CanOfCorn

Thanksgiving! Why? Non-denominational. All Americans celebrate it, no matter when they got here. No explaining why I celebrate one thing and you celebrate another. Just me, family and food (and booze). Love it.

QUOTE (Brian @ Nov 25, 2009 -> 11:03 AM) The one on ESPNU between the #21 team in the country at home vs. a team from the Southern Conference. I agree, Wofford wasn't bad, but expected better than the Illini having to pull away in the last 6 minutes to squeak a win out. As said before, Wofford is a tough team. Plus, it was a potential trap game, Illini going to Vegas shortly, half full Assembly Hall, team that has played well. But the Illini pulled it out.

Hester started this thing where he catches it and as soon as he thinks he's gonna be hit, he either runs out of bounds or dives to the ground. Bennett has gotten killed over the middle a couple of times, but that's his job as the "slow" receiver. Knox I haven't seen enough of to say one way or the other.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 12:44 AM) Donald Driver & Greg Jennings vs. Devin Hester & Johnny Knox. Not to mention that A-rodg gets sacked half the time because he holds the ball for 90 seconds. Cutler avoids plenty of rushes, exponentially more than any qb we've had the past several years, but he can't escape it every time. I just don't get it really. One series, Cutler will march down the field 80 yards looking sick, then the next series we'll go 3 and out with a failed WR screen, a run up the middle, then a slant for 3 yards. Why can't we run the plays that march us 80 yards? Why does the coaching staff insist on shoving plays that haven't worked all year and will never work? Why do we call a WR screen that starts -2 yards when we need 8 for a first down? Why is it we run the same set of 3 plays every time in the red zone when we have 3 big and fast TE's? I certainly don't know the answers to these questions, but I can guess at one of them. This team believes that Hester and to a certain extent, Knox, are playmakers. Put the ball in their hands and anything can happen. Well, that's true, but you need some blocking in front of them and a guy who doesn't mind contact (I'm looking at you, Devin). With the crap-ass season Forte is having, for whatever reason, opponent's defenses are loading up on the pass. And until the Bears can make them pay, either with better pass protection or more big runs, we are going to see more of the same for the next 6 games. As a side note, I hope someone puts Jared Allen on his ass and drives his mullet through his skull.

Uppity Yuppity Doolittle - Weapon of Choice Mezzanine - Massive Attack Driving South - Stone Roses Proudest Monkey - DMB Lubbock - Milton Mapes Kate - Ben Folds Five Basement Jaxx vs. Talking Heads - Go Home Productions I Can't Remember - Alice in Chains Immortality - Pearl Jam Numbers - Milton Mapes

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 10:40 PM) I think Barker would go if they couldn't punt Sopel. Unfortunately, I think both are gone. Sopel to the Leafs and Barker to the Sens. So says the rumor mill.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 05:01 PM) D'Oh. 60 minutes of 0 posts, then 2 simultaneous. Eek!

Short Week (for the employed) Shuffle: Wind Below - Rage Against the Machine Company Book - Sugar Death of a Disco Dancer - The Smiths When the Earth's Last Picture is Painted - Milton Mapes Another Postcard - Barenaked Ladies Wind Up - Foo Fighters Love Tips Up - Catherine Wheel Join Together - The Who Speak Low (Bent Remix) - Billie Holliday Down - Roni Size/Reprazent Nutmeg Overdose Extra: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - The White Stripes

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 04:55 PM) John Elway, Brett Favre, and a fair number of other QB's didn't win when the team around them didn't have the parts. they won when the team around them was just as dominant as they were. If Cutler is going to struggle and cost the Bears games...fine. This season's a wash. Now the Bears need to start filling holes around him. If you put him on a dominant team and he's costing them games, that's a different story. Stop making sense, just...stop it.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 04:30 PM) It's a fine line. My point is that they had a bad team the year before, returned a bad team, remained a bad team. Coaching is clearly the problem, but I stand by what I said. But aren't you contradicting yourself? You can't call it a bad team and then say coaching is clearly the problem. Here's the issue: Illinois has a talented bunch of players. They are not a team. THAT is on the coaching staff which is why Zook should go (and I love me some Ron Zook). Enthusiasm only takes you so far.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 04:44 PM) IMO, Sopel is actually playing well above expectations. However, those expectations weren't very high. Rumors are swirling that it'd be Sopel and a 2nd round pick for pretty much nothing. In that case, I'd rather deal Barker as he'd bring back more. I've heard possibly Barker to Carolina for Cullen AND Corvo. ESPN Insider (insert grain of salt here) is reporting Barker to Toronto. Many names bandied about for Toronto including Jason Blake and Garnet Exelby. But, that might just be people they WANT to get rid of....

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 03:10 PM) I think he's been as good as advertised. You don't win a Selke Award and finish 2nd in voting 4 other times without being a huge contributor. I said it this off-season that his signing may have been as big as Hossa's. He's the exact calming influence who can kill penalties that this team needed. I'm glad to see others are noticing this. This team has had trouble winning faceoffs for years and Madden has always been real good in that category. In fact, I think Pat Foley said something about winning 2/3rds of his faceoffs in the last few games. Can't remember the timeframe he gave. That's gonna be a great influence on the rest of the young centers.

While I think the signings of Hossa (for firepower and playmaking) and Kopecky (just to weaken the Dead Wings) were good signings and all...John Madden has been better than advertised and I think if the 'hawks win the cup, it's going to be because of his ability to win faceoffs and just being (sorry in advance) grindy. I love the way he plays and think he wins the Dave Wannstedt Missing Piece Award for the 'hawks!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 02:35 PM) Destroy this thread...and take them all out at once. Energy should be focused on your thesis, no? And Pants, your check is in the mail.

28 posts and not one mention of Skin Flute? Disappointed...! Played clarinet for 1 looooong year. Tried drums but hard to practice when you live in an apartment...not to mention lack of space for a set. Tried harmonica for a bit, but once I saw Bruce Willis playing it as Bruno, well.... Would love to pick up the bass. I'm a rhythm section kinda guy. Or Jews Harp.

Algae on the menu, Sqwert?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 12:52 PM) The dude is frustrated. Wow, man, your dominated a team that's been playing a western Canada road trip, and was playing it's 3rd game in 4 nights! This was the second game of back-to-backs! Meanwhile, you guys only played 2 games in the last 8 days! YOU SHOULD HAVE DOMINATED. But you lost... like a bunch of b****es. Bingo! The problem is...Niemi was fresh (and probably rusty) but completely stoned the 'nucks. It was beautiful to see. The 'nucks had some great scoring chances, but they were outplayed. Sorry Kesler...suck it (up).

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 12:52 PM) The dude is frustrated. Wow, man, your dominated a team that's been playing a western Canada road trip, and was playing it's 3rd game in 4 nights! This was the second game of back-to-backs! Meanwhile, you guys only played 2 games in the last 8 days! YOU SHOULD HAVE DOMINATED. But you lost... like a bunch of b****es. Bingo! The problem is...Niemi was fresh (and probably rusty) but completely stoned the 'nucks. It was beautiful to see. The 'nucks had some great scoring chances, but they were outplayed. Sorry Kesler...suck it (up).

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 12:46 PM) Sox Interested in Upton; Omogrosso and Vizquel Updates Cowley is rolling over in his journalistic grave.

Blech.

Also...Breaking News:

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah is one of my least favorite Disney songs.

Do you take the chance and buy him out for 60% of the contract? Lower the cap hit to $2.4 mil and stretch it out over double the years of the contract? I think you give him away for nothing. If Bowman can pull this off...he should get Executive of the Decade.

From ESPN Insider:

Let's see if we can shut down Kid Gleason's Bat-Signal Shuffle: I See The Light - Cracker Sassafras Roots - Green Day In My Command - Crowded House Animal - Pearl Jam Try All You Want - Electronic Everything - Lifehouse (ick, stupid wife ) Tommy Gun - The Clash Take Off Your Cool - Outkast Juke-Joint Jezebel - KMFDM Go - Moby Blast from the Past Remake Extree: The Shot Heard 'Round the World (from Schoolhouse Rock) - Ween