Fotop

I know my posting is sporadic at best. So, if this is a drive-by/he's only posting because they're #1 and 11-0, so be it. But just wanted to check in and say I'm having a ball this season so far. Not here to gloat about it or say who's better than who and who deserves what, just to say that I'm geniunely ecstatic that for at least a week, Notre Dame is #1. It's a dream that as a fan, you don't want to wake up from. Heck part of me just wants to freeze time and not have to see them play USC this weekend. It really has been an unbelievable ride so far, and of course I'll be devastated if they lose this weekend. But this is White Sox in 2005 type of experience for some of us. Could be once in a lifetime, as I hold no reservations about them repeating this anytime soon. As evidenced by this year, you need a lot of things to happen, most of which being uncontrollable, to be able to go 11-0.

Wimbley to the Titans - 5yr/35mil 13.5mil guaranteed per rotoworld. Bears running out of pass rushing options through free agency...

Presume there's no word yet on the severity of Carimi's injury? Assume everyone else here is thinking this, but I'm really hoping it's nothing serious. Anything more than 1 half of Frank Omiyale will likely make multiple grown men cry into their beers (and other grown men cry into their helmets).

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Sep 5, 2011 -> 10:05 PM) Well, I guess Tommy Rees it is. Dayne Crist seemed to have s*** himself. He hasn't played in like 10 months though. Personally, I think Rees is the better fit for the offense despite not having Crist's arm. It's a timing offense, one that requires quick reads, quick decisions and accurate throws. Yes, Rees can't rifle a 20 yd out route, but I don't think that's a priority here as much as it is in the NFL. With that being said, Dayne really got a raw deal. His running back fumbles on the 1 yard line after a beautiful opening drive and his WR (TJ Jones) drops a slant that hits him right in the #s for a TD right before the pick in the end zone. Basically gets yanked after that, and likely will never see the field again unless Rees completely implodes or gets hurt. Now, like I said I think Rees should be the guy despite the lack of athleticism/tools but that's the shortest leash I've ever seen for a starting qb. You have the entire spring and summer to evaluate these guys, name a guy your starter after that evaulation period and completely go against all of that after 1 half of play? That makes me question Kelly's decision making, especially when it's eerily similar to Weis' insistence on using D. Jones as QB to open the season (and promptly yanking him) during Clausen's freshman year. As for this week, Michigan is an extremely important game for the direction of this program. It's always a big one, but it feels even heavier this time around w/ND being 0-1 and the game being in primetime. I have no idea what to expect out of this team after the most odd game I've ever witnessed as an ND fan (between the 5 turnovers, the weather delays, odd penalties, sloppy play, etc). They could win by 30, lose by 30, or more likely it's going to come down to the last drive like it does more often than not between these two.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 11:32 PM) Tell me about it. Linebackers can tip any pass that is less than 15 yards past them. And cornerbacks react in a twitch. It's hard to pass over the middle in that game. There's been one play for me that's pretty much unstoppable vs. the CPU the last couple years in this game where I almost exclusively pass over the middle (including this year): 5 WR Trips (empty shotgun, trips right) = "Stick" First read should be the inside of the two slants, if there's no middle linebacker in zone coverage should be open fairly quickly if it's only man to man. If middle linebacker is there, wait for your WR to clear his zone then throw. 2nd read is the hitch route from the inside WR on the right side. Usually open if the middle linebacker is cheating to the slant. 3rd read is the outsider slanter on the left side. Same keys as the inside slant. If the play is extended past this point, roll out to your right, wait for the slant runners to clear to near the sideline and they should open up as coverage breaks down. All else fails, chuck up the bomb to the streak, hit the out route, or scramble if your qb has some wheels. Your success rate v. the CPU w/this one once you've mastered it should be extremely high, even on heisman. Yes, I probably play this game too much, but my copy of madden has yet to make it overseas....haha.

Not so much a "Sunday Lineup" today, it's clear this game is important. Well, you've got to look past Dunn & Rios starting, but I think that's a broken record at this point.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 09:22 PM) Any of the PS3 people getting NCAA 12? I'd really love to get into a decent online dynasty. I figured given the leanings of this board, maybe we could fill the Big Ten+2 and have a bunch of online showdowns in conference play. If it happens, obviously I'm in and I'd take Northwestern. I'd be up for something like this if XBoxers are interested....

Baseless speculation here cribbed from ESPN Insider, but hey, it's a lockout and I'm bored. Anyway, what about making a move for Hanyesworth to bolster up the Bears DTs? Presumably he wouldn't cost much trade-wise - random guess would indicate a third or fourth rounder or something like that. There's serious questions about attitude, motor, whatever you want to call it, but I think he's got something to prove at this point. A chip on your shoulder is always a good thing. Besides that, the guy has always been a beast DT in the 4-3, could be extremely likely that the major source of his angst was playing in a 3-4. Also have to think Marinelli would be a good influence on him. Thoughts? This more crazy than I think it is? I was shocked to see that according to the metrics he's theoretically playing at a high level over the last 3 years, could be BS, but interesting to think about.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 09:34 PM) If they're going to trade Danks and Floyd, they should do it now. I firmly believe that Danks could bring back a great prospect. Jesus Montero anyone? Combining Floyd with Quentin a deal could bring back a lot too. If they can get Montero for Danks, do it now. If not, I'd rather keep Danks and give him an extension. Like everyone has said, the rotation will be a pitcher short if they deal Floyd, Danks, and Jackson, and then Buehrle leaves for FA. Combine that with the fact that Peavy will make 2+ DL trips, it's not looking good. I have a hypothetical question: would you guys trade Beckham, Sale, Ramirez, and Quentin for Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters? Isn't Vitters almost a non-prospect at this point? I haven't heard of him doing anything of note in awhile. Regardless, there's not a single person that does that trade if they're in Kenny's shoes. Ramirez and Castro are fairly equivalent as is (you give Castro the edge for age and for being cost controlled, but Ramirez has more power and is a better fielder for the time being), so theoretically it's Beckham, Sale, and Quentin for a prospect (that looks so far to be a bust)? No thank you. EDIT: Suppose I'm selling Vitters a bit short as he's still only 21, but he's far from a sure thing.

QUOTE (Fotop @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 08:36 PM) It's cool guys. Twins will find some way to bring Capps into the game, and we'll have a tie ballgame in no time. So ummmm, how 'bout dem bears? (Seriously we can't even muster a hit vs. a guy who can't get anyone out these days?)

It's cool guys. Twins will find some way to bring Capps into the game, and we'll have a tie ballgame in no time.

Until I moved to Singapore I never really saw the appeal of a really nice watch. But I think seeing folks with nice watches everywhere here has sucked me in, since I just bit the bullet and put one on order myself. I'm justifying it to myself by saying it'll be something I can pass on and that I'm getting a good deal on it (ordered in the US for 1.2k cheaper than Singapore), but in reality I know I'm just buckling to my surroundings. I went with an Explorer I, which looks like this: Explorer But if money were no object, I'd definitely get a daytona: Daytona And if money REALLY wasn't an object I'd get one of the following (probably the nautilus): Nautilus AP IWC I had a boss who once told me to buy something nice for yourself anytime you get a bonus. One, because it'll serve as a reminder for what hard work can bring you. Two, because you never know what the future holds, so might as well enjoy it now. Yeah, I know I keep justifying.....but think it's good advice. Curious to know what you end up deciding on (if you haven't already).

Videotape by Radiohead. /pretentious /obligatoryuseofradioheadinanymusicthread

Castro walk, then LiliBOMB for the win. Thus guaranteeing Lillibridge a roster spot for the rest of his career as long as Ozzie is managing somewhere.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Mar 22, 2011 -> 08:20 AM) But that's the point, isn't it? I am told constantly that it isn't (I have rabid, third generation ND in-laws). Thing is, unlike at BYU, its just talk. The issue isn't whether McAlarney's punishment was sufficiently harsh, its whether he would have been reinstated by ND if he wasn't a hoops player. I honestly don't know that answer. The issue IS whether Ragone's punishment was sufficiently harsh. In fact, I'm not certain he was punished at all. He was busted in May 2010 and still in school and on Kelly's team that Fall, though he missed a lot of time due to injury. He's currently applying for a 5th year of elgibility. Appears to be a different disciplinary style to me, but maybe Ragone just had a better lawyer. He should pass his card on to Floyd. I know first-hand that students who are not athletes have been reinstated for a similar charge. I was an R.A. my senior year at ND. During my junior year, there was a guy in my dorm who got kicked out of school for smoking pot in his room. He was suspended the following semester and had to reapply to return the next year. Reapplied, was accepted, and was back in the fall. The Ragone situation is seemingly an outlier in my mind, as every other situation has been dealt with swiftly and much more harsh than most other schools. Granted, these are the rules you sign up for when you commit to ND - it's not just talk. Like I said previously, things could be changing under Kelly's regime in terms of disciplinary issues becoming less black and white. I have no idea.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Mar 21, 2011 -> 01:54 PM) Michael Floyd arrested for driving while blind. http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/...dui-charge.html He should have stuck to pot like Kyle McAlarney and Mike Ragone. The domers don't seem to mind that too much. Yeah, because McAlarney missing as season of basketball and getting tossed out of school for a semester wasn't a harsh punishment in the first place. Please. If this happened at any other school, let's say a Florida for example, Floyd would probably miss a game against Coastal Carolina. Whereas, I'll be shocked if he gets to see the field this year. Rashon Powers Neal got a DUI a few years back and was gone for the season so there's precedent. Now I will say Kelly's regime may have a different disciplinary style, but like I said the precedent is there and the powers that be at the school on the adminstration side remain the same. /selfishly hoping Floyd survives this and gets to play at some point this year /whoops schedule is frontloaded, oh crap, nd is screwed because there's no way he doesn't miss the start of the season

So much for this year's ND team being different. Silly me for thinking they'd actually peform at least to expectations in tournament for once. Ugh.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Mar 14, 2011 -> 12:43 AM) Until ND learns to play defense they'll continue to have an early exit in the tournament. A&M should put them to bed early, that's one of the upsets I'm pretty confident in. I've kept fairly quiet on ND all season, mainly because it took the entire season to convince me that this year was any different than previous iterations of this team. Having said that, I've come to the belief that this is the strongest team they've had since they took down U of I to make the s16 in 2003. In fact, it's likely stronger as it's much more balanced (everyone is a threat to score) and actually plays defense despite common belief. Now, they're not lockdown defenders, I'll give you that, but their defense isn't below average. Outside of Ben H., the whole starting lineup is 6'8". As a result, their length has been giving folks in the Big East fits on the defensive side. They're not good at defending the three, but I think that's their only weakness on d. They're good rebounders and above average defenders in the paint/collapsing in zone due to the aforementioned length. People are always going to dog them because they don't have any freak athletes (although Carleton Scott is a good shot blocker) and a low amount of forced turnovers. The turnovers aren't as much of a concern as people like to say it is (coughESPNcough) because their tempo is slow (so less possessions to force turnovers) and they themselves don't turn the ball over frequently. I don't know much about TAMU and Fla St. but from what I've read they're both defensive minded (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I'll gamble on ND beating a team known for their defense rather than having to run and gun with some really athletic teams. ND does not play all that well from behind as their preferred pace is fairly slow. Therefore, if an opponent's pace is also slow and prefers to grind it out (which sounds like TAMU and Fla St?) I'd take my chances with ND's offensive efficiency carrying the day. I think if any team has a good shot to take ND out, it's one that plays tight man to man d or provides solid 3/4 court or full court pressure to disrupt the flow of their motion offense. On the offensive side, opponents will need to have guards that can pentrate and create or dish (e.g. peyton siva of UL or kemba walker of UCONN etc - these guys give ND fits) and/or powerful 3pt shooting to expose ND's weak 3pt defense. Ultimately, getting eliminated prior to the s16 should be a disappointment for this squad. Making the e8 would be great for the program, so if they do survive the first weekend, there's going to be a lot hanging on their s16 matchup (which would likely be Purdue, of course). That game's essentially a coin flip, and as an ND fan I'll take a coin flip matchup to make the e8 since we haven't been there since what, the 70s? Just my two cents, but not sure how familiar folks here have been with ND (except for other ND fans - e.g. knight)

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 1, 2011 -> 11:21 PM) So did he get drunk or have sex? Has to be one of the two. And if Illinois win their home finale, loses their first Big Ten Tournament game, and makes the big dance.....well then I'd say the tournament really needs to be reduced to about 48 teams. They are not a tournament team, simply put, unless they do damage in Indy. But the weak at large pool may let them in anyways. Or he could have had a diet coke. Same difference in the BYU honor code.

I got e.coli from a burger in Singapore in Feb of last year. Probably the most sick I've ever been in my life. I'm sure you're going to see a doc about this, as the antibiotics were def. what brought a quick end to it for me. On the bright side, I lost about 5 lbs in a week.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 29, 2010 -> 10:16 AM) Where exactly do you live now? Singapore.

Can people who moved to Asia comment? I know f all about Europe, so I'll refrain from commenting on that specifically, but I can say I'd recommend moving abroad for work if the opportunity is worth it. Honestly, it was quite difficult to convince me, especially with a girlfriend back in the states (with whom I am still seeing long-distance) but from a life experience and work experience perspective it's certainly worthwhile. Looking back knowing what I know now, I think the decision would have been much easier. It's not all sunshine and rainbows every day, as you will have your bad days and miss the US, miss your family, and miss your good friends. However, the experiences you'll have will be unique, you'll experience new cultures, and will meet new friends. What you're leaving in the US will basically always be there (except Wrigley, the structural integrity of the place may cause it to turn to dust by the time you return). , you can always go back. Europe to me is a bit easier as well, in a sense that you could get home in case of emergency through an 8-10 hr flight. Asia, not so much. Also this gives you the opportunity to go back to visit on a long weekend rather than having to block out a week plus to take a trip home. I will say that it's been easy for me since there's little to no language barrier here - everyone speaks english. So I can't comment on the effect that may have on you - but if you're living in London, well yeah, same boat. Haha. Ultimately, I'm going to assume you're young since you don't have a wife/kids yet (could be wrong, if so, my apologies). If you don't do something like this now, in all likelihood you won't in the future. So, my advice is to take advantage of it if the opportunity were to arise. Granted, there are plenty of factors that are involved in considering if an opportunity is worth it so I would really analyze the offer in hand before making a decision. Opportunity costs are real and not just made up in economics classes. Haha. But I'm rambling at this point, if you have any specific questions, as silly as they may be (e.g. how the hell am I going to watch the white sox abroad?) feel free to shout.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 27, 2010 -> 11:01 AM) I'm flying Emirates on one of the bigger airbuses (relatively new plane, ~2 years old), but not the A380 unfortunately. That thing is massive. But the biz class of Emirates is supposed to be top notch. I'm flying LAX to Dubia and than have a short layover before having a nice 2hr flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Brushing of the teeth is definitely nice. It gets pretty nasty if you don't up there. Especially because of how dry and crappy it is. I always grab aisle seats (whether coach or biz class) so that a I don't bug anyone by getting up 15 times during my long-haul flight and B because If I didn't have biz class I can at least kick my feet out into the aisles. Emirates is great from what I hear as well. Again, haven't flown them, but I've come to the conclusion anything is better than United or AA. I hate having to bug people so I can get out of the row, so I'm an aisle person as well. Many people I know, who travel often, prefer window because no one climbs over them and they get to choose when they climb over someone. It's always uncomfortable for me to bug someone so I can step out so I avoid it all together. I'm flying econ for the first time on a long haul flight, from Singapore to Chicago in October for a wedding - United, too. Can't justify ponying up for the buisness seat out of my own pocket (it's about 4x the price!). Should be an adventure.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 23, 2010 -> 05:45 AM) I'm actually getting ready to head back to the states from Ireland and I've been traveling quite a bit internationally lately for work. It is huge to make sure you time your sleep properly so that your first night at your destination you are able to sleep properly. It might not be a perfect sleep, but that sets up a real quick adjustment. I've heard about the melatonin but from what I read if you don't take it properly and at the right time it can actually make your jet lag a whole lot worse. I'm pretty good at not getting any major jet-lag, but I do tend to hit severe exhaustation because I am the type that can't sleep on a plane. 14 hours to shanghai, not much more than a wink of sleep, but no matter what I force myself to stay awake till 8PM or so when I arrive. All that said, I really do get antsy on a flight so I just try to watch tons of movies, walk around, and drink a s***load of water (very important since planes are something like 2 times dryer than the dryest place on earth). But I don't know what I'm going to do for my flight in a couple weeks to Mumbai. Flying for 20 hours is going to be awful (18 hrs into Dubai and than another 2 into Mumbai). At the end of the day, all I ask is that my flights are safe. Lie flat business seats should help though. US to Mumbai? Yeah that's rough. What carrier are you flying? My suggestion would either be Singapore Airlines or Qatar Airlines if you have a choice. They blow the US carriers (namely AA and United) out of the water. Better than British Airways in my opinion, as well. Lie flat seats are always nice - the ones on the new Singapore Airlines planes (basically any of the airbuses 360 and 380 I believe) are HUGE. Again, there's no comparison, except for Qatar from what I hear, but I've never flown them. Good point about the water as well, just make sure you've got easy exit from your seat if you're drinking a ton of water for obvious reasons. Haha. I will also recommend using a tiny travel toothbrush mid-flight - if you're flying business they usually provide these for you or you can pick them up in the lounge pre-flight. Gives you a reason to get up and walk around, makes you feel less scummy toward the end of the flight, and furthermore, should refresh you a bit if you need to be awake.

QUOTE (Whitewashed in '05 @ Sep 22, 2010 -> 07:57 PM) Flying is such a pain in the ass and I can't sleep for more than 2 hours, if I'm lucky. A 4 hour flight has me aching everywhere and I'm not even a big guy. Heh. Suppose you wouldn't enjoy the 24 hr trips from Singapore to Chicago that I've gone through quite a few times. I enjoy it though, flying is the only time you're shut off to the world - no cellphones, email, nothing, unless you REALLY want to get some work done. Forced relaxation is better than no relaxation at all. QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 23, 2010 -> 01:32 AM) The flight will be long. But try to find a non-stop flight. When your going for a long time it just helps. Check out vayama.com, they seem to have pretty good coverage on International Travel. When you fly, try to exercise and stand-up and stretch at least a few times during the flight (prevents blood clots). Agree with everything said here. The less stops the better, non-stop is so much easier especially if you have to lug your bags between connections...that's the worst. If I were you, I'd pay the premium for the non-stop flight if it's a reasonable figure in comparison to one with connections. Also, deep vain thrombosis is pretty scary - so the advice about the exercise/walking around is key. I'll admit I'm not the best at this myself, but it's good to point out so you're mindful of it. I'd imagine a direct flight to the netherlands is prob 8-9 hrs? If you're not a sleeper, the exercise/stretching/walking around will help break the monotony. One more key point that hasn't been touched on yet - jetlag can be a b****. To Europe it's not as bad as other places, imagine the time change is something around 6-7 hrs or so. My best advice is if you land during the day, stay up as long as you possibly can the first day so you go to sleep at a normal time. If you land at night, try to time your sleep on the plane so you can sleep when you land. Pretty straight-foward stuff, but it's harder in practice than you'd think. I'm not a huge fan of the tylenol pm/ambien route so I wouldn't recommend that if you're not normally a sleeping pill person. I've had someone recommend melatonin pills, think you can get them at gnc, but I've yet to try - again not a pill guy, but these are more "natural" according to the recommendation.