Fotop

QUOTE(Capn12 @ Apr 28, 2005 -> 06:10 AM) And Notre Dame gets an automatic entry to the BCS if they finish in the Top 8? And they get BCS money every year no matter what? ARE YOU f***ING KIDDING ME? Hi, lets reward Notre Dame for wanting to greedily keep their share of bowl money and not join a conference, by giving them money every year!! Bulls***. Oops, looks like it's time for me to chime in. First off, ND gets an auto bid now if they are in the top 6 of the standings...I guarantee anytime in the past that ND would be in the top 6 if they were good enough to be 8th. Pollsters, the media, NCAA, favors ND because of the amount of buzz they generate. Just look at when they started the season undefeated in '02, everyone was in a frenzy. Not to mention their unbelieveably hard schedule gives them a huge advantage in the SOS category if they came even close to running the table. Therefore, there is little difference in the auto bid policy, whether they get an auto bid at top 6 or top 8. Seeing as though auto bids are now open to all conferences, it makes sense to adjust ND's situation accordingly. The BCS money thing is a joke, and me saying this doesn't mean I agree with you. Let's run the numbers on this one knowing that under the old system ND gets something like a 14million dollar payday per BCS bowl and under the new system they get 1mil every year they don't make it but 4.5mil when they do, with 10million going to the other conferences: Scenario: ND makes a BCS in 2 of 5 years (assuming they make the gator bowl in the other three: payout 1.6million) Old System Payout 14million + 14million + 1.6million x3 = 32.8 million New System Payout 4.5 Million + 4.5million + 1.6 million x3 + 1million x 3 (BCS yearly payout for not making it) = 16.8 million, wth 20 million dollars in kickbacks going to the major conferences (10 million split for each year ND makes a BCS) Difference in payout = 32.8 - 16.8 = 16million (in favor of old) Scenario: ND makes 1 BCS in 5 years (gator bowl, four years) Old System 14million + 1.6millionx4 = 20.4 million New System 4.5 million + 1million x 4 + 1.6 million x 4 = 14.9 million Difference = 20.4 - 14.9 = 5.5 million (in favor of old) Scenario: ND never makes a BCS in 5 years (gator bowl every year) Old System 1.6million x 5 = 8 million New System 1million x5 + 1.6 millionx5 = 13million Difference in payout = 13-8 = 5million (in favor of new) As you can pretty much see this is a sweetheart deal for the BCS. As much as anyone could hate ND, you can't think they won't make at least one BCS in the next five years. Looking at the numbers, the potential gain of the low end (No BCS) doesn't really cover the potential loss off the high end (2 BCS). Basically, ND gets screwed if they reutrn to excellence. The BCS covers their ass in this case, as well as the rest of the conferences (with the 10million kickback from ND making the BCS), and if ND doesn't make the BCS, 1million dollars is chicken-feed for the big, bad BCS. As a Notre Dame fan, I could see this coming. When the first BCS contract was negotiated, ND had all the leverage because a BCS without ND is not credible at all. However, ND's recent fall from grace gives them less leverage in this new deal because the BCS could gamble on the fact that ND may not be good enough to be in the BCS in the future and exclude them if ND's demands are too high. You can't really say your system isn't credible without us when you haven't been to a BCS in a rather long time (2000). That's why this new deal favors the BCS, ND had no choice but to lay down for them. And this pretty much explains why the risk does not outweigh the reward for ND. But what do I know, I'm just a little junior finance major at ND.

I'm probably headed back to Vegas in July (would be my 2nd time since turning 21 in January) and I'm really excited about this place. However, my only concern is that it'll be extremely crowded because it's the hot-new casino. From the looks of it though, it looks like it's going to be a damn good casino. I might play most of my poker there (bellagio is always way too packed and mirage is just ok), but I doubt any casino surpasses Caesar's in my mind. I love playing everything else at Caesar's, especially blackjack. Either way Wynn is amazing, the guy owned the Mirage, Bellagio, and I thnk the MGM before selling them all off and building his own. If I were the owner of a casino right now I'd be heavily concerned about Wynn grabbing my high profile players.

Weirder things have happened...like the rest of this game. Rally time?

Bleh, this argument going on in here is ridiculous. It's 7-7 in the 9th and people are getting in a pissing contest over what the right thing to do is. If everyone wasn't so hard-headed and childish maybe we could agree that each side has its points and focus on the intense game? This is a game thread after all.

Dye is due... let's go JD.

7-7. byrnes, kendall, chavez, kielty w/hits. chavez scores game tying run on a balk.

whole new ballgame folks. Let's go get'em White Sox!

Was that just an unintentional, intentional walk? I'm watching on gamecast, and I'm rather curious because Kielty kills us.

I know this may have been posted before, but anyone know how to get in-market games using MLB.TV? If so, can I do it with firefox? Thanks.

No pierzynski kinda disappoints me, maybe they're being cautious with his toe. However, he's perfect for harden, left-handed bat, hard to strikeout. Let's hope widger and ozuna can do it again tonight, but i see little room for error for buerhle.

IMO, our fastball hitters should start today, mainly Konerko. Harden overpowers guys and isn't that much of a "pitcher" yet (meaning he just blows people away). The guys that make good contact should cause him trouble, and would be good for us because they'll run up Harden's pitch count. Therefore, I think Pierzynski is probably the key to today's game because it seems as though Harden has a bit of trouble with lefties, and Pierzynski make a ton of contact and is hard to strike out. As much as everyone wants to see harris start, I think Iguchi is a better idea...he works the count a bit better than willie, IMO. With that being said, here's what I think the lineup should look like: Pods LF Iguchi 2B Everett DH Konerko 1B Rowand CF Pierzynski C Crede 3B Timo RF Uribe SS Basically, play pretty much all of the regulars, with Dye being the obvious exception...he couldn't catch up to Juan Cruz's fastball last night, I don't even want to imagine him taking cuts at Harden's. However, I don't necessarily think it'll be lefties that are of the utmost importance of getting to harden. I think it's veteran hitters/tough guys to strikeout that will run Harden out of the game before Buerhle and the Sox hopefully getting to the A's bullpen with a tie or the lead. This is probably our best chance to win today's game, so I'd keep a close eye on Harden's pitch count.

"Teamwork" stats makes much mroe sense and is not nearly as oxymoronic as "intangible" Good call on the name change.

Uribe is money. Great play.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ Apr 25, 2005 -> 11:17 PM) True, but Pods does the same stuff to get on base. It's one thing to like a player, it's another to crap on a player who's just as good, but more than likely better. All players get on base by errors one time or another, don't single pods out...it sounds like you have it out for him, yet he still wears the same jersey as everyone else.

Well it's just Pablo's night...any other day Chavez makes that play with ease.

Timo as a defensive replacement instead of Pods? Doesn't really make much sense...

Weirdest spin on a ball...ever. PK gets unlucky, but we get our runs. Shut 'em down Garland!

Can't fault Gooch for that AB, faught off a bunch of pitches and Zito made a good pitch on him to get him out. Unfortunately, that may have been one of our few chances tonight to get some runs. Let's hope Jon keeps pitching well.

Well under your definition, any stat is therefore intangible because their value differs from person to person. It seems as though this charcteristic is not specific to the three stats you have singled out. So by grouping three statistics together and calling them "intangibles" is all together misleading. Stats are stats yes, but to me intangible is a terrible choice of words. Intangibles to me are chemistry, attitude, desire, etc. attributes that aren't able to be measured by any numbers yet important attributes nonetheless.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Apr 25, 2005 -> 07:41 PM) I challenge any & all pessimists to build their best arguments. I love destroying them Here's another one. Garland will fall back to Earth. Dating back to Jul 04, he now has 16 quality-winnable starts over his last 22. That's 16 starts where he has pitched at least 6 in, & given up no more than 4r. The majority of those starts were 3r or less. Maybe he's found himself a nice stable orbit Not a challenge Juggs, but I state again how can you quantify intangibles? Doesn't that go against the very definition of the word intangible? You can toss all the stats at me you want, I just don't think it's fair to use ones that try to quantify something that is not measurable. Call it like it is, SF,SH,SB are good statistics they just have nothing to do with the concept of intangibles.

Talk about kickers, I think the Bears have the rights to Nick Setta, former ND kicker. This guy is solid, and I hope he gets his shot w/the Bears because he's a class guy and a Illinois native. (I think he kicked for NFL Europe last year)

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Apr 25, 2005 -> 06:29 PM) The 2005 White Sox are amongst the league leaders in intangibles (SF, SH, SB), defense (TC, PO, A, DP, F%), & pitching (2.84 ERA SP, 3.81 ERA RP). I don't think you would the say the same about the 2003 Royals. What they might have in common is that the 2005 White Sox are hitting 297A with runners on. That overshadows the poor #'s w RISP. They are strong against LH & about avg against RH. The most reliable players (Dye, AJ, Rowand, & Koney) are struggling while others are doing well (Pods, Crede, Harris, Uribe, Iggy). You would expect the most reliable players to pick it up & some of the players doing well to cool off (Harris, Crede). Harris is a seldom used player so I see that expected turn of events as a boost in R production. I think you should all sit back & enjoy the winning. If the Sox should fall from the leader group in the intangibles, defense, & pitching that will be the time to worry. But there's no reason to believe that will happen. This team was built to be in that lead group. Does anyone else find it ironic that people try to quantify "intangibles" with statistics? I mean the straight definition of an intangible is something that can't be quantified, thus making it NOT tangible. SF,SH,SB are all quality statistics but don't call them intangibles. That's just nonsense

If this is as bad as some may think it is, do we go out and grab another bat at the ASB/trade deadline? I know this is raising a whole new discussion here, but like most on this site I'm deeply concerned about the OBP of the team/the overall production of the offense. All of these one run games, there is absolutely no room for error and balls could easily start bouncing the other way. Solution: Well there's the crazy one, and I think the somewhat feasible one. Both however revolve around grabbing a 1st baseman, seeing as worst-case scenario Frank does not come back and Paulie is a FA at the end of this year (and without a hometown discount, probably not worth the money he could get on the open market) Crazy Solution: Todd Helton. I know how much everyone loves their prospects around here but to grab Helton we'd have to toss a mean offer at Colorado. However, he's worth it in my opinion, being a career .338/.431/.613 hitter. Somewhat of a ridiculous contract (12.6 mil this year), but he's a monster left handed bat, hits for power and average AND is an OBP MACHINE. Feasible Solution: Get Ryan Howard from the Phillies. Definitely would not take as much as Helton and he gets paid peanuts so if he doesn't apn out we're not stuck with an albatross contract. Only problem with Howard is he's an unproven quantity, he's got the minor league stats but as we've seen before that doesn't always mean success (coughJoeCredecough). However, he's not going anywhere with Philly with Thome at first and if he works out then it's syonara Konerko, hello $7million of payroll space. This solution is more of a long-term solution, I don't think Howard would have that much of a visible impact on this year's offense, but the years after he could be an integral part of the team. All I am saying here is that with these reports about Frank looking bleak and Konerko being an FA next year we need to look at shoring up a position that has brought us so much production for so long. Maybe I'm jumping the shark here a bit, and I sure am glad we're 15-4 (believe me), but I think this is very important to the future of the ballclub.

Am I going crazy or has Brandon Browner of Oregon State not been drafted yet? This guy is like 6'4" and he's a corner...I guess the knock on his speed really hurt him. Or maybe I just couldn't find him in the draft logs.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ Apr 20, 2005 -> 11:12 PM) Agreed. That was on Memorial Day, I think. Or Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Close though.