5. I think if I could sum up the Vikings camp in one word, it would be "reinvigorated." When Randy Moss was there, his mood, whatever it was, often determined the mood of that camp. Now, things are exciting and optimistic. Daunte Culpepper is always a look-on-the-bright-side type, but he was extremely optimistic when we spoke on Friday. "We might be more explosive this year," he said. "I could spread it to five guys on any play. Who will you concentrate on?" Well, OK. That's assuming Nate Burleson can be a deep threat. Or rookie wideout Troy Williamson. They will miss Moss for three hours on Sunday, and some days they'll miss him quite a bit. But I'm with Culpepper. Moss on Oakland is addition by subtraction.

6. I think Donovan McNabb really dislikes Owens. I think it borders on hate. McNabb is a team leader in a team sport. Owens is a boxer, a loner, in a team sport. I am not an I-told-you-so guy, but I must say that 52 weeks ago, in Eagles camp, I told more than one coach and player: "The honeymoon is wonderful now, and he may really have changed. But just wait till there's some adversity. Then judge Terrell Owens." I never thought you'd be able to define "adversity" as "unhappiness at making $21 million for the first three years of a contract."

7. I think one of the big topics in NFL camps has been Rafael Palmeiro. Rightfully so. My take is this is the best thing that could have happened to the baseball drug policy. All those bashing the policy still, for whatever reason (it's not tough enough, it's not catching guys) need to understand that in any sea-change policy, you've got to take baby steps first. Major League Baseball said it was going to implement a policy designed to catch cheaters, and though the horse may be out of the barn because of the insane home-run records set by puffed-up heroes a few year ago, baseball has shown its program is serious by catching a big star.

A side note: In 1988, when I worked for Newsday, I was dispatched to Seoul to cover the summer Olympics. I was the general assignment guy, and when Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won the 100 meters and tested positive for steroids after the race, I was assigned to cover the story. I interviewed the doping-center doctor who took the sample of Johnson's urine. I remember how the doctor portrayed Johnson's reaction when he found out Stanazolol was on the list of banned substance. Of course it's on the list. It's a big-time steroid. The doc told me Johnson was very nervous and irritable, the kind of reaction you'd see in a guy who knew his goose was cooked. And I wondered about Palmeiro: Here's a guy who reportedly took Stanazolol and thought he could get away with it. How is that possible? How could Palmeiro be so dumb or so smug?

8. I think if you watched any of the Packers-Bills scrimmage from Green Bay the other night on the NFL Network, the easy thing to do would be to say that Green Bay's offense looked leaky because it's still meshing with two new guards and because it's only preseason. But that, to me, was a worrisome display. The Bills looked like jail-breakers when the first teams were on the field.

9. I think it sounds like there could be a thaw when NFL owners meet in Chicago in the coming days, trying to figure a way to end the intra-ownership stalemate over how to divide the revenue that currently isn't shared by NFL clubs. With the difference between the highest-revenue team and the lowest, now about $100 million, Paul Tagliabue, rightfully, is trying to narrow the gap between a team like Washington at the high end and Arizona at the low end. That negotiation has to finish before owners make a deal with the players on a new collective bargaining agreement.

10. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:

a. One note for the highway-sign people of the Twin Cities: It does no good on interstate signs, instead of "INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT," to put "LINDBERGH TERMINAL" or "HUMPHREY TERMINAL" at different exits. That stumps me every time in Minneapolis. One of those, and I don't know which one, is the main terminal. Why not just put "MAIN TERMINAL" on the interstate signs instead of making us guess?

b. I demand to know who in the Red Sox organization Kevin Millar has Polaroids of.

c. If you are in a hotel with Hermes soap in the bathroom, as I was over the weekend, just know you will spend the weekend smelling like a French madame.

d. Coffeenerdness: I'm starting to think Caribou Coffee is just fine, in part because I'm starting to like the lattes with two percent milk.

It's revolutionary for me, I know, but I'm hoping to be able to phase out the whole milk lattes by the fall. No guarantees, but I'm hopeful.

e. Who in the world is this Zach Duke kid?

f. I have never flown into or out of Denver smoothly.

g. Thank the Lord for the Kansas City Royals.

h. I leave you with this, all you pro and con Red Sox people: On Friday, at training camp in Mankato, Minn., Vikings tight end (and East Boston native) Jermaine Wiggins was cooling off after practice in a vat of ice water. He knows I follow the Red Sox. It's different with him.

"I'm a third-generation Red Sox fan," he said. "It was passed down to me by my grandfather. He taught me well. He told me everything about the greatest hitter of all time, Teddy Ballgame. We've got the day off Sunday, and I'll be in the first row behind the dugout at the 'Dome, cheering my boys on. [Sox 11, Twins 7, at the Metrodome on Sunday. Mike Tice gave the Vikes Sunday off.] I'll have my Yaz jersey on, and I'll be loud."

And let's just say Wiggins and the tub-occupier next to him, former Padres minor leaguer Mewelde Moore, were both adamant that the Red Sox shouldn't trade Manny Ramirez. I am not so adamant. In fact, I favor it come the offseason.