The Critic

Total vanity move. Zero chance of winning anything.

I think they still have a lot of question marks: Will Soriano's leg ailment linger, and what do they do for a leadoff hitter if Soriano's leg is not sound and Brian Roberts is not acquired? Is Ryan Dempster a major-league starter any more, when he was barely passable as a starter many years and injuries ago? Will Fukudome adjust and flourish in the major leagues? Is Ryan Theriot more than a one-year wonder? Is Geovany Soto more than a half-year wonder? Who will assume the closer role? Is this the year Pie busts out, or just busts? If not Pie, then who? Fuld? They have a talented team, but they're not a lock for anything. Not even their division - the Brewers are similarly talented and similarly questionable. I'd give them a slight nod over Milwaukee, but they'll need a hot start to gain momentum and confidence.

We REALLY appreciate you posting on this board, Steve!!!

For the "just get in and anything can happen" crowd, whoever they may be: Here are the past 10 Stanley Cup champions and their regular season standing: Ducks 4th overall Hurricanes 4th Lightning 2nd Devils 4th Wings 1st Avalanche 1st Devils 4th Stars 1st Wings 3rd Wings 5th Only once in the last 20 seasons has a team finished lower than 7th in the league and won the Cup. (New Jersey in the work-stoppage season) Some teams have come close, but the better teams generally win the Stanley Cup. I heard this on the Blue Line hockey podcast and thought it was interesting - I had always felt that hockey had more "Cinderella stories", but I guess the story generally ends before the Finals end.

They can't even recap the game without the Hawks scoring!!! Toews passes to Williams, BANG it's in the back o' the net! 5-1 Hawks and Cloutier is gone! :headbang

Toews from an impossible angle, 4-1 Hawks!!!

QUOTE(JFields27 @ Feb 23, 2008 -> 03:51 PM) Hopefully we have a 2 goal lead going into the 3rd, but thats just my hopes. Havlat and Zyuzin score, there's your 2-goal lead.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 11:42 AM) And on the bright side, Contreras would have someone his own age to hang out with... "You ever been to the West Indies?" "Yeah, in the GOOD OLD DAYS, before they got all touristy...."

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 07:33 AM) We are trying to sign Columbus now? I am the only one who thinks he might be a little, well, old? Hey, as long as he can "discover" a 98MPH fastball, I say sign the old f***. "Now pitching for the White Sox...............number 1492.............Chrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiissssssssssssss Colummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmbussssssssss!!!!"

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 12:39 PM) Hockey outdoors and basketball outdoors are completely different though. wind isnt going to change a pucks direction so much that it completely misses the goal, snow isnt going to stop a hockey game, rain is going to stop an NBA game once the first drop hits. If it was a regular season game, i would care. It is preseason, so it really doesnt matter to me. They will play the game outdoors, realize it isnt as great as they thought, and move on But if you saw the hockey game, the snow was slowing/stopping the puck to the point where they did stop the game twice to clear the snow off the ice. The slower puck was making normally instinctive moves and anticipations go awry, which caused turnovers and scoring chances. I found it fascinating to watch. The rain issue you bring up is a legitimate concern, the wind would be merely a nuisance IMO. It can't be stressed strongly enough that it would be a preseason game, counting for nothing in the standings. It's a gimmick game, and I'd be interested to see it.

QUOTE(longshot7 @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 12:51 PM) don't worry - Flair is NOT wrestling Hogan. I know that - it's too close to Mania anyway. I just don't ever want to see The Man Of Less Than 10 Holds in the ring again.

QUOTE(Want2Repeat @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 07:22 AM) Crazy idea - Why not wait until we see everyone pitch in the spring, before rushing to judge the potential signing? Hopefully, four question marks = 3 decent/+ starters. I think there are 1 to 2 more moves to be made before day 1, with Crede likely being one of them. If we wait to comment until we see everyone pitch, shouldn't we keep waiting until we see who goes North? Then shouldn't we wait to see how the team starts off? Then shouldn't we wait to see if they can either keep the early lead or catch up to the leaders? I don't see the harm in idle speculation - this is a baseball message board, after all.

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 05:22 PM) My Dad saw Bill Haley And His Comets at his high school. That, to me, beats almost anybodies "I saw so and so" stories. OH YEAH???? Styx played my sister's high school for two bucks a head and NONE of us went to see them. SO THERE!!!!

It's a gimmick game in the preseason, who really cares? The Penguins and Sabres played a regular season game in a snowstorm and everyone thought it was great (because it was). This is a non-issue.

Any chance of Colon being used as long relief/spot starter if Floyd/Danks/Masset win the last 2 rotation spots? That could keep his innings down, keep him rested and lessen the strain on his arm. I wouldn't mind that at all if Bartolo has anything left in the tank.

This game could take a long time with all the after-whistle activities. Very chippy physical start.

QUOTE(juddling @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 06:40 PM) i agree....i was just saying that if we were gonna be forced to see Flair and Hogan....i'd like to see it go down that way instead of a draw,DQ, God (McMahon) forbid....a Hogan win..UGGH!!!!! No, no, Judd, my point was completely separate from yours. If Vince was ever dumb enough to throw Flair's last match away like that (wasting in on Hogan, I mean), Flair getting a clean submission win and then giving a promo for the ages (starting with "I know that since I won I can still go on, but I can't think of a better way to leave") would be the way to go. Problem is, Hollywood Has-been always insists on "creative control" and he wouldn't sign on to lose, because he wants "I RETIRED RIC FLAIR, BROTHERRRRR!" to go on his list of accomplishments.

Flair shouldn't have to carry a gimpy has-been around in his final match. Hogan is so f***ing delusional. Let him gather up Eric Bischoff, his favorite hyper chihuahua puppet Jimmy Hart, and every washed-up hack living under a bridge and they can all bleed red ink for a while. I know I've been dying for a Brian Knobbs vs Honky Tonk Man match for YEARS now. Barf.

Good God, Mayweather is horrid on the mic. I really dislike the celebrity matches, especially on The E's biggest night of the year. This whole Mayweather thing smells like Karl Malone in wCw.

Flair is the first confirmed Hall Of Fame inductee. No surprise there, and well-deserved. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

QUOTE(Brian @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 08:04 PM) I don't think it will be one on one. With Rey's arm screwed up, I bet the only way he gets to wrestle at WM is in a tag match. Rey/Mayweather vs. Show/? I'd like to see Show pin Mayweather. Everyone would expect the other way, a la LT/Bigelow Rumor is a tag match between Floyd/Rey and Show/Shane.

I played Little League All-Star games in Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park in the 70's.

QUOTE(Brian @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 07:23 PM) The Big Show segment was awesome last night. It looked like Mayweather accidently hit Show's nose with a punch but made it look cooler. Big Show lost a lot of weight and immediatley jumped out of the ring and ran after Mayweather. Pretty sweet. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it awesome, but Show looked good and the blood, accidental or not, lent some credibility to Floyd actually being able to damage Show. The bit went on a little long on both ends (buildup and aftermath), I thought, but it was effective enough. Whether or not anyone buys into the idea that Floyd can actually defeat Show, I don't know, but this should get the mainstream press Vince always seeks before Mania, and should draw a few buyrates out of curiosity.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 05:50 AM) from rajah.com WTF? Big Show got his face broken by Floyd Mayweather? Gets his face mangled in his shocking return??? Awesome!! Maybe it's a work so Show can wear a scary Kane mask!!

I went to Record Breakers to pick up my ticket to see the Anti-Nowhere League. I did some grocery shopping. I did dishes and laundry. I watched the Red Wings/Stars game. I got some stuff out of the garage to sort/donate/throw away. I farted around on the computer. So yeah, basically the same weekend as you, Tex.