thedoctor

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 05:26 AM) Well, I'm just talking about what I saw this season really. So that's what you get when someone that's not that knowledgeable about basketball also focuses too narrowly. UI's defense in 2006-2007 was actually pretty impressive (again, that's me just watching the games and not backed up by stats or knowledge). So, I think you are right & he probably is a decent defensive coach. This season, it was frustrating to watch the same tight man-to-man get played every game regardless of how UI matched up with the other team but that decision was made by someone who knows a lot more about basketball than I do. whitesoxfan99 -- As I said, UI's offense could very well look a lot better with different players. I actually didn't see much of the 2005 season, but I remember the offense looking jaw-droppingly good in the Wake Forest game. But in general, I just don't see as much penetration from the guards as I would like. I don't know if that's personnel or the motion offense in general. Maybe both. I can't remember if 2005 was different in that respect, or if the team could just shoot a hell of a lot better. the issues illinois had last year had little to do with his in-game coaching. they had to do with him recruiting like crap, as we've covered seemingly hundreds of times over the past few months (not a shot at you, just a statement of fact). weber isn't going anywhere. the marquette mention was a throw-away speculative line based on his milwaukee roots.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 01:33 AM) I can only speak about this year and last year -- I can't enlighten you about anything but that (i.e. the Final Four run or two years ago with Novak) -- but... With regards to the loss vs Michigan State in the 2007 tourney, Marquette was playing without its best player (McNeal). You do have to factor that in a little bit. That being said... Izzo completely and utterly out-coached Crean in that game. Michigan State didn't strike me as a very good team last season, but they completely controlled the game. I think that was the game where Marquette had something like one two-point FG in the first half. I was not happy at all with the performance and most of my beef was with Crean. It wasn't just a matter of MU not hitting open shots -- they weren't running any offense and most of their shots were contested. It was an absolutely terrible coaching performance. With regards to this season and Marquette's run... I can't say I have any complaints. Stanford was about the worst possible match-up for Marquette (outside of playing one of UNC or UCLA) and, if not for one freak shot, Marquette would've been into the Sweet 16. ------------------ If you Indiana folks are looking for a truly *elite* coach, I don't think Crean is your guy. But he's pretty good and certainly above average, and seeing that your last coach did his best to run embarrass the hell out of IU, this has to be looked at as a plus for 'Hooserville'. thanks for the background. missing mcneal absolutely would hurt them, and i forgot he was gone in that game.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 01:08 AM) From this alum's perspective...after the embarrassment that has been this season, I'll take a guy who doesn't have a bunch of championships under his belt as long as he's a solid guy who can help rebuild that program. I just don't want another story coming out that makes me shake my head. agreed.

the only criticism i'd have of crean is his tournament performance. no doubt he had a great run with dwyane wade in 03, but outside of that his teams have been meh at best when it comes to tournament play. now, there could be reasons for that i'm not aware of because i don't follow closely, but outside of 03 there's nothing really distinguished about his team's tournament performances.

solid hire, and a very good one considering the circumstances. also happy to see another more up-tempo coach joining the conference. we can do with less grindage in this league.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 12:05 AM) Looks like Bassett and Ellis are gone from IU. Also, how exactly does Dakich have the power to do this right now? I would think this has to becoming from higher than him in the athletic department. Also, the reasoning sounds fishy to me. Letting a lame duck coach kick players off the team for missing a meeting? There has to be more to the story than that. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...049/1004/SPORTS geez. presuming gordon leaves (safe assumption i think) who is going to be left? crawford, thomas, taber...?

i think you have to expect this kind of attrition any time a program changes. when i was a sophomore in college our team underwent a coaching change and in the very first team meeting the coach told us to look at the guys sitting around us and understand that most of them weren't going to be sitting there next year. he was right. so in that regard, i don't blame rr for whatever he's done. a new coach has to come in and establish his own culture and own way of doing things. now, i have heard from people both at michigan and west virginia that rr is not everyone's cup of tea, and he is much, much more hands-on than carr was. maybe that was too much for boren. it doesn't mean that he's a yssup or can't hang, it just means it was time to move on. the only criticism that i'd really level in this case is with boren's statement. i think he opened his former teammates up to a lot of uncomfortable questions from the media by stating things as strongly as he did. probably he'd rethink that approach if given another chance and would maybe attempt to take a more neutral tact.

what? we're actually playing baseball this season? i thought white sox baseball was canceled for 2008 on account of its imminent suckiness. anyway... i'll go 83 wins, third in the division.

i wish this was a college story, unfortunately it is more of a recent vintage. a few years back, i was out at a bar with some friends drinking. i was getting pretty saucy, and at a certain point decided i was done and wanted to go home. so i left the bar and walked about two miles home. when i got there i realized that i'd left my house keys in the car that my friends and i drove to the bar in. so, it's about 1 a.m. and i'm standing outside the front of my house pissed. i lived on the second floor of a duplex, and was trying to figure out how to get up to a second floor window. this house had a porch, and there was a little roof that hung over the porch, and an open window was right about that roof. at this time we had some construction going on and there were huge sheets of plywood in our backyard. my idea was to take one of the pieces of plywood, lay it against the overhang, and run up it like a ramp. so i get everything set up, go back about 15 yards, reach top speed and hit the ramp. needless to say i got halfway up the ramp, it bowed, i lost balance, fell off the side, cracked my head and wrecked my elbow. as i'm laying there bleeding, my buddies pull up. not my finest moment.

QUOTE(max power @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 07:37 PM) I'd sooner believe you are high now.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 06:49 PM) I heard Obama ate a turkey hot dog today, is that news worthy? clearly he's bent on running america's pig farmers right out of business. what a bastage.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 06:51 PM) http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...whitesox/080226 i have a feeling i'm not going to like that story.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 05:33 PM) Well, unfortunately this has turned into another "trash the organization" thread over the fact that Crede and Uribe are getting the starting nods. But I'm going to try and counter what Steve initially seemed to be saying in this thread, which is "What the hell was/is the plan this offseason?" In order to try and understand what the plan is/was, you've got to look at how the offseason unfolded, as opposed to what the result is now. 1) First of all, for all the Uribe griping, I think it's fairly clear that the organization, as well as the fanbase, knew that a different shortstop would greatly increase the chances for success. While I have never been completely sold on the Garland/Cabrera trade, as I would have liked to acquire a younger ss with some upside for Garland (think Chin Lung Hu), Kenny did go out and acquire one of the better shortstops in the game, with at least some intention of exploring a long-term contract with him. So he was clearly addressing a major need there. Was it the best idea to do at the expense of Jon? I'm not certain, but with the fanbase clamoring for Buehrle to be resigned last year (as he was), and Vazquez having a deal in place, it was fairly clear Jon was not going to be resigned. But considering most of the people complaining around here lately don't believe we have any chance to compete this season, I really don't see how it matters. 2) We clearly needed some OF depth as we were looking at having a group of OF's including Dye/Owens/Anderson/Sweeney. Now, recalling the uncertainty of what we had in Owens, the fact that it would have been a huge gamble to count on Anderson to do what he has done this spring, and Sweeney's lack of power and ability to get to an inside fastball, I can only imagine the disappointment and venom spewed around here had other options not been acquired. So Kenny goes out and gets Quentin from AZ in what was thought by most people in baseball to be a pretty solid deal. He gets Swisher from Oakland, in a more controversial deal. But Swisher's acquisition filled a second need- and one that was harped on constantly around here for the last few years- OBP. So while we looted our own farm system a bit to acquire him, Swisher will be here, at a reasonable price, for several more years, and he adds something this team badly lacked, and that is someone with plate discipline that reaches base at an extremely high clip over the course of his career. He also appears to be an extremely good clubhouse player (even Frank Thomas loved him). Kenny then signs a Cuban exile with some raw tools, but who has been hitting in a league many scouts compare to A-level ball. The guy signs for an extremely cost-effective contract, one that, should he never really pan out as anything other than a utility player, would not hurt the club. This move is probably one centered around adding depth to our recently depleted system and the lack of bench players (as Mackowiak, Cintron are gone), and a gamble that his raw tools might actually manifest themselves into something approaching a player Ramirez is sometimes compared to, Alfonso Soriano. Then what happens? Spring Training arrives. Brian Anderson comes in with a chip on his shoulder and a new attitude. He tears the cover off the ball as well as any player in baseball this spring. Alexei Ramirez shows that he can, at the very least, hit major league fastballs- and hit them hard- to all fields. He shows a ton of athleticism and is now being reported on nationally as potentially one of the major "finds" of the offseason. Quentin, though still recovering from a shoulder injury, starts off slowly. Yet the last few weeks of spring, he begins to find his stroke and shows the organization that he still may be that player who was so well-regarded two years ago. And then of course there is Jerry Owens, who has himself had a nice spring but has battled injuries and needs to go on the DL to get healthy for what is a very long season. So now we have Dye/Swisher/Anderson/Quentin/Ramirez and Owens when he returns from injury. Suddenly we have a glut of OF's and people are honestly going to complain? Would we rather be in the spot we thought we were 3-4 months ago? 3) Second base was a somewhat uncertain spot and one most hoped Richar would win in ST. However, he shows up late because of visa problems, then struggles with back injuries once he does start playing. He, obviously, could not win the 2b job. So that means it's down to Uribe, who is under contract this year, and despite what some have suggested, has been a very solid defensive player his entire career, and Alexei Ramirez, who is still learning the position, as he was a natural shortstop in Cuba. Which direction to go? Do you sit a guy who you know will be very dependable defensively, especially considering you have question marks on your pitching staff and some guys who tend to walk some people (#'s 3,4,5 in your rotation), or do you start the Cuban upstart who is raw defensively, but shows an ability to play several different positions? Or, you could attempt to trade Uribe, but then you are depending on Ramirez being able to fill the bill, at least until Richar comes back from a back injury (and you know how troubling back injuries can be). I'm not agreeing with everything that was done, but I think it is important to look at things as they occurred, chronologically, to get a better understanding of how things unfolded. great post.

QUOTE(Princess Dye @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 04:51 PM) I think people are just really upset about Fields. Honestly, the possibility that Crede is headed out in a trade in one month still looms. It's not that much to lose sleep over. and i can understand that. i just don't see fields being "ruined" by playing a month or two in triple-A. if he is the player many think he can be, he'll be back and he'll be fine. if playing for another month or two in the minors ruins him, he probably wasn't going to be that good anyway.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 04:11 PM) Stuck with Uribe and Crede??? Really Steve? At worst, the Sox have them for one year. ONE YEAR. There are 3 players sitting and waiting behind Uribe that could hold down the 2B spot. There's one comparable player behind Crede. And do the Sox really want to start the service time clock on players when you have another one under contract for a year? This is a good thing to have more than one player at a position...it's called depth and the Sox haven't had it in a long time. One more thing...EVERY TEAM starts at 0-0. Tied for first, tied for last. You never know what could happen (geez, it seems like I say this every year). You think the Sox are old and slow? How about the Tigers? Maggs, I-Rod, Sheffield, Renteria is getting up there. for speed, they have Granderson and...did I mention Granderson? I remain cautiously optimistic. i tend to agree with this. to me, the uribe and crede things have been way overblown, primarily because they are popular soxtalk whipping boys. although i wish fields was starting at 3B and uribe was on another team, i don't think the whole scenario has near the "end-of-days" tenor that some seem to be taking.

QUOTE(Disco72 @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 03:06 PM) That is another question - and one that can only be answered over 162 games. Clearly, on paper, the Sox are, at best, the third team in the division. Like others have said, it really depends on the 3-4-5 starters. An optimist would see that Count's split finger looked like it used to, Floyd showed some talent at the end of last year, and that Danks should be better in his second season. I really don't know if any of that is true, but I like to be optimistic heading into a season. Then again, after living through those terrible 80s teams, I like having a competitive team to root for! agreed. i've seen a lot of bad white sox baseball in my life, thankfully not as often in the last 10 years as in the first 25.

QUOTE(Disco72 @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 02:41 PM) I agree that the Sox had a pretty good offseason. Frankly, I think all the Sox have more talent at positions than they need, which is a good thing after some of the players that got on the field last year. If Crede fails, Fields comes up. If Uribe fails, Ramirez or Richar comes in. As for too much outfield talent, raise your hand if you thought Brian Anderson AND Jerry Owens would have very good Springs like they did. Either or both could still fail in the majors, so we don't really know if the Sox really have too many OFers. However, already Owens is injured, but the Sox don't have to worry about playing Luis Terrero out there because we have legitimate players to play the OF in the case of injury, unlike last year. Finally, about "forcing" Swish into CF...he played there last year for OAK, so I this isn't a Mackowiak situation. I haven't seen a single person that watched ST games say he looked bad out there. Top to bottom, this is a much improved lineup over what was out there most of last season. i do agree that the sox improved significantly in the offseason. but, did they improve enough to overcome two of the best teams in baseball who are both in their division? i don't think they did, although i would be happy to be proven wrong on that. some of the other stuff, to me, is just people complaining because they like to complain.

a few more illini notes after perusing the mass of "first day" stories today. -britt miller is moving to middle linebacker to take over for j leman. zook listed martez wilson and rodney pittman as his olbs. -deangelo mccray (second knee surgery), arrelious benn (shoulder surgery), travon bellamy (two shoulder surgeries), and troy pollard (knee surgery) will be limited in the spring and will not play extensively. -chris duvalt, who was at defensive back, has moved to wide receiver. -most of the running back carries in the spring will go to daniel dufrene and freshman mikel leshoure. jason ford and pollard will also vie for the starting job in the summer.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 09:34 PM) Like someone said before, hate to see it, but this is awesome. This is the only way our team will get better, an injury to Owens. Now we just need Crede to slip and fall and hurt his back....... classy.

anderson. quentin's still hurting a bit any way so it makes sense to see if anderson can keep his mo going into games that actually count. this would be, i would say, his last chance with the sox.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 08:01 PM) what a f***ing joke. If I were Fields, I would demand a trade. No way would I want my growth as a major leaguer stunted by a guy who can't even hit his weight in spring training. because we should judge all players on how they play in spring training. (and i agree that fields shouldn't be sent down, but that reasoning sucks)

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 05:59 PM) I just find it odd that a Republican can defend Obama but Clinton just keeps trying to rip the party apart. well, from her standpoint it's really her only chance of winning. i don't agree with the approach, but it's her last bullet.

viva, viagra!

one for illinois. zook is sitting five players for the spring for not living up to his academic standards. these guys are academically eligible, but will not play. blog item

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Mar 24, 2008 -> 11:24 PM) These threads have been around before and I made one nearly 4 years ago as an 18 year old. The advice really helped then, but now as a 22 year old, it seems I still am clueless with the female sex. my advice would be to get used to this concept. four years from now it will still be the same for you and every other male on the planet.