The Critic

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 01:51 PM) Is longevity what makes a band great? ....didn't work for Dylan.... AY'M YOOST KEEEEDEEEEENG!!!!

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 11:21 AM) Some of the time, but he also likes some crap. Oh, I ain't the ONLY one likin' some crap! I got a SPINDLE full of burnt CD-R's to prove that! QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 11:13 AM) you know, I was just thinking, TC has pretty decent taste in music. Hmmmm.... ....now the crystal ball says "ALMOST everything".

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 11:03 AM) Look in your crystal ball again and tell me what else I'm wrong about. Hmmmm..... ...it says "everything".

Bubba Dudley is losing his mind! He's so jealous of the fans' love for LAX that he jumped the rail after their "Belting Pot Match" (God, what a stupid name for a gimmick match) and accosted several LAX fans in the 5th row. Hey, Brother Bubba, it's not LAX's fault that you've gone as completely stale on the mic as you've been in the ring for years now. It's not LAX's fault that a pale, weakened Konnan can give a better promo than you (and I've never been a big fan of Konnan's promos, but he's been real good lately). It's not LAX's fault that your best days came in ECW, when you could say literally anything you wanted to because almost no one was watching. Worry less about the face pops your "heel" opponents are getting, and worry more about why that is. OHHHH MAH BRUTHA.....TESTIFYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyy!!!!!

QUOTE(scenario @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 09:58 PM) 4th best player on the team in 1969??? Give me a break. I was 11 years old and REALLY into baseball that year. Santo was the star of that team. Look at the stats if you need confirmation of that. Lead the team in homeruns, rbi's, OBP, slugging... he WAS the reason the Cubs made a run in '69 Stats for the '69 Cubs on baseballreference.com - http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1969.shtml He did have the best statistical season of any Cub in 1969, that's true. I should probably have been more specific in saying that he was the 4th best player on that team in that era, not that singular season. Banks, Williams and Jenkins all had better overall careers than Santo in my opinion. And as much credit as he deserves for his offensive stats, he deserves equal amounts of blame for his whining, complaining, showboating and his locker-room burial of Don Young. Quite the teammate..... I just think the guy is a bitter, humorless man, and it's REAL hard for me to root for a guy like that, especially when he's propped up to be this lovable, sympathetic teddy bear figure that he clearly is not.

I'm bummed about Karl Stewart being traded. I liked watching him play the game. Hell, I'll probably get more chances to watch him play with Tampa than the Hawks, now that I think about it.

QUOTE(Beltin @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 10:23 AM) Can we make a SoxTalk rule that all offseason threads must be started by StatManDu? Clearly the most entertaining and thought-provoking threads in some time here on SoxTalk. Your facts and scouting reports are helping us all prepare for the regular season and feeding the passions of baseball/whitesox junkies. Much better than speculative polls over who will start opening day and debating trades over and over again. Thanks. ....ahhhh, get a room....

Dammit, I thought that VH1 was doing a reality show on Erstad!! Breaking Bonaduce Shooting Sizemore Analyzing Erstad

QUOTE(juddling @ Feb 26, 2007 -> 08:04 AM) Just a note for a Monday.....Ric Flair turns 58 today. Ric Flair...this is for you.... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! He's a wheelchair-ridin', Depends-wearin', Denny's-eatin', Matlock-watchin' titty-saggin' son of a gun!!! All the ladies want to ride Space Mountain....but the rails are rusted through, a few bolts fell out, and the power doesn't always run regularly anymore! Whether you like it - or don't like it - try not to pity it, cuz it's the saddest thing goin' today!

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 08:45 AM) The Bears ownership isn't exactly looking stellar these days. I could also throw in the Raiders, Lions, Nationals, Knicks and Pirates off of the top of my head. I'd go with the Lions as a good comparison to the Hawks. No championships in forever, bizarre loyalty to inept management (Pulford/Millen) and a dwindling, embarrassed fanbase.

QUOTE(Beltin @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 10:34 AM) Thanks. We obviously are all fairly anonymous on this site but too often I hear people in their mid-30s to younger who only have the paper statistics to argue Santo's behalf. I get tired of people beating up on the veterans committee for not being more lenient. It seems that if a player could not make it within the eligibility period, then he should have a fairly small grace period to be reviewed by his peers. I know the press falls in love with some players on the big stage sometimes and neglects the stars who never made it the the world series. However, Santo seems to have had plenty of media attention during his playing days. If the press and his peers have not elected him by now, there is probably good reason. My dad saw him play and said he was a good third baseman, similar to a Robin Ventura in the field. He also said he hit a lot of his HR when the pressure was off and he remembers Ronnie going down on strikes with the game on the line a lot. My dad is not a biased Sox fan and watched both teams for years. He scoffs at people comparing Santo's fielding to Brooks Robinson because of the similarity in the paper numbers. The fact that Santo continues to lobby on his own behalf also is troubling to me. If you need to argue your own case so passionately like Santo does, then maybe there is a reason you have not made it on your credentials. Your dad is on the money regarding Santo. He was a very good ballplayer, but Brooks got more notoriety because he did his thing on the larger stage. Blame the Cubs for not getting to the playoffs if you'd like, but them's the breaks. Santo was an umpire baiter, his heel-clicking and hollering was not well-received by his peers, he held grudges against teammates, and therefore was not well-liked by teammates, opposing players or umpires. It can't be that everyone else was wrong and he was a wonderful person, could it? Doubtful. The only benefit to his making the Hall is that we'd be spared the annual hand-wringing by the Cub propaganda machine about it. That alone might make it worthwhile to give him his jacket, let him cry onstage for an hour or so at the inductions, and be done with it. He's a borderline candidate, and if he gets in so be it. I really don't care either way.

QUOTE(Beltin @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 09:12 AM) I am not trying to be condescending, but how many of you actually saw Santo play in his prime or even at the end of his career? I was 6 years old and WAY into baseball in 1969, so I saw a fair amount of "Primo Santo". He was a very good ballplayer, but probably only the 4th best player on that team. Banks, Williams, and Jenkins were all definitely better.

Santo and Allen both played 15 seasons. Here are some of their numbers: AVG: Santo .277 Allen .292 HR Santo 342 Allen 351 RBI Santo 1331 Allen 1119 Stolen Bases Santo 35 Allen 133 Fielding % Santo .954 Allen .975 (but only .927 as a 3B) Comparing these numbers, I must come to the only logical conclusion - Dick Allen is a more worthy HOF candidate than Ron Santo. Of course, my conclusion has NOTHING AT ALL to do with the fact that Dick Allen is probably my all-time favorite White Sox player.....

QUOTE(chiguy79 @ Feb 26, 2007 -> 01:47 PM) that is correct you are row #1! Let me try that again, I have confirmed with the sox that the rows have been renumbered you are in the front row! NOW all I have to do is try not to become one of those guys who goes over the rail trying to grab a foul ball and exposes 96% of his asscrack!

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 26, 2007 -> 05:21 AM) Valley Girl = One of the greatest films ever made. But that was before there was a typical "Nick Cage" style. It's pretty much the only movie I like him in. Con Air is one of the worst movies I love. Awful, stupid and irresistable.

QUOTE(Shadows @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 11:36 PM) I just don't get why every single match has to be a gimmick match Because Russo has zero imagination and they're too stupid to give Cornette the book. MAYBE if Heyman becomes available, something decent might happen. I'm just hoping this downturn they've taken recently rights itself - TNA was becoming consistently pretty good for a while there.

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 08:57 PM) I put the dog out, she freaked out and came running back in. She then decided to go back out 10 minutes later. When she went back out that second time, there was absolutely mo trace of her having been out there the first time. It's getting more serious here now. Ice mixing with the snow, glazing the streets. I'm more concerned for the Mrs. now. I'm hoping the weather kept a fair amount of people in the house tonight.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 07:07 PM) Oh don't get me wrong I don't go there to start trouble. All the trash-talking is between me and my Cub fan friends. Nothing serious. But seeing that I live five minutes away, you don't realize what a kick it is to see Wrigleyville overrun with people in Sox jerseys. LOL. You may even recall that last year I swear it was almost even between Cubs and Sox fans at the game. I guess what I'm saying is it's so FOREIGN to watch your team playing in a different stadium. Not unlike a road game, but with tons of Sox fans everywhere. Yes, it's meaningless but it's fun. It's a tradition. To your point about going to a Cubs game, yeah, when I go (rarely unless it's bleachers) I'm not a jerk. I just enjoy the day and clap politely for the Cubs. I just wear a Sox t-shirt underneath whatever I'm wearing. That's cool, then. I just don't get as into the Sox/Cubs thing as some folks do. I've been to a few crosstown games and it just seems that too many people take it too seriously.

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 08:09 PM) Good luck to the lady also! Yup, looking out my window...we have a fulll fledged blizzard out there! We don't have as much out my way, but it is accumulating a bit, even on the street now.

.....And now we have every goon's excuse for cheap-shotting someone in hockey! "Hey, he looked like maybe he had a brain tumor, eh? I was only trying to save his life, right?"

To be fair, he was only saying what his wife told him to say.... Doug Doug's wife

QUOTE(Brian @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 07:04 PM) I will not let this thread drop to page 2. I was about to bump it by saying that last Thursday's iMpact! was the weakest one I've seen in a couple months. Steiner does nothing for me, VKM sucks, they are indeed removing James Mitchell from the Sting/Abyss storyline, at least for now - which is a bad decision in my opinion - and the main event was weak. EDITED to add that bringing that Sopranos actor into the Dudleyz/LAX feud is stupid. That takes most of the heat off the feud for me. It was actually fairly entertaining until TNA decided to follow yet ANOTHER failed tactic of wCw. Maybe Karl Malone or Dennis Rodman can be a distant relative of D-Von's next? ...ugh...

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 07:26 PM) Normally I would agree with that. But in my case my wife is a nurse and works every other weekend. She works a 1/2 hour from home and won't be leaving work until midnight. It's a long, desolate drive back home. I called her and told her she might want to stay at a hotel tonight. Good luck to the Mrs. for her drive home, Kid! My wife's out there tonight, too - she gets off work at 9:30, and she promised her sister she'd stop by her house to bring in her mail and feed her cat. I'm a LITTLE concerned, but not too much right now.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 01:43 PM) Guys, guys. I don't mind sitting in the sun at Wrigley on a nice day. The new bleachers are actually pretty nice. But rest assured, there is NOTHING more fun than going to Cubs/Sox at Wrigley, wearing a Sox jersey and talking trash for nine innings. Love it. Going into enemy territory wearing Sox colors--ahh that is what life is all about. The other great thing is seeing all the other Sox fans milling about, at the bars, before and after. Hopefully we'll kick their asses again this year. Give me a meaningful division game over a Sox/Cubs game every single time. I have no interest in baiting Cubs fans into arguments over 6 relatively meaningless games every year. The teams end up splitting the series most years anyway, so it's even more pointless. When I go to Wrigley with my wife or my Cub fan work friend, I don't care who they're playing. I just go to spend time at a ballgame with people I like.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Feb 24, 2007 -> 06:04 PM) That's a joke. The Wolves are filled with scrubs who can't crack an NHL roster... the Blackhawks would beat them at a man disadvantage for an entire game handily... I'm not saying the Hawks are good, they aren't... but the Wolves are AHL for a reason, and those scrubs suck huge balls combared to NHLers, even the worst of them. Yeah, make no mistake about it - the worst team in NHL would beat the best AHL team in a 7-game series 99% of the time. (The other 1% would be a fluke)