The Critic

Here are mine: TOP SECTION iPod post-'99 car Wii* (daughter owns and plays it) MIDDLE SECTION cell w/no text desktop standard TV DVD player old car landline answering machine clock radio BOTTOM SECTION VCR

Another dominant performance by the Hawks. It is SUCH a nice feeling to expect a win every time they take the ice.

I read that Spike would prefer TNA on Mondays, and TNA wants to do a once-a-month Monday night special while holding their Thursday night slot. Figures TNA would suggest the dumbest possible option. Pick one or the other - either fight WWE on Mondays or stay on Thursdays.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 12:54 PM) In a perfect world, Angle would return to Raw on 1/4...or Velvet Sky could debut. I don't know which would make me happier.

QUOTE (T R U @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 04:48 AM) If Bret is indeed on the Jan 4th Raw I think that the Monday night wars might never happen.. There is NOTHING that TNA can do to rival Bret Hart on RAW and whatever kind of confrontation we could see with McMahon, HHH, or HBK.. I think that TNAs ratings might be pretty low if this is the case.. I think TNA might get a tiny spike in ratings for Hogan's first show, but it will be small and temporary. I just don't think there is enough interest in a second brand for TNA to be anything but a "minor major league". They took WWE's best wrestler (Kurt Angle) and all those other OLD familiar faces and none of them made an Impact!, so I can't see how Hollywood Hasbeen, The Whole F'n Unemployment Line, or The Nature Fossil will fare any better. They may at first just from curiosity, but what can you really do long-term with an unreliable pothead and two geriatrics? TNA is grasping at straws right now, and turning into "wCw version 2.0" doesn't seem like a successful path to me. The funny thing is, I thought TNA was finally figuring out a solid business model - hire a few "names" the casual fan might know and stock the roster with the best of the independent feds and international guys. The thing people forget about the heyday of the Monday Night Wars is that wCw had a GREAT midcard and that's what brought in the wrestling fans and kept the interest of the casual fans who tuned in for the nWo. TNA has too many ego guys and not enough camera time for all of them.

I thought they wanted Maya Angelou to write marketing slogans.

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Dec 18, 2009 -> 02:36 PM) Well then my friend, you're wrong. It's well-documented that Vince has been trying to get Bret in for years. Hell, it's obvious they've been building to this, teasing this, in storylines for months. News stories broke about how the Screwjob at Breaking Point was motivated, in part, by giving WWE an easy tie-in for Bret Hart later. Long before TNA announced its stunt. If that was Vince's plan, he certainly could have negotiated Bret's return to coincide with the DVD release in 2005, or as part of the Hall of Fame induction in 2006, or the negotiations for Bret's images for his book in 2008.... Yes, Vince has been interested in having Bret come back all along, but the length of this contract, and the start date, and the momentum the talks appear to had gained since the announcement of Hogan's TNA deal, all point suspiciously towards coinciding with Hogan's arrival in TNA, regardless of the mysterious teasings earlier. Hell, you could point to the Hart Dynasty signings as precursors to a Bret deal if you wanted to.

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Dec 17, 2009 -> 09:29 PM) OR, Vince has been trying to get Bret back for a long time now and finally did and knows he should showcase him as widely as possible Honestly, I don't think that's it. I think this is a short-term thing to counteract Hogan. The idea of a Hart showdown with Michaels, McMahon, HHH or all of the above will draw the same people who'd give a damn about Hogan arriving at TNA. 4 months is a perfect time frame to build something up, pay it off (or not), and not have it get stale. Hogan's shelf life before he sends viewers running away is MAYBE a month.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Dec 17, 2009 -> 07:49 PM) Zetterberg left the game tonight vs Tampa favoring his right leg. I know they get no sympathy here, and shouldn't, but everything that can go wrong for the Wings has so far this year. I realize they've had it too good for too long, but as a Wings fan this year has bummed me out. I'd like all three of my favorite NHL teams to be strong. The Hawks have been wonderful, the Bruins have had their moments but are kind of middle-of-the-pack, and the Wings have suffered but still have basically the same record as Boston.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 17, 2009 -> 12:09 AM) Do you have any statistical evidence to support this? There is something to the theory that regular season dominance does not carry over. League history: since 1987, only 6 President's Trophy winners have also won the Stanley Cup Blackhawks history: 1972 - 107 points, lost in second round 1991 - 106 points, lost in first round 1993 - 106 points, lost in first round 1996 - 94 points, lost in second round 2002 - 96 points, lost in first round On the other hand, these Hawks teams made it to the Conference Finals: 1982 - 72 points 1985 - 83 points 1989 - 66 points 1990 - 88 points 1995 - 53 points

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 16, 2009 -> 09:09 PM) Nickelback was named Billboard's "Band of the Decade". WTF is wrong with Billboard? They're irrelevant because CD sales are declining steadily? Suckledick still sells records for some reason, so Billboard is grateful, I guess. Lady Gaga couldn't be described as a band, technically, so it was either Craplesack or 3 Dorks Down.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 16, 2009 -> 08:04 PM) Vinnie Mac must be flashing some SERIOUS cash to get this done. It shows that he actually sees TNA as a threat IMO Either that, or he just wants to cut them off at the knees before they gain any traction. TNA is building up this 1/4 show as their first big drive against the E, so Vince is smart to load up RAW to draw attention away from Hogan. Also, Booker T is telling friends he's returning to the WWE. Take that with a grain of salt, as I've read other reports saying talks broke down and he's thinking of going back to TNA. Probably playing both sides against the other to try to drive his price up.

Bret Hart has signed a short-term contract with WWE. The contract takes effect on 1/1/2010 and expires two weeks after WrestleMania. I don't see ANY WAY he doesn't debut on January 4th. There's speculation he would like to work one match, probably against Vince at WM, but he also has expressed an interest in working with the Hart Dynasty. This could be very interesting, if done correctly.

Hush money - no shocker there, although it didn't really work: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/wood...Sx1RmwSmQiGbUcO

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Dec 15, 2009 -> 01:05 PM) The SoxNet twitter says "With the leadoff spot filled, Kenny has turned his attention to the middle of the order and we are told he's close on another deal." any ideas as to who? Given the past glories of recent pickups, my guess is.......Willie Stargell?

Maybe they bring Hart in on January 4th. Fight old guy with old guy, teasing a Hart/McMahon showdown.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 15, 2009 -> 12:10 PM) IMO, we'll be saying goodbye to at least one of our top prospects before this winter is over. and then we'll most likely see that top prospect non-tendered after a few years of nondescript production.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 14, 2009 -> 08:48 PM) Dennis Miller tells Vince McMahon to his face that Bret Hart should guest GM RAW for a night, Vince storms off the stage in a huff. Real or a Work? Absolutely a work.

Too many smart-aleck Sox fans called him Judy, making the writer think that fans didn't know his real first name.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 14, 2009 -> 02:41 PM) OH and for good measure The Sox need a good lefty hitter.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 14, 2009 -> 11:48 AM) The cool thing was how modest he was about it in the post game show. He called it "luck". I just hope he has better luck in this year's Stanley Cup Finals.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Dec 14, 2009 -> 10:56 AM) Who cares. What's the % of marriages that stay monogamous? Infidelity is something that's been around since the dawn of man yet we all act so surprised when it happens to a celebrity, athlete, or politician. More people should look in the mirror before judging others. Read the SI article from 1996 introducing/anointing/deifying him. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/art...09257/index.htm His father and his "people" set him up to be something bigger than human, more than human, better than human, so the standard was set much higher than it would be for mere mortals. You can't save the world if you can't save your home. For the record, I couldn't possibly care less who Tiger f***s, or even how well he plays golf. To me, this entire situation is more of a case of how the media builds people up to ridiculous levels and then revels in the opportunity to undo the myth they helped create.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 13, 2009 -> 08:45 PM) Total bushleague ending by Tampa. I'm with Pat and Ed, I wish we would have tacked two more on at the end. Dicks. I'm glad Quenneville took the high road. That way the Lightning look stupid and impotent on the scoreboard and cheap and dirty to those who know the game. Hawks didn't need to sink to their level.

Yeah, if his non-tender is based on his desire to start, then he needed to go. The Sox would have to suffer 2 or 3 injuries to starters for DJ to fill that need.

Asinine. Ridiculous. Wrong. And the single dumbest "explanation" I've ever heard. He wasn't "going to the ground" until AFTER both feet were inbounds and he was being tackled. Wow. The refs are as bad as the Bears.