Chisoxfn

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 09:58 AM) Is baseball a niche sport? The Blackhawks have higher tv ratings than the White Sox this year. And since you asked whether baseball is a Niche Sport: NHL Revenue (Including PostSeason) Last Year: ~2.8B (all time high) MLB Revenue for 2008 (Excluding Post-Season: 6.5B (all time high) NFL Revenue for 2008: 6.54B NBA Revenue for 2008: 3.4B

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 09:58 AM) Is baseball a niche sport? The Blackhawks have higher tv ratings than the White Sox this year. No, but you are comparing the Blackhawks to the cities 2nd favorite baseball team (its our favorite). Compare the Cubs and Blackhawks ratings. Or add the Sox and Cubs viewership and compare them. It would be impossible. Or compare the White Sox playoff ratings to the Blackhawks playoff ratings (our run to the World Series vs there run). Add into the fact that our games weren't in prime-time all that often.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 09:49 AM) Following and interest are two different things. At this point we are sort of talking semantics, but in terms of what people want to hear/talk about, right now there is a bigger want for hockey coverage than basketball in Chicago. I'll never argue that there are more hockey fans than basketball fans. It's not true. The NBA is just a more powerful entity. There are more fans of the Bulls and fans of the Bulls are interested in there team. Are they as excited about there team as the Blackhawks, probably not, but thats because the Bulls aren't title contenders. But you guys are mistaken if you think that means hockey is more popular or the Hawks are the talk of Chicago, imo. They are the talk amongst the big time hockey fan and the new casual hockey fan but ultimately its a niche sport.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 09:44 AM) My biggest problem with JD as primary DH is that it leaves us way too right handed-heavy in the middle of the lineup. Thome or Johnson flat out fits this team better with Quentin, Konerko, Rios, Beckham, Alexei being the likely middle of the order hitters. Sign me a LH hitting LF for the middle of the order and maybe we can talk, but I'm not sure we have a lot of options there. I agree with you that the Sox need to get a lefty for the middle of the order. My question is who that would be, but if the Sox could acquire a lefty bat for the middle spot of the order that can play the outfield, Dye wouldn't be that bad. I still think the Sox might move Konerko which would open up another position where the club could potentially find a lefty bat. I really think the Sox have a few big name pieces they are going to move and I see this off-season going down much like the 2004 off-season where we move some bigger name guys and use the money to fill our holes and make us a solid all around club. Take a flyer on a guy or two that has tools and has been solid and hope they blow-up a bit and rely heavily on our pitching.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 09:47 AM) If another team wants to overpay for a guy the Marlins don't need, then let them. Offer what would be fair value from us, and if someone wants to beat that number then we're better off keeping what we have and letting the other guy overpay. Exactly. If someone offers more fine, there mistake. He's not much different than what Willy Mo Pena was a few years back. Thats not to say Hermida goes the way of Pena, but the bottom line is he's looking for a 2nd chance and guys with tools looking for a 2nd chance are typically much less valuable. Add in a 3-4M contract and there are a lot of reasons why I wouldn't be all that intrigued, especially if you have to give up talent. Plus given where the Sox are (with holes at DH and OF), I wouldn't be all that opposed to holding onto a guy like Josh Fields cause if push comes to shove I still think he'll be able to hit 20 Hr's a season for some team. He just has major flaws that will prevent him from being a very good player. He still deserves a shot somewhere, imo and if a team were smart they'd lowball the Sox for Fields. And not a contending team, Fields needs a year on a s***ty club where he can just play and iron things out.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 05:11 AM) LMAO what? Why does George Bell get the right to b**** during the postseason? I'm guessing he meant George Brett.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Oct 29, 2009 -> 09:13 PM) Hmmm.. I guess 10 postseason games counts into the .249/.371/.498/.869 he put up during the season eh.. He's just not clutch. I'm sure A-Rod can give him some pointers some time. I realize the OPS and OBP are nice, but when push comes to shove and it matters, a good pitcher will get Swisher out damn near all of the time because of the serious flaws in Swisher's swing/game. Swisher was a solid back of the order hitter though, I'll say that much, but to put that sort of guy in the middle of your order, youd' be screwed (OPS isn't an end all be all).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 29, 2009 -> 12:28 PM) If they win 43 games, they will play someone like Boston, Orlando, or Cleveland in the first round, and they will be lucky to win a game against them, let alone a series. I realize that. I like the Bulls depth and I think it will be a huge asset in a physical series. Plus I really really think people are sleeping on what Hinrich, Deng, Salmons, and Miller for a full season will do to this club. Add that to a year older Derrick Rose, a more mature Tyrus Thomas, and an in shape Joakim Noah and I think the Bulls are a serious sleeper.

Evan, I've been rethinking my SEC debate and I'm even less enamored with them. Everyone talks about the lack of skill in the Big Ten at the QB position, but I'll point out the exact same in the SEC. Ryan Mallet is the best QB in that conference. Tim Tebow is having a mediocre season, he's tough, ballsy, etc, but without Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy he hasn't been near as good. Bottom line, I stick to my guns that the Pac 10 is the best conference in the land. I also think oregon is the best team in the country right now.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 07:00 AM) Bears, Cubs, Bulls, White Sox, Blackhawks. That's the order of interest of this city. Hockey is the last on 95% of people's minds. The bar I went to last night was 5-1 bulls game over the hawks game. As for the game last night, if the bulls can stay that balanced, they'll be a dangerous team. They made 3 3-pointers and shot 41%. Just real cold in the first half. Despite not having an old veteran, I think the team can throw enough bodies at teams to wear them down over the course of the game. As Doug Collins said (is it just me or is he the best analyst/commentator the NBA has? There's no one close), the defense is going to determine how far they can go. I think getting past the 1st round is the goal this year. Then bring Wade in for the title run! The Big thing is Hinrich is heatlhy, Deng is healthy, Salmons is rock solid, Brad Miller off the bench (along with Hinrich). This is one of the deepest teams in the league (I didn't say best). They also have star power in a young Derrick Rose. You have Joakim and Tyrus who are solid defensive players with upside defensively. Taj Gibson is a nice looking rookie, Johnson a nice looking long-term rookie. Bottom line this is a very deep team that I believe will make the playoffs and use its depth to its advantage in a physical playoff series and ultimately win a game. Its just one game, but thats a huge win against one of the Favorites out in the West (a ton picked them right behind the Lakers).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 06:04 AM) The Hawks out drew the Bulls last year. Try again. They didn't out-make our out draw the Bulls in TV ratings though.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 29, 2009 -> 09:03 PM) I went out tonight with the boys to watch Hawks/Bulls/WS, and we talked about who is more popular right now in the city. While I do have a bias, there is just more overall interest in hockey right now. I hate to say this, but you guys are absolutely nuts if you think the Hawks have a bigger overall following than the Bulls. Basketball is a much much much more popular sport and while Bhawks hockey is rejuvanated and the fan base is coming to life it still doesn't have near the viewership or popularity as the Bulls.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 08:25 AM) He made about 2.1M this past year IIRC. In arbitration I doubt that goes up past 3M considering it wasnt a great year. The Marlins OF is crowded but that is still a manageable price tag for them to keep him. They may want to trade him b/c of his salary but they won't give him away b/c of it. And even at 4M the tools that guy has he could easily become a bargain. Ok well that's just a gross exaggeration. 4M might turn into a bargain or it might turn into 4M that could have went towards the Sox fixing the pen or something along those lines that I consider much more important. Hermida is a non-tender candidate and to suggest trading Danks (a guy with tons of tools himself who hasn't yet flopped at the major league level) for a guy who has flopped so to speak at the major league level and makes a few mill more would be foolish. Josh Fields is in a similar spot to Hermida and my offer wouldn't go much higher than Josh Fields (ie, I'd add a pitcher with the ability to play in the majors, but none that I thought that had the ability to be an above average piece). So Torres would be fine, even though I think he'll have some value for the Sox potentially as a long-reliever.

If the market turns slow for Dye I could see the clubs finding a way to bring him back at a reduced rate to play as our primary DH with maybe 20% of the games in the field.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Oct 29, 2009 -> 10:19 AM) Except this isnt a salary dump so they'll actually need to get quality in return. If he makes 4 mill a year it is a bit of a salary dump. Yes he has potential, but he has failed to live up to it thus far, just like Fields has. I certainly wouldn't trade Danks for Hermida.

43 wins. One playoff round win.

QUOTE (Brian @ Oct 29, 2009 -> 09:21 AM) "Friday Night Lights' continues to be solid. So realistic and soooooo good. I kinda miss my girl Tyra though. I wanna kick Mr. McCoy's ass. I honestly think they have more to work with now for good TV than they ever had before too with Coach Taylor having to resurrect his career.

I'm getting excited. Just set the game to record mode on the DVR. Gonna play some basketball and than come home and watch da Bulls.

What a f***ing episode....off to my softball game. This season is going to be awesome. Really is the best show no one is watching.

Shaun King got the ax from ESPN. http://deadspin.com/5391933/football+talki...pany-in-bristol

Yep, got it set to DVR. Got my championship softball game tonight.

Oh, that was a really good article I thought. Some interesting info in regards to him having met with Beckham and the plans to fly out and meet with Quentin and Rios. Sounds like he's going to meet with Rios twice.

There was a very interesting quote that stuck out to me: Sounds to me like something was going on and my guess is it has to do with certain guys not listening him, not putting in the extra work, etc. I wonder who those guys are and whether I'm reading too much into this or not.

QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 27, 2009 -> 11:05 PM) Amazing how top running backs just drop off from the face of the earth. Terrell Davis Shaun Alexander Priest Holmes Larry Johnson LaDanian Tomlinson Holmes and Davis both had injury issues which caused there career to end and both were relatively old too.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 27, 2009 -> 07:24 PM) He started dropping down when his fastball lost 5 mph to get movement to compensate for the lack of velocity. When he first started dropping down he had the same velocity he's always had. Than he had his bought with sciatica or however you spell it and after that his velocity started to drop. It didn't have anything to do with his trying to gain movement. He just wanted to show people another arm angle on his fastball, the problem was he didn't have any other pitch in his arsenal from that arm angle and because of it hitters knew what was coming (a straight fastball).