The Critic

At least as far as the child tax credit goes, it wasn't so much a refund as it was "front money" against next year's returns. Tax credit was increased from $600 per child to $1000 for next year's returns, but since they sent out $400 checks per child, you can still only deduct 600 bucks next year per child. Just a matter of "when do you want it", I guess...

They supposedly asked the Padres about getting Beck back again......... And to answer the question about how you can overuse your starters AND your bullpen, if your starters throw 100+ pitches in 6 innings ( which the Cub starters have done A LOT this year ), then you still have 3 innings to fill, and Dusty Baylor loves to use all his pitchers when one or two would have done the job.

to feed RPS and Guido the vodka, of course!!!

I think JM should also be criticized for changing the Thursday starter twice, three times if you include "undecided". He could also be criticized for talking about a "contingency plan". If it's not MB's turn, then he should not even have been considered for Thursday's start. My complaint was ( and is ), if you lead me to think there is a choice between a veteran who has had ML success or a rook with control problems to pitch against the best team in the AL, I want the veteran. If that choice is not implied, I have no complaint. And since it's done and gone, here's my final thought on the subject: While it's true that MB MAY have fared no better, and while he did the right thing by sticking up for the kid in the papers, I would ALWAYS prefer to throw my veteran against a better team and take my chances with a youngster against a lesser team, no matter how my team has done against the lesser team that year. But that's just my thinking....doesn't necessarily make me right.

They signed Nichol for two reasons: 1. The Lackhawks are obsessed with fourth-line players - they want them on ALL four lines! 2. They didn't think they were going to have either of Ruutu's nuts on the roster this year, so they had a sign SOMEONE.

I think so too, now that Cotts is out of there. I just don't like giving the impression of handing a game away. They should never have flip-flopped or talked about Contingency Plans...set your matchups and stick with them except in the case of injury.

I'm not - if Cotts has any balls at all, he won't be ruined by one start. If he is ruined by one bad start, that's too bad for him and the Sox. Honestly, this start didn't look that different from his other starts, except that this time he couldn't get out of the trouble he creates for himself with walks. Today I'm more upset by a chickens*** manager who's happy to win a series and not eager enough to go for a sweep and make a statement. "Contingency Plan", my ass. That's just another way of saying "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad". Like HSC said, if MB ain't sore, hurt or overtaxed, sitting him down was stupid.

Yep, save Buerhle for the Tigers, Jerry!!! UGH Now we have to hope that Dan Wright and the smoking Sox bats can overcome JM's stupid decision!

RAFA!!! SUCH A MOUTH ON YOU!!!!

It WOULD be a shame if they fired him and he ended up working in Chicago!! Loaiza now has to contend with the Curse Of The Gerbil!!!

They may have to re-do the mound if that hasbeen whale stands there too long. What's the over-under on the number of waddling steps that hack will take between the mound and dugout? Steve Dahl.............he's got a great past ahead of him................

Yes, but being bad feels so GOOD....

I think the whole weekend is a Turn Back The Clock to 83 deal. Friday for sure, they're giving out 83-style caps to the first 10,000.

NO HE IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TERRY FORSTER is the OTG!!!!!!!!!!! Don't you DARE besmirch the great round image of TERRY FORSTER!!!! TUB O' GOO TERRY ....he and Gossage were two of my earliest Sox favorites, by the way...

yeah, but in those 10 posts, there's only a total of 38 words!!! BE more verbose!!!

It was nice of the Spankees to make her feel at home by losing! But unlike her, THEY didn't look good doing it!!

unfortunately, you might get to graduate before you get to chant...

I have a good feeling about Bart tonight. I'll feel better if he can get his breaking stuff over consistently. The Spankees are good fastball hitters. I'm hopeful that "Undecided" is MB tomorrow night.

I gotta say mine is Guido's "Cracky Bird Dance"!! You HAVE to see that!!! CRACKY BIRD!!!!

deEstruKshUnn Uv pRopERteE iZ kEwl!!!!1!!!

yeah, good thing.... I was a partial season ticket holder at the old Stadium, and they did arrest a LOT of people for being goons. gave them a nice dose of justice in the holding tanks, too. While there were too many overserved retards there, there was also a basic sense of respect for people, at least in the section I sat in. maybe I was just lucky.......... I wore an opposing sweater when the mood struck ( Flyers, Bruins ), and never got accosted. maybe I was just lucky...........

It really is kinda sad that some people are such neanderthals that you have to worry about cheering for the team you like "in front of them". You would HOPE that society had advanced past that type of juvenile reaction. ............but since it ain't ME, FLY THOSE COLORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting way of putting it! That kid of Ted's sounds like quite a ghoul, huh?

Those Dundersticks are an abomination! They should be outlawed, and any team that hands out those dopey thumpsticks should not be allowed to quiet any fan, no matter how disruptive they get. I am not the arbiter of such things, and I personally do not complain to management about loud fans. I only complain when people get out of line, whether it's being physically disruptive or by being overly obnoxious and/or vulgar. I am only talking about what I personally feel is uncomfortable to me as a paying customer. Generally speaking, I get bothered by foul language, personal verbal attacks on players, yelling just for the sake of yelling, things of that nature. There's no hard and fast rule about when it bugs me, I just know when it does.

Let me start by saying that I don't know GUG, and have never met him. Based on everyone's statements about him, I don't doubt for a minute that he's a great guy and a great Sox fan. That said, I have a hard time enjoying a game when I'm around an OVERLY loud or exuberant fan. When it seems choreographed or repetitive, that just makes it worse. In his case, I would hear him on the radio broadcasts and it would bug me even then. And since his license plate has some variation of Get Up on it, there seems to be a certain measure of ego or whatever involved, in my opinion. I have nothing against fans being loud, but not when it disrupts my enjoyment of the game. Again, it's just MY opinion...............doesn't mean I'm right.