The Critic

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 14, 2011 -> 09:30 AM) I picked up two to Rise Against at the Aragon Ballroom. I will also probably be getting the weekend Lolla pass given Eminem and FF are going to be there. Bad Religion's playing with Rise Against - that's a really solid show.

Fedor and Arlovski, both probably done for good.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Feb 11, 2011 -> 05:01 PM) Former White Sox manager too, for that matter. RIP. That's how I'll always remember him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 7, 2011 -> 03:35 PM) The Packers actually have 1 thing that puts them at a lot of risk. Here is, according to ESPN, the values under contract for 2011 for various teams. As noted from where I stole this data, the cap in 2009 was at $130 million. If the owners succeed in forcing cap reductions on the Union, the Packers could be in a position where they have no choice but to make cuts, just in order to sign this year's draft class. Even beyond that, they're not in a position to be able to make long-term commitments right now, to add to that team or to extend guys they need to keep. Kind of sounds like the other recent championship team I follow.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 7, 2011 -> 09:50 AM) Wow, I have no idea what Bears fans you are near, but every friend of mine was realistic and totally avoided talking trash based on the 2011 team. I take solace knowing that you aren't actually enjoying the Packers' victory and are still obsessed with the Bears. I'd say about 60% of the Bears fans I know were realistic about the Bears' team this year and complimentary about the job the Packers had done. The others were the idiots using infantile names like "the Peckers" and saying they wanted the Packers to beat the Eagles and Falcons because then it would be easy for the Bears to get to the Super Bowl. I'm happy as hell that the Packers won the whole thing (it sure didn't seem like even a possibility about halfway through the season), but a small part of my happiness is seeing the imbeciles having to try to deal with it. Crap like "Yeah, but they still suck!!!" "If the Bears had tried at all in week 17, they wouldn't even have made the playoffs!!!" and other such nonsense does add to the satisfaction a bit. It doesn't make me obsessed, it just means getting the last laugh for this season.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Feb 7, 2011 -> 09:51 AM) when will this ridiculous hyperbole about the QBs stop? do people seriously not realize that the inflation of the numbers of todays QBs (due to the NFL year after year after year tailoring the rules toward the passing game) rivlas, if not exceeds the inflation of the baseball numbers due to the steroid era?? Look, Rodgers had a damn fine performance. Hes one of the top Qbs in the league right now, if not the best. I'll grant him all that. But these ridiculous assertions about historical contexts of what he did need to stop, because its simply a different game today than it was 20, even 10 years ago. That kind of hyperbole isn't going away any time soon. It seems like every time a great play is made, someone's going to say "THAT MAY JUST BE THE GREATEST [GOAL/SHOT/PITCH/HIT/PLAY] I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!" When the Miami Heat signed James and Bosh, talk immediately started about their chances to eclipse the Bulls' 72-10 season. It's only after the hyperbole wanes a little that some sports talkers start trying to put things in perspective at all.

Here's an update on Skip Sheffield from Lords of Pain - interesting that they refer to him as a "former Nexus member": Former Nexus member Skip Sheffield had to undergo a second operation a few weeks ago, this time for a trapped nerve in the leg that was originally injured. This had gone unnoticed and was causing some severe complications in Sheffield's rehabilitation process. He is now off crutches and has started on the advanced stages of his rehab process. There is no set timetable for his return.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Feb 5, 2011 -> 02:42 AM) And broke his face. Dude is gonna miss 4-6 weeks with facial fractures from that one punch. DiPietro is made of fine china. Breathe on him wrong and he's gone for 4-6 weeks.

I agree with all of that, but as I've said before: If Taker wins at Mania, he's the '72 Dolphins If he loses, he's the '07-'08 Patriots A DVD retrospective about the 19-1 Undertaker doesn't have the same appeal.

cheapest I see on Stubhub is 2200 bucks.

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 1, 2011 -> 06:52 PM) A Sting/Taker mania match would be ok to me I wouldn't do it at Mania. Taker ain't losing at Mania and it seems silly to have the long-awaited Sting's first match be a high-profile loss. I'd feed Barrett to Taker at Mania and then work a Sting/Taker short-term program after that.

It was a huge mistake for Dye to refuse the offers last year (IIRC the Cubs and Brewers had each offered 3 million). You can't show people you're not done from your sofa. Giving away that year, especially after the September he had in '09, just made it easier for everyone to write him off. It's a damn shame. Dye was one of the main reasons the Sox won in '05 and one of my favorites to wear the Sox uniform, but if he wants to show he's still got something in the tank it's going to have to be a minor-league deal/spring training invite.

QUOTE (Cali @ Jan 27, 2011 -> 02:18 PM) As a big punk fan, I would assume you HATE this song haha. I'm barely a punk fan and that song annoys me. I have a few buddies who are big Social D fans, and I give them s*** saying that their live shows are playing "Story of My Life" 15 times since it's their only song haha Nah, it's okay. A little corny, but whenever it pops up the melody stays in my head for a while. For me, SD's high point is White Light, White Heat, White Trash. IMO they've never done anything even close to that disc before or since.

Husky Harris = Adrian Adonis 2011.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 29, 2011 -> 06:30 PM) Pretty much. Heads or Wite will win the best drunk poster award [though I clearly deserved it over both of them for '09]. Critic will win the funniest award. Fathom will probably win the pessimist award [though I'm sure I'll get plenty of votes for this one]. Kalapse will win poster of the year. There's not a whole lot of drama with Soxtalk awards. I'll say this right now - if I win the funniest award this year, I will demand a recount. I've been about as funny as a tax return this year.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 29, 2011 -> 08:39 PM) I always order the Rumble and Mania every, even if like this year, I'm not all that excited about it. I hope the show surprises you and is an enjoyable card, but yeah, it's pretty lackluster this year.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 07:04 AM) Yep safe to say the Jet Flying, Limousine Riding son of a gun has lived that lifestyle a bit too much. WOOOOOOO. Hope Del Rio wins the Rumble, and that leads to an Edge vs Del Rio WM main event. Barrett vs Undertaker seems certain to happen as well. Yep, that Ex-wife Havin', Alimony Payin', 401K Blowin', Money Needin' son of a gun needs to check himself so he can keep his job. I think Del Rio vs Edge is a good bet - I don't think it's Ziggler's time yet. I hate to say it, but I hope Taker's done after he reaches 20-0 at Mania. It's getting sad to see him struggling and taking tons of time off to heal up. I hope Miz retains, but I have a bad feeling.

QUOTE (T R U @ Jan 28, 2011 -> 12:09 AM) haha yeah I heard he snapped recently and left the TNA tour Yeah, from what I read he demanded a pay advance, was denied, refused to get on the bus or plane (I read two reports, can't remember which was the latest one) in Ireland and was left behind. He did catch up with them and apologized, so he's back on the tour.

Once upon a time, Ric Flair was arguably the best talker in wrestling. In 2011 he's one of the worst. Sad is what it is.

Social Distortion - Story of My Life The Wildhearts - Mindslide AC/DC - Touch Too Much Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio Green Day - One of My Lies Anti-Nowhere League - Streets of London The Eagles - In The City Machine Head - Davidian Land of the El Caminos - White Noise Pegboy - Hardlight

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 26, 2011 -> 12:43 PM) Bill Brasky TO BILLLLLL BRASSSSSSKYYYY!!!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 24, 2011 -> 09:25 AM) But the contradiction is built into your post. None of the Bears receivers make plays for Cutler, but they never really get the chance to do so because the QB isn't protected. It'd be great to fix both, but if you can't...which one do you do? I don't know the answer to that. I think you have to fix the line first. Any more time a QB has to see the field and how plays are developing makes him and the receivers more effective.

Steve posted this in the wrestling thread for some reason: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more....html?eref=sihp I was going to post a link to Hulk Hogan's latest back surgery here as retaliation, but decided not to....

QUOTE (T R U @ Jan 17, 2011 -> 11:07 PM) man that mason ryan guy is like a batista clone Vince loves his HOSSES. But Punk's Nexus needed a bigger guy, I suppose, especially after Barrett's got Ezekiel.