CanOfCorn

Hey, one thing you have to give Ozzie is that he's pretty no-nonsense. I believe him. He wants to win. I don't care if people thing he puts the wrong team out there or stays with pitchers too long...end of the day, he wants to win. And he won't tolerate people who don't feel the same way.

Conspiracy theories are one way people have to make sense of a horrible situation. It can't be true, so people look for any way to make sense of it. Strange things DO happen. And I'm not saying there isn't some truth in some conspiracy theories or that some aren't right on. But, the government can barely keep anything secret without someone leaking it...I can't imagine them being able to keep a secret of killing 2500 of its own citizens without someone feeling guilty and leaking it.

Birthday Bashings all around!!!

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Apr 3, 2007 -> 02:43 PM) It was an ok deal for the Bears, but im glad they are sticking to their guns and asking for more. They could really rape a team on a deal. This is one of those times in a GMs life when you have to look like a patsy or stick to your guns. Angelo just showed the league and the other players around the league that he will listen to offers, but won't take it if he doesn't feel it's worthy. After all the bad press, this is a HUGE win for the Bears. If Briggs gets pissed and lashes out again, the Bears can say, "We think you, as a player, are worth more than a #6 pick. We want you to play next year for our team. If someone comes in with what WE feel is a good offer, we'll take it, but we won't take just anything. Now, why don't you take your 7.2 mil guaranteed for 2007 and you can make your money next year?"

I didn't realize Diana Ross was that into politics...

QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 2, 2007 -> 10:21 AM) Or maybe, we are all playing a joke on you and it's really April 1, Sunday, and you don't need to be working. That would be a cruel, CRUEL joke. Did I mention it would be cruel?

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Apr 2, 2007 -> 05:27 PM) According to SeatGuru, they average 31" pitch in Economy. So does American, United, Continental and Northwest. Many American planes only offer 30" pitch. Their seats are slightly narrower, however, 2 tenths of an inch. I thought American had 33" pitch now? Anyway, since I've moved to Texas I have flown mostly American and Southwest and American is BY FAR the best airline I fly. In fact, I'll even pay a little extra to fly them because every seat has more legroom. AND, they don't fly those Embraers out of here as much. I can't stand those planes...especially being 6'1". Southwest has some major baggage handling problems. My wife flew back from Vegas yesterday and had to fly through Phoenix. It wasn't a quick changeover or anything, but they still managed to lose her bag anyway. But, the pisser is this. They couldn't find it. Ummm...isn't there a bar code on the luggage tag? Isn't that supposed to tell you where it is? Anyway, she did get it back today, but what a pain in the ass.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 30, 2007 -> 03:16 PM) I've been hearing that Donovan to Kentucky has been a done deal for almost a week now, so that news is not a surprise. I just wonder what Gillespie will do when he doesn't get the UK job after being a douche to A&M. He better hope Arkansas pays up. What did he do to A&M?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 31, 2007 -> 11:30 PM) and I would be stunned if we didn't get Altman (who is my realistic guy that I want hired). Soooo...are you stunned?

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Apr 2, 2007 -> 04:53 PM) Actually, the worst case scenario is that the Sox keep pushing him out to mound. It would probably be better if he just broke down and ended up the DL. I know this will sound like hyperbole, but this was the first time I saw Contreras pitch this year and he looks done. Just like the end of last season, whatever problem he has with leg/back are preventing him from locating, and I've never seen his fastball so hittable. Considering he's upwards of 70 years old, I don't expect much improvement. His contract is going to be an albatross. Um...hitless? This is the first time he's pitched this year. In anything meaningful anyway.

QUOTE(BobDylan @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 03:26 PM) Tex, if there is one guy on this board I'd like most to hit the bars with, it'd be you. I just hope you're still drunk when you get this so I can get a long speech about how you love me. GET A ROOM!!!

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 29, 2007 -> 11:46 AM) In terms of geologic events, for the most part yes, it is pretty darn quick. However, in terms of biology, it's a hell of a long time. 2 million years ago humanity was basically a bunch of big apes. Especially right after a crisis like the Cretaceous extinction event which opens up a ton of niches for new species to figure out ways to fill, there can be an enormous amount of biological innovation over that timescale. I see not much has changed.

My question to you is...how do you know that the personnel decisions are botched? I mean, what if Pods is his 2005 first-half self before he got injured? What if Erstad turns out to be like Jermaine Dye and rebounds well? What if Jenks just needed to work some kinks out? What if Sisco and Aardsma are better served staying in the bigs working with Cooper? There are always lots of "ifs" coming out of ST for every team and no one knows over a 162 game season how it's going to turn out. Remember the great first half the Royals had a couple of years ago? They were media darlings...can they keep it up? Look at their young players stepping up! And then they faltered and kinda fell back to earth. Anything can happen and we shouldn't judge a team until the end of the season. Last year was the most disappointing 90 win season in a long time...they had a good year...probably a B- and I can say that because that's what HAPPENED. None of us know what's going to happen starting Monday, so let's just lay off. Of course we can say that we don't like what we've seen in Spring Training. I just think that we should all save our energy for the regular season, when the games matter and not blow our wad on games against minor-leaguers in Arizona. JMHO.

You lost me at "Mammals."

Happy Birthday, Kap! Young'un. And Happy Birthday Little Tex-ette.

The more I read these threads the more I think that this is TRULY the year of the fan hangover. Last year, we were all coming off the euphoria of winning the World Series with a team that hardly anybody thought would truly do anything, and yet they win the WS. According to many: We had the best pitching staff in all of baseball We had just gotten one of the best LH hitters in the game. We had just traded for one of the best potential SP in the game. Oh yeah, we just won the World Series. Now, after a "disappointing" 90-win season and second-half Kalapse (hee-hee), we just woke up the morning after realizing that the White Sox Kool-Aid was spiked with Everclear and we had smoked a pack of cigarettes and 3 joints. The White Sox had a rotten Spring Training. But it's happened before. The Bears had a rotten pre-season last year, getting beat by the lowly Cardinals. Look how that turned out. This is a team of professionals...a team of veterans...if these were all rookies who don't know how to win or are gaining confidence, then I think I would be more nervous. But yes, veterans can work out the kinks and turn it on when they need to. Iguchi has said as much. Now if they start to suck during the games that count...then I'm all for the negativity and the second-guessing, but in Spring Training, people are wasting energy.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 03:38 PM) So you were saying there are 4 or 5 impact players that DO have a place on the Bears? Not in that group, that I can see. I don't think that's right, about drafting a safety that high. Taylor went 5th, Huff went 7th. Everyone has seen what Ed Reed has done for Baltimore -- a guy with Landry's ability is worth a top pick. Not to mention the dlinemen available -- Anderson, Adams, Branch, and Okoye won't drop very far. I'm just saying there probably will be teams willing to trade up. That's why I always qualify this with words like "ideally". If I were Angelo, I'd try to find out if anyone is interested. And I'd try to get the Redskins to trade down themselves for a pick that could be swapped straight-up for Briggs (like the Falcons did last year to get Abraham). But I don't expect to get more than a 16th overall pick for Briggs. Even if you lose a little value on the trade-down, it's a good deal for a player that doesn't look very useful to the team. Taylor is great, if he doesn't derail his career with personal problems. Huff and Reed are good examples, though. I was just repeating what I read on ESPN about the Redskins having trouble. And my point was that there weren't impact players WORTHY of the money that goes along with the number 6 pick. I'm not sold on any of those players you mentioned as a 6. Maybe 15-32 range, but not 6.

Why would Eric Wedge start him? He could get injured...

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 12:22 PM) And you mind telling me which of these is not an impact player?: Quinn, Russell, Johnson, Thomas, Peterson, Landry I'm not saying they aren't impact players period, they just don't have a place on the Bears, like JH said. I would love to have Thomas or Johnson, but they aren't dropping to 6. THAT'S the problem. I don't think Peterson is going to bet THAT good, especially after the injury. Russell's gone to the Raiders and Quinn looks like he may be going to the Browns. EVERYONE is leary of drafting a safety that high. And, according to an article on ESPN about the trade, the Redskins are having trouble trading out of the 6th pick to move down. If that's the case, then what make you think the Bears would ahve an easier time? Personally, I'll take the 6th pick AND a 3rd rounder for Briggs and the 31st. If they won't do that...go re-sign Arrington.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 02:23 PM) also, let me be clear here. i have no animosity toward gordon. he's a fantastic player and will be a great addition to indiana's team. i totally get the fact that he grew up rooting for indiana, has a bunch of friends there, and only didn't commit because he was not interested in playing for mike davis. i get all that. but, as i've said already, people i know who are close to the situation and have no reason to lie say that neither gordon nor his father were at all straight with weber at any point of the process. weber took them at their word since they'd had a relationship dating back to gordon being in grammar school. and he got burned for that. hopefully he learned a lesson. but again, i wish gordon well except for when he plays illinois. hopefully he learned something from this whole process too. Weber was between a rock and a hard place with this situation. If he "knew" and started to court Gordon harder, then other schools would probably realize that Gordon was wavering. If he "knew" and looked for a replacement and Gordon found out, then he might be like, "well, I guess you don't need me all that much." Or what actually happened can happen. Sampson SHOULD have called Weber. He didn't HAVE to. So that's the blame I put on Sampson, especially since he's new to the Big Ten. I don't think that sat well with other BT coaches. As for Gordon, I don't blame him, like we've said, he's 18. I blame is family. They said he was committed when he wasn't. It reminds me of Jerry Maguire and Cush. "My word is oak." What a crock. For the sake of ALL schools, they need to change this process.

QUOTE(Middle Buffalo @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 11:34 AM) I'm sure Al Gore is already working on this. I don't know if he can handle running the internet and synthesizing human poop at the same time...

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 28, 2007 -> 11:26 AM) You really have no concept how long Angelo's been with the Bears, do you? He's right, though. Not on the picks, but Angelo is better at finding hidden gems. Plus, there are really only 4 or 5 impact players in this draft and last I checked 4 or 5 isn't 6. And there was something on ESPN today that the 'Skins are having trouble trading out of the 6 spot for multiple picks lower in the draft. I think that's why the Bears are "waiting." To see if they can get something else out of that 6 pick. If they can, they make the deal. If they can't, they tell Snyder to sweeten the pot.

I still think that sending a letter to your Congressman and/or the FAA is a good thing to do too. Just shoot them an email. If the airlines won't do something about it, at least the governing bodies should know about it.

I "recycle" my plastic bags in different ways though. I use them for cat poop. Wouldn't work as well in paper bags, though. Recyclable plastic would be great!

I remember that day. Scary stuff. Is Three Mile Island still up and running?