Chisoxfn

UNC is GOOD, very GOOD.

So after starting this thing yesterday, I've played basketball on Friday and both basketball and baseball on Saturday. I don't expect immediate weight loss, but if I keep this up I think by April 7th I'll be in the 160 range and than if I get another month under my belt my appetite will increase and the metabolism will just have stuff coming off even when I'm not trying (which is when I'll focus on doing a bit more lifting to try and get more cut). More importantly I want to strengthen my knee as it still doesn't feel the same after I tore the meniscus and sprained my ACL/MCL a few months back.

I've decided to join in. I'm 6 foot, 177 and am looking to get back down to about 155-160 and at that point, I plan on building a bit of muscle mass to get me into the 165 range. Began yesterday (after my busy season ended) and plan on playing lots and lots of basketball to cut the weight (my actual diet appears to be pretty good for the most part so I'm not going to make many adjustments to that). I also am going to begin some early basic lifting (ie, pushups and curls on a bidaily basis and than situps on a daily basis to try to trim up the old abs). Once I get to where I want, I'll do a more normal cardio routine and spent a bit of time lifting (just to try and get my muscles a bit more defined). I'd also like to add this is my heaviest weight ever and I've always typically been in the 157-165 range since my junior year or so of high school.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 03:21 PM) Would you want Rowand as your #3 hitter? Just saying. I'd take last years version of Rowand as my 3 hitter any day of the week. In fact, If Rowand produces like he did last year his contract will be a bargain. I doubt he does, but I think that will be due to him playing in such a pitchers park more than him playing so over his head last year. Note: I don't think he'd duplicate last season, but I actually think he signed a pretty fair contract. He's a better offensive player than he was on Chicago and if he stays healthy his contract won't be a bad one. However, it won't necessarily be a good one either because San Fran is just so far away, imo.

QUOTE(ptatc @ Mar 4, 2008 -> 08:05 PM) You can throw all the stats around you want. They have been successful with it and will continue to do so. Many teams would die for a World Series title (especially 80 some years in the making) and only one losing season in the last 7 years. Don't get caught up in the stats and minutia and forget the results. This team has been successful until last year. Now if they run a couple of losing seasons together then you have a case. We'll see if it's last year over again. Who cares what the individual stats are (unless fantasy baseball is more important) Wins and loses are all that matters in the end. This is how guys like David Eckstein look awful when examining stats but somehow are starting shortstops on WS winning teams and win MVP awards. The games are not judged by individual stats. The season is determined by the numbers of wins and loses which are determined by the integration of all the parts. Sometimes the role players add up to more than the sum of their individual stats. Stats say Mark Buehrle isn't a good pitcher (afterall, he doesn't get strike-outs, higher WHIP than typical, yada yada yad). The thing is, he gets outs, throws innings, doesn't give up many runs and gets wins. I find it so laughable that there are some people that spit out 18 zillion stats that say why a player sucks. Thats not to say you can't look at them, but Its ridiculous how many people live out all of baseball with stats instead of just watching the game. If I looked at stats there are a lot of aspects of a players game I would miss. Ie, how intelligent they were at the plate, whether they could truly handle a bat (some people will hit .280 and it could be a complete aberration with dumb luck for the most part, while someone else could hit .280 and by watching there swing you could sit there and say wow, in time with experience this guy will hit .330). You also can see how fluid of a runner they are, there athletism (which is key, because better athletes tend to be better players) as well as the defensive aspect of the game (plus bunting, being a good base runner, or just knowing when to take pitches/how to work the count as those are aspects that help everyone else on the team). I try to stay out of the stats because aside from a few guys in baseball, you could tear a whole in practically every player and continue to bulls*** about how terrible this guy or that guy is. I try to enjoy the game and while the Sox are clearly not front-runners I know they have talent. I also know that when watching Anderson hit in the 2nd half of 06 (and I was one of Anderson's biggest advocates than because of how f***ing good he was defensively as well as what the other options were) that I still wasn't impressed. He didn't really look like he was improving, more that he was just so entirely terrible earlier that it was just a matter of time for him to make a bit more contact and see a few more things fall his way. I'm looking forward to this swing to see whether his swing is more fluid and improved because stats be damned, he is one of the worse regular offensive players I have ever seen (say what you want about Owens and I'll agree with anyone in that his only value is if he hits around .290+ with a. 350+ OBP and a boatload of steals (and not many caught steals). However, I can easily see Owens actually hitting .290-.310 given his swing (he has a pretty nice swing and can spray the ball opposite field; he needs to work on turning in the inside pitches otherwise he'll never be able to hit for enough of an average to suceed). I also know he won't have a ton of extra base hits and definitely not many HR's, but I don't give a crap about that. I think speed is more important that statistics say they are. Going from 1st to 3rd matters, stealing a base matters, plus just the presence of the speed matters (gets in the pitchers head, makes it more likely for an error to happen).

Garland is one of my all time favorites and I can't wait to give him a huge ovation when I see him pitch for the Angels.

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 11:49 AM) Think Carrasco goes to Charlotte? I don't see why he wouldn't. I always thought he had a good, live arm.

I don't think anyone will. However, if I were to guess Bourgeous would be #1, Getz #2, Carrassco #3.

Fullerton has a shot at the conference title with a win over UCI tonight. They also have had back to back 20 win seasons for the first time in the schools history

This Stanford/USC game will be a good one. I still think USC can be a dangerous team come tourney time (especially since they'll be a low seed). They have the ability to play with almost any team in the country. I love Stanford/UCLA though. I have those two, UNC and Kansas as my final four teams (obviously that is if all of them are in different brackets).

Scalise...happy bday buddy!!!

I'm not going to lie, I've enjoyed this season more than last one and I didn't know that it was possible. The thing is, I fear they will not even be able to close things in the last couple episodes. I'm hoping with the writers strike they end up just picking up a full season to finish it (since pilot seasons won't happen) and than it can at least get a good send off.

QUOTE(juddling @ Mar 7, 2008 -> 12:08 AM) I think it's Michael on the freighter. nothing to back that up other than my own opinion I'm positive it is Michael.

QUOTE(shipps @ Mar 8, 2008 -> 09:57 AM) Ya,I dont remember that.I just remember the DRay cheers out of you that made us all uncomfortable and somewhat fearful. And than remember the Rays actually blowing the game. God they suck.

Lloyd was once thought of as one of the young/upcoming WR's in the NFL. He had shown great hands and solid athletism and had success early in San Francisco (even with suspect QB play). He than took some heat in San Fran for calling out the QB and was dealt to Washington where attitude issues again put him in the doghouse. The Redskins also had poor QB play and were a run first run often offense which had some other weapons utilized well before Lloyd (Moss/Cooley and eventually Randle El). This put Lloyd in a tough spot and given him rubbing the coaching staff the wrong way (which is his fault) he didn't get the opportunity to show anything and than got hurt this season. We can only hope he learned that his attitude hurt him and that he'll have to temper himself and work hard and earn things. The Bears are thin at the WR spot and appear to be losing Davis (which I have no problem with because I don't think much of him). This means you have quite a few openings at the WR spot given that the top 3 from last year are likely gone. Booker is a vet, should be good on 3rd downs and helpful. Lloyd is a guy with the speed to get open and make plays and has good hands. He's suspect over the middle and that will have to change (however, given Rex's play Lloyd could be a pretty good fit as Rex has the arm to make a lot of plays to the sidelines and that is where Lloyd excels). Than there is Bradley/Hester who will be battling in there as well and get plenty of time, plus a draft pick. My guess is the Bears pass on WR in Rd 1 and take it in the 2nd, but again, you know they have 4 pretty key needs (WR/RB/Oline/QB). They technically have 4 picks in the first 3 rounds so the question is which rounds to they address the needs. WR has no top notch sure things, but enough solid guys for the 1st 3 rounds (because of this, maybe you are better just waiting till the 3rd and taking whoever grades higher, since it seems like no one really knows, besides Sweed/Kelly, who the next guy is). RB is loaded with talent, I think this is a good spot in the 1st or 2nd (you have guys like Felix Jones, maybe even Jonathan Stewart given the depth that might be there in the 2nd round that typically would be gone top 20). The Bears have done nothing on the RB front after indicating all off-season that they have little faith in Benson, which leads me to believe they feel pretty strongly about what they can get in an extremely deep RB pool. If you wait till the 3rd round you may really limit your chances at RB (yes good ones will be there, but you have potential pro-bowl type backs that could be there when you pick in the 2nd). At the oline you know at 14 you can get yourself one of the best ones in a strong draft. Again, you can hold and grab a 1st round graded olineman in the 2nd round (given the depth). Williams from Vandy is the risky pick at 14 (less of a sure thing, more likely to be a total road blocker though). Than there is QB, where if Flacco/Brohm are your guys you either have to go 1st rnd or 2nd round. Henne probably goes 2nd round but than there is a group of guys, including Justin Johnson (poor arm, hell of an athlete though) who you could grab in the latter rounds. Again, you also have Orton/Grossman who I think management believes in enough to consider passing and just taking a pure developmental pick (believing that one of these two above could be the guy) knowing that you have other more important needs (in the sense that a QB pick will not help you this year, while the other picks truly could help you win THIS YEAR).

When we saw Burke play last season in Seattle, I made sure to give him a good old ovation (just like I kept cheering kid weaver, haha). I always liked Burke, maybe it was from interviewing him down in AAA, or maybe it was because he had some quality play during his short ML stints with the Sox. Either way good story and I'm glad that at times, these type of things happen and people that stick it out for that long in the minors end up making it (even if it is just for a short span).

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 7, 2008 -> 04:31 PM) Not that I like Selig, but $15 million a year of total compensation for a CEO overseeing a multibillion dollar industries is probably underpaying him by about a factor of 10. Remember he just gets the cash. Most of the guys in similar positions get cash, stock, stock options, and all kinds of other perks that baseball can't give him. No doubt about it. He is ridiculously underpaid given the options that a typical CEO would have. I also think he's a very good commissioner who gets way more heat than he deserves. The game has truly thrived with him in office, despite some bad things happening during his tenure (but that happens).

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 6, 2008 -> 07:46 AM) Bud Selig makes $15 mil as commissioner? Wtf? Good article, knightni. Thanks for the link. That is a pretty small chunk, given the fact that baseball is about a 5 billion dollar industry (or I think its somewhere in that range). Say what you want about Bud, but the sport has grown immensley under his tenure and more recently, despite the steroid incidence the sport is growing even faster than ever. They still have issues, ie, trying to rebuild inner city baseball play and just play amongst youth (because the sport must rely on young kids playing the game and either turning into future mlb players or future fans because i think you are more likely to become a fan if you play the game due to baseball having so many intangibles which to me make the game so interesting).

Fullerton picked up there third win in a row on Friday. The starter Jorgensen really struggled with his command but they brought in a freshman who had a filthy curve and shut down Souther Miss. After getting there asses handed to em by Stanford, Fullerton swept a midweek 2 game set against UCLA (home/road) and started things off right against Southern Miss (my frist game in attendance). Gonna hit it up on Sunday as well to see what there Friday night starter Kaplan is all about (It is weird how due to the additional mid-week games, you end up seeing on Friday/Saturday games teams going with bullpen by committee's as opposed to there #1/#2).

Ya, draft a QB the year after you just made it to the Superbowl with a young QB who had a little over half of a probowl season and about half of a terrible season (something you expect from a young guy). I would have tarred and feathered Bears brass for making such an assinine decision.

Fullerton beats #3 UCLA yesterday. They have another game against the Bruins tonight.

Happy Bday to one of the site's fourfathers!!!! Hope its a good one buddy

Boylan is freaking terrible....terrible.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 1, 2008 -> 06:29 PM) So, my brother thinks I'm nuts cause I think Mayo and Bayless will be better pros than Beasley. I know Mayo hasn't lived up to his reputation for much of the year, but he'll be much better in a more open situation. I'll never understand why Tim Floyd plays a slow style with that roster. Beasley is the best player I've ever seen at the college level. The guy is ridiculous and there is a no way that Mayo will be a better pro.

Stoked to have Briggsy back. Time to get Javon Walker and Booker in at the WR position (or Walker and a draft pick).