern for the 2009 edition of
the Panthers. Sure, every one of the five starters returns in
the same spot as they played last season, but Carolina has a combined
nine games played - no starts - from the players who will be in
reserve for those players. In a league where one injury along
the line can devastate the entire line, owners of DeAngelo Williams
and Jonathan Stewart have a right to be a bit concerned. The Panthers
desperately need at least two players out of the group of Mackenzy
Bernadeau, Geoff Schwartz and rookie Duke Robinson to step up
and show themselves well in the preseason to assure Williams and
Stewart�s owners that Carolina will produce on the ground
at or near the level it was able to maintain last season.
The Saints have Reggie Bush, the Vikings have Percy Harvin and
the Panthers are hoping to throw rookie Mike
Goodson into that class in short order. A fourth-round selection
from Texas A&M, Goodson received more reps at RB during OTAs because
Stewart is dealing with a sore left Achilles. Assuming Stewart
is ready to go for training camp as expected, Carolina is looking
to give the college RB a long look at slot WR. Part of this �plan�
was born out of necessity because it will be hard for the Panthers
to give someone else other than Williams or Stewart carries. But
the upside is that he possesses the hands necessary to be an asset
as a third-down back and the team wouldn�t mind seeing if they
can get a RB with receiver skills to increase their production
in the passing game, all the while saving a roster spot.
Jake Delhomme
has been impressed with the improvement in Dwayne Jarrett�s game
this offseason. Since Steve
Smith isn�t going anywhere, is this the year that the USC
alum overtakes Muhsin Muhammad? While it has been easy to call
Jarrett a bust up to this point, there are a handful of coaches
in the league that will almost always choose veterans over rookies
and HC John Fox has a track record of doing just that. Perhaps
if Jarrett can prove himself a �veteran� in this camp, fantasy
owners can unearth themselves a WR3 possibility on the cheap.
Jerry Angelo can be knocked for a lot of the decisions he has
made in his time as the Bears GM, but his decision to outbid all
of the Bears' competitors for QB Jay Cutler will likely erase
many of those memories for the Windy City�s faithful. While
Cutler�s passing game options are certainly less desirable
than they were in Denver, the stock of players such as Devin Hester
and Greg Olsen are undoubtedly on the rise. With any luck, football
announcers won�t have the luxury of mentioning how Sid Luckman�s
14,686 passing yards still tops the team�s record books
much longer.
If OC Ron Turner gets his wish, Hester will see very little time
on special teams because both Turner and Cutler believe the return
ace is also an every-down receiver. While Chicago still lacks
elite talent at WR, its current roster of wideouts is a bit more
talented than what people think - something that should play out
this year with Earl Bennett, Cutler's old college teammate. With
that said, if Hester wasn�t clearly establishing himself
as the #1 WR on this team, there is no way the Bears would be
cutting down his availability in the return game. As a result,
Hester should be considered a solid WR3 candidate in 2009, with
his upside to outperform that label a very strong possibility.
Bears QBs found their TEs 95 times last season, due in large
part to a WR corps that was largely unsettled and a RB in Matt
Forte, who was even more proficient in the passing game than the
Bears could have imagined. While the initial thought may be that
Chicago will see less production from its TEs in 2009 because
Cutler has a bigger arm than either Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman,
it should be noted that Denver found its TEs 83 times in 2008.
Granted, the Broncos attempted nearly 100 more passes than did
the Bears (620-528), but there is no player on the level of Brandon
Marshall or even Eddie Royal in Chicago right now. So long as
the Bears understand that Olsen is one of their best playmakers
the team has in the passing game, the Miami (FL) alum should climb
over the 60-catch mark for the first time in his career, likely
giving him twice as many as fellow TE Desmond
Clark. Olsen also figures to get more action down the field
as well, so he easily fits in as an every-week starter for fantasy
purposes and should be slotted right below the top tier of TEs
like Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten in drafts this summer. There
is a very strong chance he cracks the top five at his position.
Jason Witten
will hold the starting TE spot for the Cowboys into the foreseeable
future without question, but if the team has their way, he will
only be a part of the long-term production Dallas gets from that
position. Second-year TE Martellus
Bennett showed only glimpses during 2008, but when he was
given the chance, he was allowed to show off his vast talent,
catching 20 of the 27 passes thrown his way and turning four of
those into touchdowns. Bennett was blanked in the reception department
in a Week 16 loss to Baltimore, but outside of that, he had at
least one catch in every other game from Week 7 on and even managed
a three-game scoring streak at one point. On an offense that featured
Witten and Terrell Owens, that is a remarkable accomplishment.
With Owens now in Buffalo, it is conceivable that Bennett may
double his catches from his rookie season without stealing any
of Witten�s 81 receptions from a season ago. To that end, the
Cowboys are planning on implementing more two-TE packages to take
advantage of the wealth of talent they have at the position. Calling
Bennett a potential fantasy starter in 12-team leagues may be
asking a bit much, but he should make owners proud as a TE2 and
bye-week fill-in.
There seems to be a buzz that Dallas didn�t get much of an upgrade
when it traded for Jon
Kitna and let Brad Johnson go. The fact of the matter is that
Johnson had been living on borrowed time for several years as
a �positive veteran influence� whose deteriorating physical skill
was evident when he needed to step in for Tony
Romo last season. Kitna, on the other hand, should still be
able to get another year or two out of his body and, while he
is no Romo, he still has enough of the qualities a QB needs to
lead his team to a win - something that can�t be said about too
many Cowboys� backup QBs recently.
One of the more interesting fantasy situations in 2009 will be
the talented trio of runners in the Cowboys� backfield.
There seems to be a lot of sentiment that Marion Barber will return
to his �closer� role even though he was quite productive
as a full-timer. Regardless of his title, he should lead the team
in touches. Additionally, Dallas wants to nearly double the eight
touches per game Felix Jones averaged in his rookie season, including
kickoffs. Last but not least, Tashard Choice proved that he needs
to be heavily involved as well. Since the Cowboys� will
not run as much as the three-headed committees of the Ravens and
Jets, let�s throw out an early prediction on how the touches/game
will be split: Barber - 16; Jones - 12; Choice - 7. Choice, however,
could easily surpass Jones in fantasy value if Barber goes down
for any length of time as he is more of a feature-back type while
Jones would be best served to remain in a complementary role.
Matt Stafford: Starting after Detroit's
Week 7 Bye?
New HC Jim Schwartz may not believe in using a depth chart before
the start of camp, but there has no be shortage of talk of how
much good work rookie QB Matthew
Stafford is doing to ensure he is deadlocked with QB Daunte
Culpepper when the first positional ranking does come out
in late July. As stated in my Offensive
Coordinator Changes article a few weeks back, the Lions would
be doing themselves a big favor to let Culpepper start through
the bye week. While the rookie may prosper immediately vs. a Saints
defense getting used to new DC Gregg Williams and a Vikings team
without the "Williams wall" in Week 2, Detroit will put Stafford
in harm's way if it throws him out against the Redskins, Bears,
Steelers and Packers in succession prior to the Week 7 bye. Among
other things, one of the biggest keys to immediate success for
a young QB is to have a complete team around him. Yes, the team
has Calvin
Johnson and has added some nice pieces in recent drafts, but
the defense is still very much a work in progress which, in turn,
will force the Lions to throw more often with an offensive line
that still needs a lot of help. Even if the Lions make a Dolphins-like
resurgence and win eight games in 2009, they still aren't making
the playoffs, so it would be in their to use this season to get
everything they can in order for success in 2010. That plan should
include making sure Stafford is as ready as possible and making
sure his line will be able to hold up.
Even if Detroit has done nothing else, it has given itself some
options at both tackle spots with the signings of veterans Ephraim
Salaam and Jon Jansen. Last year's first rounder, RT Gosder Cherilus,
was inconsistent at best in 2008 and has a long way to go. On
the other side, it was reported by Michigan Live in late June
that LT Jeff Backus has surrendered an average of 10 sacks over
the past three seasons (five is about average), so while there
have been some pretty valid reasons for this, that kind of blind-side
pass blocking is going to lead to a lot of injuries and turnovers.
Even if Salaam and Jansen are merely average, they give the Lions
some options if the regular starters continue to struggle - a
notion the previous administration either did not care to or failed
to address. With Scott Linehan and Schwartz both promising to
be stubborn with their power running game approach, the line figures
to look a lot better than it has in recent seasons. The one negative
to the new power-running scheme, though, will be the fact that
RB Kevin Smith will need to adjust after a college career and
rookie season in which he ran in a zone-blocking offense.
Green Bay
The Packers understand they will need to get the ground game going
if they hope to improve on last season's disappointing 6-10 finish.
While a healthy Ryan Grant will help, it will be the contributions
of several other players that may play just as big of role. Green
Bay will open training camp on August 1 with two and possibly
three starting spots on the offensive line up for grabs. Allen
Barbre and former starting guard Jason Spitz are the front-runners
at right tackle and center, respectively. Tony Moll may also be
needed to step up at left tackle because nine-year starter Chad
Clifton has been unable to practice the entire offseason because
of chronically bad knees. Assuming all goes well up front, Grant
should see a few more holes in 2009 because of fifth-round FB
Quinn Johnson, who was brought in solely for his ability to blow
holes open on the second level of the defense. Of the aforementioned
group, it will be important for Barbre to man the right side the
way his predecessor, Mark Tauscher, did for most of this decade,
up until he tore the ACL in his left knee last December. Why?
In 2007, Grant averaged 5.5 yards/carry running right but, last
season, he dipped to a dreadful 3.4. The Packers swear they will
not run Grant into the ground and, with the emergence of Brandon
Jackson - especially in the passing game - the former Golden Domer
will need to do more with fewer touches than last year. Better
blocking on the right side would be a good start, so Barbre and
Johnson will both be on the spot.
QB Aaron Rodgers will be given the freedom to audible and call
plays at the line in 2009 after last year's breakout season. The
Packers' schedule doesn't exactly shape up nicely for Rodgers,
but with all the weapons he has at WR, he should only improve
in his second full season - even if final numbers don't reflect
it - as long as the new line comes together quickly. It's difficult
to imagine him repeating his 28:13 TD/INT ratio again this time
around when one considers they face three of the league's top
five pass defenses from a season ago in the second half of the
season. But it is apparent Rodgers has the poise necessary to
succeed, so while the added responsibilities may weigh on some
QBs, Rodgers' considerable experience in the system should ease
his transition in that regard.
Don't be the last person to jump on the Percy
Harvin bandwagon. Fantasy owners will cite the rule (usually
a good one) not to draft a rookie WR, but the truth is the league
hasn't seen a passing-game talent like Harvin since maybe Reggie
Bush. Granted, his potential for an off-the-field screw-up is
fairly high - (he was the only rookie not to attend the mandatory
Rookie Symposium, the second offseason function he has missed
with an illness) so don't go too overboard on drafting him - but
for those owners who want to swing for the fences, Harvin makes
sense as a fantasy WR3 already this season (maybe even a low-end
WR2 in leagues that include kick and punt return yardage and scores).
Unlike any other player whose main position on offense figures
to be slot WR, Harvin will be featured as a QB in "Wildcat" packages
along with Adrian
Peterson, line up as a RB a time or two, catch a screen pass
and run a reverse or two per game. Unlike most rookie WRs, Harvin
should touch the ball on offense at least 10 times per game. With
that much opportunity and his big-play ability, fantasy points
will be scored. Need further proof of what Minnesota thinks? HC
Brad Childress told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in mid-June "the
first thing I thought about was really the same feelings (I had)
the first time we handed Adrian Peterson the ball...When you see
it with your own eyes...the thing that came to mind right away
was, 'Wow.'" Regardless of whether or not Brett
Favre joins the team, the ex-Gator will be in line for Rookie
of the Year honors.
Harvin's emergence will take some of the value Chester Taylor
has possessed in recent years away, but that doesn't mean Taylor
shouldn't still be treated as one of the more important handcuffs
in fantasy - a ninth-round selection sounds about right. And while
a healthy Favre would be an obvious boon to Bernard Berrian, Sidney
Rice - if he is able to keep Harvin in the slot for 2009 - stands
to gain the most, comparatively speaking. Now in his third season,
Rice would be working with an accurate passer for the first time
in his career. With good health (which is always a concern with
Rice), he could easily push 50 receptions.
New Orleans
It looks as though fantasy owners are wisely realizing the changing
of the guard in the Saints' backfield. Unlike most players who
seemingly appear out of nowhere, the ascension of Pierre
Thomas has been building for a while; a large number of fantasy
owners have actually had a chance to watch Thomas excel at the
end of each of the last two seasons. Moreover, Drew
Brees told a New Orleans radio station in early June that
he believed Thomas was the lead back and that he thought Rashard
Mendenhall's college teammate was up to the challenge. One may
believe this is the typical offseason game of a player bragging
on his teammate, but Brees also told us all back in the summer
of 2006 that Marques Colston was going to "surprise some people",
so Brees has some credibility in that regard. The conventional
wisdom suggests Thomas, who bulked up to 220 pounds this offseason
and increased his squat nearly 200 pounds to 675, struggled in
short yardage last season, but according to STATS, Inc, the 2006
undrafted free agent led the league in fewest negative rushing
attempts. Thomas may go in the mid-to-late third round of fantasy
drafts, but only injury should keep him from finishing around
the top 10 at his position. And unlike an older Deuce McAllister,
Thomas is a fine receiver and will get his share of catches as
well. So while Reggie
Bush will continue his own special role in this offense, Thomas
is the back to own in non-PPR leagues. From where we stand in
early July, their fantasy value in PPR leagues is almost identical,
with Bush getting a slight nod.
An injury that didn't receive near as much press as it should
have was Lance
Moore's torn left labrum and dislocation this winter, reportedly
suffered while working out. Since his surgery took place a couple
of weeks before the draft, Moore's hope to be ready by training
camp sounds about right, but it is worth keeping an eye on. Any
bad news regarding his shoulder (or apprehension going up for
a high throw in the preseason) should be taken seriously. If he
does happen to struggle with it into the season, Robert Meachem
and Adrian
Arrington stand to benefit the most from a fantasy perspective.
While Meachem has once again had a wonderful offseason, take note
of what HC Sean Payton told the New Orleans Times-Picayune this
spring about Arrington: "Be mindful of this player. I like this
guy a lot. He's smart and he's big." The key here is the "smart"
comment, as coaches tend to use that on WRs that understand the
passing game and run the routes as they are drawn up, something
that Meachem has struggled with his entire pro career. The conventional
wisdom has Arrington filling the role of the departed David Patten,
but he could be in line for a decent season in 2009 if he is able
to overcome his own offseason injury (hamstring).
NY Giants
On just about any other team, a third-string RB is just a third-string
RB. For the Giants, however, the winner of the battle for RB3
between Danny Ware and rookie Andre
Brown should warrant some fantasy consideration in deeper
leagues, as Ahmad
Bradshaw showed us in 2008. The early indications suggest
that Brown is in the lead, but let's not forget that the team
has been fairly high on Ware for some time. Brown's outstanding
showing at the NFL Combine in February helped overshadow an injury-plagued
career at North Carolina State, but New York has to like the fact
he has a bit of Bradshaw's straight-line speed and a bit of Brandon
Jacobs' power and bulk. Jacobs clearly is the back to own and
Bradshaw certainly needs to be considered as one of the better
RB3 options out there, but expect the G-men to fall in love with
Brown, give him a Bradshaw-like role (circa 2008) and see if he
can play his way ahead of Bradshaw by 2010, which just happens
to be the last year of Bradshaw's rookie deal.
Unlike the RBs, nothing seems all that clear at WR for the Giants,
who look to enter the season with Domenik
Hixon and Steve
Smith as their starters and Sinorice
Moss in the slot. Even if that trio starts out in that order,
it is highly unlikely they end the season the same way. While
the team has stated repeatedly this offseason they want to revisit
the deep passing game - something that should be music to the
ears of Moss, Mario
Manningham and Hixon (and their potential owners) - Moss'
penchant for injury will almost inevitably will open up the door
for Manningham while rookie Hakeem
Nicks will push Hixon all season long. If everyone progresses
as well as they hope, the Giants would probably like to end the
season with Smith, Nicks and Manningham as their top three pass
catchers, in that order. But as stated in my Rookies
to Consider: 11-20 piece a few weeks back, expect someone
like rookie Travis
Beckum to emerge as one of Eli
Manning's few go-to guys, along with Smith. With that in mind,
however, it is hard to recommend anyone from New York's passing
game (outside of maybe Smith as a low-end WR3) as starting material
in 12-team, three-WR leagues.
A lot has been made of the new and improved offensive line in
Philly. Potentially, it could and should meet expectations, but
here are a few things for fantasy owners to consider before jumping
on the Eagles' bandwagon. No one offensive lineman who started
a significant number of his team's games gave up more sacks than
new LT Jason Peters' 11.5 last season. Meanwhile, new RG Stacy
Andrews is coming off surgery in January to repair a torn ACL
while RT Shawn Andrews is coming off back surgery that ended his
2008 season prematurely and has battled depression. Many have
suggested that Peters let his contract status affect his play
last season while Shawn Andrews will be finally return to the
position he was drafted to play five years ago. Sure, Philly's
short passing game should help Peters cut his sacks allowed dramatically
and a healthy combo of the brothers Andrews would be a formidable
run-blocking tandem, but the Eagles will be a pass-first team
for as long as HC Andy Reid has anything to say about it.
Rookie Jeremy
Maclin continues to be a hot candidate for Rookie of the Year
honors among some media types. For the most part, production usually
comes when talent, scheme, supporting cast (or lack thereof) and
opportunity all converge. For Maclin, the first three are there,
but opportunity is in question with DeSean Jackson and Kevin
Curtis the clear starters and Jason
Avant in the slot. A fifth factor, experience (transition
to a West Coast attack from a spread offense in this case), also
figures to stunt his fantasy growth for at least one season. (This
differs from someone comparable like Percy Harvin, who anyone
could argue that on a bad day for him in the Vikings' offense,
he is the second-best option in the passing game. Also, it is
hard to imagine Reid breaking too far away from his West Coast
roots to feature Jackson and Maclin in the "Wildcat", although
the team is said to be working on the package, but with fellow
rookie LeSean
McCoy instead.) Maclin is certainly talented enough to take
advantage of an opportunity when he gets it, but his best hope
from playing time - outside of injury - is beating out Avant in
the slot. In that scenario, he probably finishes behind Jackson,
Curtis and Brian
Westbrook for targets in the passing game, leaving his potential
for impact in 2009 in question.
San Francisco
From a fantasy owner's prospective, Frank Gore is easy to like
almost regardless of who is calling plays for him. Enter new OC
Jimmy Raye, whose old-school approach to offense was detailed
last month in Offensive Coordinator
Changes - Pt 2. Raye is not a fantasy owner's dream as a play
caller, but he is the best thing for Gore fantasy's prospects
since Norv Turner left for San Diego after the 2006 season, forcing
a somewhat overmatched Jim Hostler into the job. Last year brought
in Mike Martz, who does wonders for a RB's all-around numbers
but typically falls short in establishing him (and then sticking
with him throughout the course of a game). That should not be
a problem with Raye - who may be almost too conservative in his
play-calling - as he will try to get the ball in Gore's hands
almost as many times as Turner did in 2006 (374 touches). Gore,
who possesses an impressive career YPC of 4.7, will also have
the benefit of working behind an offensive line that added ex-Steeler
LT Marvel Smith in the offseason and is about as good as any line
he has played behind as a pro. Combine that with the return of
his fullback from 2006 - Moran Norris - and one of the league's
best blocking TEs in Vernon Davis and there is reason to believe
Gore may post a pretty hefty rushing total, something in the neighborhood
of 1,200-1,300 yards. Add in another 40-50 catches for 300 or
so yards and there is no reason - barring injury - why Gore cannot
reclaim his place as one of the best all-purpose backs in the
By all accounts, Shaun
Hill - never known for setting the world on fire in practice
but showing that he's a gamer on Sunday - will need to be terribly
outplayed by Alex
Smith in training camp to give up the Niners' starting QB
job. And there is little doubt San Francisco wants Hill's first
passes to end up in the hands of Josh
Morgan and rookie Michael
Crabtree, who was cleared to finally run on his surgerically-repaired
foot in June. Raye's play-calling doesn't figure to open things
up much for Hill, Morgan or Crabtree, but the young wideouts certainly
have the ability to make some plays on their own after the catch.
It's hard to imagine that any player having much fantasy value
at the beginning of the season, but it would come as little surprise
if the rookie emerged as a startable fantasy option come fantasy
playoff time.
Though his arrival doesn't figure to have any measurable impact
(by fantasy standards), the Seahawks landed a very good player
in C Max Unger, who reminds me of a young Alan Faneca. (Whether
he can have that kind of impact will be up to him, but the fact
that he can play every position on the line makes him invaluable.)
The problem initially, however, may be the linemen - or lack thereof
- around him. LT Walter Jones, at last check, was not ready for
football activity as of early June. Without a healthy Jones, the
team could very well be doomed to the same fate they suffered
last season as the team will need as many of their offensive "staples"
ready to go with all the change taking place in Seattle. The Seahawks
could stand to upgrade both guards, especially in light of the
zone-blocking scheme being implemented, so Jones' absence would
have a severe trickle-down affect on the rest of the offense as
either a RB will be asked to chip or TE John Carlson will need
to stay in more than he should, taking another option away from
QB Matt Hasselbeck. A limited passing game would lead to one more
defender in the box, which would hamper the Seahawks' wishes to
run the ball more than they ever did under former HC Mike Holmgren.
Matt Hasselbeck is reportedly looking as good as he ever has,
but as stated earlier, much hinges on the offensive line. If they
can get right, Seattle should challenge for division supremacy
once again. Hasselbeck-to-T.J. Houshmandzadeh should be a top
10 pass combo, helping Carlson finish among the top 10 at his
position, especially with most of the rest of the WR corps in
questions due to either injury or inexperience. But the line's
biggest footprint will be left on the running game, which new
OC Greg Knapp has a history of catering to as his eight top-10
finishes in as many years as an offensive coordinator will attest.
Knapp has already gone on record verifying that his RB attack
will be by committee, but it would be a minor shock if T.J. Duckett
received more than a third of the carries, including short-yardage
and goal-line work. Justin Forsett will also be worked in - likely
between the 20s - but Julius Jones stands to benefit the most
from the increased focus on the running game and should end up
with about 250 rushes and maybe another 25 receptions, numbers
that should allow him to post low-end fantasy RB2 numbers.
St. Louis
New HC Steve Spagnuolo wasted little time upon his arrival proclaiming
that RB Steven
Jackson would be the centerpiece of his offense. While that
notion isn't all that earthshattering, how the Rams are actually
following through and making it happen has been fairly impressive
so far. New OC Pat Shurmur is installing his version of the West
Coast offense - similar to the one he left in Philadelphia that
has made Brian Westbrook a fantasy staple, especially in the passing
game. Adding C Jason Brown from the Ravens in the offseason should
halt the revolving door of mediocre options at the pivot and open
up the inside running game. The final touch was also signing FB
Mike Karney,
who should go a long way in helping the Rams forget the mistake
they made when they let Madison Hedgecock go early in the 2007
season. Jackson has responded with arguably his best offseason
to date in terms of his efforts in the weight room as well as
his work in the passing game; he's even been asked to run routes
with the receivers, something that has not been as much of a focus
since his 90-catch season of 2006. There is no way St. Louis should
ask him to repeat his 436 touches from that season, but his offseason
work suggests he has a good chance to stay healthy most of the
season and the increase of attention he figures to get from Shurmur
in the passing game should make a rock-solid bet in terms of week-to-week
fantasy consistency. The one drawback will be that Jackson's supporting
cast probably won't allow him to visit the end zone as consistently
as his fantasy owners would like.
Because Donnie
Avery and Keenan
Burton might comprise the youngest starting receiving duo
in the league and strike the least amount of fear in defensive
game-planning sessions, Marc
Bulger's success in transitioning to Shurmur's offense may
live and die in the hands of Jackson and his group of TEs, led
by Randy
McMichael. Injuries wrecked what was shaping up to be a bit
of a bounceback year for McMichael last season, but without Torry
Holt around, he will be expected to show up on a weekly basis
in 2009. The good news, though, is the depth the Rams feel like
they have behind him as Daniel
Fells showed some flashes in 2008 after being signed off the
Buccaneers� practice squad. He has since carried that momentum
into OTAs, where observers felt he stood out and grabbed the backup
job. It would come as little surprise if the Rams utilized two-TE
sets more often to make sure both players get on the field because
St. Louis quite simply lacks a player who can consistently carry
the passing game. In regular 12-team leagues, McMichael may not
even get drafted, so owners looking for a cheap backup TE with
fantasy upside may want to spend a very late pick on him; he could
easily end up in the top 15 at his position, especially in PPR
leagues. Fells, obviously, does not warrant a draft pick but his
could be a name to keep in mind should McMichael once again succumb
to injury.
Tampa Bay
Earnest Graham: Will likely play second-fiddle
to Derrick Ward.
New HC Raheem Morris has promised a more physical team in 2009.
Given their personnel, the Bucs may not really have a choice.
Bucs OC Jeff Jagodzinski, joining the team after a successful
two-year stint as the head coach at Boston College, will make
a dramatic departure from the short passing game favored by ex-HC
Jon Gruden, instead opting for a zone-blocking running game and
a deep passing game. Luke
McCown is probably the best choice to lead such an offense
- this season anyway - given his athleticism and the fact he has
a quicker release than Byron
Leftwich. But how far Tampa Bay goes this season will ultimately
lie in the running game, which would appear to be a committee
in its purest form with Derrick
Ward and Earnest
Graham on the roster. While both backs will see a lot of work,
three very big factors favor Ward for the foreseeable future:
1) contract - Ward will be making nearly double of what Graham
will; 2) experience - Ward has run in a zone-blocking system before;
3) better fit - while the two complement each other well, Ward
will be able to get to the edge better than Graham, who is more
of a straight-ahead, power runner. Both backs can catch the ball
well, but expect Ward to top Graham there as well. Graham's power
should win the day at the goal line, making him a slightly better
choice over Ward in non-PPR leagues while the former Giants is
probably the way to go in PPR leagues. All this, of course, only
holds up unless we get some clear clarification on their roles
before the start of the season. However, it is highly doubtful
the Bucs will clear this up for fantasy owners anytime before
Week 1.
Although the Bucs will be more of a running team this season,
it isn't as if they will be completely useless to fantasy owners
looking for some help in the passing game. Antonio
Bryant may not approach 83 catches again in his career, yet
he should remain an acceptable WR3 for owners in 12-team leagues.
But the player that could benefit the most from Jagodzinski's
presence should be TE Kellen
Winslow. The new OC has repeatedly sounded off that he believes
in widespread use of his tight ends and the numbers of some of
his prot�g�s - Bubba Franks as a rookie in Green Bay and Alge
Crumpler for some of his best years in Atlanta - attest to his
love for the position. No offense to Franks and Crumpler, but
Winslow is quite simply the most talented pass catcher Jagodzinski
has worked with, so expect that to translate into solid production.
Health is always a concern for him, but if owners can snatch him
in the mid-to-late sixth round area, they should be quite pleased
with the return on their investment. Winslow's 82-catch, 1,106-yard
effort in 2007 may be a bit much to ask, but he's a very strong
rebound candidate and should be in the discussion as a player
who could legitimately finish as the best at his position (fantasy-wise)
in 2009.
Near the top of this article, Jerious Norwood was identified as
one of running backs who always seems to be hearing his name in
conjunction with the phrase "we have to get him the ball
more" only to be left on the sideline. Although his game
isn't anything like Norwood's, Ladell Betts has once again surfaced
as a player the team wants to get more involved. While Betts is
a proven handcuff to starter Clinton Portis, his yards per carry
have dropped in each of the last two seasons after his lone 1,000-yard
season in 2006. It's hard to imagine Washington running much more
than it did in 2008, when its RBs combined for 425 carries and
64 catches. Every year Portis has been in the nation's capital
and able to play in the majority of the team's games, he has recorded
at least 325 carries and 28 receptions. So, even if Betts were
to get all of the touches Portis does not - which he won't as
the club likes to get Mike Sellers involved as well - he would
end 2009 with 136 touches, just enough for outside consideration
at a flex spot. The fact of the matter is that he will be much
more valuable to a Portis owner than he will be to anyone else.
Before dismissing Jason Campbell this summer, fantasy owners
should consider just how many offensive systems the QB has been
required to digest over the years. Including his days at Auburn,
this season will mark just the second time he will enter Year
Two in the same offensive system. As some may recall, his first
spin at staying in the same offense in back-to-back seasons turned
out pretty well - his final year as a Tiger, a season which propelled
him into the first round of the draft after the Redskins gave
up a good part of their draft to acquire him. A much bigger issue
for Washington should be just how soon it can move Antwaan Randle
El into the slot, where he belongs. At this point of the offseason,
Devin Thomas appears to have a slight edge over fellow 2008 second-rounder
Malcolm Kelly, who hasn't been able to stay healthy for any length
of time since joining the team. If neither Thomas nor Kelly can
prove themselves worthy of a starting position, look for the Redskins
to incorporate more two-TE packages in their regular offense by
including another 2008 second-rounder - TE Fred Davis. Just like
the rest of its second-round picks a season ago, Washington got
next to nothing from Davis late season. But unlike Thomas and
Kelly, we have seen Davis produce on the big stage in college.
The simple fact of the matter is that one of the three second-year
players will need to produce, or else the Redskins will finish
last in the NFC East, Campbell will be looking for work as a backup
in another city in 2010 and HC Jim Zorn will be gone as well.
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Lauryn Hill was sentenced to three months in federal prison Monday for failing to pay taxes on an estimated $1.8 million in income.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Cox Arleo handed down the sentence in Newark, N.J., ruling that the Grammy-winning singer would have to complete an additional three months under house arrest followed by nine months of supervised release and ordering her to pay a $60,000 fine, according to TMZ, the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal.
The sentence will begin the July 8, though it is unclear where she'll serve her time, TMZ said.
Hill, 37, pleaded guilty last summer to three misdemeanor counts of tax evasion, admitting that she intentionally failed to file tax returns in 2005, 2006 and 2007. She faced a potential prison sentence of one year for each of the three counts, but her attorney sought probation in the case.
Though Hill pleaded guilty for the time period between 2005 to 2007 when she is said to have earned about $1.8 million, her sentence also took into account additional income and tax losses for 2008 and 2009 and an outstanding tax liability to the state of New Jersey, for a total income of about $2.3 million and a total tax loss of about $1,006,517, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The South Orange, N.J., native "fully paid" her debt by making a last-minute payment to the IRS on Sunday, her attorney Nathan Hochman said before the hearing. He said that the restitution, federal and state taxes and penalties brought the sum to about $970,000.
In the hearing, Hill addressed the judge and likened her situation to slavery.
"I was put into a system I didn't know the nature of.... I'm a child of former slaves. I got into an economic paradigm and had that imposed on me," she said. "I sold 50 million units ... now I'm up here paying a tax debt. If that's not likened to slavery, I don't know what is."
The mother of six said she had always planned to pay the taxes but couldn't because she had left the music business and withdrew from society at the time. Her last album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," was released in 1998 and earned her several Grammy Awards.
"I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was being denied that," Hill said in court. She had five of her children with Rohan Marley, the son of reggae singer Bob Marley.
After the sentencing, Hochman released this statement (via WSJ):
"The Court today viewed the totality of Ms. Hill's circumstances — her incredible career, her decades of charitable works, her responsibilities to her six children, her full acceptance of responsibility for her actions, and her voluntary and full payment prior to sentencing of over $970,000 of back taxes owed — in rejecting the government's request for a 36 month prison sentence and sentencing Ms. Hill to 3 months of prison and 1 year of probation, 3 months of which to be spent in house arrest."
Last month, her sentencing was delayed by two weeks to give her a final chance to pay the remainder of the money she owed, at least $504,000 in federal back taxes. Soon after, Hill announced that she had inked a record deal with Sony. She released a new track last Friday called "Neurotic Society," which was posted on iTunes, but not without clarifying why she did so via her Tumblr page.
"Here is a link to a piece that I was 'required' to release immediately, by virtue of the impending legal deadline," she wrote. "I love being able to reach people directly, but in an ideal scenario, I would not have to rush the release of new music… but the message is still there. In light of Wednesday's tragic loss [of former label mate Chris Kelly], I am even more pressed to YELL this to a multitude that may not understand the cost of allowing today's unhealthy paradigms to remain unchecked!"
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Author Notes: In this dish I combine green olives with one of my favorite meats, lamb shanks, and two of my favorite vegetables, celery root and fennel. If you haven't used celery root or fennel before, this dish is a great way to start. Their mellow nuttiness combines perfectly with the tangy olives and the savory lamb. It's an instant trip to the Mediterranean on a cool autumn day, and you don't even have to buy a plane ticket. You can pull the meat off the bone and serve it as a stew, or keep the lamb shanks intact for a more elegant presentation. Like most stews and braises, this tastes even better the next day, so make it ahead if you have the chance.
If you're in the mood for a rich, comforting stew but want something with a bit of flair, this dish is for you. Abra Bennett has you simmer lamb shanks in a heady broth of red wine, stock, fennel, celeriac and aromatics until the meat falls from the bone, adding sundried tomatoes and green olives two-thirds of the way through. The resulting dish is complex and addictive: fennel and shallot melt into the sauce, the olives leech some of their brine and become almost artichoke-like in flavor, the sundried tomatoes soften and mellow, and a finishing splash of Pernod and a shower of freshly grated lemon zest cut thorugh of the fattiness of the lamb. Speaking of fat, you may want to drain some of the oil in the pan after browning the lamb (we kept about 3 tablespoons). We also reduced the sauce by simmering it for a few minutes after the meat was cooked.
Serves 4
4 lamb shanks
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 large shallots
1 fennel bulb
1 softball-sized celery root (celeriac)
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried bouquet garni
2 cups young red wine
2 cups veal or beef broth
1 cup green olives, pits in
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil
1 splash Ricard or Pernod (optional)
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper the lamb shanks liberally. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid. Brown the lamb shanks all over. Take your time with this and get them really nice and brown. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside.
Dice the fennel bulb into small pieces. Peel the celery root and dice into the same size pieces as the fennel. Peel and chop the shallots and garlic. Lightly brown the vegetables in the pan used for the meat. When the vegetables are browned add the meat back to the pan. Add the bay leaf, the bouquet garni, the wine, and the broth. Cover the pan and simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour.
Add the olives and the sundried tomatoes to the pot. If necessary, add a little more wine or broth. Simmer, covered, an additional 30 minutes, or until the meat is nearly falling off the bone.
If you'd like to emphasize the fennel flavor and bring out the mellowness of the olives, add a splash of Ricard or Pernod. This really does enhance the dish, and is very Mediterranean. Taste the sauce and add additional salt and/or pepper to taste. Just before serving sprinkle the lamb with the finely grated lemon zest (use a Microplane if you have one).
You can gently pull the meat off the bone and serve it as a stew, or as a sauce over pasta. You can also serve these on the bone as is, or over polenta. Be sure to mention to your diners that the olives contain pits!
09 juillet 2015
Autumn Olive Medley
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BRISTOL — The chair of the Mount Abraham Facility Advisory Committee on Dec. 18 enumerated for the Bristol selectboard some of the reasons the Mount Abraham Union High School facilities should be updated.
Troy Paradee stressed that the building is by no means unsafe — rather, some school officials and residents believe it does not meet the educational needs of students in this day and age.
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BRISTOL — The Bristol selectboard will be accepting applications from those wishing to serve on a planning committee as the search for an improved facility for Bristol's fire department proceeds. Committee members will do the legwork on site selection and may continue serving into the design stage. Applications for the committee will be posted on the town's website later this week, and will also be available at the town office.
Wednesday, just one petition for candidacy had been submitted for Carol Wells' soon-to-be vacant three-year seat on the Bristol selectboard. Wells announced in December that she would not seek re-election on Town Meeting Day.
That petition belongs to Brian Fox, a lifelong Bristol resident and president of the Bristol Rescue Squad, whose seat on the Mount Abraham Union High School board is set to expire this year.
BRISTOL — The Bristol selectboard last week disciplined Police Chief Kevin Gibbs for his handling of a grant over three years.
On Dec. 17, the board held a disciplinary hearing in executive session to discuss Gibbs' handling of a Department of Health grant. In public session, the selectboard voted to direct Town Administrator Bill Bryant to issue a written reprimand to Gibbs, and to require Gibbs to pay $6,895 in restitution to the police department by June 30, 2013.
BRISTOL — The intersection in front of Holley Hall in downtown Bristol will likely get a bit of a makeover to fix what the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) says are safety issues.
The Bristol selectboard heard two alternative designs for the intersection presented by VTrans and Stantec Consulting at the board's Monday, Dec. 3, meeting.
BRISTOL — The Bristol selectboard will hold a disciplinary hearing in executive session on Dec. 17 related to Police Chief Kevin Gibbs' handling of a grant over the past three fiscal years.
At issue is a total of $9,754 in town funds that the town of Bristol fronted under the expectation that the money would be reimbursed by a Vermont Department of Health grant.
BRISTOL — At their Monday, Nov. 19 meeting, Bristol selectboard members approved the Bristol Energy Committee's recommendation to convert the town's leased streetlights from metal halide to the more energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) lights.
An assessment by the energy committee had determined that the conversion to the more efficiently powered lighting would save the town $7,190 per year on its electric bills and take 18,000 kilowatt hours of energy off of the electric grid — all at no cost to the town.
BRISTOL — At its Monday meeting, the Bristol selectboard approved a town improvement project in Memorial Park proposed by Eagle Scout Taylor Allred, a senior at Mount Abraham Union High School.
In his project, Allred will clear brush and rebuild a portion of the railing system on the back side of the stream, targeting a specific area where he will replace 16 fence posts that are rotting and unstable.
BRISTOL — After nearly a decade of work revising and updating the Bristol Town Plan, an effort that has at times been very contentious, the plan is ready to be voted on by Bristol residents.
The Bristol selectboard held its second and final public hearing on the controversial town plan update on Monday at the start of the board's meeting in Holley Hall. Only two members of the public were in attendance; no objections were voiced. By 7:04 p.m. — within minutes of calling the meeting to order — the board had closed the discussion.
BRISTOL — After making three small changes to Bristol's proposed town plan on Monday, the selectboard OK'd the document. The plan will be presented to the public at two public hearings on Aug. 27 and Sept. 10.
The selectboard's approval of the proposed plan comes after the Bristol Planning Commission supported the previous 42 changes the selectboard made to the document over a revision period that spanned several months. The planning commission issued its approval of the board's changes on July 17.
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In researching this branch of the family I have become acquainted with another genealogist in the Patten family who has been gathering information about them for years. Her name is Janet and during our first exchange of email, she told me, rather apologetically, that she had learned something about one of our ancestors that might not be welcome news. However, I assured her that it was always fun to find an interesting story, be it about a horse thief or a king.
These are the stories for which we all hope. They are the tales that usually supply us with lots of information about our ancestors. When there is a famous person or, as in this case, an infamous person up there in the branches, the low hanging fruit in the form of newspaper articles, historical accounts and family stories and the like, is much closer to the ground and with just a little shaking of the limbs, it falls at our feet where if we want we can just pluck it up and run with it. It might not be quite that easy, for there is always more research to be done and puzzles to be put together, but you get the picture.
This is the story of Uncle Justin Patten, one of Josephine's father's younger brothers, just an average guy. Justin was born in New York City in 1838, the eleventh child of 16 born to James and Sara Arden Patten. New York City at that time was in some respects a pretty dangerous place to live, at least in some neighborhoods. The Gangs of New York that Scorcese made a movie about were in full swing. The Daybreak gang, the Dead Rabbits, The Slaughterhouse Gang and more, were actively preying on citizens and the newspapers were full of stories that made for great reading and extra editions.
When Justin was just 16 years old, Logan's Bakery, a place not far from his home in the 11th ward, was robbed between 2:30 and 3:00 the morning of September 29, 1854. When the baker and some of his employees surprised the two culprits, they ran. A foot chase began, the baker and his employees yelled "Watch!", the term people shouted to alert the neighborhood and the local constabulary that something was happening. Before the The New York City Police Department was formed in 1845, for 60 or more years after the British left the city, citizen patrols kept order and upheld the laws under what was called the "Watch System".
The robbery seemed fairly benign until a patrolman, James Cahill, 50 years old with only a year on the NYPD, joined the pursuit. Austin Lake, another police officer on duty, heard shouts of "Watch!" "Stop Thief" and ran toward the shouts. Shots rang out and as he ran toward where the sounds had originated, he met three bakers who said the shots had been fired at them. He saw no one until he rounded a corner and saw a man, "clinging to a tree, alive at the time but speechless and was in the act of falling to the ground." Lake went on as quoted in the New York Times: "I recognized him as one of our police officers, James Cahill. He groaned slightly as he sank to the ground; that was all the sound he made. By this time, 3 officers arrived and brought a wagon and we brought his body to the Station House."
Officer James Cahill has been officially recognized as the first New York City Police officer to die in the line of duty. There is a memorial to him at the NYPD Museum, along with other fallen Police Officers. Some dispute the distinction, stating that at least two others had been killed in the line of duty prior to Officer Cahill, but the official record states he was the first.
Now young Justin and a friend, James Ryan, were out sitting on a bench about sun-up the morning of the robbery. When a police officer stopped to talk to them, they both ran. The officer assumed that they had something to do with the crime and soon they were both arrested and charged with the murder. Five others who were in a nearby bar, all known to the police, were also arrested, but they were released.
Justin and James, however, had differing stories as to their whereabouts earlier that morning. In fact when Ryan was shown the corpse, he was reported to have asked repeatedly, "Did I do that?" Although there were no witnesses who could say they actually saw either James or Justin, they were indicted by the grand jury for the murder of officer Cahill. They were sent to jail to await trial. The New York City Jail was referred to as the Tombs, a building modeled after the Egyptian tombs. There they would sit among the hardened criminals for six months until April of the next year,when their trial would take place.
|The Tombs
On March 29, 1855, just before they were to go to trial, an article appeared in the New York Times with the headline: Murderers in the Tombs. This article provided a brief profile of the worst most fearsome prisoners in the Tombs beginning with a man who "murdered an old man and then stabbed the deceased's two sons with the same dagger that pierced their father's heart"; another fellow who killed his wife by "putting arsenic in her coffee"; another man who shot someone in the head with a musket; a man who kicked his wife to death and several others awaiting their trials for their horrible deeds, all murderers. And of course, Justin and James Ryan are profiled as well. Here is the actual account.
The two people that Justin and James were being compared to, Nicholas Saul and William Howlett were two boys who headed up the Daybreak Gang and were said to have done so at the ages of 15 and 16. Members of the gang went by names like Slobbery Jim. Sow Madden, Cow-legged Sam McCarthy and Patsy the Barber. The rumor was that each member of the gang committed at least one murder and many robberies before the age of 16. The river front was their main target, killing crew members and robbing these vessels, usually before dawn, thus the name the Daybreak gang. They had been credited with over 40 murders. Saul and Howlett's reign of terror ended with a bloody battle after they killed the watchman on a yacht. The Daybreak boys, trying to protect their leaders, put up a good fight, but Saul and Howlett were arrested and sentence to Death in 1852. They were hanged in the yard of "The Tombs" in January of 1853. I only can assume that the police and the neighborhoods were hyper vigilant about anything that seemed to be gang related. But, the write of the article may have embellished some on just how "hardened" these two boys, Justin and James, really were.
Imagine reading that article about your 16 year old brother, or son? Well, Justin's older brother, Jefferson, a well-respected successful Machine Shop owner in New York was no doubt infuriated by what the reporter had to say about his young brother. In fact, the next day this appeared in the Times.
After a very brief trial, the judge said any evidence to personal identity was so vague and just because the boys weren't at home that night didn't justify a guilty verdict. Even the District Attorney "expressed the satisfaction with which he heard any intimation that might fall from His Honor's lips, but this case was so serious that it deserved a formal trial, although certainly he had no doubt that if he sat as a juror on the case, he would join in the verdict of acquittal." " His honor then briefly addressed the prisoners, warning them of the consequences of habits that might lead even to suspicion, and after a friendly admonition as to their future conduct, ordered them to be discharged, to the infinite satisfaction of themselves and their friends." I'd be curious to find out how they felt about all that after sitting in the Tombs all those months.
Lest anyone be wondering if Justin became a hardened criminal after all or ended up back in prison, please be assured that he did not. Justin had been a gilder by trade before all this happened and he went back to that profession. He was married within 4 years of the incident to a girl named Cecilia Selmer. They had 5 children, 3 of whom were born before he enlisted in the 73rd New York Infantry during the Civil War. When he returned to his family in 1866, he became a member of the Metropolitan City Fire Department where he received meritorious commendations on several occasions, including one incident during which he was singled out for having rescued people from a burning building.
I think Justin was just an average guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time; out when he shouldn't have been out; hanging around in a bad part of town, probably with the wrong characters and sowing some wild oats. From the full accounts in the newspaper, (which I'd be happy to share with you if you would like to read them,) I am not convinced that James Ryan didn't actually fire that shot, nor am I convinced that Justin was there at all. And, I wonder how all that affected him and the choices he made during the rest of his life. Yes, just an average guy: a gilder, a war veteran, street sweeper, and a hero. Not a king. Not a horse thief. But what an interesting ancestor.
Josephine Patten, my great grandmother and Justin's niece, was born when Justin was on the fire department. She would grow up to marry my great grandfather George Willett, a New York City Police Officer.


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LA Vintage Furnishings' Fully Stocked Shop
With 162 listings, LA Vintage Furnishings is definitely one of the most prolific users of the Apartment Therapy Classifieds. The items in their corner of the Classifieds range from Louis XVI to mid-century modern, with a little bit of everything in between.
Shown Above:
- Pair of 1960s High Back Chairs $900
- 1940's Maple Desk Chair $350
- English Art Deco Curio Cabinet $1,399
- Pair of Chrome 'Ziggurat' Style Banded Wall Sconce $300
- Antique English Mahogany Mantel $1,895
Number of Items Listed: 162
Check It Out: LA Vintage Furnishings' Corner of the Classifieds
Go All Apartment Therapy Classifieds Listings
Learn more about LA Vintage Furnishings on their website: LA Vintage Furnishings.
Want to get in on the Classifieds action? Check out our tutorial - How To List an Item in the Apartment Therapy Classifieds in 5 Easy Steps - and get started right away.
Apartment Therapy is not the seller of these items. This is an edited selection of our favorite offerings from our Classifieds. For more information, see How it Works. Happy Scavenging!


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Product Description
8" x 8" HMI Cover Kit
Cover Type: Metal Snap Latch Hinged Solid/Opaque Cover
Catalog #: AMHMI88L
Height: 7.93 in.
Width: 8.15 in.
Depth: 0.96 in.
Usable Depth: 2.27 in.
Volume: 155 cu. in.
Carton Quantity: 1
Carton Weight: 3 lb.
Country of Origin: United States of America
Non-corrosive, non-conductive, light weight with lower installation cost and longer life cycle cost compared to steel. Rigid design with a gasket system encased in a continuous channel on the cover and frame. Open back frame design with an opening size of 6.47" x 6.69" and is UL listed for use with Type 4X enclosures. *Will fit Allied Moulded enclosure sizes 10"x12" and larger.
Cover and protect electrical and electronic controls including HMI (Human Machine Interface) instruments, touch pad controllers and pushbuttons mounted on the surface of Type 4X enclosures. No need to open the enclosure to view electronics or perform maintenance, decreasing arc flash risks and safety hazards.
Meets Requirements: ANSI/UL50, ANSI/UL50E, and ANSI/UL508A; File No. E487574
UL® listed and recognized component for use with CSA® listed enclosure products Types 1, 2, 3, 3R, 4, 4X, 12 and 13.
Complies With:
1. EN / IEC 60204-1 and 60529 Type IP66
2. RoHS directive
RAL 7035 - Gray
Polycarbonate frame and cover
8 screws
Additional Materials
316 stainless steel external hardware
Polyurethane (FIP) Formed-In-Place gasket system


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It's a totally different experience going to a wedding when you've got one of your own to plan. It all seems that little bit more exciting.
You really pay attention to even the smallest details, right down to the beading on the bridesmaids' dresses, the place cards and the order of the speeches.
Or is that just me? Did it finally happen – did I turn into Bridezilla?
Anyway, not only are you on the rob for ideas you can incorporate into your own special day, but when the bride walks down the aisle to take her place next to the man she's ready to spend the rest of her life with it hits you – I'm next.
That's how I felt at Jess and Mike's wedding, which took place at the picturesque Hampton Court House on a beautifully sunny day this month.
The bride looked absolutely stunning, even though she confessed she'd only slept for about three hours.
"This is the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done in my life," she told me. Wow, quite a contrast from J's brother, who had a siesta before his wedding (Spanish weddings generally take place in the late afternoon and go on till silly o'clock the next morning.)
Anyway, Jess needn't have worried. The whole day was perfect. I couldn't fault it (not that I was trying!)
More than anything I felt a real sense of empathy. In the last three years I must have been to about ten weddings. And that's no exaggeration. What is that all about? You approach 30 then all of a sudden it's like a wedding domino effect.
In not one of those weddings did I really stop to think about all the work, the planning that goes into absolutely everything.
But in Jess and Mike's wedding I did. And I felt like applauding them at the end of the day.
There were some really nice touches – like bringing out Spanish jamon and cold meats and cheese towards the end of the night, when everyone was flagging.
And after my experience with the caterer I could appreciate just how good their food was – the waiters were excellent and it was a plated service. In other words they brought out full meals in courses served complete on plates rather than bringing out trays of food and having you serve yourself. I certainly wouldn't have noticed something like that five months ago.
And the entrées were amazing too. At one point I thought I was in danger of filling myself up on these delicious teriyaki-flavoured sausages that were being passed around.
Jess is half Spanish, so it was really useful for me to see how they handled the language split, especially when it came to the speeches.
In a Spanish wedding there are none – so it must be a bit of a strange thing for Spaniards to get their heads round.
In fact J asked the Spanish contingent of his eight best men if they would be into the idea of saying a few words and they all flatly refused.
Anyway, in our wedding there will be speeches (you can't have one without in my opinion!) so the problem is, how do you cope with the language thing?
The way Jess did it was to address some groups of people in Spanish, and some in English. So she spoke to her Spanish father and her friends from Malaga in their own language, and her British mother and London friends in English. Made much more sense than trying to translate the whole thing into both languages. Think I'm going to follow her lead.
One thing I learned is that the ones who really party, full steam ahead, are the parents who're out without their kids for the night. So I'd better watch out – there's going to be a few of those at our wedding!
The other is that I definitely need to get a pair of flats for later in the night. After a full day in what I thought were my comfortable heels I was absolutely crippled, doing 'The Living Dead' shuffle up the lane to the hotel at the end of the night.
All in all, it was a beautiful day, and I feel lucky I was able to celebrate it with them.
So wishing you all the best Jess and Mike – if my wedding is even half as special as yours I'll be over the moon.
***PS – That's me, directly to the right of the bride in the picture above, in case you're wondering!


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Car Deals
Truck Deals: October 2013
Today's most popular pickup trucks are available with incentives and special offers. We've demonstrated that by listing some of the best pickup truck deals available in October, incentives that include midsize workhorses and heavy-duty haulers.
Chevrolet Silverado
With the all-new 2014 Silverado now on sale, Chevrolet has some very strong offers available on the outgoing 2013 model. The best deal is a cash-back offer: On some trims, Chevrolet is offering up to $4,500 cash back, though most models are available with rates from $3,500 to $4,000 in cash back. Shoppers looking to finance can also get a deal, with Chevrolet touting 0 percent interest rates for up to 60 months. Those offers defy comparison to the 2014 model, which is available with just $1,000 cash back and rates from 2.9 percent for 60 months.
Find a Chevy Silverado for sale
Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is a highly popular full-size truck available in several body styles. In October, the 2013 F-150 is also available with a few incentives. The best offer might be for shoppers looking to pay with cash. Through the end of the month, Ford is offering up to $5,000 back -- a huge figure that most manufacturers reserve for their heavy-duty pickups. Finance customers aren't so lucky, as the best deal is 0.9 percent for 36 months or 1.9 percent for 48 months -- good numbers, but not the 0 percent deals some competitors offer.
Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier is one of the few midsize pickups still available on today's market. For drivers interested in financing a 2013 Frontier, Nissan is offering 0 percent interest for up to 36 months. Shoppers who would rather lease also get a good deal: $219 per month for 39 months after $2,999 down. That deal also includes up to $500 in option credits, essentially giving drivers a gift card to add options. Finally, those paying in full can get up to $2,200 cash back on all 2013 Frontier models.
Find a Nissan Frontier for sale
The full-size RAM 1500 pickup is a muscular truck recently renamed from its earlier Dodge RAM moniker. In October, shoppers can choose from several incentives on the truck. For those looking to finance, interest rates start at 0 percent for 72 months -- a deal that includes up to $1,750 cash back. For those who would rather pay with cash, RAM is offering up to $3,250 back on some upper-level trims, though we strongly recommend the long-term 0 percent finance offer, even if you were planning on paying with cash.
Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma is a midsize pickup that enjoys a reputation as one of the toughest trucks on the market. In October, Toyota is offering two incentives on the 2013 Tacoma. For drivers looking to lease, the Tacoma is offered with payments from $259 per month for 36 months after $2,658 down at lease signing. Those who would rather finance can also get a good deal on the 2013 Tacoma, as Toyota is offering 0 percent interest on all models for up to 36 months.
What it means to you: Today's best pickup truck deals are available on a wide variety of new trucks.


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In the past few years, graphic patterns have been appearing more and more on the fashion runways and in home decor. Like it or not, it's a design trend that's not going away. Watch out for bold geometric patterns to gain even more momentum in 2013. You'll find graphic patterns covering textiles, adorning furniture and shaping lighting. I'll be cheering for my fave, the honeycomb pattern!
Happy Friday!