Chisoxfn

QUOTE (shipps @ Apr 23, 2015 -> 09:49 AM) I am thinking the best route the Bears could have taken would have been to get rid of Cutler so they would likely tank. This way you could have still built your defense but you would have been bad enough to get a high draft pick and possible top QB in next years draft. With Cutler and this new defense they are going to be good enough to be in the middle of the pack and for what? If you can get a top QB, great, if you can't, we could end up far worse as a result of that. It is not easy to find serviceable QB's in this league. I have zero problem with the organization's plan to test Jay out with this new regime who is already knee deep in cleaning up a gigantic pile of poop.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 10:43 AM) Quad contusion, they are hoping treatment will have him ready for the next game. At least thats what Cowley said an hour ago on the score Friedell says he will be very surprised if Niko plays in game 3 or 4.

I just want to point out that the way the Bulls rebounded and defended yesterday is how I expected them to do it all year. They were monsters on the glass and this team is so much better with Derrick at the point (when he is focused on D, he is an extremely strong defensive point guard...I should caveat this as saying there aren't many good defensive PG's in the league). Loved it. I still think we will have chemistry issues due to overall rust that will hinder us against Cleveland (who to me is going to be the eventual champ) but I think it will be a great series and just hope everyone on both sides is healthy for it. We'll need to play elite defensively and need all of our playmakers to be aggressive and effective. Cleveland has gotten us on the glass a bit this year so hopefully we can take that angle from them and crush them in the paint as Butler is going to have an extremely difficult match up in Lebron so key will be our bench having an advantage and helping us and Derrick and Pau outplaying Kyrie / Love with Dunleavy playing efficiently.

Oh oh oh boy, I want our old head coach back.

Did you know that Bryce Harper has yet to face a pitcher who was younger than him. That is pretty crazy.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Apr 20, 2015 -> 12:29 PM) At this point, I prefer to pretend the PT never existed. They really are just bad movies in just about every way imaginable. Redlettermedia did a great job of illustrating it, especially the focus being on Anakin. It really should have been Obi Wan's story. I'm probably more interested in Rogue One than Episode VII, though I can't wait for both. A gritty war movie set in the Star Wars universe directed by Gareth Edwards? Yeah, I'm in. Apparently they've even hired some of the production team from Saving Private Ryan. Both of these sound fantastic.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 10:18 AM) @RobDemovsky First bit of schedule information: Packers will host the Bears on Thanksgiving night. #ESPNNFL Wow.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 09:39 AM) Congrats...as your kid(s) get older, if you want them to like the White Sox, buy them White Sox lego figures. Bought my kids a Sale and Abreu lego, and they know who to root for. PS...I told my kids that the Cubs don't like Lego toys and puppies, so I think they know who to root for now My daughter gets excited after time I go Jimmy Gets Buckets (which I said quite often last night). Want to make sure that in a few years and for the rest of my life, going to Chicago sporting events (and watching them) is considered a family tradition!!!

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Apr 19, 2015 -> 02:47 PM) Not a fan. I like him getting major league experience, but it should be starting (I know, I know, this is how the Sox do it with their pitchers). Just don't know what the rush is at this point. Let's hope this works as well as it did with the last 2 lefties I remember we took this route with (Buehrle & Sale).

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Apr 19, 2015 -> 02:41 PM) Better be starting in not too long... As long as he is actually working on his pitches in side sessions, etc, I will be okay with this. The key is for him to still be able to develop, which is why I am surprised he is up here. Maybe they thought it was best for him to get mini action in major league games and spend as much time with Coop as possible (plus keep his arm fresh so that when he eventually moves to rotation this year, they don't have to worry about pacing him, other than obviously the first few starts where they stretch him back out). Clearly he is good enough to pitch effectively out of the pen (at least I think he is). Hard part is, harder to develop / work on things during big league games.

STEVE...I NEED MY JIMMY BUCKETS TSHIRT!!! COME ON NOW!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!

We have people on Soxtalk who can do our english homework. My kids are destined to be numbers people (born into CPA mommy & daddies, haha).

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 16, 2015 -> 02:55 PM) Which remains, again, a thing that businesses are able to do because it's a way to cut payroll expenses without actually cutting their employees' salary. It is one version of an employer response to the near destruction of the global economy in 2008 - weak employment, no upward wage pressure, but actually cutting people's take home pay in response has much higher risk of losing the employee than cutting their benefits. In one case of my example that is true, but for all other companies, the amount the company would match and pay stayed flat and/or increased (as a relative percentage), however, to keep things from going crazy, other adjustments had to be made. For example, this current year at my current employer, premiums went up 10% (and coverage went down...hard to quantify exact percentage because a lot depends on how much you go out of pocket, but it was a pretty big overall reduction in coverage vs. the previous gold plated caddy coverage). Had the Company kept everything the same, premiums would have went up in excess of 40% (both to the company and the employee), whose % match was going to remain consistent). They opted to go with the version with lower premiums (and subsequently lower coverage) as the perception is the employee (and I'd generally say this is true) is more focused on the premiums paid vs. total cost (as you usually have to put some estimates in up front when analyzing that). Either way, my point is, it isn't employers driving this change. In some cases sure, but in general, all I see is absurd price increases and they have gotten crazy post Obamacare. I am not actually correlating the two because insurance costs have been crazy prior to, but lets not just look at premiums as an indicator. I could be on a plan that cost $50 / month and ultimately cost me thousands more than a plan that cost 500 a month depending on coverage & my use of insurance.

That is awesome and it sounds very interesting!!!

So I just want to point out, that for a normal pregnancy (2 night stay at hospital, only 1 night with baby since wife didn't deliver until morning...my bill will be in excess of $5K. My last child, obviously different plan, I paid less in insurance premiums and total bill was $100 dollars. Current plan is based upon my wife's company, which due to obama care, reduced benefits to the minimum required or otherwise standard bronze plan. I've already given examples of same situation for clients (when I worked in a different field that allowed me those insights). Obviously hard to differentiate what is driven by increased costs vs. driven by changes and companies changing what they will cover, etc. Long story short...we pay much more in premiums and get far less in benefit protection (have greater out of pocket max's, etc). I literally am dumbfounded at the cost of a standard delivery. I wonder if it was a c-section how much it would have been (clearly in excess of our Out of Pocket individual max). Thankfully we have good positions (and our big time planners), etc, and stable income and have planned for this, but I think vast majority of youth who have major student loans, etc, would be even able to afford the hospital bills (and it isn't like the typical middle class person is qualifying for a bunch of benefit assistance).

Thanks for the kind words everyone!!!

Soxtalk's ownership group expanded earlier as my wife gave birth to our new son. They are currently sleeping in the hospital being serenaded to hawk and stone while I stream the game from my phone. In twenty years sox might have a new starter to join their rotation!

Lets wait till the end of the season and discuss Robin (or at least halfway through the season). This year he's been given a team that should contend (Note: I said contend, I didn't say they should win the division or make the playoffs but anything less than being in the thick of things would be a dissapointed). If halfway through we are way out of things, than lets start talking about it.

QUOTE (sammy esposito @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 10:01 AM) Can we get some names or pictures of these new offerings. I did see a burger topped with macaroni, bacon on a stick. Any others? It will be hard for me not to opt for any of the newer additions after the scent of the brats and sautéed onions permeate the confines of US cellular. Outside of the Brewers, I honestly think the Sox have the best brat's in baseball. They are fantastic with the sauteed onion & peppers. So freaking good.

Rose was still rusty but his on ball defense is so much better than anyone else we have at the PG position. Still too many turnovers for my liking, but I liked that the jumpers he was taking were more midrange (even though he was missing them). Still, he needs to spend more time in the paint.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 9, 2015 -> 01:04 PM) Perfect justice in the universal balance sense of things. Paulo Orlando's now getting revenge on his former organization. Rick Hahn's "basking in the sun" moment has lasted all of 15 minutes. Reality beckons. It's been 3 freaking games. This isn't the NFL...its a 162 game season. Overreact much?

I am really sad that Peanut is going to play football for another franchise. Wish Peanut the best and thank him for the way he went about his business and for his exceptional play. He will always be a Bear!!!

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Apr 9, 2015 -> 11:54 AM) I think the Royals are way better than everyone gives them credit for, even after the World Series apperence. This is an annyoing, scrappy, talented team. With insane defensive abilities and a nasty bullpen. They are a good team. We are a team that appears to be missing out on the importance of defense because our team D still sucks and when scoring is down, the importance of defense is only greater. Not to mention when you are building a team around pitching, you normally compliment it with strong D. If we had a better defense, I'd actually say we might be a playoff team but as is, I think we need a lot of bounces to go our way. However, we should contend and who knows what happens at the deadline or who emerges.

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 9, 2015 -> 09:19 AM) Oh boy, this is gonna be an awkward phone call...when I decide to bring it up. I have been in quite a few weddings and have never been in a situation where I didn't pay the bill. The whole thing is cheap for girls, vs. girls, who have to get the dress, hair and make-up, etc.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 03:50 PM) Good QB = close to Super Bowl Bad QB = not close to Super Bowl Now if you think there are way better QBs that will be available to the Bears next year, that's fine by me, just wait. But I just wouldn't have a problem with taking a chance on the #2 QB prospect in the draft if that's your best option for the next few years. The other factor is, with Jay here, I would be stunned if we were picking this high, so the chances of getting that QB in the draft are probably slim. You don't have (and to be frank don't want) a lot of opportunities to select this high.