The defense also needs a makeover because there are major problems in the defensive line and the secondary. They can't rush the passer and they have problems in coverage.

That explains why Tom Brady completed 26 of 28 passes in ousting them from the playoffs. The Jaguars couldn't put much heat on him and he was able to pick apart their secondary.

Williams will be facing a tough job - especially since Del Rio will be looking over his shoulder.

Del Rio has even more power now that Charles Bailey, who headed the pro scouting department, was fired. His duties were given to Gene Smith, who already was the chief college scout.

That means James "Shack'' Harris, the vice president of player personnel, will probably be outvoted by Del Rio and Smith in personnel moves.

And if Harris does object, Del Rio can go to owner Wayne Weaver, who'll probably back Del Rio because Del Rio turned out to be right when he cut quarterback Byron Leftwich, a move Harris opposed.

Test of three

Given that this Indian team is bent on charting its own course in the toughest of situations a contemporary cricket team will come across, and that in patches it has shown it has the mettle to do that, there is reason to be hopeful, of a strong fight at least. But before that, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team must sort out its internal dynamics in order to mount a successful challenge to the might and muscle of Australia.

Pace or spin?
It's often said that a captain spoilt for choice is a fortunate one. Strictly by definition then, the India captain is in that position. He can't make up his mind whether to play five bowlers in the first place and if five bowlers, then how many medium-pacers? "It's confusing," Dhoni said on Saturday. "We have to decide how many bowlers and if five, then see whether it's four-one or three-two (pace-spin).

VW-Area grid Stars announced

Matthew Antalis (DJ; TE); 10. Kyle Balliet (CV). OFFENSE (Honorable Mention): 1. Steve Sealscott (VW); 2. Aaron Schuerman (DJ; HB); 3. Tony Reindel (SJ; RB); 4. Thaison Leaser (VW); 5. Logan Royer (CV); 6. Joey Overmeyer (CV); 7. Seth Thomas (PA); 8. Mike Clement (SJ; WR); 9. Jordan Gibson (CV). SPECIAL TEAMS (First Team): 1. PAT Kicker: Matthew Antalis (DJ); 2. Kickoff Kicker: Jordan Thompson (PW); 3. Punting: Jordan Thompson (PW); 4. Field Goal Kickers: Jason Gordon (WT) and Matthew Antalis (DJ); 5. Kickoff Returners: Andrew Mott (PA), Tim Sanders (DJ) and Josh Fisher (PW); 6. Punt Returners: Tevin Hale (WT) and Aaron Schuerman (DJ). SPECIAL TEAMS (Honorable Mention): 1. Jordan Rode (SJ; K/P); 2. Jeremy Heiser (PW); 3. Bryce Ritchie (CV); 4. Cameron Owens (PA); 5. Jay Leininger (SJ; KR); 6.

Fire sale as credit crunch hits MFS

EMBATTLED Gold Coast tourism and funds management group MFS has started the fire sale of assets to stave off corporate collapse.

Former chief executive Michael King has gone to ground at his $20 million Elysian Fields Polo Estate near Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland as the group that liked to promote itself as a fast growing Queensland version of Macquarie Bank has unravelled.

Couple studies attitudes toward state's wolves

Today as many as 600 wolves roam the state, with packs as far south as the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin. Recently, a wolf was seen playing with a dog in Iowa County in southwestern Wisconsin.

And, for the most part, Treves added, wolf packs have existed side-by-side with humans with few problems. Though there has been predation on livestock, those incidents have been limited to fewer than one percent of the state 's wolves. Residents, the surveys show, favor compensation payments for farmers who lose livestock to wolves, although they are less in favor of paying bear hunters for the loss of hunting dogs to the wolves.

Big Zell Dis

P.S.: Strassel thinks that Giuliani and Romney are being so tough on immigration that they will be open in the general election to ads on "Spanish language TV ... which will point out how hard certain Republicans fought against the recent immigration reform." It seems to me there's at least as great a danger that Giuliani, by preserving his support for a mass semi-amnesty, will give Hillary Clinton an opportunity to get to his "right" on the issue in the general and win over, or at least neutralize, some normally-GOP voters (just as Bill Clinton succeeded by getting to George H.W. Bush's right on welfare). Hillary's made anti-illegal noises before, remember.... [Thanks to reader S.M.]

Alert reader R.M.

2007's organization of the year

But Monday, they hit the jackpot.