greg775

I know people who won't pick up a golf club cause it's too expensive a sport to play. I know people who won't go to a baseball game cause they are used to the days you could go, get a great seat on the cheap and eat and drink at the park on the cheap and now it's just too much cash. I know people don't want to hear it -- KC talk show hosts scoff at people balking at 60 dollar tickets -- but folks, it's true. I know you can get a cheap ticket in the upper tank at Sox games but hey, even 20 bucks per ticket is too much for a lot of dads when you multiply it by a couple kids. Say what you want, baseball is not an elitist sport. There was no reason to pays these guys this amount of cash to play a game they'd play for pennies. Go ahead and flame me, but it's the cost, people. It's the cost. (And I do commend the Sox for having special Sundays, etc.) My guess is the one day or two days a year a dad or mom will bring the family he/she does take advantage of the special Sunday rates or whatever. But I'd guess aside from rabid fans it's a one or two games at the most per summer for most people in the middle class or unemployed.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 08:30 PM) the third person, And you wouldn't believe me when I say that I get told I'm getting/deserve eternal damnation from people when they find out that not only am I not religious, I was raised Jewish and therefore never knew peace/God. I got this s*** from my friends growing up until they reached the point where they decided "being a good person" overrode the "what religion are you" qualification. Most of them are still religious. You live in a liberal college town filled with young adults. Go anywhere else in Kansas and it's a different story. I feel uncomfortable in parts of Missouri and Illinois where being an Jewish (culturally) atheist puts a giant target on my back. I believe you. I guess we're all doomed in this great world of ours.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 07:56 PM) This might be the greatest post of all time. What's so outlandish about my statement? Do you not believe me when I say I get weird comments and looks when I tell people I believe? QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 08:11 PM) Its his opinion. I think that sentence can be read a few different ways. Ultimately its not a shocking conclusion that a Christian would feel that way. Its definitely not the height of their power. Badger is a great man. He does not judge Greg.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 07:38 PM) Simple put, you are wrong. Today is "World Day Against Child Labor", completely irrelevant, but there is a great quote by a photographer Lewis Hine, "“Perhaps you are weary of child labor pictures. Well, so are the rest of us, but we propose to make you and the whole country so sick and tired of the whole business that when the time for action comes, child labor pictures will be records of the past.” So you need perspective. The reality is, never has it been better in society than it is right now in the US. Sometimes I stay up at night and I worry that I will have lived in the golden age of civilization. That the this time period will be like the Renassaince, sandwiched by cruelty and horror on each side. The United States is in no way perfect, nothing ever will be, but it is the best that we have right now. And so every day the hope is we get a little better. But ultimately that begs the question "What is better?" And that is what is great about America, we can argue about it. We dont have to stand lock, stock and barrel in agreement. You can believe the most absurd idiotic thing because its your right. And sometimes that will bite us in the ass, and sometimes people will use their talent, ability, to wrong other people. But you know what, other people will use their talent and ability to do good. So its up to us. But its not going to be easy. There are going to be tragedies, there is going to be suffering, heartache, misery. Thats the only certainty in life, that it always ends sad. So you push forward, not because any of this matters (it doesnt), not because you have to, not because you want to, but because the simple truth is that when you run the numbers, every single human life is so exceptionally rare, that we should do everything in our power to give everyone the chance to enjoy it. I hope you are right Badger. I will trust you are correct. If you are correct, the next 2 generations say THANK YOU. QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 07:41 PM) Proves my point. Look at all those christians and look how the small minority have stifled us completely. QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 07:45 PM) I know this won’t make a difference but I’ll post it anyway. Depending on which source you read, something like 70-80% of Americans identify as Christian. Yes but we've been silenced. It's not cool to admit you are Christian. I've been mocked in a s***ty small state like Kansas.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 07:22 PM) Economy is rebounding and is now at it's pre-recession job levels. School shootings are troubling. Still, less gun violence than decades past. We just know more due to the 24/7 news cycle. There is a non-Christian minority that is vocal, there is a Christian majority that is just as vocal. If the economy is getting better then that will help us greatly. Might even help me not get laid off. Hopefully that is happening. You know my feelings on No. 2. As far as the Christian thing, cmon Quin. You know Christians have been silenced effectively. Yes by the mass media mainly but tons of believers can't even say they go to church on Sunday without getting looks of disbelief or getting mocked. I know. People around here think I'm an idiot for going to church every week.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 07:13 PM) Greg has never been one to let facts influence his opinion. I do appreciate your statistics and believe them. I am pleased crime is down overall and did read it is going up in NY again with people blaming the mayor. At any rate, these bulls*** American nutjob on innocent American deaths definitely are on the rise as our president stated how they are becoming the norm. But I do accept your statistics on the overall crime scene. Please comment on the rest of my own rant. You can't deny that right now America is trending downward in a huge way. You can't be happy with all these school shootings and the economy and everything I listed and deadspin listed in a joking way.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 04:01 PM) So here is my rant. Do people not realize that in a free society bad things are going to happen? That the whole entire point of freedom is giving people the choice to make good or bad decisions. That is what being part of a free country is. So even if I think I am right, that I have the best answers, everyone else in America is free to disagree. I hate f***ing defeatists and their mindless followers. That deadspin article was great. I know it was a joke but it makes you think. Right now America is like Gordon Beckham of last season. Or DeAza of this season. Really very very very little about it makes you think anything positive is going on. Horrific leadership in government. Horrific economy. Terrible crime rate of American nutjobs killing innocent Americans, making us look very bad internationally and nationally, and pretty much nobody caring about doing anything about it. A Godless loud minority effectively silencing those who believe, pretty much making believers shut up when they would like to talk about morals and values and pleasing the higher power. Horrific business leaders who have set the trend of laying off hordes of people just so they can staff unpaid interns and/or parttimers who get no benefits. Horrible healthcare system that even s***s on the U.S. veterans. Right now the USA is trending down down down. Can the USA pick it up as Beckham has and start inching upward? Good luck to us all. Hillary's not going to lead the change parade to greatness as she fulfills her destiny of being awarded the presidency which people feel is owed her for some reason. Obama has jumped the shark in that regard in that he's thrown up his hands against the assholes in congress. God bless us all as we try to prove the odds wrong and pull a Beckham like recovery out of nowhere.

I think this team's ceiling is .500 so I think it's entirely possibly things could go south in a hurry still and just like that we'll be 10 under .500. We shall see, though.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/12/justice/ariz...ting/index.html My gosh. I don't even know what to say anymore.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 06:16 AM) The Alzheimers has set in. Ugh, I know you didn't mean anything by it, but please cut the Alzheimer's jokes. And some of us LOVE Hawk. I think he's the best.

Read some good columns on Hillary's new book tonight. Said it was very boring and way too long, BUT it assures her running for President. It offended nobody, praised everybody and was pretty much a document that gets her on all the talk shows able to talk about what she wants, on her terms only. This may be one of the biggest presidential landslides ever. Let's hope Hillary has some clout and wants to get some things done rather than just become the first woman president and assured goddess-like status in the world forever.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 06:45 AM) 18,803 and 18,424 so far this week. It has to be 25,000+ for Sale/Scherzer tomorrow night and the White Sox with a chance to cut the lead down to 1 1/2 games...doesn't it??? Maybe on a Thursday night, with kids out of school, but I doubt it. What are the advance sales? Nobody's going to walk up.

I'd let this Guerra guy face only one more hitter. Get him outta there.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 03:19 AM) Way to go Beckham! Ausmus with a terrible inning here. Fathom, what do you want Ausmus to do? Can't take Verlander out. Verlander won't allow it. Just like Peavy.

Ha ha; some of these aces won't leave games. Thanks Beckham. For Sox fifth run. Beckham having a good season so far.

Verlander just won't come out. MAKE HIM PAY!!

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 02:14 AM) Selfish, stupid, lousy Alejandro gets it done. Feeky you can't deny he's been lousy. Nice job there, though. Cmon make Verlander pay for being Peavy/Sale-like in not wanting to exit games!

Now that's a big contribution. Good job, DeAza.

Strike three is coming; slight chance of a walk.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 03:09 AM) I bet De Aza is so stupid that he is going to be swinging for a HR here. He's comically stupid. He's a very lousy baseball player/hitter.

Lousy at bat by Dayan. I don't care if we got the run. s***ty at bat. 4-6-3.

Time to take one for the team and go to left field, Adam.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 12, 2014 -> 02:52 AM) GB could of bunted it back to the pitcher and Hawk would of praised him. GB does no wrong. Yeah, and it's not like that was a difficult play for a third baseman used to playing smashes at the hot corner. Sox could have used that run ... damn.

I kind of disagree with Hawk there in praising Beckham. Yes he hit it pretty hard. But ... it was right at the third baseman where you don't want to hit it in that situation. I mean, hit a fly ball or go to right field.

I'm starting to like Obama more following some of his recent comments about these shootings. If he keeps this up, I will be a huge Obama fan. His today: "Our levels of gun violence are off the charts. There's no advanced, developed country on Earth that would put up with this," he said. He said there will be no changes til the public pressures Congress. Until those government assholes are willing to pass legislation re. violence in the USA we're stuck with it and everybody just prays that their relatives will not be the ones killed. Oops I said 'prays' which I know will offend many.