Chisoxfn

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm gonna use this thread to help organize what all I've gotten planned so this weekend (or even later on during the week) I'm going to try and update it with the stuff (based upon guide books I've read, our interests, and the stuff you all have suggested) and put it out there and for those that you that have been and know, maybe you can help group some of the stuff together so we can kill two birds wtih one stone. One other question I have, is there like a Yelp for Europe? I want to try and do more of the neighborhood restaurants as opposed to the super touristy ones. I want to really get a feel for the country, and as a nice side-effect, save scratch. I'm talking more about the restaurants that the locals eat at which have a few things on the menu and in which the menu changes pretty much daily.

My Weber Grill...Blue Cheese Burger. Made one this weekend and it might have been the best burger I ever had.

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 04:36 PM) I'm not interested in trading Noah. Especially when we could sign Bosh in the offseason. Ya, but this gives you a much better chance of keeping him. Plus by doing that deal, the Bulls would still have money to add another big FA in the off-season anyway (at least if you are able to unload Salmons or Hinrich). The only tough part is you are giving up Noah.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 09:44 AM) That would decimate the Bulls chances to do anything this year. Most of the other deals that are being talked about bring back as many players as we would get, and would give us players that would probably not be hurt in a week. The Bulls priorities are the off-season though.

QUOTE (MHizzle85 @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 09:41 AM) Back to the Amar'e subject. I've read that PHX sees Cleveland as a last resort. They want more than just Hickson & Big Z who they plan to just waive anyway. I've also read that they're not that interested in Beasley. Either way it's looking like this Bulls team is staying in tact past the trade deadline. I don't think so. The Bulls are going to make a few trades.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 09:33 AM) I think the Bulls pay Deng a lot less than McGrady is paid, so we would still have to move salaries into there, which would really take players off of the court for the Bulls. Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and John Salmons for McGrady would work. I don't know if the Rockets have interest in that offer, but it would do wonders for the Bulls and if you got a 3rd team involved (for example, a team that wanted Tyrus Thomas), you could see the Rockets receive some draft picks and other stuff. The big issue is that I highly doubt the Rockets have any interest in Deng (since they have Battier and Ariza on the wing). Albeit, Deng is a superior all around player to both.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 09:17 AM) I can't see anyone taking on Deng for an expiring deal right now. Which is why he hasn't moved. The Bulls would only move Deng if that sort of offer was on the table and I believe the only deal they could possibly do that allows that to happen would be a McGrady deal, but I find that very unlikely. Otherwise, Deng will stay here this off-season until the Bulls are able to sign a FA (or two) and at that point the team will decide whether Deng fits the current lineup or if they would be better served dealing him for another guy whose signed long-term but is a better positional fit (Al Jefferson is an option). Or he would be part of a sign and trade for a Rudy Gay, etc.

QUOTE (greasywheels121 @ Feb 15, 2010 -> 06:41 PM) Thanks for all the feedback, guys. These are the real reviews I was looking for. I've waited this long; I'm going to have to explore what else is available before I finally rid myself of my rotary dial cell phone. It shouldn't even be a question...get the Droid. It is really solid. So is the HTC android phone Verizon offers.

Thanks for the help guys/gals. I decided to instead stick to two countries so we wouldn't be as rushed, since it is our honeymoon.

So I've decided on my honeymoon and wanted to see if anyone that has been to either place recommends as must sees (or the exact opposite, of things that you had heard about which ultimately were a huge let-down). We are going to have 4 days in London and 5 in Paris and am current planning on doing a couple day-trips outside of each city as well (potentially Bathe, Stonehedge, Brugges, etc). I appreciate all the help!!!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 08:43 AM) IMO, if there was anyone in the league remotely willing to take on Deng's contract in exchange for something valuable, he'd be long gone already. Right now the Bulls are only going to move him for expirings. If not, they'll hold onto him and eventually use him as a S/T component. Deng is quietly having a really really good season and from what I've read he has solid trade value.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 16, 2010 -> 05:59 AM) I doubt a guy who is the best in the league at his position is worried about Deng. If he wanted to play in Chicago, that isn't something that would stop him. Its not like he is going to lose playing time to him or something. Plus with Deng playing the way he is, the Bulls could use him as a sign and trade chip for someone like a Chris Bosh, etc. They could even move him for an Al Jefferson.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Feb 15, 2010 -> 08:44 PM) Your correct, but he is still miles better than VDN. Sucks to hear about Karl, but I would love to see us land Byron Scott. (job he did with CP3 from his rookie year on, was amazing and even CP3 credited Scott) I still feel Derrick has lost some development from the VDN regime, especially playing in a half court set. Just say no to Byron. He's terrible.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 15, 2010 -> 03:57 PM) Probably a lot of reasons. First, he'd always be in someone else's shadow. He'd also be changing numbers. The big one though is the contracts. While he could probably play PF, having Deng alongside him is really a poor setup. Which means we'd need to find a way to move Deng. Which is already difficult enough, and which would be more difficult if we suddenly HAD to move him. Why would he necessarily want to go through that when so many other teams can offer him the spot wide open already. If Chicago can get Lebron they will. It is just widely believed he isn't interested in coming to Chicago. Peter Vessey disagrees and thinks that the Bulls are his most likely destination if he doesn't stay in Cleveland. And Deng is no concern, I could care less who is on our team, LBJ is the best in the game.

Should be nice, real nice.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 06:02 PM) I have not been, but if I were a newly married man, rising up the career ladder, and presiding over the best website in the history of the intrawebs, I would not go at the present time. It is not particularly safe for Americans to be there right now. Haha, that was my biggest potential concern with potentially going there (me and my fiance's safety).

Have any of you been to Cairo, Egypt? Was thinking of including it on my honeymoon (going to go to a few European countries) and thought it could be cool to see the pyramids but was curious to see if anyone has ever been and whether it is worth it, safe, etc.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 01:10 PM) BTW, multiple sources are reporting the Sox are very much still in the mix for Damon today. It's just the Sox & Tigers now. 2:12pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com says via Twitter that it looks like the Damon sweepstakes will come down to the White Sox and Tigers. He says the Braves don't appear to have the money to bid. 2:00pm: Don't hold your breath for a Damon signing. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that nothing is imminent with the Tigers. You gotta think this 2/$14M from DET is either total BS, or Damon really doesn't wanna play there. Why else hasn't he signed? That was classic Boras chasing $/years from Kenny. I can't see the Sox going to two years unless it's a team option. Has anyone thought that Boras is in tight with Detroit and is actually using that to his advantage to play the Sox and get the Sox to pony up more. Detroit benefits because if it works, Boras gets the Sox to spend more dough or even walk away from the chase and Boras benefits because it either gets another team to jump in (Braves) or gets the Sox to maybe pay a bit more?

So preliminary offers or agreements?

Question...I fully expect the Bulls to acquire future 1st round picks, not current ones. In fact, most likely they will deal all of the 1st round picks this year because of the cap hold that is set on those selections.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 09:57 AM) Your post makes no sense. In the first part you claim that they won't go over the salary cap because of what might happen two years down the road, but then in the next part with actual quotes they're trying to add at least one max salary player, if not two. If you're really peterified about a $52 mil luxury tax two years down the road, wouldn't you think not paying someone $17-18 mil a year (since it's two years down the road we're factoring in raises) would be a good way to avoid it? If they go the two-max deal route, that'd be over this imaginary $52 mil luxury tax that has yet to happen with two max salaries, Rose, a likely Noah extension and the remaining roster filler. If they moved Hinrich and Salmons, they'd probably be over it with a max deal, Deng, Rose, the same Noah extension and the rest of the roster (even if you got Noah at $6 mil, they'd only have $10 mil left for the other 8 active roster spots). About the only way they could avoid the tax in that scenario is if they didn't make any trades, let everyone walk that expires between now and then and filled out the roster with guys making no more than $5 mil, which might cause rioting among Bulls fans. If the luxury tax really fell that far, they'd be f***ed not matter what they do, so I have a very hard time believing that they wouldn't use the current $52 mil of cap space. Besides, even if they went $10 mil over that theoretical tax they'd still be at roughly the same roster expenses the Bulls had the last few years, so assuming they'd still avoid it like the plague is a pretty major assumption. There's a pretty big difference between not adding an end of the bench guy that won't make an impact to definitively avoid the tax on a team that already has a payroll around $70 mil while struggling with the .500 mark and threatening the long-term health of your team by not spending on starting talent to possibly avoid a tax two years down the road that is almost $20 mil below what you spent the last several years. If the Bulls can get 2 max fa's to work, keep Deng/Noah/Rose....they will most certainly be willing to pay the luxury tax. No f***ing doubt about it. That team would contend and I believe win multiple titles. Jerry won't pay luxury tax for Byars because Byars doesn't make the team ridiculously better. My question is can the Bulls even have enough room under the cap to offer 2 max guys without moving Deng/Hinrich/Salmons? I didn't think there was a way to do it if Deng was on the roster, but I might be wrong?

QUOTE (Soxy @ Feb 12, 2010 -> 10:29 AM) So, I didn't have dental insurance for about 6 years. And I went to the dentist for the first time in that long on Tuesday. And I have s***ty teeth (thanks mom and dad!). So I have 7 cavities. Had 3 taken care of yesterday. My jaw is about 7 kinds of sore today. At least I have insurance! I brushed regularly through college (well still do now of course) and hadn't gone for like 3 years in college. Went when I had my insurance at Deloitte and got hammered with some fillings. I thought I'd have been fine since I brushed regularly. I now realize the importance of a 6 month check up. Oh and now I don't just brush twice a day, I floss twice a day too.

QUOTE (3E8 @ Jan 16, 2010 -> 11:15 PM) Portillo's double cheese was my favorite burger when I lived in Chicagoland. I don't know how Red Robin survives. Why do people want to pay 10 bucks to eat a s***ty burger in a place often filled with screaming kids. You may be doing a disservice by not including bars. There are at least 3 dive bars around where I live now that serve cheap kick ass burgers Red Robin has a weird ass vibe, but there burgers have always been real good, imo.

I take it Aj and Damon are really tight?

Come on Sox...this would excite me.