Just in case you haven't heard or forgot to update your calendar, today brings about the first preseason game of the year for the Wizards (you can see the whole schedule here).  As we gear up for month of games that are ultimately meaningless, here's what I'll be looking for, in no particular order:

• The Young and the restless: After a disappointing performance in Vegas, by all accounts he seemed to do well last week in training camp.  Can he build on his play from last week or will he struggle again once the lights go on?
  
• EuroTrip: Next week, the Wiz play two games in Europe against the Hornets.  Besides being a great chance to see Brendan Haywood's reaction to German cuisine (fingers crossed) this trip provides a great opportunity for the team to bond togethter this preseason.  If you don't believe me, just ask the Celtics, who made the same trip last season:

"It’s a lot different. Actually, I was on my way to the airport right after the last game of the season last year. That’s a true story," [Paul Pierce] says. "You assume it’s gonna be a great team but usually teams have turmoil or have to have team meetings or something, but we didn’t really have that. This season has been great from day one. It all started in Rome."

Rome, Italy. A city of worldwide historical significance and a city referenced by several of the guys when asked why things coalesced so seamlessly for this team. The Celtics were there for training camp and a preseason game against Toronto as part of the NBA’s never-ending acceleration to global acceptance. Doc put the hammer down and banned cell phones. Dudes had to talk to each other. And they did.

"I don’t think we would have been a 66-win team without that trip to Rome," Pierce continues. "We would have been good. I can’t put a number on it, but not 66 wins good. That trip really brought us together. It just had to happen. The team really got together. This team was built with all these new players and we needed to get together to see how we wanted to be…what we were gonna do this season and how we’re gonna approach the season. It brought us a lot closer."

Just a thought Eddie.  Anyways...

• What can Brown do for you? You have to think that Eddie Jordan is going to do what he can to keep Antonio Daniels minutes low because he knows he's going to need a lot out of the 33 year old early in the season with Gilbert Arenas out.  That means this preseason will effectively work as an extended tryout for Dee.  We'll get to see a lot of the Brown's "Chicago Toughness" and get a good feel for what he can and can't do before the season starts.  How he performs this month will be huge in determining the rotation both before and after Gilbert returns.
• Stunning results: Preseason rotations = More time for backups = Taser Time.
• The battle for the end of the bench: Currently, the Wizards have 18 players on the roster and they only plan on sending 15 over to Spain and Europe next week.  Gilbert won't be taking that trip, so that leavs 17 players to fight for those 15 seats.  Of those 17, 12 have guaranteed contracts, so they won't be going anywhere and of the 5 remaining, Dee Brown and Juan Dixon both have partially guaranteed contracts, so barring a free fall, they'll be on the plane.  That leaves DerMarr Johnson, Linton Johnson, and Taj McCullough to battle for that final spot.  However, winning the spot on the trip to Europe doesn't guarantee a spot on the roster for good, because Gilbert will still take up a spot on the roster that he won't take on the plane, so whoever makes it on the plane would still have to outplay either Brown or Dixon to earn that last spot on the team.  Right now, my bet would be on DerMarr heading to Europe for the two games against New Orleans but getting dropped before the regular season, but the preseason can be a wacky, wacky time.
• Acts of random violence: Don't hurt 'em Caron!

Every year Jeff Clark, the brains behind CelticsBlog, rounds up bloggers from each team to do previews for their respective teams for the upcoming season.  If you read the site last year, you may remember our 1,924 word, 8 video offering.  You'll be able to read this year's preview later on in the month.  Until then, enjoy the first batch of previews, covering the Atlantic Division.

Boston Celtics
Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com    
Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon      
FLCeltsFan: LOY's Place
John Karalis: Red's Army
Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7

New Jersey Nets
Dennis Velasco: About Basketball

New York Knicks
Joey: Straight Bangin'
Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting

Philadelphia 76ers
Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM
Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride

Toronto Raptors
Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com
Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict
Cuzzy: Cuzoogle

Just in case you weren't sure, what you saw today was exceedingly rare.  The Colts became only the second team in NFL history to come back from a 17 point deficit or greater with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter to go on to win the game.  The other team to pull off the feat?  The Indianapolis Colts, of course (Random fact: the second comeback came on the eve of the 5th anniversary of the first comeback).

Considering that we are experts in the field of epic comebacks, I come to you, Colts nation, with the question of which comeback you found more impressive.  Before you vote, consider the following:

• James Mungro, Marvin Harrison, and Ricky Williams (not the famous one Sticky Ricky) scored the 3 TDs vs. Tampa.  Tom Santi, Gary Brackett, and Reggie Wayne scored the 3 TDs vs. Houston.
• The '03 comeback was aided by a 90 yard kick return by Brad Pyatt to set up the first TD and an onside kick recovery by Idrees Bashir to help set up the second.
• The '08 comeback was aided by 2 (2!) fumble recoveries, one which was returned for a TD.
• Tampa finished 4th in defense in 2003, Houston is currently 30th.
• Total time used and yards covered for the 3 TDs scored to tie the Tampa game: 155 yards in 3:46 (The Colts also had a 14 play, 76 yard drive that took 6:36 to set-up the winning field goal in OT). 
  
• Total time used and yards covered for the 3 TDs scored to win the Houston game: 178 yards in 5:14.
• The Houston comeback was completed with 1:54 left in the game, the Tampa game was tied with 0:35 to go.

You may remember that title phrase from a quote from Eddie Jordan this week during training camp, when he said this about Dee Brown:

Eddie Jordan is becoming a big Dee Brown fan. Loves Brown's quickness, energy, "Chicago toughness" and defensive pressure. This could be Brown's real opportunity. When Eddie trusts a player, that player plays.

But what does Chicago toughness really mean?  As someone that's never been to Chicago, I can't really say, but I can take a look at the players to come out of the Windy City and draw some assumptions about "Chicago toughness" from the things that all the players have in common.  Here are all the players in the NBA that were born in Chicago:

• Sean May
• Bobby Simmons
• Awvee Storey
  
• Tony Allen
• Dwyane Wade
  
• Justin Williams
• Quentin Richardson
• Juwan Howard
• Steven Hunter
• Nazr Mohammed
• Jason Maxiell
• Luther Head
• Shawn Marion
• Antoine Walker
• Derrick Rose

I think you could say just about every player on that list exhibits toughness in one way or another (except Antoine Walker), whether it's having the cojones to take the big shot, or taking on the role of a gritty, defensive stopper.  Growing up watching the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, they learned from two of the best what it means to be tough.  But as you look further back, you'll see that "Chicago Toughness" isn't something that's just started with the current generation.  Here are some other players from NBA history that called Chicago home:

• Isiah Thomas
• Mark Aguirre
• Nick Anderson
• Mateen Cleaves
• Tim Hardaway
• Hersey Hawkins
• Doc Rivers
• Terry Cummings
• Maurice Cheeks

Not a soft player anywhere on that list.  Clearly, Eddie was paying Dee a high compliment when he raved about the tougness that's been exhibited by many of the players to come out of his hometown.  Will that toughness manifest itself in productiivity this season?  No one's really sure, but the pedigree of Chicago tough players to go before him, certainly bodes well for his future.

Hopefully someday Wisconsin will become a basketball hotbed, so we can coin the term "Racine Tough(Juice)ness."

In life there are people who have been blessed with great names, but sports are the only place where you can become more well liked because your name sounds cool.  Admit it, there are players you root for just because you like their name rolls off your tounge.  You know this conversation has happened at least once in your life:

You: Oh, James Thrash just made that catch!  I love that guy!

Your friend: Why do you like James Thrash?

You: To be honest, I'm not really sure.

Your friend: Is it because of his receiving skills?

You: Uh, not really.

Your friend: Is it because you like the Redskins?

You: Yeah, definitely not.

Your friend: Is it because you're in to thrash music?

You: Nah.

Your friend: Do you just like him because a guy with the last name of Thrash sounds cool?

You: THAT'S IT!

With that in mind, here are the best named Colts players (from Indy & Baltimore) at each position together with some random commentary which may or may not be factual.

QB - Cotton Davidson: If Cotton Davidson isn't the name of at least 3 used car dealers in the state of Texas, I'll be shocked.

RB - Roger Murdock Karim Abdul-Jabbar: Perhaps the only thing less successful than his 1 carry for -2 yards stint in Indy was his original name, Shannon Shah.  At least we have great memories from his appearance on Airplane:

FB - Luuuuuuke Lawton: It might sound like a plain Jane kind of name, but it soundsed soooooo much better when 60,000 strong shouted it out.

WR - Matt Bouza: Like Luuuuuuuke Lawton, Matt Bouuuuuuuuuuuuza is another great crowd name.  However, it's probably not a name that you want to attach to a business.  Would you buy tools from Bouza Hardware?  Would you get your car fixed at Bouza Automotive?  Would you even consider eating at Bouza Steak & Shrimp?  Doubt it.

TE - Pat Beach: According to his Wikipedia page, he owns a dive shop.  So there's a very good chance it's named Beach Dive Shop.  The only thing that would be more bizarre than this is if Albert Bentley owned a luxury car dealership.

OL - Forrest Blue: This is what happens when your parents work at a Crayola factory.

DL - Booger McFarland: You know with a nickname like Booger, there has to be some bizarre, childhood story attached to it.  While I'm intrigued to find out what the story is, I get the feeling that it's something I'd regret knowing once I found out.

LB - Buzz Nutter: In fairness, like Booger McFarland, Buzz isn't Nutter's actual first name, so we can't put this one on his parents.  But if you were Buzz, wouldn't you be doing all you could to keep people from calling you calling you Buzz?  Buzz Nutter sounds like some bad tasting energy cookie.

DB - Melvin Bullitt: No explanation needed.

K - Dean Biasucci: Biasucci is such a great last name that I'm considering changing my last name to it.  Jake Biasucci has a nice ring to it.  Better yet, people could call me "The Sooch."  I could get used to a nickname like that.  It sure beats Buzz Nutter.

P -  Rohn Stark: It's a shame he ended up being a punter.  With a name like Rohn Stark, I bet he could've been an awesome Finnish rock star.

Special Mention - Joe Don Looney:  Note to all you future parents out there: Don't give your child two first names and an adjective for a name.  It's not fair to your chirld, and it's not fair to society.